ANTH 229/HIUS 229: AMERICAN WESTS

The course will range in chronological scope from initial human settlement through the twentieth century. Students will explore the many different ways in which Americans, and others, have defined and redefined the West. Sponsored by the University's Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Project, American Wests will incorporate the perspectives and methodologies of a number of other disciplines. Students can anticipate guest lectures from, for example, art historians, biologists, environmental scientists, and English professors. Topics will include images of the mythical West, Native American peoples and cultures, the environment and the extraction of natural resources, the development of public policy, and visual representations of the American West. Course requirements will include approximately 125 pages of primary and secondary source reading per week, two mid-semester take-home exams, a blue-book final exam, and a paper. In addition, students should expect to attend two lectures and a discussion section each week. Participation in class discussion will be emphasized, and so each discussion section is capped at 15 students.