History 2312.03
American History since 1877
Spring, 2007
“You can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the people you do.”
Ann Lamott in Bird by Bird
Instructor: Dr. David Chrisman
Hardy Hall, rm. 112
Campus Mail Box: 8014
Campus Phone Extension: 4165
Office Hours: M-W-F: 11:00 to 11:50; and 1:30 to 4:00
T-Th: 11 to 11:50; and 2:30 to 4:00
Required Texts:
Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History. Sixth Ed., Vol. II. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2004.
Eagles, Charles W. Study Guide: America. Sixth Ed., Vol. I. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2004.
Marcus, Robert D., et al. America Firsthand: Readings from Reconstruction to the Present. Seventh Ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2007.
Course Objectives:
1. The main objective of this course is for students to gain a general knowledge of American history from the Reconstruction period until present time. Each student will learn to think critically about the development of the United States, particularly in the 20th century.
2. The course should also help students develop the ability to analyze concepts in the humanities, improve written communications skills, and sharpen his/hers understanding of both chronological and topical historical information.
3. As a result of the course, each student should be challenged to rethink many myths of American history and reach personal decisions about which historical incidents should be retained for their value.
Philosophy and Purpose:
A friend of mine who teaches at Texas A&M-Commerce reminded me of why we go through the routine of coming to class and learning history; a discipline sadly neglected by some. William Faulkner, the Mississippi author, once noted: “The past is not dead. It is not even past.” In Ecclesiastes, the preacher says: “Say not thou, what is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou does not inquire wisely concerning this.” Your instructor comes into class feeling that history is important and has validity for modern times. If it isn’t, then I’m paid for doing nothing, and you pay for listening to stories about long-dead persons. Without a clear view of the past, the present is beyond understanding and the future is beyond predicting. Hopefully, the student will not only know the past, but also that he/she should not long for it.
Student’s Responsibilities:
- Attend all lectures, take careful notes, and participate in class discussions. All students should know material well enough to handle pop-tests, which I reserve the right to give.
- READ!! Read all assigned materials on a given topic before the lecture is given on the topic. It’s the instructor’s job to clarify readings through lectures.
- Make-up exams will not be given unless a grave situation emerges in regard to matters causing absences. The student must contact me before the scheduled test time. Take exams on time!
Attendance:
Failure to attend class often results in academic failure. In borderline cases good class attendance represents evidence of effort and perhaps the difference between a “C” and a “B.” The best insurance against an “F” and best path to an “A” is consistent presence in class. Students who accumulate eleven (11) unexcused absences will fail the course as defined by university policy. Excused absences are illnesses, family emergencies, and university authorized absences. In order for an absence to be excused, written proof must be provided to the instructor. Please do no make this an issue. In a university course of this scope passing would be near impossible anyway if you are “near the limit.”
Exams and Grading:
Exams:Four examinations will be given over material from lectures and the primary text. The final will be the fourth exam and is not comprehensive. Each exam is worth up to 100 points. Exam scores may or may not be curved based upon class performance. Make-up exams may be given but is not recommended for two reasons. First, any make-up exam given for excused or unexcused absence will automatically drop a letter grade. (The highest score for a perfect test would be 89). Certain school activities, of course, would not fall under this category. However, certain excused absences not related to university service might. Second, make-up exams for those who miss their regularly scheduled test will be entirely written and graded with much rigor. In other words, they will be much harder! In order to take a make-up exam the student must present evidence of an excused absence before the day of the originally scheduled exam. As your instructor, I reserve the right to adjust the weight of percentages for exams (for positive and negative factors) during the final evaluation of your grade.
Quizzes: Up to 10 short quizzes will be given over the course of the semester. Each quiz will be worth 10 points, for a total of 100 points. Each quiz will cover assigned readings from the text, Tindall and Shi, and from the supplemental reader America Firsthand. Quizzes may come on a planned date or maybe given as a “pop quiz.” The best way to prepare for quizzes is to do the assigned reading and come to class.
Class participation: Up to 60 points can be earned based on class activities and attendance.
