Course Details in 2025/26 Session

Module Title	LH The United States South: From Plantations to NASCAR
School	History and Cultures
Department	History
Module Code	09 28983
Module Lead	Nathan Cardon
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Seminar-30 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	In the eyes of many the United States’ southern region stands apart from the rest of the nation. Its institutions’ have been described as “peculiar,” its culture lacking, and its people a “problem.” At the same time, “the South” is not an easily definable place. This Advanced Option Module examines southern identity and history from the antebellum period (1820-1861) to contemporary debates over the “Global U.S. South.” Using the insights of cultural, social, political, and economic history it will ask students to think of the South as a specific place as well as a national construction. Using traditional primary sources alongside works of fiction, film, and music, students will explore the often-complicated relationship between the U.S. South, nation, and world. Each week students will use the assigned readings and primary documents to evaluate the ways white southerners, African Americans, and recent immigrants shaped the region’s history. Topics covered will include capitalism and slavery; the Civil War; Reconstruction; The New South; Dixie and commodification; Jim Crow; the Civil Rights Movement; southern food; the “southernization” of American life; and the Global U.S. South. Students will leave the module with a greater understanding of the complicated history and culture of the U.S. South and how it continues to shape national questions about race, citizenship, and belonging in America.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Analyse key events and historical processes relevant to the subject under scrutiny. Appraise reasons for and implications of these events and processes (including analysis of primary evidence where appropriate). Compare and evaluate the main scholarly views on the subject under investigation Critically evaluate the historiographical context and trends of the subject under exploration. Work with a significant degree of learner independence to explain, analyse and evaluate the material under scrutiny Work as an effective team-member of a seminar group engaged in a common area of detailed historical investigation. Summarise, analyse and evaluate the subject material clearly and effectively, orally and in writing.Synthesise and evaluate themes across a wide range of diverse material.
Assessment	28983-01 : 2500 word essay 1 : Coursework (50%) 28983-02 : 2500 word essay 2 : Coursework (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: S1 = 1 x 3,000 word essay (100%)
Other
Reading List