Time Schedule:
Michael C Reese
HSTAA 432
Seattle Campus
Exploration and settlement; economic development; growth of government and social institutions; statehood.
Class description
HSTAA432 focuses on the history of Washington and Oregon from 1770 to the present, though developments in Idaho, British Columbia, and Alaska also receive attention. The class examines interactions between Native peoples and non-Natives; imperialism, migration, and settlement; changing systems of land use and ideas about nature; shifting patterns of race and class relations in the region; economic and political developments; the emergence of environmentalism; and the formation of a regional identity. The vast majority of readings are primary sources. The course teaches students ways to interpret and analyze a wide variety of primary documents—oral histories, diaries, memoirs and autobiographies, photographs, paintings, journalistic accounts, and legal proceedings. Students will also learn to critique and construct historical arguments based on primary materials.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Due to the extensive work with primary sources, some exposure to college-level history is recommended.
Class assignments and grading
Students will write a 4- to 5-page paper about a single document and an 8 to 10-page essay about two or more readings. In lieu of the longer essay, education majors (and other prospective teachers) may instead create a packet of documents and teaching materials about an aspect of regional history.
