FSEM 188   The American West

Faculty Profile for Professor Hall

The American West is many things: it is a vast geographic region defined by awe-inspiring landscapes; it is an ancient homeland filled with deep political and spiritual meaning; and it is a process, a "frontier" that has profoundly shaped the way Americans see themselves and their place in the world. Students examine the history of the West as both a place and a process, with a particular emphasis on topics of settler colonialism, Indigenous sovereignty, environmental change, mythology, and the formation of American identity. Students who successfully complete this seminar earn credit for HIST 223 and satisfy the social relations, institutions, and agents areas of inquiry requirement.

Ryan Hall is a historian of the American West and the author of the book Beneath the Backbone of the World: Blackfoot People and the North American Borderlands, 1720-1877. He's currently researching the history of corruption in the Bureau of Indian Affairs.