This class was pretty cool if you want to learn more about antebellum politics. Professor Varon was very knowledgeable and the TA Kat was amazing and so kind. The classes are a straightforward lecture and the primary workload is two 4-5 page papers for the mid term, a 10 page paper 3/4 of the way through the class, and a final paper of about 5 pages. Beyond that the only real work was readings before discussion each week. It probably depends on the TA but I found that the primary sources were most important to read before discussion, and these sources were not too long.

This class was okay at best. Professor Varon is a very nice person, and the structure of the class was fine—two 50-minute lectures and one 50-minute discussion per week. My only complaint about this course is the grading. While the weighting of grades was perfectly reasonable, the TA didn’t upload any grades throughout the entire semester. I only found out my grade by checking SIS an hour before grades were due. Personally, I don’t enjoy being left in the dark, especially when it comes to my grades. However, if that doesn’t bother you, this course could still be a good fit.

This is a course that has a lot of writing that is not disclosed up front. The midterm is 2 (5-6 )pages and so is the final. There is also an 8-10 page paper. I liked professor Varon and thought she was a good lecturer. I found the class pretty boring as a history major and the lectures did get repetitive. I wouldn't recommend this class because there are much more interesting history classes than this one. #tCFfall22

Prof Varon's lectures are so good that after I graduated, I literally went back and watched their recordings on Collab just to relive this incredible learning experience. Her lectures are articulate, full of information, and fair and balanced regarding a seriously loaded subject. This is fascinating stuff. There is a moderate workload, though.

I came into this class not really knowing a lot about Antebellum America and thinking it was pretty boring, but this class really proved me wrong. The required texts are all pretty easy to read and digest (I actually ENJOYED reading Liberty and Power, and thought Apostles of Disunion by Dew was a great addition for the last couple of weeks), and while there could sometimes be a decent amount of other sources to read, I felt they helped add to the course enough to justify. Professor Varon is an extremely knowledgeable lecturer who weaves a story with the lecture itself. Some of the material can be a bit dry, but she likes to change up the perspectives often enough to where you're not hammering the same point over and over again for too long. She also is extremely enthusiastic to answer questions to the best of her ability, which makes for a more relaxed environment open to discourse. The workload for us was discussion section/participation grade, term paper, midterm and final I believe, and all of them were, in my opinion, pretty reasonably graded, however that is up to the TA and how they want to grade things (shoutout to Jeremy). Great class, great professor, it's really worth taking it if you can.

I'm not a big student of history by any means, but I figure that if I am going to attend the school founded by Thomas Jefferson, I might as well take at least one US History course. I was very interested in the topic of this course in particular and eager to get my 2nd writing requirement out of the way. Boy did I write: the midterm consisted of two 6-page papers, the final was two 5-page papers, and we also had to write a 10-page term paper and two 2-page "Think Pieces." I also wrote an additional 2-page think piece on a guest lecturer outside of class for extra credit. So yes, you will write a lot.

That said, these were the only assignments of any kind, and I generally don't mind writing so I didn't find the workload to be too bad although the midterm and final were quite the grind at times. There was a good amount of reading assigned (3 books and various primary sources), but I frankly rarely did it and still managed to get an A in the class. Instead, I paid close attention and took diligent notes during lectures and discussions. For papers, I would use these notes for context/main ideas, and then I would search up specific topics in the glossaries of the books and read about them until I understood them pretty well. So if you aren't a big reader like myself, this is a very viable strategy.

As for Varon herself, she is clearly extremely knowledgeable about the Civil War and a passionate lecturer. Her lectures were very fast-paced and could be a little dry at times, but I found them to be very interesting for the most part. I almost always asked her at least one question after class and she was happy to answer them. I found many of the topics to be remarkably relevant to the US today. Additionally, the TA Ian is also incredibly knowledgeable about US history, especially for someone as young as he is. He is a good guy and I would say a very reasonable TA. All in all, I highly recommend this course if you are interested in this topic or US history in general.

I thought this was a great low-key history class. Professor Varon is an interesting lecturer, and I really wish that this class had been in person so that I could have actually interacted with her. We had discussion every other week which I was not a fan of, as I felt like we didn't really have good discussions until later in the semester when we figured out what worked, but the TA(Ian) was pretty chill so it wasn't too bad. Overall, this is a fun class that isn't too hard and fulfills your second writing requirement.

The best class of my semester. Professor Varon was so knowledgeable, was always willing to meet, and lectured so well. If you are at all interested in the US from 1820-1860, take this class. The papers were all graded by the TA, so the grading was a bit tough, but I felt it was worth it since the class was worth going to. Attendance is not needed, though, but the class is worth going to for sure. Highly recommend.

By far my favorite class I've taken at UVA so far. Professor Varon's lecturing experience is unlike any other I've had, and truly draws you in and makes you want to learn more. She knows her stuff and her passion for history shines through in her lectures. The readings from week to week vary in length, but its usually about 75-80 pages. This class is very writing intensive. Course assignments include a midterm consisting of two take home essays (5-6 pages each), an 8-10 page term paper on basically anything you want, and a final which is similar to the midterm Every assignment is worth 25% of your grade, with discussion being the remaining 25%, which is a great grade booster if you just go. TAs in this class control your grade, and in my opinion, are fairly tough when it comes to grading. My TA, Asaf was sweet and funny, but was very critical when giving out grades. HIGHLY recommend this class!

Varon is amazing. Make sure to go to her office hours, especially to prepare for/go over your papers. DO NOT get Lauren as your TA. She is so condescending and did not give any helpful comments on papers or explain your grade. Really interesting class with a moderate amount of reading