About This Course

An introduction to the historical geography of North America through the lens of colonialism. Focused on the period from the late 15th century to the turn of the 20th, but with an eye to our colonial present, the course uses cultural texts and place-based cases to ground broad themes and processes such as environmental change, (re)settlement campaigns, slavery and industrialization, railroading and resource extraction, American empire-building, and enduring struggles over land and identity