Module Identifier HY14020  
Module Title THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN NATION 1783-2000  
Academic Year 2007/2008  
Co-ordinator Dr Jessica F Gibbs  
Semester Semester 2  
Course delivery Lecture   2 x 50 minute lectures per week  
  Seminars / Tutorials   5 x 50 minute seminars  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours 2 hour, 2 question exam70%
Semester Assessment 1 x 2,500 word essay30%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
a) Demonstrate familiarity with a body of knowledge in the field of United States history
b) Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of approaches to the study of US history
c) Reflect critically on selected historical texts
d) Gather and sift appropriate items of historical evidence
e) Develop and sustain historical arguments - in both oral (not assessed) and written work
f) Work both independently and collaboratively whilst being able to participate in group discussions (not assessed).

Brief description

The Great Seal of the United States bears the legend E Pluribus Unum: 'Out of Many, One'. This module takes for its central theme the continuing interplay between unity and diversity in American history. It begins with an account of the formation of the American nation in the era of the Revolution, followed by an examination 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 society and a mass culture; 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 considers issues of race and cultural identity in post-Second World War America. Finally, we consider the implications for American society and culture of the nation's role as a world power.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Degler, Carl N (1984) Out of Our Past: The Forces that Made Modern America 3rd. New York ; London : Harper & Row 0061319856
Hugh Brogan (1986) The Penguin History of the United States of America Harmondsworth : Penguin 0140225277
Jones, Maldwyn A (1995) The Limits of Liberty: American History, 1607-1992 2nd. Oxford : Oxford University Press

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4