Twentieth Century Transformations

Key applications of technology to ancient practices, such as agriculture and medicine, transformed 20th-century society in unparalleled ways. One example, often overlooked in discussions of technological change during the last century, was the complete social and economic transformation of agriculture in the West, particularly in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture prepared a study looking back at these transformations, and it provides a good and provocative summary of the primary changes. Even though technology itself is not discussed at length here, it is a good way to get a grasp of the subject. Find the USDA report in the "Course Documents" section of the HIST206 ELMS page.

Warfare was utterly transformed in the course of the 20th century, perhaps most spectacularly by the coming of aviation. Some good summary statements about the implications of new technologies for warfare in this period can be found in excerpts from Max Boot's recent work, War Made New. You will find the assigned excerpts in the Course Reserves section of the ELMS site.

*When you come to section, be prepared to discuss the general character of how such long-standing human activities as farming, medicine, and warfare were transformed by the technologies of the 20th century. For your portfolio, prepare a short essay -- three or four paragraphs -- in which you suggest the single most significant of these transformations for human life in the last century. Use your readings (and other sources, if you have them) and cite them appropriately. Be sure you explain how you decide the criteria for "most significant."


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