What does it mean to be American? Whatever your answer is to this question, chances are it is deeply connected to the themes and events we will discuss in this class. Here we will track America's rise to global power, the fate of freedom in a post-Emancipation political setting, and the changing boundaries of nation, citizenship, and community. We will use landmark events to sharpen our themes, but we will also take care to analyze the equally important (and shifting) patterns of where and how Americans lived, worked, and played.

Who or what makes history—and who or what made 21st-century America? Political and economic elites? Immigrants and enslaved persons? Technological change? Social conflict? Great ideas? Climate and other non-human forces? Placing these questions front and center, this survey of U.S. history since the Civil War moves beyond standard accounts to explore the people and relationships that have periodically made and remade American society, politics, and environment. It will explore key themes, crucial transformations, significant institutions, major controversies, and pivotal turning points in American history. From multiple perspectives, including the vantage points of ordinary Americans and leaders, we will consider how and why American politics, culture, and society have changed since the Civil War. Although we will touch on many different subjects, thematically the course will emphasize the struggles for freedom and conflicts over citizenship in the context of a national political culture that has promised—and limited—equality, democracy, and liberty. We will pay careful attention to the negotiation of diversity (who counts as “American” and when, how, and why has that changed?) and, along with it, the transformation of government and Americans’ expectations of government (what should the government do or not do?). We will use landmark events and people to sharpen our themes, but we will also take care to analyze the equally important (and shifting) patterns of where and how Americans lived, worked, thought, and played. History 7B is also an introduction to the ways historians study and interpret the past: how historians find, read, and analyze evidence; how historians ask questions and construct arguments; and how historians think about change over time. Lectures will be live and in-person, with recordings posted to bCourses after class. All course readings and materials will be available on bCourses and via online archives. Sections will function as history labs: the space where students will learn and practice the skills of historians. This work includes doing historical research, asking historical questions, analyzing historical sources, developing historical arguments, synthesizing historical interpretations, and presenting historical findings. Sections meet weekly and are mandatory; make sure to enroll in a section that you can attend.

Credit Restrictions

Students will receive no credit for HISTORY 7B after completing XHISTOR 7B. A deficient grade in HISTORY 7B may be removed by taking XHISTOR 7B.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills