Globalizing American History in the Context of the Teaching American History Grants

This talk centers around my experiences as both a world historian and as an active participant in the Clarkston, Washington TAH grant. I was asked to be a part of this grant in order to provide specific content about the ways high school teachers could teach the history of the United States while also exploring the ways that the nation has been intricately connected to extra-national events and issues since its founding. Indeed, while exploration of the distinctiveness of United States history is informative and valuable, in the absence of a larger perspective it is easy to think that the events that comprise our history are isolated from world events. My contribution to this TAH grant is to provide a deeper understanding of United States history by placing it in the context of global events and ideologies, including ideologies of revolution, slavery, race, and gender, as well as events such as war, industrialization, the rise of capitalism, empire, and diplomacy. Here, I will underscore my rationale for placing the United States in global context, while also providing concrete examples of suggested readings and lesson plans.