230585 U.S. History (S) (SoSe 2026)

This course deals with pivotal moments in the history of the United States of America from the first encounters between European settlers, Native Americans, and enslaved Africans to the aftermath of the Civil War. Given the enormous amount of material on the subject matter, students will focus on historical snapshots and the ideological debates surrounding them in an attempt to unravel the tapestry of contemporary US power structures, prevailing attitudes as well as current cultural and socio-economic circumstances. During the semester, students will deal with a great variety of historical primary sources and learn to analyze and interpret them. A special focus will be placed on the perspectives of historically excluded and marginalized groups, such as Native Americans and African Americans.