HIS 406SEM—War & American Memory

This research seminar explores the many ways Americans have remembered and commemorated war in their history. From colonial wars of settlement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to our current “war on terror,” we will examine the formal and informal ways Americans have memorialized their martial experiences, and how those memorial strategies have shaped American society. And we will debate the profound ways that the experience of war, both for soldiers and civilians, have transformed lives for better and for worse. Students will engage with the topic though a variety of primary and secondary sources, including works of literature, visual images, and film. Students will conduct primary source research on a topic of their choosing in relation to the themes and questions of the course. USH