American Military History

Mark Wilson, University of north Carolina, Charlotte

According to the terse, old language in the university course catalog, this course offers “[a] survey of the development and organization of military practice from the colonial period to the present.” The present version of the course, which has been completely overhauled by Dr. Wilson for Fall 2018, builds upon an revises the HIST 2120 course offered for many years at UNC Charlotte by Dr. James Hogue, now an emeritus professor (retired).

This course surveys the development of the U.S. military and its activities over more than three centuries, from the colonial era and Revolutionary War through the present day. We are especially interested in tracing changes and continuities in military organizations and institutions; in military cultures; in civil-military relations; in doctrine, strategy, tactics, technologies, and operations; and in the experience of soldiering, in combat and behind the lines, in wartime and peacetime.

Students will emerge from the course with a good general understanding of the historical development of the U.S. military. They will gain knowledge, along with a spirit of critical inquiry, which will position them to become leading participants in present and future conversations about the American military and its roles. By carrying out a small independent research project, under the instructor’s supervision, students will have the opportunity to explore their own special interests, while sharpening their research and communication skills.