Your grade for this course will be based on the number of points earned within the traditional grading scale:
4 unit exams (including the final)100 points each400 points
10 quizzes10 points each100 points
Class participation60 points 60 points
Total possible points560 points
560 points to 504 points = A
503.4 points to 448 points = B
447.4 points to 392 points = C
391.4 points to 336 points = D
335.5 points or below = F
I hope to see you for consultation if you receive a “C” or less on the first exam. Many students do poorly on at least one test in a course. With this in mind, the instructor will reflect upon the effort shown by a student in determining the grade in borderline situations. Students who attend class and actively seek help generally benefit from both in borderline cases.
Classroom Conduct:
Please come to class on time and leave only when class is over. Students will be asked to leave with any form of disruptive behavior that includes excessive chatter, sleeping, or anything that may hinder the learning or opportunity of other students in the classroom. All electronic equipment, such as cell phones, CD players, and i-Ppods should be turned off and stored during class time.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating and plagiarism are violations of UMHB policy. If a student is caught cheating on an exam, or plagiarizing any handed-in work, that student will automatically receive an F and will be considered for suspension from the class. Blatant cheating and/or plagiarism should be considered for a student’s expulsion from the university. Electronic equipments or hats will not be allowed during exam time. If a student has knowledge of another student cheating on an exam or assignment, that student should feel obligated to tell the instructor.
Disabilities Statement:
Any student who has a disabling condition and may require special arrangements to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible. Documentation and accommodation requests need to be made to the Director of Counseling and Testing.
Course Schedule
Jan. 11Introduction to the course
*Assignment: Read Chapter 18in Tindall and Shi and read “The Murder of Jim Williams,” p. 17, in America Firsthand for first week of lecture
Jan. 16& 18Reconstruction
*Read Chapter 19 in Tindall and Shi and“Work Under Sharecropper and Labor Contracts,” p. 33, in America Firsthandfor next week of lecture
Jan. 23, The New America: the South and West
& 25*Read Chapter 20 in Tindall and Shi and “The Great Pullman Strike of 1894,” p. 96, in America Firsthandfor next week of lecture
Jan. 30The Rise of Big Business and the Plight of Labor
Feb. 1*Read Chapters 21 and 22 in Tindall and Shi and “A Bintel Brief,” p. 112, in America Firsthandfor next week of lecture.
Feb. 6, & 8Modern Social America and the Gilded Age
*Review for exam
Feb. 13Exam I
*Read Chapter 24 (omit Ch. 23) in Tindall and Shi and “My Fight for Birth Control,” p. 171, in America Firsthandfor next week of lecture
Feb. 15,Progressive America
& 20*Read Chapter 25 for next week of lecture
Feb. 22The United States and World War I
& 27*Read Chapters 26 & 27 in Tindall and Shi and “Down and Out in the Great Depression,” p. 178, in America Firsthandfor next lecture
March 1From the Roaring Twenties to a Great Depression
*Read Chapter 28 in Tindall and Shi for next lecture
March 6The New Deal
*Review for exam
March 8Exam II
*Read Chapter 29 Tindall and Shi for next lecture
March 20From Isolation to Intervention
*Read Chapter 30 in Tindall and Shi and “The Bataan Death March,” p.239, in America Firsthand for next week of lecture
March 22The United States and World War II
& 27*Read Chapter 31 in Tindall and Shi and “Mummy, What Happens to Us if the Bomb Drops,” p. 257, in America Firsthand for next lecture
March 29 Truman, the Fair Deal, and Containment
*Review for exam
April 3Exam III
*Read Chapter 32 in Tindall and Shi for next lecture
April 5 & 10The Fifties and American Conformity
*Read Chapter 33 in Tindall and Shi and read “Mississippi Freedom Summer,” p. 279, in American Firsthandfor next week of lecture
April 17 & 19American Conflict and Fragmentation
*Read Chapters 34 and 35 in Tindall and Shi for next lecture
April 24 Kennedy, Johnson, and the Radical Sixties
*Read Chapter 36 in Tindall and Shi and “An American Hostage in Tehran, p. 294, in America Firsthandfor next lecture
April 26 Retrenchment From Nixon to Reagan
*Review for final
May 3Final (at 8:30 a.m.)