History 2620.005 - American History from 1877
11:00-11:50 a.m. SAGE 354
Instructor: Dr. Courtney Welch Email:
Office Hours: 10:00-10:50 a.m. MW or by appointment
Office Location: Wooten Hall 256
Phone: 940-565-3393
Course Description:
This course seeks to familiarize students with the major topics in American history since 1865. We will focus on diverse subjects including politics, race, gender, economics, and cultures, all the while attempting to understand how these historical events affected the lives of everyday citizens. For the most part, the course format will be lecture, although I believe in open discussion and a difference of opinion. Try to think of history as not solely an impressive recitation of names and dates, but rather a long interwoven tale of complex social, cultural, and political forces.
Required Texts:
Text: Goldfield & Abbott. The American Journey, vol. II. New Jersey, Pearson
Education, Inc., 2008.
Reader: Lowe, Richard. Reader in American History. Boston, McGraw Learning
Solutions, 2013.
v You are expected to read the chapters in the reader I as outlined in the attached list of dates. Reading the chapters in the textbook as assigned will assist you in comprehending the lectures, and will enhance your performance on the tests. Articles in the reader will provide the content for three reading quizzes.
Course Goal: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the facts and chronology of United States History from 1865 to 1980. By the end of the semester,
Ø Students will know the significant events, individuals, wars and social, political, and economic changes that occurred with the beginning with the Reconstruction Era to the Progressive Era.
Ø Student will identify causes and consequences for the development of economic modernization through U.S.
Ø Student will explain causes and consequences for the development of economic modernization through U.S.
Ø Student will explain the changes in political parties after the Civil War, the rise of the Populist party, and its affect on the role of government in society.
Ø Students will explain the causes and consequences of U.S. imperialism and the nation’s rise to world power status.
Ø Students will know the significant events, individuals, wars and social, political, and economic changes that occurred with the United States entry into World War II through the modernization of the 1920s, and impact of the Great Depression and New Deal.
Ø Students will know the significant events, individuals, wars and social, political, and economic changes that occurred due to the United States entry into World War I, World War II, Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Ø Students will explain the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil rights to all Americans as well as evaluate the outcome of these movements.
Ø Students will explain the Cold War conflicts that resulted in the U.S. military involvement in Vietnam and how this influenced international and domestic politics.
Attendance:
As this is a lecture format course, class attendance is essential. Attendance will be taken each class session by sign-in sheet. “Make-up” tests will be given only at the discretion of the instructor. If you know in advance that you will miss a test or quiz, it would be best to notify the instructor before missing that class.
Disability Statement:
The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.
Tests:
There will be three exams including the final. Each exam will be worth 100 points and will consist of a combination of multiple choice and essay questions. The tests are primarily based on the lectures and textbook. Prior to each test, a review will be conducted and a study sheet with possible essay questions will be provided. The dates for each test are listed in the course schedule chart below. Make-up exams will consist of all essay questions. In order to arrange a make-up exam you must contact me within three days after the original date of the exam. There will be no make-up exam for the final.
Reading Quizzes:
The reading quizzes will each be comprised of 30 multiple choice questions focusing on the author’s thesis and the evidence presented in a selection of articles from Campbell and Park, American Legacies. The dates for each quiz are listed in the course schedule chart below.
Extra Credit Short Papers:
Minimum 5 pages, double spaced, Times New Roman font, 3 sources(other than your textbook), Chicago style documentation. Each paper is worth a total of 10 points extra credit. Partial credit is possible. You can complete both papers. DO NOT email, fax, or scan the paper to me – it MUST be given to me in class on their due dates. Late papers will not be accepted.
1. Food timeline: Real People or Brand Name (Food Marketing) – DUE February 28, 2014
Many of the foods we enjoy today are named for people – some of these folks are real – usually companies founders - others are a marketing invention. Which is which? You will write a short paper on the creation of the product or image, the product’s purpose and its impact of the food industry? You will have to sign up for a specific Person/Brand Name with me before you start your paper.
2. Creation of the State Fair and State Foods – DUE April 14, 2014 - pick a state and investigate its history and claims to fame in terms of state heritage and food. What is the "state food" of Nevada? That's a difficult question to answer. Why? Because cuisine is not easily defined by political boundaries. It is a complicated mix of history, cultural/ethnic influence, and local commodities. Some states and cities are commonly associated with recipes (Maryland crab cakes, Boston baked beans, Philly cheese steak, New York style pizza) others are more challenging to connect with a particular dish. You will write a short paper on the creation of your state’s fair and food heritage. You will have to sign up for a specific State with me before you start your paper.
Grading:
Test 1 – 100 points
Test 2 – 100 points
Final – 100 points
Quizzes (3) – 180 points
Total Possible Points – 480 points
Course Schedule:
This is an outline of our schedule with the corresponding readings for each lecture. This schedule can be amended at any time.
Date / Lecture Topics / Readings/AssignmentsTextbook Chapters
January 13, 2014 / Introduction
January 15, 2014 / Reconstruction and the South Transformed / Chapter 16, 17
January 17, 2014 / Native Americans in a new Industrial Society / Chapter 19
January 20, 2014 / Martin Luther King Jr. Day / NO CLASS
January 22, 2014 / Why is the Gilded Age Gilded? / Chapter 18
January 24-27, 2013 / Social Darwinism and Industrial Warfare / Chapter 20, 21
January 29, 2014 / The Search for Empire
January 31, 2014 / Yellow Journalism and the Spanish American War / Chapter 22
February 3, 2014 / Progressive Movement / Chapter 22
February 5, 2014 / Reform and the 1912 Election / Chapter 22
February 7, 2013 / Quiz 1 – Chapter 1-6
History Reader
February 10, 2014 / Review
February 12, 2014 / Test 1 – Chapters 16-22
February 14-17, 2013 / WWI and the Lost Generation / Chapter 23
February 19-21, 2014 / The Roaring 1920s / Chapter 24
February 24, 2013 / The Great Depression / Chapter 25
February 26-28, 2014 / The New Deal Era / Chapter 25
Brand Name Paper Due in Class
March 3, 2014 / New Deal Game
March 5, 2013 / Quiz 2 – