HIST 152:02 U.S History Since 1877

Purdue University

University Hall 219

2017 Spring Semester

MWF 8:30-9:20

Professor: Dr. Gallon
Office: University Hall, 122

Email:

Office Hours: TTH, 1:30 -3:00 p.m. & by appointment

Required Books:

James A. Henretta. America’s History, vol. 2: Since 1865(8th edition)

Kevin B. Sheets. Sources for America’s History, vol 2: Since 1865 (8th edition)

Course Description and Objectives:

This course covers the development of American institutions and society from 1877 to the present. It also emphasizes the role played by political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual forces on the culture and development of ethnic and racial groups. The course also deals with the broad theme of American exceptionalism and its role in the United States development as a global power.

Broadly, the course includes four main objectives. They are as follows:

  • To identify and examine basic American social, ethnic, cultural, political and economic institutions and groups and their interrelationships within the United States and within the world
  • To critically analyze and evaluate texts and sources which reflect the history of the United States since 1877 with an emphasis on ethnicity and race
  • To identify key historical issues and debates in United States history since 1877
  • To make United States history since 1877 relevant to contemporary political, economic and environmental issues in the country and in the larger world

Class Schedule

Week One: January 9, 11 & 13

9 Monday:

Class Introduction

11 Wednesday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 17,

Lecture: Industrial America

13 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 17

Reading: “Industrialist Justifies Fortunes Used for the Common Good.” p. 423-427

Reading: “Congress Closes Door to Chinese Laborers” p. 434-437

Reading: “Pointing Out the Irony of Nativist Policies” p. 438

Reading: “Economist Scores the Costs and Benefits of Monopoly.” P. 439-442

Week Two: January 16, 18 & 20

16 MLK Day

18 Wednesday:

Reading:America’s History chapter 18

Lecture: The Victorians

20 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 18

Reading: “Pursuing the Manly Sports for Self and Society, p. 443-447

Reading: “Arguing the Merits of College for Women.” p. 447-451

Reading “A Black Leader’s Compromise for Racial Opportunity.” p. 451-454

Reading: “Social Darwinist Explanation of Women’s Dependence.” P. 457-461

Week Three: January 23, 25 & 29

23 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 19

Lecture: Urbanization and Race in Large Cities

25 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 19

Reading: “Civilization’s Inferno”, p. 462-462

Reading: “”Competing Against the Party Machine, “p.464-468

Reading: “American Dream Meets Tenement Reality”, p. 468-470

27 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 19

Reading: “Persistent and Violent Racism Against African Americans.” p.471-473

Reading: “Garment Workers Stand With Union. P. 473-477

Reading: “Muckracker Exposes Chicago Meat Packing Industry”

Week Four: January 30, February 1 & 3

30 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 20

Lecture: Progressivism

1 Wednesday

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 20

Reading: “Whose Government? Politics, Populists, and Progressives, p.483-487

Reading: Progressive Leader Identifies the Problem with City p. 488-490

Reading: “Radical Reformer Appeals to Chicago’s Voters,: p. 490-493

3 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 20

Reading: “Black Populist Handicaps Texas Election” p. 494-496

Reading: “President Calls for Conservation of Natural Resources” p. 496-500

Reading: “Negro Problem Solved Through Education of Leadership Class: p.501-505

Week Five: February 6, 8 & 10

6 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 21

Lecture: Imperial United States

8 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 21

Reading: “An Emerging World Power p.527-532

Reading: “Deposed Queen Plans for Her Island Kingdom” p. 532-534

Reading: Filipino Protests American Policy” p.534-536

10 Friday

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 21

Reading: “Antiwar Song Stirs Peace Movement” p.538-539

Reading: “Workers Protest Wartime Attacks” p.539-543

Reading: “President’s Fourteen Points Postwar Peace.” P.544-547.

