About

This site is an Open Educational Resource (OER), created in conjunction with the American Pluralism to 1877 (HIST 3401) course taught by Professor Benjamin L. Carp at Brooklyn College.

The course offers a one-semester overview of American history through a combination of lectures, reading, written assignments, and discussion.  This site provides access to open print and multimedia resources; selected course readings are available via password-protected pages accessible to enrolled students.

About American Pluralism to 1877
This course follows the story from the pre-Columbian period through the period of Indian-European encounters and the growth of European settlements, the origins and development and slavery, and the imperial crises that affected North America.  It examines the American Revolution, the Constitution, and the early republic, as well as various themes of the early nineteenth century.  The course concludes with a discussion of the sectional crisis, Civil War, and Reconstruction.  Through a diverse range of perspectives, students discuss themes of religion and power, warfare and slavery, civilization and wilderness, ideas and exchange, empire and nation.