Syllabus
H106 Section 2701
Monday & Wednesday, noon-1:15pm
RoomCA217
Professor:Dr. Melissa Bingmann
Office: CA 504N
Office Hours: Monday, 2:00pm-3:00pm; Wednesday, 4:30pm-5:30pm
Office Telephone: 278-9024
E-mail:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The intent of this course is to provide an overview of American history for history majors and non-majors in order to facilitate a lifelong interest in the study of the past. This course will benefit students who intend to pursue advanced history courses and will hopefully inspire others to participate in some form of history-making throughout their adult lives. In order to accomplish this, it is essential that students gain basic knowledge of the major themes and events that have shaped modern American history in addition to how historians use sources to construct historical narratives.
IUPUI PRINCIPLES OF UNDERGRADUATE LEARNING:
Critical thinking and analytical skills are essential to the study of history. Students will develop these skills by analyzing and synthesizing historical perspectives presented in lectures, visual imagery, and text. Students will develop oral communication skills by analyzing and discussing assigned text in small groups. Each student will also complete a written assignment that analyzes historical evidence used by an author, identifies the thesis of the work, and evaluates the supporting arguments. See for more information on IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning.
POLICIES:
Adaptive Educational Service (AES)
AES provides accommodations for students with special challenges or disabilities that may affect their classroom performance. If you are eligible you may register with AES by calling 274-3241. Visit for more information.
Attendance
Attendance is required and will be taken at class meetings.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Academic misconduct and disruptive students may face disciplinary action according to University policy. Visit for more information.
Plagiarism is the violation of academic expectations about using and citing sources. The Indiana University Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (available in CA 401) explains institutional penalties for plagiarism, or you may visit for more information. These IUPUI policies will be enforced.
Incompletes and make-up exams
Neither are options with the exception of a dire emergency. What constitutes a dire emergency is solely up to the professor’s discretion and in the rare case that such a request is granted, you will need to provide written documentation in the form of a note from a doctor if it is medical emergency or a note from a mortician or coroner in the case of family death or related tragedy.
Classroom Courtesy
Arrive on time and turn off all cell phones and pagers prior to the beginning of class.
Taking Notes
The lectures will help you prioritize the material that you should study for exams so it is important for you to take notes. No tape recorders are allowed. If you cannot take notes without a tape recorder because of a disability, please see me and we will make arrangements to accommodate your needs.
READINGS:
The following books are available in the IUPUI bookstore:
Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. All the President's Men. (any edition)
Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, Armitage, Out of Many: A History of the American People,
vol. 2, 4th edition, Prentice Hall. Use this textbook to supplement lectures as you
prepare for the exams and analyze and interpret the following texts.
Mary Ting Yi Lui, The Chinatown Trunk Mystery: Murder Misegenation, and Other
Dangerous Encounters in Turn-of-the-Century New York City, 2005.
Donald Worster, Dust Bowl, 25th anniversary edition
J. William T. Youngs, American Realities, vol. 2., 7th edition.
On-line readings:
Teaching With Historic Places (TWHP) units are available at
Our Documents,
ASSIGNMENTS:
Readings assignments
You will be divided into small groups of five at the beginning of the semester. Each student will lead the group discussion of one of the following:
Youngs, American Realities chapters 1-5Sept. 12
Lui, The Chinatown Trunk MysteryOct. 1
Worster, Dust BowlOct. 22
Youngs, American Realities, chapters 6-9Oct. 31
Youngs, American Realities chapters 10-13Nov. 14
Bernstein and Woodward, All the President’s MenDec. 10
Completion of the readings is essential to students’ success in this course. In addition to receiving a grade for your participation in group discussions, 20-30% of the exam questions will be directly related to these readings.
The designated group leader will be responsible for grading the other members of the group on participation. I will attend some group discussions to evaluate participation. Points should be assigned by the following guidelines:
2it was clearly apparent that the group member thoroughly read the book;
was an active participant during the discussion; provided exceptional
analysis that will assist the group leader in completing the book summary.
1.5group member read the book; contributed to the discussion; made helpful
points toward the development of the book summary but did not
demonstrate significant analysis during the discussion.
1group member read portions of the book but was clearly unable to
participate in some of the discussion because of a lack of familiarity of the
book’s content. Minimal contribution to the construction of book
summary.
