American Wars (211-0-20)
Instructors
Michael J. Allen
847/467-3979
Harris Hall - Room 342
Meeting Info
University Hall 101: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
The history of the United States is a history of war. Yet like most things so ubiquitous, war has often gone unnoticed. Once up close and visceral, American wars have grown distant and ill-defined over time. This was especially true on college campuses like ours, which have not sent large numbers of students, faculty, or alumni to war in many generations. As military veterans passed from the scene, military history disappeared from college curriculums, leaving students with little real awareness of this defining feature of the American past and present.
This new lecture course aims to change that. Combining chronological coverage with topical concerns about race, gender, citizenship, and politics, it views the United States, its peoples, and its place in the world through the prism of war. As it goes it educates students in college-level historical reading, thinking, writing, and verbal expression. Assessment is based on class participation, weekly quizzes, two in-class exams, and regular analytic writing. No prerequisites or prior knowledge are required, all students are welcome.
Learning Objectives
Gain foundational knowledge of the political, social, cultural, intellectual, and technological forces implicated in American war-making and learn how they interacted across time and space to shape American and world history; Read, analyze, and evaluate varied primary source materials to become familiar with how diverse groups experienced and participated in American wars and to learn to make sense of variation and disagreement within historical source materials; Read, analyze, and evaluate varied secondary sources that offer scholarly interpretations of key questions in the history of American warfare, thereby developing proficiency in historical argument, documentation, and debate; Engage in reasoned, respectful, evidence-based discussion and debate with other interpreters of history in verbal and written forms; Analyze, synthesize, and organize varied source materials into accurate and persuasive verbal and written arguments in answer to historical questions.
Evaluation Method
Participation (10%); Reading Responses (15%); Weekly quizzes (10%); In-class exams (45%); Analytical Paper (20%)
Class Notes
Concentration: Americas
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Associated Classes
DIS - University Hall 112: Thurs 10:00AM - 10:50AM
DIS - University Library 3322: Thurs 11:00AM - 11:50AM
DIS - University Library 3670: Thurs 2:00PM - 2:50PM