HIST 389: Topics in US. History.

HIST 389-004: 9/11 in History & Memory
(Fall 2026)

03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR

Innovation Hall 330

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Section Information for Fall 2026

This course coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, DC, and the United States as a whole. The course will address the event itself, from local, national, and international perspectives, as well as its historical antecedents, aftermaths, and legacies, including the history of 9/11 commemorations and the attacks’ representation in popular culture. Topics addressed will include US foreign relations in the Middle East, the rise of the Al-Qaeda network, pre- and post-9/11 security initiatives, the impact of the attacks on domestic politics,  international reactions to the attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, anti-Muslim sentiment in the US, 9/11 conspiracies and hoaxes, collective remembrance, collective trauma, and the commemoration of national tragedy in film, television, and material culture.

The course will combine readings, lecture, films, discussions, and research. Readings will include official treatments like media coverage, the 9/11 Commission Report, historical scholarship, and oral histories of participants and survivors. Students will conduct research into digital collections for some homework assignments, and they will produce a longer paper on legacies of the attacks. Assessment will consist of course engagement,  in-class writing exercises, homework, and a final research project. Skills developed in the course include formal and informal writing, textual analysis, public speaking, framing questions, research, and critical thinking.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Study of historical topics or periods of special interest. Notes: Topics announced in advance. May be repeated for credit when topic is different. Offered by History & Art History. May be repeated within the term.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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