History 697W: Western American History
Spring 2004, Amherst College, Mon. / Wed.
2:00 - 3:20
pm
Synopsis:
This seminar will focus on how novels and visual images can function as primary source materials to understand some of the central issues of western American history. We will examine a broad range of pictorial materials–including maps, prints, paintings, photographs, and films–in order to understand how images have shaped American perceptions of the western landscape and the diverse peoples of the West. We will also consider how novels–including Helen Hunt Jackson’s Ramona and Owen Wister’s The Virginian–have molded popular understanding of the region’s past. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which literary and visual images have both expressed and influenced broader cultural ideas relating to exploration and settlement, relations between native and non-native peoples, and the legacy of the Spanish Southwest. Students will be expected to write a research paper on a topic of their choice. Two class meetings per week. Limited to 15 students.
Syllabus: Not available
Course Website: Not available
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