Special Course Descriptions
His
AMS 394 10/HIS 394 11 Capital Matters: Creating a Federal City for the United States, 1780-1828
T 4:00pm-6:30pm
Prof. Fredrika Teute
To form an American union took more than politics. Creating united states out of thirteen British colonies involved publicizing a sense of continental community. Essential to this process was establishing a capital, ultimately located on the Potomac in the District of Columbia but most commonly referred to as the Federal City during the early republic. Using primary and secondary sources, including contemporary children's stories, novels, city directories, guidebooks, and portraits, this course will examine a variety of venues in the capital for their functions in projecting national identification and in shaping the contours of politics.