HIST 205 - The United States in the Modern World

(3 credits)

This course will trace the transformation of American society from a rural, agricultural, white Anglo-Saxon, protestant society into a diverse, modern, urban, industrial complex and its concomitant, but reluctant, rise to a global power with global responsibilities. This course will discuss the contributions of immigrants, women and other minorities to the strengthening and expansion of American democracy, as well as the role of capitalism as a significant factor in expanding America’s global position. Unfortunately this new role also brought the United States into conflict in many parts of the world with different values. These conflicts, in turn, have had their impact on American constitutional history and values as well. Topics include, imperialism, progressivism, Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, Cold War, Civil Rights Movement, Korea, Vietnam and the Far East, the US in the Middle East, the New Left and the expansion of democratic institutions, and the war on terror. Fall.