This module will explore the American West, looking at the social and economic dynamics underlying Western history, together with processes of environmental transformation. The unit spans a chronological period from 1803 – the Louisiana Purchase - to 1893 – the date of the Chicago Exposition and Turner’s famed ‘Frontier thesis’. Commencing with a look at constructions of the West in history, literature and film, the module will move on to critically analyse key issues and moments in Western History including the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Gold Rush, and the Indian Wars. Outline themes include the construction of regional identities, protracted conflicts for resources, environmental changes, and the continuing importance of the West as a symbolic landscape. A key aim of the course lies in facilitating critical discussion on the process of nineteenth-century westward expansion, addressing issues of colonial conquest, environmental despoliation, economic change, and social cohesion. Through lectures and seminars, we will explore the major themes of Western history in this period and examine relevant historiographical debates. Portrayals of the West in art, literature, and film will be used extensively to illustrate the diversity of Western culture and situate the importance of myth in shaping popular and historical discourse.
Total contact hours: 30
Private study hours: 270
Total study hours: 300
Main assessment methods
Essay 1 (3000 words) 30%
Essay 2 (3000 words) 30%
Oral presentation (30-minutes) 20%
Thematic Timed Essay (1,000 words) 20%
Reassessment methods
Reassessment Instrument: 100% coursework
The University is committed to ensuring that core reading materials are in accessible electronic format in line with the Kent Inclusive Practices.
The most up to date reading list for each module can be found on the university's reading list pages (https://kent.rl.talis.com/index.html).
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1. Acquire a deeper understanding of the issues and controversies underlying the history of the American West in the nineteenth century.
2. Understand the basis of environmental history as a historical approach.
3. Appreciate the contested nature of writing on the West through the analysis of historiographical debates (specifically Turnerian versus revisionist narratives).
4. View the West not just as a geographical space but as a concept that evolves and is contested over time.
5. Engage with a wide range of secondary sources as well as primary material including diaries, novels, government reports and magazines.
6. Develop a greater level of skill in critically appraising works of art, literature and film as historical sources.
7. Students taking the module at level 6 will have developed a greater aptitude in analysing primary sources which illuminate the themes outlined in Section 13, below.
The intended generic learning outcomes
On successfully completing the level students will be able to:
1. Synthesize and deploy information effectively.
2. Reflect on their engagement in self-directed learning, fluency of expression, critical thought and independence of mind. Students will be encouraged to reflect on, and improve, their performance via the provision of feedback.
3. Improve communication skills and engage in team-building.
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