H106, American History II (3 Cr

H106, American History II (3 cr.)

Section 2710

Fall 2007; MW 9:00-10:15 a.m.

Room CA 217

Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Dr. John R. Dichtl

Office: Cavanaugh 327; Tel: 274-2718

Welcome to H106. In this course we will explore major changes in American society during the second half of the country’s history, from after the Civil War to the present. We will be learning about how people like us—or not at all like us—attempted to solve problems, how they sought, held onto, and sometimes lost power, and how their decisions shaped the modern world. We will find many ways in which these events, issues, and choices can help to illuminate the present time. History, after all, is relevant today. It is about our identity, it is about power, and it reveals how the world works.

You will discover that history broadens your perspective and enables you to see past and current situations from multiple viewpoints. This capacity is crucial in our present global society and economy where diverse cultures must find ways to work together. As we read, write, and discuss our way through the semester, your analytical skill and ability to understand ambiguity, and contradiction should grow. Together we will develop the skills articulated in the IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning (http://www.iupui.edu/academic/undergrad_principles.html) —especially “communication,” “critical thinking,” “intellectual adaptiveness,” and, of course, “understanding society and culture.”

Three primary goals for the semester will be to:

·  Understand some of the major currents of history from 1865 to the present and how they shaped and continue to affect our world today

·  Think about Americans who are different from us today and wrestle with difficult questions, ideas, and problems they faced.

·  Improve your ability to express your ideas verbally and in writing.

Readings

There is one textbook for the course, Eric Foner’s, Give Me Liberty! An American History, Volume 2. For each week I have assigned a chapter from the textbook as background as well as additional readings for the course. You are expected to have completed the assigned readings before the class period for which they are listed. There will be occasional brief quizzes over the readings. Readings not in the Give Me Liberty! textbook—such as primary source documents, articles, or selections from other books—will be handed out in class or placed on OnCourse. Please bring a print copy of each assigned reading to class on the day for which it is assigned. You will need the print copy for our discussions.

Papers, Exam, and Quizzes

You will write three 5-page papers (“first paper,” “group discussion paper,” and “interview paper”), one essay-based exam during finals week, and take several brief quizzes. The quizzes are designed to test your knowledge of the readings, primarily. The papers and final exam will require you to do some original thinking; pull together ideas from class discussions, lectures, and readings; and marshal evidence to advance an argument. Grammar, spelling, and the quality of writing skills will be graded in addition to the quality of your reading comprehension, historical analysis, and understanding of issues and themes.

Calculating your grade

Quizzes (3 of 4) 12% 60 points

(20 pts. each; I will drop your lowest quiz when calculating your overall grade for the course.)

First Paper 15% 75 points

Group Discussion Paper 15% 75 points

Interview Paper 16% 80 points

Final Exam 20% 100 points

Discussion Participation, In-class

Exercises, general

effort, and attendance 22% 110 points

(Total of 500 points)

Grade Explanations

A—Outstanding. Student’s work demonstrates mastery of the course materials. Written work shows the ability to synthesize and analyze course materials, and all analyses are based on evidence as provided in readings and lectures. Essays are well organized and consistently connect individual terms to other historical events and processes as well as course themes.

B—Above average. Student’s work demonstrates an understanding of course materials, but displays some difficulty organizing materials or placing terms in the broader context of historical events and processes or course themes.

C—Average. Student’s work demonstrates an understanding of most course materials, but does not integrate lecture and reading materials well and has difficulty organizing material and/or placing terms in the broader context of historical events and processes or course themes.

D—Below Average. Student’s work shows a weak understanding of course materials and/or has other serious shortcomings in synthesizing and analyzing materials.

F—Failing Grade. Student’s work demonstrates a clear lack of understanding of course materials.

Attendance and Effort

Attendance is required. I expect you to arrive on time and participate in class activities in a manner that demonstrates respect for your fellow students, the university, and me. I will circulate an attendance roster during each class for you to sign. Regardless of the reason for your absences, I will begin to lower the attendance/effort portion of your grade if you miss more than six times. Save these six free misses for unforeseen circumstances such as illnesses, accidents, family emergencies that might arise during the semester. You are responsible for lectures you miss and should ask a classmate or two for her/his notes. Your overall effort in the class includes your attentiveness, behavior, respect for your fellow classmates and me, frequency and quality of participation in discussion, and your general level of contribution.

