HIST 147 Biography and Autobiography
Readers are interested in biography because we are interested in people and in the world that shapes them. In this course we will read biographies, autobiographies, and personal essays by some of the leading American writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The principal goals of the course are to introduce students to the political and cultural history of the United States; to study a wide range of approaches to life writing; to strengthen students' writing skills; and to provide students with an opportunity to explore the basic tools of historical analysis, especially the analysis of written primary sources. Readings, papers, class discussions, and individual instruction will help students to become fluent and confident writers.