HISTORY 2307 - The American Dream

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

American Studies "But there has been also the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement." These words from James Truslow Adams summarize the optimism and sense of exceptionalism that have defined much of American experience. This course considers the various articulations of the Dream, as well as the ideological and structural supports for it, its limits, and how these have changed over time. It reviews and compares alternative dreams (e.g., the postwarAustralian Dream, the new European Dream) in an effort to assess theAmericanDream's uniqueness, and studies critiques of the Dream within a global context. Works by many authors are consulted, along with such relevant primary texts as John Winthrop's invocation of "A City on aHill"; Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur's letter,"What is an American?"; Horatio Alger's fictionLangston Hughes's poem, "A DreamDeferred"; and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Hava Dream" speech.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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