History

This course will examine the history of the United States as an actor in world history from 1945 to the present. The era since the end of WWII has been called the age of extremes, the age of contradictions, the era of violence, and the golden age of capitalism. We will study the major political, cultural, economic and social events within America that developed during and after the Cold War. The approach of this class will therefore be thematic—it will emphasize some events and developments while leaving others out. The key topics will be: The end of WWII and the destruction of the old world order within the confines of a modern capitalist world-system, the role of the Cold War in shaping American foreign and domestic policy, the extent to which the United States asserted itself as hegemon of the world system, changing conceptions of citizenship, sexuality, gender, class, and race over time, the shifting nature of culture, and the major liberal and conservative reformist movements. We will also examine the relationships between populations such as political elites and the people, men and women, rich and poor, etc. Ultimately, we will unpack how these relationships changed over time and how they affected the America we see around us today.