HIST 336 - African American History to 1865

Credits: 3

This course explores the history of African-descended people in the United States from their first arrival in the North American colonies through the end of slavery during the U.S. Civil War. Students will investigate the ways African Americans fashioned new worlds and cultures while living under the enormous constraints of slavery and discrimination. Struggles for freedom, full citizenship, and alternative political visions, and the role of such struggles in shaping African Americans’ identification with each other as a people, will be a focus throughout. Students will also treat differences of class and gender within African American communities. Course materials will include both primary and secondary sources, and as we examine these sources we will consider various methods for discovering and interpreting the history of people whose voices are not always easily found in the historical record.

Prerequisite(s): ENG 201 and sophomore standing

Term(s) Offered: Fall

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