History 351 - American Capitalism 1492-2020

This course examines the history of capitalism in the geographic expanse known as the United States of America from the origins of European colonization to the present day. How did the thing which we call `capitalism? emerge as a system of governance in the American polity, and how did its contours change over the course of three centuries? And what is `capitalism,? anyway? Topics to be discussed include: the conceptual origins of political economy, the political economy of native and imperial powers, the impact of war on state finance, the relationship between capitalism and the Constitution, slavery, free labor, industrialization, managerial capitalism, the rise of mass consumption, and the political economy of gender and sexuality in the 20th century United States. There are no prerequisites for enrollment in this course; however, students may find that having taken a survey-level course in American history (such as History 150 and 151) or its equivalent (such as AP US History) may be helpful. (Gen. Ed. HS, DU)