Studying history is about discovering and learning from our past so that we might act more humanely in the present and future. During this semester we will focus on early US History, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, issues concerning race and civil rights, women and gender, and labor and social class. But our primary focus will be on developing our own historical insights and a critical consciousness that will equip us to use what we learn about our history to act with more compassion and empathy today.