Programme/Approved Electives for 2021/22
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Yes
In this module you will address a range of topics in the history of the United States from the late colonial period to the turn of the twentieth century. You will employ a diversity of social, economic, political, and cultural perspectives, and will develop the historical tools for more detailed investigation of the United States. Race is a key theme throughout this module and you will study slavery, emancipation, disenfranchisement and segregation. Another major theme is westward expansion, a process that involved the dispossession of Native Americans, and was also intimately connected with the coming of the Civil War. You will also encounter the activism of women and African Americans, and how social reform movements shaped national developments.
Aims
To introduce students to key themes in the history of the United States from the late colonial period to about 1900; to develop skills in historical analysis in preparation for advanced level work; to develop transferable analytic, organizational and communication skills.
Talis Aspire Reading ListAny reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/ams-10026/lists
Intended Learning Outcomes
12 x 1-hour lectures; 12 x 1-hour workshops; 12 x 1-hour seminars; 62 hours lecture and seminar preparation; 12 hours group presentation preparation; 40 hours essay preparation
Description of Module Assessment
1: Group Presentation weighted 25%Group presentationA small group presentation of c.10 minutes to scrutinize relevant secondary and/or primary materials read in advance of the seminar. Students should assess the arguments and evidence employed by the source(s). The group is awarded a single mark.
2: Essay weighted 75%2000-word essayEssay chosen from a list of around ten, exploring major issues in U.S. history. Emphasis on historical analysis, narrative organization, evidence and validation, presentation, and literacy.