0group member did not read the book and/or was unable to make any
substantial contribution to the discussion. Group member did not attend
the group discussion.
Group Leader/Written Book Summary
Each student will serve as the group leader for one of the six group discussions. The group leader is responsible for developing discussion questions, evaluating the other members’ participation in the discussion, and completing the written summary. Only the group leader will be graded on the written summary. Grammar, spelling, and the quality of writing skills will be graded in addition to the quality of your study questions, reading comprehension, and ability to identify and communicate the thesis and main supporting argument. Avoid writing in the passive voice and as you revise your paper prior to submission, try to cut out unnecessary words.
The final version of the group paper will consist of the following:
- A one-page list of discussion questions (five to six).
- A list of group members and the participation grade you assigned.
- A five to eight page double-spaced paper that addresses the discussion questions, states the thesis of the book, identifies select main supporting arguments, and analyzes the historical sources used by the author.
- For the essays assigned from Youngs, American Realities, create a 1-2 page summary for each essay and include the thesis statement for each essay.
Deadlines
Written summaries are due approximately one week after the in-class group discussion.
Youngs, American Realities chapters 1-5due 9/19
Lui, The Chinatown Trunk Mysterydue 10/8
Worster, Dust Bowldue 10/29
Youngs, American Realities chapters 6-9due 11/7
Youngs, American Realities chapters 10-13due 11/26
Bernstein and Woodward, All the President’s Mendue 12/14
Examinations will be available through Oncourse or in class and will contain essay questions, identifications, and short answer questions. Questions will be derived from the material covered in the lectures and 20 to 30 percent of the examination questions will come from the required readings and websites. I will provide review questions for each session on Oncourse within a week after we cover the topic in class. All examination questions will be derived from the review questions. There will be no advance review questions provided from the readings.
Depending on student demand, I will schedule an optional informal review session prior to each exam in order to answer questions. Students who plan to attend need to come prepared with questions.
GRADING:
Exam I20%
Exam II20%
Final examination20%
Class participation/group discussion/quizzes20%
Written summary20%
SCHEDULE:
August 22Course Introduction
August 27Reconstruction
We will explore the impact of reconstruction from the experience of African Americans as they faced segregation and the threat of white violence in their everyday lives. Specific topics will include the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, laws that prevented African Americans from citizenship, northern migration, and examples of African American agency through organized religion, entrepreneurial activity, family, and community.
Readings: 13th Amendment, 14th Amendment, 15th Amendment, and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896); TWHP “The Freeman School: Building Prairie Communities”
August 29Western Expansion
We will begin with a discussion of Frederick Jackson Turner's “Frontier Thesis," examine examples of conquest including The Battle of Little Big Horn (formerly known as "Custer's Last Stand"), and the importance of extractive industries, such as mining, as important for Western expansion.
Readings: Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), Dawes Act (1887); TWHP “Johnson Lake Mine: Mining for Tungsten in Nevada’s SnakeRange”; and
Sept. 3Labor Day—class will not meet
Sept. 5Visit Fit to Breed? The History and Legacy of Indiana Eugenics, 1907-
2007 at the IndianaState Library, 140 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis,
46204
Forty-five minute tours led by Kendra Clauser and Rebecca Loofbourrow will
begin at 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm. Students must sign-up in advance and need
to take notes as you will be responsible for the material on the first exam.
View portions of in preparation of
your visit.
Sept. 10Labor Movements
The class will discuss the causes and impact of the rise of labor unions in the late
nineteenth century in addition to major strikes, including the Haymarket Massacre, through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy.
September 12Group Discussion American Realities (chpts 1-5) and
ActEstablishingYellowstoneNational Park (1872)
September 17American Imperialism and Theodore Roosevelt
Missionaries, rising globalism, Theodore Roosevelt and "Big Stick" diplomacy will shape our discussion of American Imperialism.
Readings: Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States (1898), Platt Amendment (1903), Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1905)
September 19The Rise of Industry and Gilded Age Politics
Readings: Thomas Edison’s Patent Application for the
Light Bulb (1880), Interstate Commerce Act (1887), Sherman Anti-Trust Act
(1890); TWHP “The Invention Factory: Thomas Edison’s Laboratories,” and
“Carnegie Libraries: The Future Made Bright”
September 24Immigration and the Growth of urban America
The topic of immigration will stress the diverse experiences of people from Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Asia. Many second wave immigrants lived in urban areas that brought new technologies, cultural attractions and amusements in addition to real and imagined dangers.
