This lecture course will take a broad view of the political, social, economic, and cultural history of the United States in the mid-19th century in order to explore both the causes of the Civil War and its effects on American development. Major topics will include slavery and race relations (north and south), class relations and industrialization, the organization of party politics, and changing ideas about and uses of government power.

This course examines the United States during the period leading up to and through the Civil War as well as the period following the war, known as Reconstruction (~1830–1890). This was an era of tremendous ferment, encompassing various efforts at social reform, the US invasion of Mexico, and the annexation of the northern half of that country, disputes over the existence and spread of slavery, secession of eleven states resulting in the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the rise of Jim Crow segregation in the South and in other parts of the country. Part of this ferment resulted from the efforts of various groups to expand the sphere of active citizenship within the public life of the United States. During this course, we will examine these efforts, their successes and failures, and the way in which the ferment of the mid-nineteenth century has come to affect civic life in the contemporary United States. Instructor bio: Over the past decade, Dr. Meg Gudgeirsson has studied and taught courses that cover the entirety of American history but is particularly drawn to the 19th and 20th centuries. She is interested in the role of “everyday” people—how they experienced and shaped our nation. She is inspired by those who challenge the obstacles they face and seek to better understand them. Her research has focused on religion, gender, and children. Currently, her most recent project looks at former abolitionists who attempted to create an interracial school in Berea, Kentucky. The article, “‘We do not have any Prejudice… but…’: Racism in the Interracial Berea Literary Institute, 1866-1904” was included in the fall 2020 issue of Ohio Valley History. Dr. Gudgeirsson received her PhD from UC Santa Cruz.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills