The Unrealized Dream An Introduction To Us History

AY2017/2018 Semester 2

In this class, students will become familiar with what some historians term 'The American Irony' - that American citizens have consistently acquired independence, freedom, and affluence by conquering, enslaving, and impoverishing other peoples. Students will explore the major events that shaped the development of the United States, from the colonial period through the War on Terror. In the process they will learn how the United States rose to a position of global hegemony, and question whether that situation is likely to endure. This class will particularly focus on issues of race, class, and gender, which carry relevance beyond the boundaries of the United States.