THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of History, Classics and Archaeology : History

Undergraduate Course: History of the United States (HIST08045)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of History, Classics and Archaeology CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course offers an introduction to the history of the United States, spanning from the revolutionary era of the eighteenth century through to the twenty-first century. From the creation of the American republic, the course explores the nation's development and challenges it faced over time.
Course description In exploring key themes in the history of the United States, the course examines: how Americans created a new nation that achieved continental expansion, and how sectional crisis - leading to Civil War - emerged; how norms of race, gender, and class attained entrenchment, and how Americans over time undertook fights for racial, social, and gender equality; how the U.S. government interacted with the wider world, and how - and with what consequences - the United States emerged as a world power; and how the U.S. economy underwent transformation, and how Americans responded to the challenges posed by economic crisis.

The course promotes the development of students' skills (both written and non-written) in historical research and analysis, encompassing critical engagement with both historiographical debates and primary sources.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: The Historian's Toolkit (HIST08032)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2020/21, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  336
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 33, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 153 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework:
1,000 word Historiographical Essay (30%)
3,000 word Essay (70%)
Feedback Students will receive feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with their tutor during published office hours or by appointment.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate command of a substantial body of historical knowledge
  2. demonstrate the ability to develop and sustain historical arguments in a variety of literary forms, formulating appropriate questions and utilizing evidence
  3. demonstrate an understanding of the varieties of approaches to understanding, constructing, and interpreting the past; and, where relevant, knowledge of concepts and theories derived from the humanities and social sciences
  4. demonstrate the ability to address historical problems in depth, involving the use of contemporary sources and advanced secondary literature
  5. demonstrate clarity, fluency, and coherence in written and oral expression
Reading List
The American Yawp, open resource (Stanford, CA, 2020): http://www.americanyawp.com/

Jane Dailey, Building the American Republic, vol. 2: A Narrative History from 1877 (Chicago, 2018): http://buildingtheamericanrepublic.org/

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History (New York, 2005-2020)

Harry L. Watson, Building the American Republic, vol. I: A Narrative History to 1877 (Chicago, 2018): http://buildingtheamericanrepublic.org/
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Megan Hunt
Tel: (0131 6)50 9110
Email: Megan.Hunt@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Katy Robinson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3780
Email: krobins3@ed.ac.uk
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