Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - HIST 376 BLS1

North American West (4)

Class Number: 3531

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units, including six units of lower division history.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines themes in the resettlement of western North America, dispossession of Indigenous peoples, incorporation into nation states, and transition from peripheries to cores of modernity. Themes will include class, gender, environment, ethnicity, and race.

COURSE DETAILS:

The North American West emerged contemporaneously with industrial capitalism and stronger central states. It never outgrew those roots. HIST 376 traces the incorporation of the continent’s western half into the political economies of three nation states, exploring racial and gendered developments at local, national, and transnational scales while examining the complex dialectic between the realms of history and mythology. Primary and secondary texts and lectures provide the content. Lectures and online tutorials place this content in broader context. Students will study the West as one region, three nations, and many places. The course also contributes to the comprehension of social, cultural, and environmental issues underlying regional development.




Grading

  • Midterm 35%
  • Paper 20%
  • Final 35%
  • Quizzes 10%

NOTES:

2026 Alert: Except for in-class exams, this course will be conducted remotely. Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and methods of feedback on your work than for in-person classes. Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they require lecture, discussion, or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, must register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as soon as possible to ensure they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely manner.

Course exams will be held in person in AQ 6229 at the normal time for online meetings

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Christopher Herbert, Gold Rush Manliness

Lissa Wadewitz, The Nature of Borders

Andrea Geiger, Subverting Exclusion

Josh Reid, The Sea Is My Country


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Learn more about studing History at SFU:

History areas of study


Why study History?

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.