What does it mean to be an American? How has America developed distinct cultures over the past two centuries, and how are these cultures expressed today? What is the relationship of the origins of America to our contemporary culture? This writing-intensive course provides a solid grounding in American history and literary traditions, from the colonial to the contemporary era. Over the course of the year, we will cover major issues such as the founding moment, the Civil War, the settlement of the American West, and Civil Rights. This writing-intensive course will incorporate music, photography, fine art, fiction, and poetry in addition to primary sources and a traditional textbook as evidence of the rich social and cultural traditions of American history. Through discussion and frequent writing assignments, we will investigate several critical junctures in American history and culture in depth and try to understand how they influence or relate to our lives today.