HSCI 240(S) Technology and Science in American Culture (Same as History 295)
Although technologically dependent, the American colonies slowly built a
network of native scientists and inventors whose skills helped shape the United
States' response to the Industrial Revolution. The interaction of science,
technology, and society in the nineteenth century did much to form American
identity: the machine in the garden, through the "American System of
Manufactures" helped America rise to technological prominence; the
professionalization and specialization of science and engineering led to their
becoming vital national resources. Understanding these developments, as well
as the heroic age of American invention (1865-1914), forms the focus of this
course: how science and technology have helped shape modern American life.
Format: seminar. Requirements: class discussion, six short reports (1-2 pages),
and a final exam.
Enrollment limit: 20. Open to first-year students.
Satisfies one semester of the Division II requirement.