This course will introduce you to United States history from the end of the Civil War in 1865 through the first decade of the twenty-first century. You will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place in America during this nearly 150-year period. The course will be structured chronologically, with each unit focusing on a significant historical subject. The units will include representative primary-source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as the growth and expansion of political representation and civil rights in America, industrial development and economic change, race and ethnicity in American society, and cultural change over time. These primary documents offer you insights into the thinking of people who directly witnessed and experienced these historical developments. By the end of the course, you will understand how the United States grew from a relatively weak and divided agricultural nation into a cohesive military and industrial superpower by the beginning of the twenty-first century.
This free, online college class will familiarize students with the historical development of the United States from Reconstruction to the present (or thereabout). We will examine social, political, and economic change in the Americas in order to understand better the emergence of the United States as a world power and contemporary issues confronting the United States. The course has three interrelated goals:
to acquaint the student with the main events and themes of the history of the United States from the 1877 to the present
to cultivate analytical thought and develop dialogue among students
to build the skills necessary for clear written communication about the historical development of our modern national institutions and social and economic structures
Download the U.S. History open course syllabus (PDF).
35 audio podcasts of lectures on the History of the United States Since 1877. The course covers modernization of the United States and its role in world affairs from the late 19th Century to the present, with emphasis on industrialization and urbanization and their impact on socioeconomic and international developments.
23 audio podcasts of lectures on the History of the United States Since 1945 given by Associate Professor Daniel Sargent at The University of California, Berkeley.
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