American History|American Studies|Politics|United States Studies

THE USA|POLITICS|US HISTORY|THE AMERICAN SOUTH|US CULTURE

This module explores the social, cultural, political and economic history of the South from the turn of the twentieth-century to the present day.  Major topics...

From the New South to the Modern South: The (Re)Making of an American Region (AMER0032)

This module explores the social, cultural, political and economic history of the South from the turn of the twentieth-century to the present day.  Major topics include racial and gender reform from the progressive era onwards; the impact of war, economic depression, industrialisation, and urbanisation on a historically rural and agricultural region; the rise of the Sunbelt and suburbanisation; the Republican resurgence, growth of conservatism, and re-emergence of white supremacism; the expansion of Bible Belt religiosity; the impact of immigration and the rapid growth of ‘New Destination’ southern cities; enduring cultural trends of the cowboy, southern music, plantation fashion and the confederate flag; and the role of myth and memory in preserving ideas of southern distinctiveness.

Module description

Of the many complex civilisations to arise in the ancient Americas, three stand out: the Maya of Mexico and Guatemala, with a sophisticated...

Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas: The Native Peoples of the Americas prior to the Spanish Conquest (SPAN0085)

Module description

Of the many complex civilisations to arise in the ancient Americas, three stand out: the Maya of Mexico and Guatemala, with a sophisticated art style and the only true writing system ever to develop in the Western Hemisphere; the Aztecs, the last ancient Mexican civilisation, known for their huge city-on-a-lake of Tenochtitlan and for the mass practice of human sacrifice; and the Incas of Peru, whose rigid state structure and many gold and silver treasures so amazed the Spanish conquistadors. This module studies the states, societies, religions and cultural practices of these peoples, drawing on both a rich corpus of primary sources and a vibrant historical literature.

Please note: This module description is accurate at the time of publication. Amendments may be made prior to the start of the academic year.