Time Schedule:
Robert I. Cruickshank
HSTAA 235
Seattle Campus
Through study of documents, personal testimony, and other source materials, through written reports on historical problems, and through discussions, lectures, films, and audiovisual presentations, students are encouraged to examine evidence and to think "historically" about persons, events, and movements within the memory of their own generation and that immediately preceding theirs. Primarily for first-year students.
Class description
This course will introduce you to the history of the United States from the New Deal to the present day. We will focus on the major domestic and international events of the period, such as the Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, the rise of conservatism, and Globalization. The course will emphasize important themes that link these events, such as ideas of government and the state, American relations with the world, Americans' desire to build new communities, and debates over democratic rights.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Students will learn through a combination of lectures, readings, writing assignments, and class discussion.
Note: Due to the compressed nature of "A" Term courses students should be prepared to deal with a heavy reading load, at least 300 pages per week.
Recommended preparation
There are no prerequisites for the course. The course is intended as an introduction to the subject of recent U.S. history and to history as a field of study.
Class assignments and grading
Daily reading assignments and participation in class discussions, 2 short papers, and a final exam.
