This course is an examination of major themes in the development of the United States from the Reconstruction Period to the Cold War and beyond. Topics include Reconstruction, westward expansion, the effects of industrialization and urbanization in America, the rise of imperialism and the growth of the U.S. as a world power, the World Wars, the Great Depression, and the Cold War. In this course, students will also explore the fight for suffrage, civil rights, gender equality, and freedom movements.