Columbus's voyage connected the Americas, Europe, and Africa in a web of exchange that transformed the environments of the Old World and the New World.

European settlement in the New World began a process of biological, human, cultural, and material exchange, known as the Columbian exchange. This exchange has been an important marker in the history of the world. When watching the video, consider what was Columbus's vision? In what ways did Columbus reflect the spirit of his times? Define the term Columbian exchange. What were the short- and long-term consequences of this exchange?

The "discovery" of the New World set changes in motion that affected the world forever. The debate over whether Columbus Day should be a national holiday in the United States provokes thought about these changes. When watching the video, consider where do you stand on the issue?

In this video, Kim discusses how mutual misunderstandings between Europeans and Native Americans often defined the early years of interaction and trade as each group sought to make sense of the other.

The Civil War is often considered the most transformative event in US history. But how much did it really change American national identity? In this video, Kim compares the relative significance of the effects of the Civil War on American values.

When California applied for admission to the United States as a state, the issue touched off a much broader debate in the U.S. Senate. This video analyzes those issues and the attempt to reach a compromise on them. When watching the video, consider how did the California gold rush help precipitate a political crisis by 1850? 

Treaties did not help Indians much in the short term, but ultimately treaties did give them a way to protect their rights or to seek compensation in more recent times. This brief video uses the land claims dispute between the Oneida Indians and New York state to illustrate the ongoing legal issues related to Indian treaties. When watching the video, consider why did treaties between the United States and Indian peoples have long-term significance?

Conflicts between settlers and American Indians were not new, but in the 1790s the area of conflict moved west and precedent-setting treaties became part of the supreme law of the land. The Ohio Territory became a major source of conflict between American Indians and military forces of the United States. 

This video briefly introduces problems—both internal and external—facing the United States in the mid-1790s.

European settlement in the New World began a process of biological, human, cultural, and material exchange, known as the Columbian exchange. This exchange has been an important marker in the history of the world. When watching the video, consider what was Columbus's vision? In what ways did Columbus reflect the spirit of his times? Define the term Columbian exchange. What were the short- and long-term consequences of this exchange?

When Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, he met the Taino people. In this video, Kim explores the consequences of Columbus's voyage for the Taino people, as well as the changes wrought in Europe by Spain's New World exploits.

In 1787, the Framers of the US Constitution came together to create a stronger central government. In this video, Kim discusses how the Framers compromised over the plan for the legislative branch of government, combining the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan to form the House of Representatives and the Senate.

How revolutionary was the American Revolution? In this video, Kim models the historical thinking skill of continuity and change by comparing society before and after the Revolutionary War.

How much change did industrialization really bring during the Gilded Age? In this video, Kim discusses the impact of industrialization on work, migration patterns, and culture.

How much did the events of the tumultuous postwar era reshape American national identity? Kim discusses the extent to which developments like the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, and student protests of the 1960s changed core beliefs around citizenship, cultural values, and the proper US role in the world.

The battles at Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, and Fredericksburg were some of the major battles that took place during the first two years of the Civil War. These battles showed people in both the North and the South that the war would be far costlier and longer than they first expected. When watching the video, consider what was meant by the "eastern theater" of the war? What was important about this theater of war? How decisive were the battles fought there during 1861 to 1862? Why was Lincoln frustrated with many of his generals? 

The two legendary military commanders of the Civil War were General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union and General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy. Though they were very different men, both were brilliant commanders who shared a willingness to take risks. When watching the video, consider how did generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee compare as military leaders?

Our final reflection grows out of a sampling of comments from some of the truly outstanding historians who have enriched this course. History has always mattered. It is based on choices. Every generation can shape America and what it means to be an American. As you listen to the historians' comments, reflect on what studying the past teaches us. How can you create history? Why does it matter?

The contents of this online book were created by Prof. Rick Bonus and his students as a final project for a course on “Critical Filipinx American Histories” in the Fall quarter of 2019 at the University of Washington, Seattle campus. In collaboration with the UW Libraries, the UW Burke Museum, and the UW Department of American Ethnic Studies, this book explores and reflects on the relationships between Filipinx American histories and selected artifacts at the Burke Museum. It is a class project that was made possible by the Allen Open Textbook Grant.

This class is divided into a series of sections or "modules", each of which concentrates on a particular large technology-related topic in a cultural context. The class will start with a four-week module on Samurai Swords and Blacksmithing, followed by smaller units on Chinese Cooking, the Invention of Clocks, and Andean Weaving, and end with a four-week module on Automobiles and Engines. In addition, there will be a series of hands-on projects that tie theory and practice together. The class discussions range across anthropology, history, and individual development, emphasizing recurring themes, such as the interaction between technology and culture and the relation between "skill" knowledge and "craft" knowledge.Culture Tech evolved from a more extensive, two-semester course which formed the centerpiece of the Integrated Studies Program at MIT.  For 13 years, ISP was an alternative first-year program combining humanities, physics, learning-by-doing, and weekly luncheons.  Culture Tech represents the core principles of ISP distilled into a 6-unit seminar. Although many collections of topics have been used over the years, the modules presented here are a representative sequence.