Courses

Is California more than a state? Some historians argue that California is a civilization in its own right—a place whose ideas, industries, landscapes, and cultural imagination have reshaped the United States and much of the modern world. This course traces California's evolution from the mythical "Mountain of Paradise" imagined during the Age of Discovery to a global leader in agriculture, entertainment, technology, and environmental thought. We'll examine the enduring power of the California Dream, the rise of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and the state's influence on suburban living, popular culture, and the digital age. We'll also consider California's remarkable landscapes, from fertile valleys and rugged coastlines to ancient redwood forests, and how their abundance, together with recurring challenges like drought, wildfire, and rapid growth, has shaped the state's identity. Ultimately, we'll consider whether California is best understood as a place within American history, or as a civilization with a trajectory and a global reach all its own.