Incompletes, Make-up Exams, and Late Assignments

Being absent on the day of an exam, quiz, or in-class assignment does not excuse your missing an exam, quiz, or in-class assignment. Your lowest grade on a quiz and/or on an in-class assignment will be dropped. Incompletes and make-up exams will only be offered—and late assignments accepted—at the discretion of the instructor and will require written documentation from an employer, doctor, coach, or other official who can demonstrate the absence will be or was unavoidable. Material that is handed in after the start of class on the due date will be marked down a full letter grade for each day of the week it is late.

Academic Integrity

Guidelines for what constitutes academic misconduct, including cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism and how such situations will be handled are in The Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct < http://www.iupui.edu/~sldweb/dos/ >. Violations of these rules will result in consultation with the dean’s office, a grade of "F" (0%) for the assignment in question, and possibly an "F" for the course, or even expulsion from the university. Here is how the university defines cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism:

1. Cheating

Cheating is considered to be an attempt to use or provide unauthorized assistance, materials, information, or study aids in any form and in any academic exercise or environment. [Specific examples are given at the web site mentioned above.]

2. Fabrication

A student must not falsify or invent any information or data in an academic exercise including, but not limited to, records or reports, laboratory results, and citation to the sources of information.

3. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged, unless the information is common knowledge. What is considered “common knowledge” may differ from course to course.

·  A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, opinions, theories, formulas, graphics, or pictures of another person without acknowledgment.

·  A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge indebtedness whenever:

o  Directly quoting another person’s actual words, whether oral or written;

o  Using another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories;

o  Paraphrasing the words, ideas, opinions, or theories of others, whether oral or written;

o  Borrowing facts, statistics, or illustrative material; or

o  Offering materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgment.

Withdrawals and Incompletes

See <http://registrar.iupui.edu/withdraw.html > for IUPUI’s policy on withdrawing from a class. See <http://registrar.iupui.edu/incomp.html > for the university’s policy on grades of incomplete.

Student Disabilities

If you have special needs that might require modification of instruction or assessment, please notify me and/or contact the Office of Adaptive Educational Services at IUPUI. Visit the office website for eligibility requirements at <http://life.iupui.edu/aes/> or call 317-274-3241 (TDD/TTY: 317-278-2050). Email: <>

Writing Assistance

The University Writing Center is a place, sponsored by the English department and the School of Liberal Arts, where undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff can go for free help with writing assignments and projects. The UWC offers opportunities to work one-on-one with experienced readers and writers. UWC tutors believe writing is a process. Tutors are prepared to talk with students at any stage in this process. UWC welcomes students who write in any discipline or for any purpose. They work with students to help them understand assignments and brainstorm ideas, to discover and narrow topics, to support ideas with appropriate evidence, to see ways to revise drafts, and to plan, organize, and document long or short research papers. We do not proofread or edit papers for students; instead, tutors focus on helping students learn to proofread and edit their own work. UWC is open in two convenient locations, CA 427 and UL 2125, at the hours listed below. Undergraduates may schedule up to four 30-minute appointments a week. Graduate students and ESL/EAP students may schedule up to four 1-hour appointments a week. All students are limited to one appointment a day. Please call or come in to schedule an appointment in advance.

Cavanaugh 427 (tel: 274-2049)

MTWR 9:00a-7:00p

Fri-Sat 9:00a-3:00p

Tutoring sessions by appointment

University Library 2125 (tel: 278-8171)

MTWR 10:00a-5:30p

Tutoring sessions by appointment

Changes in Syllabus

Please note that this syllabus is subject to revision at any time.

Office Hours

Please fee free to visit me during my office hours: W 10:30-12:30, or call or email me to make an appointment on a different day or time.

