History of Washington State and the Pacific Northwest
Welcome
Although these lessons are available to anyone interested in them, they have been written primarily for undergraduates at the University of Washington in HSTAA 432, History of Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. As such, the lessons are not intended to serve as a comprehensive overview of regional or state history; rather, they are quite explicitly intended to be used in conjunction with other sources of information. Some students using the lessons will also be reading Carlos Arnaldo Schwantes, The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History, rev. ed. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2000), a textbook overview of regional history, so the lessons have been developed so as not to overlap too much with Schwantes. They are more thematic and conceptual than the textbook, and are meant to delve deeper into certain areas while glossing over other topics covered by Schwantes. Reflecting their origins as lectures in courses taught in Seattle for students who come primarily from the Puget Sound basin, the lessons also focus more on western Washington than on other parts of the region. Finally, the lessons reflect my own personal research interests and teaching strategies.
I welcome comments and suggestions for additions and revisions.
John M. Findlay, Professor
Department of History
University of Washington