American History to 1865
American social, economic, and political development from the colonial period through the Civil War is the subject of this MIT OpenCourseWare course. It covers the colonial heritages of Spanish and British America, the American Revolution and its aftermath, the growth of the new nation, and the causes and impact of the Civil War. Readings draw on primary sources from the period, including John Winthrop, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, William Lloyd Garrison, George Fitzhugh, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Abraham Lincoln, letting students weigh proslavery and abolitionist arguments side by side. Course materials include the full syllabus, reading assignments, and lecture topics as taught at MIT. There is no instructor interaction or certificate, since MIT OCW publishes course materials for free self-study rather than as a monitored class.