HIST 136 - American Violence 1800 to 1865: A Cultural History of Warfare from Early Republic to the Civil War

What does it mean to study war? Is the history of warfare a history of generals, strategy, and developments in military technology? Or perhaps it is the story of the common solider; that of first aid workers, nurses, and doctors; or that of populations who conquer or are conquered? This course will interrogate the way scholars study large-scale violence (a broad definition of war) between human communities. Throughout class discussions we will consider the ways in which warfare has been recorded and analyzed in the early Republic. antebellum and Civil War eras. While major political conflicts including the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and Civil War will be discussed, the class will also engage the meanings of violence through an investigation of intra and intercultural violence diverse American populations. The chronological focus of the course, cite. 1800-1865, permits our examination of the idea of American exceptionalism. Is there a specific form or pattern of violence or warfare that can be called “American’?” If so. Does this type of violence remain present in our contemporary society? What relationship does violence have with an American identity? Alternate years. (4 Credits)