Foundations of U.S. History, 1917-Present
HIST292C
About the Course:
History 292C provides a broad (and necessarily selective) overview of the major themes, issues, and interpretive debates in U.S. history since c 1917. Although offered as part of a three-quarter sequence (Hist 292A, 292B, 292C) for students of U.S. and Atlantic World histories,* it is open to students in all fields. Its emphasis is historiographical and hence it assumes that students have a basic knowledge of historical developments and events as well as of the broad conceptual and chronological categories U.S. historians use to teach and write about the 20 th and early 21 st century U.S. (although part of our task will be to see how these categories are continually being challenged and rethought). Its central aims are to introduce students to important recent as well as variously “canonical” literatures; to cultivate a core base of reading and knowledge that will serve you well in your more advanced and specialized research, readings, future seminars, and teaching; and to help history grad students to prepare for MA and/or comprehensive exams. 292C has the added advantage of a format that introduces students to a number of faculty in and affiliated with the History Department. Most important, it aims to engage students in ongoing conversations with one another and with faculty members: about this broad field of study; about various approaches to doing, writing, thinking about, and debating history and historical issues; and ultimately about how we as individual historians and as members of communities of scholars seek to position ourselves within larger historical—and public—discourses.
*The 292 series is a core requirement for students in the U.S. history field. In AY 2025-26, we will be offering Hist 292C in Fall and 292B in Winter quarter. There will be an offering of HIST 292A in Fall 2026.
Pre-requisites:
No pre-requisites have been entered for this course.Documents:
View the course’s Canvas page or the instructor’s page for documents: Alice O'Connor   Schedule of Courses
Go to the Schedule of Courses on the Registrar's website to register or view scheduling information on all courses.