The histories and cultures of the changing United States

American Studies Program

The American Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary engagement with what America means in the United States and in a global context. Faculty encourage students to look at the meaning and reality of the evolving United States as a question still in need of answering and as an experiment still in process, not as a dream fully realized. We use multiple perspectives and methodologies and require that students synthesize knowledge in ways that develop the skills needed for rigorous, complex analysis.

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American Studies News

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TCAM brunch highlight’s women’s history at Cornell

Cornell historian Corey Earle shared stories of remarkable women throughout Cornell’s history during an Oct. 25 brunch as part of the Trustee Council Alumni Meeting.

Civil War still haunts American attitudes toward democracy

A new book by Shirley Samuels examines the story behind today’s divided America in literature and art created during and soon after the Civil War.

Cornell ‘Swifties’ bond over musical superstar

The Cornell Swift Club will ring in a new Taylor Swift era with a late-night album release party for “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Inaugural “Freedom Party” in downtown Ithaca centers on community connection

A Sept. 27 event taking inspiration from the foundations of the Harlem Renaissance will highlight collaboration, resource sharing and storytelling.

In Kops Lecture, law scholar will explore ‘the Constitution in crisis’

Aziz Rana, a professor of law at Boston College, will discuss the relationship between the constitutional system and current democratic backsliding.

2025 Nexus Scholars talk about academic growth, transformation

Ten students who participated in this summer's Nexus Scholars Program share their stories..

Ticket stubs & COVID tests: 2020s Big Red life, in scrapbooks

As a final project, a popular course on Cornell history lets students create miniature time capsules for future generations.

From posters to precedent, humanities scholars showcase their research

Projects spanned topics from Confederate cemeteries to Korean textiles.

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Student Spotlight: Claudia León

American Studies major, Claudia León co-curated "Social Fabric: Land, Labor, and the World the Textile Industry Created," which was at Kroch Library through September 2023.

When asked about the American Studies major, León stated, "I don’t think I can overstate the impact (AMST/HIST 1802) had on me — it introduced me to an entire history, people looking at artwork partially my own, that I had never learned in either the U.S. or Puerto Rican education systems. Learning histories that are deliberately suppressed also helped me reframe and re-evaluate the histories I had been taught, which piqued my interest in historiography while igniting a desire to further explore my Puerto Rican history."

Click here to read more about Claudia.