To provide a broad survey of the literature and historiographical problems of the different fields in history.

This is the introductory course for first and second year graduate students intending to study the history of North America, from the colonial period to the twenty-first century. Students will meet faculty working in North American history, broadly defined. We will read texts on a wide array of topics. Readings will include books by current faculty members and also classic and recent texts in conversation with these books. Over the course of the semester, we will gain familiarity with important topics in U.S. historiography and also discuss the practice of historical scholarship. The course meets weekly for a two-hour discussion of assigned readings, and engaged participation will be the most important component of evaluation. Writing assignments will be a series of book reviews based on assigned and supplemental reading. While the class is open to doctoral students outside of the history department, it will be most useful to those pursuing a Ph.D. in history. It is not meant to be a comprehensive survey of historical literature but rather an introduction to the department and to the practice of historical research from prospectus to dissertation to book.

Repeat Rules