Readings: Chinese Exclusion Act (1882); TWHP “YborCity: Cigar Capital of the World,”
September 26Growth of urban America
October 1Progressive Era reform
As urban areas expanded, middle-class reformers noticed emerging social problems and demanded that the state take action to remedy them, planting the seeds for the modern welfare state.
Readings: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916)
October 3Group discussion: Lui, The Chinatown Trunk Mystery
October 8Exam I
October 10World War I
The political decisions that led to America's entrance into the war, the government's campaign to sell the war, the emergence of the Peace Movement and the impact of the League of Nations will be the focus of this session.
Readings: Zimmermann Telegram (1917), Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Germany (1917), President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points (1918); TWHP “Herbert Hoover: Iowa Farm Boy and World Humanitarian,” “Woodrow Wilson: Prophet of Peace”
October 15The 1920s
Class will contrast the concept of the "lost generation” with the realities of postwar economic problems, and explore the "Red Scare," political scandal, the new nativism and immigration restriction laws, Harlem Renaissance, the New Woman, and antimodernism.
October 17The Great Depression
Roosevelt's efforts to provide economic recovery and relief through the New Deal will be discussed in addition to situation of labor unions, cause and effect of the Dust Bowl, Communism, court packing, March on Washington, and deportation of Mexicans and Mexican Americans.
Readings: Tennessee Valley Authority Act (1933), National Industrial Recovery Act (1933), National Labor Relations Act (1935), Social Security Act (1935), President Franklin Roosevelt’s Radio Address unveiling the second half of the New Deal (1936)
October 22Group Discussion: Worster, Dust Bowl
October 24World War II
Events that led up to America's entry into World War II and life on the homefront will be explored over the next two sessions. Special attention will be paid to Japanese Internment and the military and industrial roles of women during the war.
Readings: President Franklin Roosevelt’s Annual Message (Four Freedoms) to Congress (1941), Lend-Lease Act (1941), Executive Order 8802: Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry (1941), Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan (1941), Executive Order 9066: Resulting in the Relocation of Japanese (1941); TWHP “Attu: North American Battleground of WWII,” “Liberty Ships and Victory Ships, America’s Lifeline in WWII”
October 29World War II continued
October 31Group Discussion: American Realities, (6-9)
Nov. 5Exam II
Nov. 7Cold War & Postwar Adjustment
Beginning with the Bolshevik Revolution, proceeding to events that occurred during the war (lend-lease, the second front, and control of occupied areas), and after the war, we will explore how distrust between the United States and Soviet Union resulted in a Cold War over the next two sessions. Beginning with the McCarthy hearings, we will discuss the impact of the Cold War on the American public through the Cuban Missile Crisis. We will also view sections of “Atomic Café” in order to gain a better understanding of the visual images that caused nationwide fear of nuclear attack.
Readings: Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944), Manhattan Project Notebook (1945), United Nations Charter (1945), Truman Doctrine (1947), Marshall Plan (1948), Armistice Agreement for the Restoration of the South Korean State (1953), Senate Resolution 301: Censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy (1954), Aerial Photograph of Missiles in Cuba (1962), Test Ban Treaty (1963); TWHP “Thaw in the Cold War: Eisenhower and Kruschev at Gettysburg”
November 12Cold War continued
November 14Group Discussion: American Realities (10-13),
November 19Civil Rights
We begin with Brown vs. the Board of Education and view portions of “Eyes on the Prize” in order to gain a better understanding of the televised images that eventually caught the attention of Northern audiences over the next two class periods.
Readings: Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the
Armed Forces (1948), Executive Order 10730: Desegregation of CentralHigh School (1957), Official Program for the March on Washington (1963), Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965); TWHP “Brown v. Board: Five Communities that Changed America”
November 21Thanksgiving—no class
November 26Civil Rights continued
November 28Vietnam War
Global events that led to America's involvement in the Vietnam War and its
impact on American society will be explored.
Readings: Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964)
December 3Counter Culture
Our discussion American counter culture will emphasize war protest and the women's movement.
December 51968
Class will focus on 1968 as a watershed year in American history.
December 10Watergate and Group discussion, All the President’s Men
Friday, December 14th, 10:30am-12:20pm FINAL EXAM
SYLLABUS IS TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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