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OBJECTIVES
The course will provide an overview some of the fundamental cultural, political, religious, social, economic and intellectual issues in the history of the United States, from the colonial times to the present. The main focus will be less on the political history and more on the development of certain basic cultural concepts and myths that are key to the understanding of American culture. The history of the U.S. is, of course, vast, and it is not possible to cover it in one semester. Instead of trying for the impossible, the course will take a closer look on certain representative (and in many cases recurrent) historical issues. The students will be encouraged to actively participate in the historical examination of these issues through the readings and discussions of authentic historical documents and materials. Each class will consist of two main parts: 1) the lecture proper which will summarize the topic and the context and offer questions for discussion, 2) a discussion of the materials assigned – authentic documents, photographs, films, etc. – in the context of the topic. Moodle will be used as the main source for the class materials, guidelines and important information about the course. Poslední úprava: Machová Mariana, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (03.02.2023)
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MATERIAL Jill Lepore’s recent book on American history, These Truths. A History of the United States (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2018), is the recommended reference book for the course, and while it’s not a required reading for the course, students are encouraged to read it (or parts of it). Ppt presentations summarizing the main points of each lecture will be available to the students on the Moodle site of the course after each lecture. For each class, the students will be asked to read a short authentic historical document (or an extract of it) and prepare questions and comments about it for the class. For each topic, a major historical film will be recommended to the students to watch on their own, ideally before the respective class. The films will not be the main focus of the in-class discussion, but they will be referred to and will provide a yet another important dimension of the topic(s) discussed. All the materials or links to them will be available on Moodle. Poslední úprava: Machová Mariana, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (17.02.2025)
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ASSESSMENT The attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. At the end of the course, there will be a graded oral exam. The exam will be in the “open book” format – i.e., the students will be allowed to use their notes and other materials from the lectures. Detailed guidelines for the exam and the criteria for the grading will be available (in written form) to the students before the end of the semester. Poslední úprava: Machová Mariana, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (21.02.2022)
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PROGRAMME 1. Puritan Roots 2. Revolutionary War 3. Foundations of the Union 4. Slavery and the Civil War 5. Native Americans 6. Westward Expansion and the Frontier 7. History of Immigration 8. 20th Century Wars 9. Women’s History of the U.S. 10. Civil Rights 11. Recent History Poslední úprava: Machová Mariana, doc. PhDr., Ph.D. (10.02.2021)
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