Divided America, 1600-1945

Our historical divisions are often seen in simplistic terms: north/south, for instance. While true to a degree, the reality is far more complex. Many things—the origins of the original colonies, differing notions of liberty, the economics of enslavement, our vast cultural differences, even the structure of the Constitution—have all divided us as Americans. When pushed by outside threats, we tend to unify as Americans, but more frequently, we tend to fight and argue and contend among ourselves. This course will examine the history of some of these historical divisions.

Suggested Readings:

Colin Woodard, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, ISBN 978-0143122029.

Scott Andrews was the founding Director of the Maine Coast Semester, a school for juniors run by the Chewonki Foundation. He ran the school for 17 years and, after stepping down from the leadership position, continued to teach its Advanced Placement American history course until retiring after almost 40 years, all told, of teaching. His interest in this particular topic germinated in part because of the questions his students were asking and has deepened over the years.