Donald Trump seems entirely unprecedented in American history. Has anything like his election ever happened in the past? Where did the ideas of "Build the Wall," "Lock Her Up," and "The Silent Majority" come from? What are the roots of "America First" and the fight against "unfair trade pacts" and the U.N.? What about calls to create a registry of people from predominantly Muslim countries, and to ban them from entry into America? In this class, students will explore the social and historical background to the rise of Donald Trump and "Trumpism," the ideas that have supported his political success. Students will learn about the history and nature of far-right politics in American society since the early twentieth century. By tracing this history, students will gain an understanding of the historical, social, and cultural context of the rise of Trump.