Many conservatives have sought to distance themselves from Trump claiming he is not a "real conservative" - but is that really so? In order to attempt and answer this and better understand the roots of "Trumpism" this course will explore the evolution of  American conservatism: from its "awakening" in opposition to the New Deal in the 1930s, through its development during the early Cold War and institutionalization following the backlash to civil rights, the antiwar movement and the culture wars of the 1960s, and finally to its political triumph in the 1980s and 1990s in reaction to the the perceived failures of the American Welfare State. We will conclude by evaluating whether Trump reflects the "Death of Conservatism," as some claim, or actually its inevitable offspring. To do so, we will engage an interdisciplinary study of political, cultural, social, intellectual and economic history, that looks at the key events, actors and organizations in the development of the conservative movement, and includes a diverse set of historical sources (primary and secondary, multimedia, oral, music, art, film and literature).