The stories we tell about our past matter, often on a grand scale. Narratives of the past produced by historians, artists, politicians, institutions, and communities reveal much about individual and collective identities within the United States. Such narratives often help shape local, regional, and national politics, institutions, identities, and values for both good and ill. This course examines American historical memory and the myriad ways in which American remembrance and commemoration of the past has interacted with, reflected, and affected contemporary conditions, communities, institutions, and values more than they have accurately narrated, portrayed, and commemorated past events. Ultimately this course will examine in a broad sense the role of history in shaping national identity and nationalism within the United States, and the place of history within American society and culture.
