Western Civilization IIIb: America from 1600-1918

Course Description: This course focuses on the development of Western Civilization by examining the history, language, and culture of what would eventually become the United States of America from the beginning of the colonial period until the end of the first World War. The course begins with the founding of the first significant English colony in the New World at Jamestown in 1607, explores the spread of English settlers throughout what would become the eastern United States as well as their interactions with other European settlers and native peoples, discusses the rising tensions between the inhabitants of America and the British that resulted in the Revolutionary War, highlights early developments in the United States of America and the factors that led to the American Civil War, and concludes by examining the rise of the United States to become a world power during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Topics of interest for the course include the patterns of settlement and colonization that made the English New World unique, the development of the original Thirteen Colonies into the United States and the difficulties faced by the new nation during its first century, and the ways in which these events shaped Western Civilization throughout the 20th century and into the present day. In addition to the historical approach taken by this course, the impact of linguistic, cultural, and artistic developments on the civilization in which we currently live are considered. The course emphasizes lecture, student participation, and essay writing—discussion is highly encouraged.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course,

1. The student will be able to construct and express, both verbally and in writing, a coherent framework for the development of Western Civilization in America from the beginning of English colonization of the New World until the conclusion of the first World War.

2. The student will be able to trace features of contemporary Western culture and the present-day status of America to events that occurred from the establishment of the first English settlement on the continent to the early 20th century.

3. The student will comprehend and be able to express, both verbally and in writing, the reasons underlying major events in America between 1600 and 1918 and to connect those events with one another to form an overarching conception of the development of Western Civilization during this time.

4. The student will be able to take and defend a position of his or her own choosing regarding a significant topic related to the history, language, or culture of America during this timeframe using sound reasoning and argumentation.

Prerequisites: Western Civilization I: The Classical World and Western Civilization II: The Medieval World