The history of U.S. exploration is far more complex and diverse than the story that has commonly been told. The nation's forgotten explorers include women, African Americans, and indigenous people, individuals who sought to escape from lives conscribed by discrimination and limited opportunities through adventuring. They sought not only to explore unfamiliar regions, but also to gain diplomatic, geographic, anthropologic, military, and environmental knowledge. Explorers tested new technologies and shattered travel records on land, at sea, and in space, traveling far beyond the boundaries of the continental United States. This course provides an expansive look at the history of U.S. exploration and the ways in which explorers' objectives changed over the course of two centuries. Course assignments will include response papers, a midterm writing assignment, and a final essay.