This is an in-depth survey of American social and political history from the pre-colonial period to the present. Students will gain a better understanding of American history and all its successes and failures. Students will also be challenged to evaluate historical movements from a critical and Biblical standpoint. By the end of the year, students will have an overarching understanding of the creation of America. Rather than focusing on dates and facts, the course is designed to challenge students to reflect on how each event contributed to the creation of America.
Students who take US History will also be challenged with the following question: why study history? It’s common to read news on how differences in historical understanding causes friction between people and countries, e.g. Japan/Korea/China. What is the “correct” way to approach history? Is there a correct approach? What is the difference between history and the past? How often does history end as “the story we tell ourselves about who we think we are”? More importantly: What does it mean to honor and love God and to love our neighbors through the study of history? (Matthew 22.37, 39) We will frequently revisit these questions throughout the year. Syllabus located on homepage.