HIS 550 - Myth and Reality: the Frontier’s Influence on the American Imagination

This course examines the role of our frontier

heritage in shaping America’s national identity

as well as what it means to be an American. Using

historical events and commentary from historians,

we’ll analyze the evolution of frontier images,

both positive and negative, in films and

literature to investigate the complex relationship

between myth and reality as it shapes how we

view others and ourselves, including our place

in a global society.