History of USA - I (c.1776-1945)

By Dr. Bhabananda Singh T | Associate Professor, Department of History, Modern College, Manipur

Learners enrolled: 130

Rich in culture, land, people, customs, and beliefs, the United States grew from a country of thirteen colonies, to a large country of fifty states, to a superpower in the world with one of the largest economies. This course will guide the students along a path of discovery as they learn how this nation was born, how its powerful Constitution formed, and how it struggled internally and externally as it learned and continues to learn the boundaries, dynamics, and relationships based upon the three ideals of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. The course will discuss its early Native American roots and colonist settlements; the forging of a new national identity, free of the chains of imperialism; the establishment of the country of the United States as a world power.

The objective of the course is to foster in students an interest in the past and to develop an understanding that enables them to comprehend what Modern history of the United States of America has to offer. Students will be trained to identify, define, or analyse key aspects of U.S. history in order to gain knowledge and articulate their understanding in the disciplines that make up this course. By examining the history of United States from an intellectual perspective, students will develop both a more nuanced understanding of the development and dynamics of American history and politics. The aim is to enable students to know about significant events in the contemporary history of America and to understand how events have changed over time from post-World War II and how they have overcome the complexities of their history and became a superpower in the world today.

At the end of the course the students will have a clear idea on the modern history of the United States of America. Students will gain a stronger knowledge in the discipline and thus articulate key aspects of United States history, politics, economics, culture and society. Students will be able to develop, in written, papers well-reasoned historical arguments on history of America. Articulate core knowledge of American history from its early Native American roots and colonist settlements; the forging of a new national identity, free of the chains of imperialism; to the establishment of the country of the United States as a world power. They will be able to critically analyse interpretations of America’s past, communicate clear and concise arguments in written forms that address issues in American history during this period.

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	History
Credit Points :	5
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	13 Jan 2025
End Date :	30 Apr 2025
Enrollment Ends :	28 Feb 2025
Exam Date :	18 May 2025 IST
NCrF Level	5.0
Industry Details :	Teaching
EXAM SHIFT :	I

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

WEEK 1

Indigenous Nations of America.

Indigenous Perspectives: Pre-Colonial Navajo and Cherokee Nations.

Imagery, Art, and Expression of the Native American Indian.

The Settlement ad Colonization by the Europeans.

WEEK 2

Early colonial societies and culture

Seeds of Revolution: The Early Stirrings of American Independence (1651-1748).

Liberalism as a Revolutionary Ideology during the American War of Independence.

Republicanism as a Revolutionary Ideology during the American War of Independence.

WEEK 3

Protestant Dissenters During the American War of Independence.

Patriots in the American War of Independence.

Loyalists in the American War of Independence: Emergence, Ideology, and Role.

Neutrals in the American War of Independence: Emergence, Ideology, and Role.

WEEK 4

Women's Participation and Role in the American War of Independence.

Native Americans in the American War of Independence.

The American War of Independence: Causes of Tension (1763-1774).

The Boston Massacre and Tea Party: Turning Points in Colonial America.

WEEK 5

The Intolerable Acts and the Continental Congress: Precursors to American Independence (1774-1775).

Lexington and Concord to the Declaration of Independence: The Revolutionary Journey (April 1775 - July 1776).

Military Campaigns and Foreign Interventions in the American War of Independence (1776-1781).

The Treaty of Paris (1783) and its Legacy.

WEEK 6

Forging the Nation: The Path to Constitutional Convention in Post-Revolutionary America.

Debates and Compromises in the Making of the American Constitution.

Understanding the U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive Examination.

WEEK 7

The Influence and Enduring Legacy of the U.S. Constitution: A Decades-Long Journey.

The Washington years.

The Emergence and Impact of Partisan Politics during the Federalist Era.

WEEK 8

The Federalist Era: The Adam Years

Jeffersonianism

Jacksonianism

WEEK 9

The Rise of Political Parties in American History (1840-1960)

The Evolution of the American Judiciary and the Role of the Supreme Court.

Frontier Dreams and Realities: Frederick Jackson Turner's Legacy.

WEEK 10

Marginalization and Displacement of Native Americans

The lives and legacies of two remarkable figures – Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet.

The Romanticization of the Wild West in American Literature and Movies.

WEEK 11

Limits of Early American Democracy: Perspectives on Women and Blacks.

Forging a Nation: The Dawn of American Industrialization.

Building the Nation: Immigrant Contributions to Changing Labor Dynamic.

WEEK 12

Early Labor Organization and Movements in America (up to 1945).

The Plantation Economy of Agrarian South.

Slavery and Prosperity in the Southern Plantation Economy.

WEEK 13

Tilling the Soil, Reaping Freedom: The Unveiling of Slave Resistance in the Agrarian South.

Conflict on the Frontier: America's Forgotten War of 1812.

The Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny: Cornerstones of American Foreign Policy and Territorial Expansion.

WEEK 14

Manifest Destiny Unleashed: The Mexican-American War in Retrospect.

Prelude to Conflict: The Origins and Catalysts of the Civil War

Brother Against Brother - The American Civil War Unfolds

WEEK 15

Understanding the American Civil War - Issues and Interpretations

The Rise of Republicanism in Post-Civil War America

Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation

Books and references

● Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu/

● Native-Land.ca: https://native-land.ca/

● National Congress of American Indians: https://www.ncai.org/

● Indigenous Peoples' Day: https://www.indigenouspeoplesday.com/

● Native American Rights Fund (NARF): https://www.narf.org/

● Library of Congress - Indigenous Law Portal: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/indigenous-law/index.php

● American Indian College Fund: https://collegefund.org/

● National Museum of American History - Native American Heritage: https://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/native-american-heritage

● United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP): https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html

● Indigenous Environmental Network: https://www.ienearth.org/

Instructor bio

Dr. Bhabananda Singh T

Associate Professor, Department of History, Modern College, Manipur

Dr. Bhabananda Singh T. is an Associate Professor in the Department of History Modern College, Manipur. He has graduated in History (Hons) Modern India from Hansraj College, Delhi University. He has completed M. Phil. from the Department of East Asian Studies, Delhi University and Ph. D. from Manipur University on the topic, ‘Movement for Greater China from 1949’. He has published various articles in newspapers, journals, and edited several books. He has attended many seminars both at the national and international level. He was awarded Scholar of Peace Fellow from Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, (WISCOMP), New Delhi. He is also a recipient of the South Asia Regional Fellowship program, from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), New York.

At present, he is supervising two Ph. D. scholars.