This course considers the role of tourism in American society and culture from the early nineteenth to the early
twenty- first century. It emphasizes how historical memory shapes tourist attractions and how tourism shapes local,
regional, national, racial, and ethnic identity. We will examine Americans’ motives for choosing various
destinations—retreat and spiritual uplift, health and recreation, historical understanding,
celebration and commemoration, multicultural exoticism, and entertainment. We will
also trace the development of numerous tourist destinations, including seaside and
mountain resorts, national parks, natural springs, religious retreats, amusement
parks and theme parks, battlefields, living history museums, preserved
or reinvented historic sites, gambling and vice destinations,
and urban entertainment districts.