History U | The American West

The American West

This History U course will examine the expansion of the United States to the Pacific, the exploration of the West, the defeat and dispossession and profound tragedy of its Native peoples, and unparalleled environmental transformations.

 

Course Instructor: Professor Elliott West, University of Arkansas
Eligibility: High school students

 

Image Source: “Indian chiefs who counciled with Gen. Miles and setteled [sic] the Indian War,” 1891 (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division 3076-2, no. 3608)

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A group photograph of Lakota chiefs standing in front of tipi.

  • History U

  • Free for high school students

Course Description

This History U course will examine the expansion of the United States to the Pacific, the exploration of the West, the defeat and dispossession and profound tragedy of its Native peoples, and its unparalleled environmental transformations. The American West has played an enduring role in the popular culture of the nation and the world. The images are familiar: cowboys and cattle drives, Indian wars, wagon trains, rowdy mining towns and homesteaders. All in fact were part of the story, but behind the color and drama of films, novels, and art were developments critical to the creation of the modern American nation and its rise as a global economic, political, and military power. The West was also a showplace of the industrial, social, technological, and scientific forces remaking the world beyond America.

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The views expressed in this course are those of Dr. Elliott West.

Content

  • Twenty-four video sessions led by Professor Elliott West
  • Links to optional resources
  • Short quizzes to review your knowledge
  • A certificate of completion for 12 hours of course time

How to Access

  1. Click Log In and either log into your account or click the Sign Up link on the login screen to create an account.
  2. Click the Register Now button and complete the order form.
  3. After registering, you may access your course by signing in and visiting your My Courses link under My Account.

Course Introduction

Melissa Perkins explains what you will learn in this course.

About the Scholar

Elliott West, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, University of Arkansas

Elliott West, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, University of Arkansas, is an expert in the social and environmental history of the American West. Some of his published works include The Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers, and the Rush to Colorado (1998), The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story (2009), and Continental Reckoning: The American West in the Age of Expansion (2023).

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