The American West

Module code: AM2212 (double module)

Ever since the founding of the United States in the late 18th century its Western territories and frontiers have been closely associated with its national identity; and since Frederick Jackson Turner published his seminal essay on the ‘Significance of the Frontier in American History’ in the 1890s, historians have been arguing about the role of the West in the shaping of American culture and institutions.

This module will examine one of the crucial areas and issues in American history and culture, then: the American West. The module aims to provide an introduction to interdisciplinary work in American Studies to show how a variety of disciplinary approaches – literature, history and film – can be used to illuminate one issue central to the study of the United States. The module seeks to help you engage with the subject in a genuinely interdisciplinary way and to express that engagement both individually and in groups, and in both oral and written form.