HIST 8220 Graduate Seminar: U.S. Before 1900

This graduate seminar studies key questions, debates, and transformations in the field (s) of U.S. history from the colonial period through the Gilded Age, entering the Progressive Era (or the Nadir). Students will read a selection of both recent and classic writings across subfields, including social, labor, political, and intellectual histories. Students will analyze historians' methods, their selection and interpretation of sources, and matters of storytelling and craft. Students will write original research papers on a topic of their choosing, with the goal of presenting at an academic conference, or transforming their papers into articles for publication in a scholarly journal.

Course overview

Department
History
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Graduate
Offered
Periodically in the Spring

Catalog details

Prerequisites
Graduate Student Standing

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Requirements fulfilled

No source-backed degree requirement is attached to this course yet.

Official evaluation summary

4.54 / 5

Based on 13 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-08-02. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Conevery B Valencius
    Fall 2026
  • Heather Richardson
    Spring 2023 · Official rating 4.78/5
  • Mycah Conner
    Spring 2025 · Official rating 5.00/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Conevery B Valencius · Stokes Hall 131S W 03:00PM-05:25PM · Offered