FSEM 100UU | See the USA!: The History of Roadtripping in American Culture

South of the Boarder stop on the side of the road

This course is a seminar to explore the historical and current phenomenon of journeys across the United States through the examination of case studies that range from 19th century elite visitors such as Alexis de Toqueville to 20th century road trippers such as John Steinbeck.  The class will investigate various methods for capturing these experiences, from scholarly texts and journals, to sketch books and photography as a way to explore methods of data collection, interpretation, and memory.  As a discussion-based course, students will regularly consider questions of social status as it relates to the historical record.  Serious attention will be given to categories of privilege as they related to travel in the United States over time, with particular attention paid to age, gender, and racial restrictions, whether formal or informal.  Students will use a variety of source material to undertake a research paper on a topic related to US road travel, and will present this to the class at the culmination of the semester.

Photo of Dan Hubbard, Associate Professor of Historic Preservation

Dan Hubbard, Associate Professor of Historic Preservation

I’ve enjoyed many careers, including patent examiner, technical translator, government “contractor” and auditor, and finally teaching at Mary Washington, where I’ve been since 1999. I am particularly interested in expanding the realm of auditing beyond its traditional base in accounting. Passionately dedicated to freedom and the right of self-determination, I am currently advising both the separatists of Québec and Catalunya, where I hope to retire once the Republic for which my grandfather died has been re-established.