This survey course is designed to give students an overview of American
history since 1877. During this period of time, America became a world power
by a rapid and efficient process of industrialization, by extending its
commercial, military, and diplomatic reach around the world, and by trying
to live up to, universalize, and extend its ideals of democracy, liberty,
and individual rights. This course will introduce the basic themes, events,
and individuals that have helped shape modern America. The course will begin
in the wake post-Civil-War Reconstruction and end with Watergate in the
mid-1970s.
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