History of North America

The course aims to provide students with a background of the historical events that led to the creation, institutionalisation and social, political and cultural expansion of the United States of America. On the one hand, the course aims to reveal the rhetoric that has been used to justify the nation's imperial pathway in the name of security and the fight against terror; on the other hand, it will examine the plurality of ideas expressed by the American society throughout its history.
Teaching will place particular emphasis on issues of social and cultural history, including old and new migration, as well as issues concerning minorities, Native Americans, African Americans and Hispanics, to enable students to adeptly explain the different categories of class, gender and ethnicity, which are also relevant in a European context.

Upon completion of the course, students will have learned to critically understand the development of the contemporary geopolitical events involving the United States. The final aim is for students to navigate the complexities of American society, grasp its cultural, social and political interdependencies and be able to act as informed citizens in a rapidly changing world, formulating proposals to public institutions and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).