History 2020/01

The Instructor:
Dr. Edmund F. Wehrle
2576 Coleman Hall
581-6372
efwehrle@eiu.edu
Office hours: MWF 10-11, and by appointment

Course Theme: This course emphasizes the benefits and costs of the tremendous growth experienced by the United States during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  Throughout this period, America increasingly looked to the state to address the problems associated with this great expansion.  Thus government grew more activist and influential.  At the same time, however, Americans continued to look with suspicion on concentrated power—whether government, business, or other.  These efforts to limit and channel growth, as well, shaped American development.

Readings: A textbook and document reader are assigned to expand on material discussed in lecture. Three monographs offer students more in-depth views of incidents, people, and issues that shaped America during this period. Various handouts will supplement the class readings.

Textbooks:
Henretta, America’s History, Vol. II
Marcus and Burner, America Firsthand

Additional Readings:
Tuttle, Race Riot
Moody, Coming of Age in Missippi
Schulman, LBJ and American Liberalism
 

Class Meetings:

Jan 8  Course Introduction

Jan 10 Presidential Reconstruction
 Dubois, Chapter 2; Henretta, 481-488

Jan 12 Congressional Reconstruction and the New South
 Dubois, Chapters 3,4,5, &6; Henretta, 488-503

Jan 17  The Growth of Industry
  Henretta, Chapter 18

Jan 19 Booker T. Washington and the Color Line: A Discussion

Jan 22 The Winning/Conquest of the West
Marcus and Burner, Chapter 13; Henretta, Chapter 17

Jan 24  Immigration/Urbanization
  Henretta, Chapter 20

Jan 26  Discussion: The Immigrant Experience
  Marcus and Burner, Chapters 12, 19, 20, 21

Jan 29  Agrarian Revolt and the Tumultuous 1890s
 Marcus and Burner, Chapter 14; Henretta, 590-603

Jan 31  Quest for an Empire: America as World Power?
  Henretta, Chapter 22

Feb 2  Discussion: Imperialism and Expansion
  Henretta, 682

Feb 5  The Emergence of Progressivism
 Marcus and Burner, Chapters 15-16; Henretta, 639-655

Feb 7  Progressivism in Full Flower
  Henretta, 656-665

Feb 9 Writing 101

Feb 12  Progressivism Goes to War
 Henretta, 697-717

Feb 14  Discussion: Chicago Race Riot
Tuttle Papers Due

Feb 19   1919 America’s Worst Year
 Henretta, 717-723

Feb 21  The Roaring Twenties
 Henretta, Chapter 24

Feb 23  The Great Depression
 Conkin, Chapter 1; Henretta, Chapter 25

Feb 26  The First New Deal
Conkin, Chapter 2

Feb 28  The Second New Deal
 Conkin, Chapter 3

March 2  The Road to War
 Henretta, 817-822

March 5  Review for Midterm

March 7  MIDTERM EXAM

March 9 Isolationism and Internationalism: A Discussion

March 19  The War Abroad and at Home
 Marcus and Burner, Chapters 31, 32, 33; Henretta, 823-847

March 21 Cold War
 Henretta, Chapter 28

March 23 Domestic Expansion
 Marcus and Burner, Chapter 25; Henretta, 885-909

March 26 The Quest for Civil Rights
 Marcus and Burner, Chapters 36 and 41; Henretta, 945-959;

March 28 The Road to Vietnam
 Henretta, 930-935;

March 30   The Quagmire
 Henretta, 935-942; Schulman, Chapter 6

April 2  Discussion: My Lai
 Marcus and Burner, Chapters 37 and 38

April 4   1968: America’s Worst Year
  Shulman, Chapter 7; Henretta, 977-982

April 6  Cultural Revolutions
 Marcus and Burner, Chapters 39, 41; Henretta, 959-966

April 9  Discussion: What was the "Sixties"?
Moody Paper Due

April 11 The Women’s Movement
 Marcus and Burner, Chapter 40; Henretta 909-913, 967-973

April 13 1970s: Living with Limits
  Henretta, 982-1000

April 16 Hostages in Iran
  Henretta, 1001-1003

April 18 The Rise of Reagan
 Marcus and Burner, Chapters 43, 44; Henretta, 1007-1024

April 20 The End of the Cold War
 Henretta, 1024-1032

April 23  Illinois in the 20th Century

April 25  Clinton and the 1990s
 Marcus and Burner, Chapter 45

April 27 Conclusion and Review

Assignments: Students will write a midterm (Oct 21), a final exam, and two short analytical papers, one on Dubois' Souls of Black Folk and the second on the New Deal.  Students are expected to attend class (without exception), be attentive, ask questions (any challenges to the instructor’s interpretations will be especially welcome), and participate actively—especially during class discussions and debates.  Ten percent of the final grade is based on participation.

The writing assignments are as follows:

Assignment #1: Which of the many causes of the Chicago race riot of 1919 offered by William Tuttle appears to you to have been the primary cause? Make an effective argument for your choice as the key to understanding the riot (3-4 pages). Due Feb 14.

Assignment #2: Based on your reading of the Anne Moody book, what motivations/forces/inspirations drove civil rights workers? (3-4 pages). Due April 9.

• Assignments must be handed directly to the instructor on the proper due date. Do not email papers, put them in the instructor’s box, or slip them under his door—unless given explicit instructions to do so.
 

Grading:

Midterm  20%
Paper #1  20%
Paper #2  20%
final exam  30%
class participation 10%
 
 

• The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus as the semester progresses as he thinks it necessary. If you have a documented disability, please let me know by the end of the first week of classes so I can make appropriate arrangements.