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Major: U.S. History

Each year on July Fourth, we mark a pivotal event in U.S. history. But students of U.S. History see past the fireworks to the ways in which that event and others have shaped the nation.

You’ll do much more, however, than learn about isolated events. You’ll connect the dots between them. What light can the Vietnam War shed on the war in Iraq? How did the droughts of the 1930s affect the country’s rural character for decades to come? What impact did Jackie Robinson, Watergate, or Ronald Reagan have on American culture? These are just some of the questions you’ll explore as a student of U.S. History, a program typically offered as a concentration area within a general history major.

Students of U.S. History study the history of America from the pre-Columbian period to the present.

Did You Know?

  • U.S. History is not the same as American Studies, a degree program that mixes history, literature, art, and other subjects.

Are You Ready To...?

  • Spend late nights reading
  • Learn various methods of historical research
  • Dig up historical documents for research projects
  • Develop your own theories
  • Write a senior thesis (long research paper)

It Helps to Be...

Someone who likes to ask why and dig deep: this program requires a lot of reading and research. A fascination with American culture is a must.

College Checklist

  • Does the program provide courses in your special interest areas, such as the African-American freedom struggle or the history of U.S. labor? 
  • Are classes strictly traditional? Some colleges offer courses in such unusual subject areas as the history of baseball or maritime history.
  • Check out the library. Will you have access to the old films, photos, and other resources you’ll need for research projects?
  • Can you work toward teacher certification while completing your major?
  • Is an internship or senior thesis required?

Did You Know?

  • The White House was originally called the Presidential Palace.

Course Spotlight

Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Betty Friedan, Marilyn Monroe, and even Madonna are just a few of the women who have played important roles in American history. In a course on women in U.S. history, you’ll learn how such individual women have made their mark. You’ll also look at the broader themes that have shaped women’s lives since colonial times.

Expect to do a lot of reading and writing, with an emphasis on research. You may be expected to dig up first-hand accounts as the source material for your projects.