Historical Approaches to American Studies

What does it mean to study American culture through history? This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary methods of American Studies, emphasizing historical and cultural analysis. Students explore a range of sources including literature, film, music, photography, journalism, court decisions, government documents, and digital media, while practicing approaches such as archival research and close analysis of texts and images. We examine how U.S. institutions and culture have been shaped by the frontier, expansion, and overseas ambitions, as well as how those processes have affected people beyond U.S. borders. Topics include contemporary debates over the meaning of national belonging.