HST-374 The Early American Republic: Politics and Culture in the New Nation
Though the United States could claim victory in the Revolution, the war’s end did not guarantee a unified national identity; Americans struggled to reconcile the promise of Revolution with the realities of daily life in the new republic. Internationally, refugees, travelers, merchants, and others in Canada, China, Europe, India, and Africa, grappled with the war’s global legacy. This class explores the various voices competing to be heard on the national and international stage, from the political leaders who drafted founding documents, treaties, and legislation, to the women who learned to "stand and speak" despite repeated demands for their silence. We will encounter stories of enslaved and free men and women at home and abroad who called attention to the Revolution’s unfulfilled commitment to freedom and equality, and we will examine the struggles of the thousands of displaced Native peoples whose efforts for coexistence were marred by conflict and violence inflicted by an expansionist republic. This course will explore topics such as religion, domestic life, gender and sexuality, African and Native American culture, politics, and material culture. We will discuss the practices that public historians use to tell these stories to an array of audiences today.