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Advanced technology is today a hallmark of American culture.
Most Americans know this, but few realize that the United States has been famous for its distinctive technology for at least a century and a half. By surveying some of the major American technological developments, and by reading what some leading scholars of the history of American technology have written about them, this course will explore the interactions between technology and culture in the American setting. We will concentrate on ideas and forces at work in American history rather than on names, places, and dates. The course will give each student an opportunity to develop proficiency in oral expression and expository prose, and to conduct limited original research. Assignments and grade.