HIST 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar

FDR: HU
Credits: 3

Fall 2021, HIST 180-01: FS: First-Year Seminar: The History of American Capitalism: From Colonization to Crypto (3). Prerequisite: First-year class standing only. What is capitalism, how did it develop in the United States, and how have historians studied it? These are the principal questions that will guide this course on the history of American capitalism from the colonial period to the present. To understand capitalism in its historical context, we will examine its relationship to the social, cultural, technological, environmental, and political changes that have defined American history: settler colonialism, slavery, industrialization, ecological transformation, consumerism, and more. Throughout, we will consider enduring questions about the relationships between economic growth and inequality, dynamism and instability, opportunity and exploitation. Each week you will read historical scholarship and examine primary sources not only to better understand American capitalism, but to develop your ability to sort and evaluate evidence, to make arguments, and to interpret the past. (HU) Sammons.