Much of what we know and understand about American history is rooted in the received narrative of our national history, a history that is constructed of individual, collective, and a national memory of the past and its meanings. This course will examine some forms through which American historical memory is presented and (re)presented, such as monuments, museums, novels, film, photographs, and scholarly historical writing, by considering a number of pivotal events, institutions, or eras in American history: slavery, race, and the Civil War; the Great Depression; World War II; the Sixties and the war in Viet Nam; and the events and aftermath of September 11, 2001. Format: seminar. Assignments will include weekly response papers, critical essays, a museum exercise, and a final project to be completed in consultation with the instructor. Enrollment limit: 20 (expected 20). Restricted to History Majors.