Course Info: CSI-0159

This course uses historical methods to investigate the long arc of U.S. empire from the 19th century through the present. Our core work will be reading, discussing, and writing about past events, beginning with theoretical essays that establish the significance of the "imperial" as a category of analysis that helps us understand how power works. We will consider the United States in relationship to other world empires, and will explore why people have long resisted thinking of the United States as an empire. For many observers, 1898 and the Spanish American War were an exceptional moment of imperial expansion. We won't treat 1898 as an exception, but rather as a midpoint in a longer history of U.S. empire beginning with Native American dispossession and slavery. We will consider continuities and discontinuities between those experiences and more recent military, economic, and cultural imperialism including the war on terror.

Evaluation is based on 2 shorter papers on assigned topics, 1 longer independent research paper, and discussion participation. Students wrote a final research paper on a topic of their own design, using peer-reviewed secondary sources. They were expected to use properly formatted Chicago style citations and were provided with in-class instruction, models, and other guidance on citations. The goal of all written assignments was for students to compare, contrast, and synthesize historians’ approaches. Independent final projects were intended to highlight methodological issues in the field, drawing primarily on works not already on the syllabus.