HIS 320-01 - Nature and the New Deal (Spring)

4 credits (Spring)

This seminar examines the central role that environmental issues played in the era of the New Deal. Students will explore how a generation of policy-makers, intellectuals, and artists came to see a fundamental connection between the economic crisis of the “Great Depression” and the environmental crisis of the “Dirty Thirties” (manifest in a series of epic droughts, dust-storms, floods, forest fires, and collapsing farms). The course readings will focus on a variety of iconic programs that embodied the New Deal’s environmental vision of rebuilding society through innovative programs in conservation and public outreach. Students will design their own research projects that examine in greater detail some aspect of environmental policy or thought during this era.

Prerequisite: HIS 100 and HIS 220. With permission, students may substitute HIS-220 with relevant coursework in Environmental Studies or Policy Studies.
Instructor: Guenther