HIST 434 Nature & the New American Nation
This course examines the complex and changing relationship between people and the natural environment in the United States from the start of the nineteenth century until the Civil War. The class will explore how the development of the United States was influenced by the natural world, as well as how Americans perceived and changed the environment. Students will explore the social, cultural and economic relationships that developed between Americans and the environment in order to understand how nature helped shape a new nation. Topics include western expansion, Native American displacement, landscapes of slavery, the effects of industrialization and urbanization, and early conservation efforts.