HST 130 - Introduction to History: America’s Consumer Nation

1 course unit

Modern America is a nation of consumers. Not only do we purchase products to use, but we also define our political, social, and personal identity through the consumption of goods and services. This course explores the evolution of America’s consumer ethos from the early ideal of thrift and industry to the current ‘I need to buy it now’ mentality. U.S. consumer history has been shaped by wars, the frontier experience, depressions, the growth of downtowns and shopping malls, industrialization and deindustrialization, the evolution of advertising and credit, the global economy, as well as by gender, race and class. In this course, we will analyze the history of America through the eyes of our buying habits.
Meets general academic requirement HU.