HIST 262(F) The United States and the World, 1776 to 1914 (Same as Leadership Studies 262)
From its foundation in 1776 to the beginning of World War I in 1914, the United States developed a complex of ideas for understanding-and methods for securing-its place in the world. During this period, the nation's diplomacy went through several phases as it made the transition from a young republic struggling to conduct its diplomacy, to an expansionist power in the first half of the nineteenth century, to an emerging world power in the aftermath of the Civil War, and then to an imperialist power after the Spanish-American War. Amidst these events, U.S. statesmen and citizens constantly debated the country's proper diplomatic role and struggled to construct and propagate a unique American ideology, as well as an advantageous geo-strategic position, on the global stage. Debates about foreign relations were imbued with questions of race, nation, independence, religion, economy, law, gender, and geographic expansion; indeed, defining U.S. foreign relations was a means of defining the nation itself. Through a variety of primary sources and scholarly books and articles, this course will examine U.S. relations with external powers as well as the interactions that occurred between U.S. domestic and foreign policy during this period.
Format: lecture/discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, two 5- to 7- page papers, quizzes, and a final exam.
No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 15-25). Open to all.
Group F
Hour: CHAPMAN