Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

This module provides first-year students with an introduction to the history of the United States of America. It is designed to familiarise students with some of the main themes in U.S. history, and to provide a comparative perspective for those taking courses on British and European history.

The focus of this module is on the interplay between unity and diversity in U.S. history. It begins with a consideration of the sectional conflict between North and South and its partial resolution in the Civil War. The next section sets the divisive impact of industrialisation against the integrative effects of a developing consumer culture and the mass media. It also looks at the relationship between assimilation and ethnic diversity in a society repeatedly transformed by the impact of mass immigration. The third section focuses upon the first half of the 20th century, when economic crisis and growing international involvement led to an increase in federal government power. Finally, the module considers issues of race, cultural identity and political division in post-World War Two United States and the implications for U.S. society of the nation's role as a world power.