Davidson, et al., Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the America
Republic Vol II, 3rd Edition.
The American Journey Documents Set Volume II
Upton Sinclair, The Jungle.
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi.
* Available at Textbook Rental
Overview and Objectives
This is an introductory course in American history from Reconstruction to the present. More emphasis will be placed on political, social, and cultural themes, than on military or diplomatic history, although those latter subjects will not be neglected.
My basic goal for this course is to get you to learn
some American history. Beyond that, you are expected to think critically
about large subjects, such as the impact of immigration, industrialization,
and race in the making of modern American society, rather than merely memorize
names of presidents or dates of events. By the end of the semester,
I expect that:
1) you will have gained new knowledge of American history.
Through class discussion of weekly readings, analytical papers, and essay
exams, I also expect that: 2) you will have improved your skills
of critical thinking, historical analysis, reading comprehension, and writing.
Finally I hope that 3) you will leave my class with a new appreciation
for the complexities of history and its relevance to our present condition-
so much so that you will wish to learn more.
Course Requirements
This course is a mixture
of lecture and discussion, both planned and unplanned. Each week
you will read primary and secondary sources that focus on a particular
topic or period in American history. We will set aside time each
week to discuss and critique these readings. Your goal is to situate
them within the wider context provided by my lectures and the textbook.
These readings, and the thoughts and discussions they stimulate, constitute
the core of the course and you will be tested heavily on them.
There will be on mid-term exam and a final exam.
Each will consist of two parts: a take-home essay (3-6 pages typed); and
a standard in-class indentificatin and short essay exam. The take-home
essay is more properly a paper, in that you will be asked to present your
interpretation of one or more of the assigned readings. I will provide
an assignment sheet for each paper at least two weeks before they are due.
Study guides for the in-class portion of the exams will also be furnished.
The papers must be typed and free of typos and spelling and grammatical
errors. The paper must also abide by EIU's policy on plagairism.
Students who plagairize, even unintentionally, will receive a "zero"
for the paper and thus will likely fail the course.
For the purposes of EIU's writing ortfolio requirement, HIS 2020 is defined as a writing intensive course. Students therefore have the option of submitting first drafts of the mid-term and final papers. These should be handed in to me at least one week before the due date. I will critique these drafts, point out obvious errors of grammar and organization, and suggest ways to improve the paper. Almost all students can benefit from handing in a first draft of a paper assignment. However, doing so does not guarantee an A or even a B on the final draft.
In addition, I expect you to attend every class and participate in discussion. More than four absences will lower a "B" to a "C". For chronic absenteeism, I reserve the right to impose any penalty, including an "F" for the course, that I deem appropriate. This may seem harsh, but the best thing I can do as your professor is to create a climate in this class of intellectual rigor and mutual respect. Your regular attendance and participation are a sign to me that you take your education, and my course, seriously.
Finally, there will be a minimum of ten quizzes throughout the semester, and perhaps more. THese will briefly test you on that week's reading assignment- so make sure you complete the readings on time.
Grade Formula
Quizzes and discussion participation 20%
Midterm essay
20%
In-class midterm exam
20%
Final essay
20%
In-class final exam
20%
NOTE: The above requirements are sibject to modifaction. I reserve the right to alter or amend them as I deem appropriate. Students with documented disabilities should contact me if additional accomodations are needed.
Schedule
All dates, topics, reading assignments, and deadlines here tantative; be alert to in-class announcements.
Week I: Reconstruction: The Meaning of Freedom in Post-Emancipation
America
Read: Nations: Ch. 17
Documents:
Ch. 18
Week II: Conquering the West: Native Peoples, Settler Communities,
and Social Structure on the Frontier
Read: Nations: Ch. 18
Documents: Ch. 21
Week III: THe Rise of Monopoly Capital & Labor's Response
Read: Nations: Ch. 19
Documents: CH. 20
Week IV: Gilded Age Politics: Popular Politics versus the Status
Quo
Read: Nations: pp. 573-94
Documents: Ch. 22
*Sinclair, Jungle, CHs. 1-10
Week V: Immigration & Urbanization at the Turn of the Century
Read: Nations: Ch. 20
* Sinclair, Jungle, Chs. 11-20
Week VI: Progressivism: Local & National
Read: Nations: Ch. 22
Documents: Ch. 23
* Finish Sinclair, Jungle
Week VII: Quest for Empire: Spanish-American & First World Wars
Read: Nations: pp. 594-608 & Ch. 23
Documents: Chs. 24 & 25
*** Midterm Essay Due *** *** Midterm Exam ***
Week VIII: The 1920s: Days of Experiment, Years of Reaction
Read: Nations: Ch.24
Documents: Ch. 26
Week IX: The New Deal and the Politics of Depression
Read: Nations: Ch. 25
Documents: Ch. 27
Week X: America and World War II
Read: Nations: Ch. 26
Documents: Ch. 28
* Begin Moody, Coming of Age, Chs. 1-10
Week XI: The Cold War at Home and Abroad
Read: Nations: Chs. 27 & 28
Documents: Ch. 29
* Moody, Chs. 11-20
Week XII: The Southern Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965
Read: Nations: pp. 851-67
* Finish Moody
Week XIII: From the New Frontier to the New Left: The Sixties
Experiment(s)
Read: Nations: pp. 867-78
Documents: Chs. 30-31
Week XIV: Vietnam, or Coming Apart
Read: Nations: Ch. 30
Documents: Ch. 31
Week XV: Contemporary U.S. History: An Age of Anxiety
Read: Nations: Chs. 30-31
Documents: Chs. 32-33
*Final Exam* TBA
** Final Essay** TBA