Week Six: February 13, 15 & 17

13 Monday: (Midterm)

15: Wednesday

Reading: America’s History, chapter 22

Lecture: Culture & Race in the Interwar period

17 Friday

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 22

Reading: “Evangelist Condemns the Curse of Alcohol” p. 556-557

Reading: “Harlem Renaissance Poet Declares Black is Beautiful” p. 560-561.

Reading: “Advertising the American Dream.” P.563-566.

Week Seven: February 20, 22 & 24

20 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 23

Lecture: The Great Depression

22 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 23

Reading: “Managing the Great Depression, Forging the New Deal” p.567-571

Reading: “President Inspires Depressed Nation With Promise of Action.” p. 571-575.

Reading: “Outflanking Roosevelt With Plan to Share the Nation’s Wealth

24 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 23

Reading: “FDR’s New Deal Programs in Action” p. 579

Reading: “Labor Leader Campaigns for Worker’s Rights p. 580-584

Reading: “Reporting the Plight of Depression Families” p. 584-588.

Week Eight: February 27, March 13

27 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 24

Lecture: World War II

1 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 24

Reading: “President Roosevelt Defines the Four Freedoms at Risk” p. 590-596

Reading: “Soldiers Describe D-Day Experience” p. 596-600

Reading: “Japanese Americans in the Crosshairs of War.”

3 Friday

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 24

Reading: “Fighting for Democracy and Civil Rights at Home and Abroad” p.601-

603

Reading: “Life Magazine Exposes the Horrors of Germany’s Concentration

Camps.” P. 603-604

Reading: “President Explains Use of Atomic Bomb to End War.” P.605-608

Week Nine: March 6, 8, & 10

6 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 25

Lecture: Cold War America

8 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 25

Reading: “Cold War America” p. 632-634

Reading: “Challenging Truman’s Containment Policy” p.634-637

Reading: “Debating the Homosexual Risk to National Security.”

10 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 25

Reading: “Investigating the Communist Threat” p. 641-644

Reading: “Secretary of State Announce Cold War Defense Policy” p.644-647

Reading: “Finding Security in the Age of Anxiety.” P. 647-648

Week Ten: March 13, 15 & 17

SPRING BREAK

Week Eleven: March 20, 22 & 24

20 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 26

Lecture: Cold War & the Middle Class

22 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 26

Reading: “Triumph of the Middle Class” p. 649-653

Reading: “Teen Culture in the Fifties” p.654-654

Reading: “Evangelical Calls America to Christ.” p. 655-658

24 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 26

Reading: “Doctor’s Advice on Raising Healthy Children” p. 659-663

Reading: “National Concerns About the Corruptions of Youth” p.663-667.

