As of 2018-19 American Conversations will be offering a redesigned set of courses
AmCon 110 American Stories
Americans have long understood their diverse identities through stories. This course analyzes familiar and less familiar narratives that have formed and re-formed identity in the context of American culture. Students examine literary works, histories, cultural artifacts, and media, paying attention to the forms and themes through which the American experience is constructed. They develop their own writing skills. The course also introduces students to the American Conversations program’s emphasis on civic engagement.
Previous offering
AmCon 101: Declaring Independence: 1607-1865
First Year, Semester I
Amcon 101, “Declaring Independence,” takes students back to the origins of American history and culture from the earliest British colonies to America’s appearance on the world stage as what Thomas Jefferson called the “Empire of Liberty.” By looking into historical events and cultural myths, we ask some of the central questions of the American Conversations program: “What is an American?” and “What does mean to be free or independent, both in the past and in the present”?
We examine the origins of American independence and other ideals as they informed American literature, art and architecture. We also ask how it was that African-American slavery could take hold in a nation so proudly commitment to freedom. The class traces how Native American identity was constructed through myths such as the story of Pocahontas and the first Thanksgiving, and consider the implications of those enduring myths. We also consider how American citizenship was transformed by technologies such as the newspaper, and we explore citizenship in the first of several hands-on civic engagement projects that will span the AmCon experience.
Explore some of the topics, themes, and student projects in Amcon 101