This course examines the history of the United States from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the twenty-first century. At the beginning of this period, America was a predominantly agrarian nation coming out of a devastating internal conflict, a second-class international player that could not assert military or political control over the continental territory it claimes as its own. Yet, by the end of the twentieth century, the United States was the world’s only superpower, able to confidently exert its power at home and abroad, while also boasting the most advanced economy on the face of the earth. This class will examine America’s dramatic tranformation over the last century and a half, surveying broad developments in modern US history along with close analysis of the lived experiences of individual historical figures and social groups.
