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This course explores the basic political ideas and institutions of early America in association with a close examination of the American revolution and the Civil War. It considers ideas from multiple perspectives and by means of close reading of texts of multiple genre including political essays, letters, fiction and autobiography.
History 257 narrates one of the great episodes in the history of the West. It details the emergence of the United States as the first new democratic nation in the world. Undertaking the first revolution in the modern world, the Americans defeated Britain, created a new nation and composed the world's oldest extant written Constitution. Several generations later that same democracy fought the first modern war. From 1861-65 Americans engaged in a bloody struggle that threatened the existence of the nation. This course seeks to explore in the history of the United States our origins as moderns and democrats.
L1: A broad overall knowledge of American political culture and its origins. L2: Ability to discuss and write about history at an intermediate undergraduate level. Some mastery of the written word. L3: Ability to analyse the history covered by 257 with a view to answering questions about the causes, development and consequences of events. L4: Awareness of historians’ earlier and current approaches to questions about the early American past as well as an awareness of approaches to modern history. L5: Demonstrated ability to demonstrate some degree of independent learning.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
Any 15 points at 100 level in HIST or CLAS120, orany 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
HIST377
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Peter Field
Please check the course Learn page for further details and updates.
Allan Guelzo; Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War Era ;
Darren Staloff; Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson: The Politics of Enlightenment and the American Founding ;
Edmund Morgan; The Birth of the Republic 1763-1789 ;
Domestic fee $894.00
International fee $4,100.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Humanities .