This module is not currently running in 2026 to 2027.
How did a collection of colonies develop into a global superpower? In this module, students will examine the chaotic history of the United States, by focusing on the modern period: the point at which the republic came of age. By the close of the nineteenth century, the republic had emerged out of a civil war that nearly tore the country to pieces. In the wake of the war, the United States developed into a power in the Americas and, increasingly, in the world. Yet, the contradictions baked into the republic from its founding remained. If anything, growing global dominance exposed even deeper fissures at the country’s foundations. Economic booms and busts, relentless armed conflicts abroad and tensions from within all pulled at American society, testing whether the United States would endure. The history of the modern United States–the American Century–would test the republic to its limits.
Lecture 16, Seminar 16
500 words Secondary Source Critique. Assessment Details: Students choose a secondary source to analyse, using some key interpretive tools. worth 25%.
20 minutes plus presentation slides Group Presentation. Assessment Details: Students work in groups to present on a specific historical subject, in line with week’s focus. worth 20%.
1,500 words Essay. Assessment Details: Students interpret question using primary sources and the secondary literature on a topic. worth 55%.
Reassessment Method:
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1) Understand the major events and key turning points in American history from the end of the nineteenth century to the modern day.
2) Evaluate the larger contexts that shaped the American experience and investigate the conflicts that would dominate the republic’s history, both at home and abroad.
3) Differentiate between the major interpretations of American history and appraise their value.
4) Review a variety of historical writings and formulate a reasoned critique of their reliability.
5) Work effectively independently or in groups to construct and defend a position and argument.
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