In its ambition to cover the period from America's beginnings to the end of the Civil War, the first installment of this class will revisit central issues such as the Declaration of Independence, Westward expansion and slavery. Taking various types of documents (including presidential speeches, letters, essays) as a point of departure, the individual sessions will attempt to reconstruct historical knowledge about the topics under consideration. This activity will provide opportunities to engage in discussions about the status of historical facts and the meaning they have been given in the course of American history, thus raising fundamental questions about American self-representation and myth-making.
Students must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments. Reading material will be made available in the course of the semester.