Schedule

Topic / Textbook Reading / Other Readings
Week 1 / W, Aug. 22 / Intro & Course Objectives
Week 2 / M, Aug. 27 / Reconstruction / Chpt. 15, What is Freedom? Reconstruction, 1865-1877 / Freedwoman Interview #1
Freedwoman Interview #2 (will be handed out in class)
W, Aug. 29 / Reconstruction
Quiz 1
Week 3 / M, Sept. 3 / Labor Day (No Class)
W, Sept. 5 / Industrial Revolution / Chpt. 16, America’s Gilded Age, 1870-1890 / America Firsthand, 8, “The Decline of the Independent Craftsman,” Joseph T. Finnerty
Week 4 / M, Sept. 10 / Rise of Labor
W, Sept 12 / Immigration
Quiz 2 / Major Problems in American History, “Coming and Going: Round Trip to America”
Week 5 / M, Sept. 17 / Immigration / Josiah Strong, 1885, “Our Country”
W, Sept. 19 / The Great City / Chpt. 17, Freedom’s Boundaries, At Home and Abroad, 1890-1900 / America Firsthand, “Honest and Dishonest Graft,” George W. Plunkitt
Week 6 / M, Sept 24 / American Empire
Group Discussion 1 / Hofstadter’s Great Issues, pp.179-195
W, Sept 26 / Progressivism / Chpt. 18, Progressive Era, 1900-1916 / America Firsthand, “George Rice Loses Out to Standard Oil”
Week 7 / M, Oct. 1 / Progressivism
1st Paper due
W, Oct. 3 / World War I / Chpt. 19, Safe for Democracy: the U.S. and World War I, 1916-1920 / Wilson’s war aims and
Plans for peace
Week 8 / M, Oct. 8 / The Red Scare
Group Discussion 2 / America Firsthand, “The Trial of Kate Richards O’Hare,” pp131-138
W, Oct. 10 / Prosperity and Conservatism / Chpt. 20, From Business Culture to Great Depression: the Twenties, 1920-1932
Week 9 / M, Oct. 15 / The Great Depression
Quiz 3 / Hard Times, Terkel
Louis Banks, 40-43; Emma Tiller, 44; Peggy Terry and Her Mother, Mary Owsley, 45-51, and…
Robin Langston, 89-92; Dynamite Garland, 92-95; Slim Collier, 95-98; Cesar Chavez, 53-56.
W, Oct 17 / The Great Depression
Group Discussion 3 / Chpt. 21, The New Deal, 1932-1940 / Hard Times, Terkel
Edward Ryerson, 151-153; Diana Morgan, 153-159; Mrs Winston Roberts, 159-161; Noni Saarinen, 161-162, and…
Harry Hartman, 403-407
Week 10 / M, Oct. 22 / A New Deal / Hard Times, Terkel
Gardiner C. Means, 247-250.
W, Oct 24 / America Enters World War II / Chpt. 22, Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II, 1941-1945 / Lindbergh speech
FDR speech
Atlantic Charter
Week 11 / M, Oct. 29 / America in World War II
Group Discussion 4 / Good War, Studs Terkel, selected pages
W, Oct. 31 / America in World War II / Good War, Studs Terkel, selected pages
Meaning of Words, 9:6, Yoshiko Uchida, “Desert Exile” (1942)
Week 12 / M, Nov. 5 / Origins of the Cold War
Quiz 4 / Chpt. 23, The U.S. and the Cold War, 1945-1953
W, Nov. 7 / McCarthyism and the American Way of Life / Readings …to be announced
Week 13 / M, Nov. 12 / Affluence and Discontent in the 1950s / Chpt. 24, An Affluent Society, 1953-1960 / Readings …to be announced
W, Nov. 14 / Race and Civil Rights / Readings …to be announced
Week 14 / M, Nov., 19 / Vietnam / Chpt. 25, The Sixties, 1960-1968 / Readings …to be announced
W, Nov., 21 / Thanksgiving Break (No class)
Week 15 / M, Nov. 26 / Vietnam
Group Discussion 5 / “War and the Convention,” by Youngs, in American Realities, 233-252.
W, Nov. 28 / Watergate / “Breach of Faith,” Theodore White, in Forging the American Character, 185-207
Week 16 / M, Dec., 3 / Protest, Feminism, and Multiculturalism / Readings …to be announced
W, Dec. 5 / Conservatism at Home: Reagan and the New Right
Interview Paper due / Chpt. 26, The Triumph of Conservatism, 1969-1988 / Readings …to be announced
Week 17 / M, Dec. 10 / Parting Thoughts / Chpt. 27, Globalization and Its Discontents, 1989-2000
Fri., Dec. 14 / Final Exam (8:00-10:00 a.m.)