This course is unlike any other history course that you have taken or are likely to take in the future. Rather than focusing on the content of a certain time period or theme, students will be have the opportunity to explore and debate a wide range of interesting and controversial historical episodes spanning the entire sweep of American history. In this process, students will learn how to do research, write a formal proposal (as you will do in Proseminar one day!), and, more broadly, learn about different approaches and methods used by historians.

Required books:

1) James West Davidson, Mark H. Lytle. After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection. 6th edition (2010) ISBN-13: 978-0-07-338548-8. DO NOT GET VOLUME ONE OR TWO - MAKE SURE THIS ISBN MATCHES THE EDITION YOU ORDER.

2) Charles Lipson, How to Write a BA Thesis: A Practical Guide from Your First Ideas to Your Finished Paper. (2005) ISBN-13: 978-0226481265