Reading: “Social Critic Laments Emptiness of Modern Life.” p. 667-671

Week Twelve: March 27, 29, & March31

27 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 27

Lecture: The Civil Rights Movement, part I

29 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 27

Reading: “Walking into Freedom Land” p. 672-675

Reading: “Southern Congressmen Issue Manifesto Against ” p.675-677

Reading: “Civil Rights Activist Challenge Racial Discrimination.” p. 677-679

31 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 27

Reading: “Civil Rights Movement Takes a More Militant Turn” p. 680-684

Reading: “Native Americans Claim Alcatraz Land” p.684-686

Reading: “The Poetry of Chicano Nationalism and Civil Rights” p. 686-690

Week Thirteen: April 3, 5 & 7

3 Monday:

Reading:America’s History chapter 28

Lecture: The Re-emergence of the Right

5 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 28

Reading: “Uncivil Wars” p. 691-695

Reading: “Vietnam Vet Questions America’s War in Asia ” p.695-697

Reading: “Radical Feminists Push for Liberation.” p. 697-699

7 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 28

Reading: “Mexican American Labor Leader Seeks Peaceful Path” p. 700-702

Reading: “Conservative Rebirth of the Republican Party” p.703-697

Week Fourteen: April 10, 12 & 14

10 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 29

Lecture: Women’s Rights Movement

12 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 29

Reading: “The Search For Order in an Era of Limits” p. 708-709

Reading: “Steel Town Faces Challenge of Deindustrialization” ” p.710-713

Reading: “Abortion Case Highlights Division.” p. 714-719

14 Friday

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 29

Reading: “Conservative Response to Equal Rights Amendment” p. 719-721

Reading: “Diagnosing the “National Malaise” p.721-725

Reading: “Evangelicals on the Rise.” p. 725-729

Week Fifteen: April 17, 19 & 21

17 Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 30

Lecture: New Right Politics

19 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 30

Reading: “Conservative America in the Ascent” p. 751-755

Reading: “Reagan Insider Describes Supply-Side Economics” p.755-758

Reading: “Eighties Culture of Greed.” p. 758-759

21 Friday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 30

Reading: “Exposing Reagan’s Latin American Policies” p. 760-763

Reading: “Civil Rights Leader Urges Referendum on Reagan Years” p.763-767

Reading: “American Reacts to Gulf War Victory.” p. 767-769

Week Sixteen: April 24, 26 & 28

24Monday:

Reading: America’s History, chapter 31

Lecture: United States and the New Global Order

26 Wednesday:

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 31

Reading: “Confronting Global and National Dilemmas” p. 770-775

Reading: “Backlash Against Immigrants” p.775-780

Reading: “Cartoonist Questions the Politics of Character.” p. 780-781

28 Friday

Reading: Sources for American History, chapter 31

Reading: “Reading: “American Ambassador Defines U.S. Interest in Post-Cold War

World” p. 781-784

Reading: “President Responds to 9/11 Attacks” p.785-788

Reading: “Democratic Presidential Candidate Confronts the Issue of Race.” p. 788-793

Assignments and Grading:

1. Midterm Exam =25% The exam will consist of two parts:
Short identifications based on “Terms To Know” from the chapters in textbook.

One essay question based on lectures and readings

2. Final Exam = 40%

The exam will consist of three parts:
Short identifications based on “Terms To Know” from the chapters in textbook

Two essay questions based on lectures and readings

3. Quizzes = 20%
Six (6) announced quizzes with 10 questions drawn from

the main textbook will be administered throughout the semester.

Make-ups are unavailable unless a documented excuse is provided.

Only your top 5 scores will be calculatedin the final grade ---the lowest grade will be dropped

4. Engagement = 15%

Ongoing engagement of the material in the course is extremely important for students to get a sense of the interpretive narrative provided by the professor.

Each student will record his or her name, the date of and type engagement on a 3x5 card and then turn in the card(s) at the end of one of the lectures in each of the designated periods:

January 9th – February 3rd

February 6th – March 3rd

March 6th – March 31st

April 3rd - April 28th

Engagement consists of the following activities:

Asking a substantive and well-formed question about the lecture material

Making a substantive and constructive comment about the material

Serving as a group spokesperson for collaborative work

This method will allow me to keep track of engagement. The following scale will determine your grade for engagement:

Grading
A+ 98-100%

A 93-97
A- 90-92

B+ 88-89
B 83-87
B- 80-82

C+ 78-79

C 73-77

C- 70-72

D+ 68-69

D 63-67

D- 60-62

F 0-59

Academic Dishonesty
Exams in this course are in an essay and short answer format and will be administered in class. Your work on the exams must be your own. Cheating, copying other students’ work, or bringing in essays written by others into the classroom will result in failure. Students are responsible for reading and understanding the University policy on cheating and plagiarism

Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty." [Part 5, Section III-B-2-a, University Regulations] Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that "the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest." [University Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972]

Pandemic Policy
In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the instructor’s control. Here are ways to get information about changes in this course.

Contact Professor Gallon via email:

Course and Instructor Evaluation

During the last two weeks of the semester, you will be provided an opportunity to evaluate this course and your instructor. During the fifteenth week of classes, you will receive an official email from evaluation administrators with a link to the online evaluation site. You will have two weeks to complete this evaluation. Your participation in this evaluation is an integral part of this course. Your feedback is vital to improving education at Purdue University. I strongly urge you to participate in the evaluation system.