HIST 122: Development of Modern America
HIST 122-DL1: Development of Modern America
(Fall 2025)
Online
Section Information for Fall 2025
This course examines changes that have occurred in the United States since the end of Civil War Reconstruction. Over the course of the semester, we will address three prominent themes in American history: changes in the role of the federal government in everyday life, the emergence of the United States as a world power, and changes in social relations that gave working people, women, and people of color a voice in public life. By the end of this course, students will be able to identify the major periods of modern American history; explain how industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and consumerism were key historical forces in the formation of modern America; explain how the meaning of citizenship changed across time; and explain how the United States became a world power in international relations. While we will be studying the past, this course will help you to understand the world we live in today.
Our asynchronous online course will be a mix of recorded lectures, assigned readings, and discussion board posts. Assessment will be based on homework exercises, timed exams, and engagement on the discussion board.
Over the course of the semester, students will learn to answer historical questions by interpreting primary sources; distinguish between primary and secondary sources and be able to analyze both; differentiate between opinions and substantiated scholarly claims; and reflect and write critically about the diversity of human experience as influenced by geographical location, race, ethnicity, gender, and class. Skills developed in the course include reading comprehension, textual analysis, framing historical questions, critical thinking, and written communication.
This is an online asynchronous section.
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Course Information from the University Catalog
Credits: 3
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.