This course examines the international relations of the United States from the Spanish-American War to 9/11. The twentieth century marked the rise of the nation to a superpower with a myriad of global interests and commitments. Accordingly, students will examine foreign policy's part in this rise, with special attention to the ways in which the principles and practices of democracy and capitalism have shaped American foreign policy. Topics will include the nation's acquisition of overseas territory and colonies, the influence of Wilsonianism and America's entry into the world wars, and the Cold War.
Instructors: David Krugler is Associate Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, and the author of This is Only a Test: How Washington, D.C. Prepared for Nuclear War. Stephen Tootle is Assistant Professor of History at the College of the Sequoias.