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Name of Learning Opportunity: | U. S. History: 1492-1877 |
Mode of Delivery: | Guided Independent Study
reskey: |
Study Group/Residency Enrollment Caps: | Sep cap: 15
Nov cap: 15
Jan cap: 15
Mar cap: 15
May A cap: 15
May B cap: 15 |
Region: | Long Island Center |
Location(s): | Old Westbury |
Location(s):
at a distance | |
Mentor/Instructor: | Ian Reifowitz |
Offered in these terms: | Sep, Nov, Jan, Mar, May A (8 Week) |
Credits: | 4 |
Liberal Study? | YES |
Level: | Intro, Adv |
Area of Study: | Historical Studies |
Subject: | History and Civilizations |
GenEd Area 1: 4. American History | Fully |
GenEd Area 2: | |
Available Collegewide: | N |
Describe how will you interact with students at a distance: |  |
Description: | During this study the student will gain a basic understanding of the developments in American history from the colonial period of European settlement starting in the early 17th century through the end of the Civil War in April 1865. We will cover such major political events as the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States, the Constitution and development of a national government, the political crisis over slavery, and the Civil War. We will also cover thematic topics including among others: the encounter between the native American Indians and the colonial population, immigration and its impact on American society, slavery and the broader experience of black Americans, gender in American society, industrial development, and the expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean.
We will return often to the one overarching theme of the study: the changing definition of what is an American. We will see that definition become more open and inclusive, albeit aching slowly in this period, as groups outside the original core of British settlers began to win acceptance as Americans. We will examine the idea that America was founded as a nation of equal citizens rather than as a people bound by common ancestry, and how this idea, despite the fact that some Americans were less willing than others to see certain groups as "fellow Americans," helped lay the foundation for the fight against injustice and inequality that began to see some successes by 1865. |
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