Students will examine major turning points in American history during the twentieth century. Topics include: the expanding role of the federal courts; the continuing tension between the individual and the state and between minority rights and majority power; the emergence of a modern corporate economy; the impact of technology on American society and culture; change in the ethnic composition of American society; the movements toward equal right for racial minorities and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. In each unit students should examine American culture, including religion, literature, art, drama, architecture, education, and the mass media.

In this course students examine major turning points in the shaping of the modern world, from the late eighteenth century to the present. The year begins with an introduction to current world issues and then continues with a focus on the expansion of the West and the growing interdependence of people and cultures throughout the world.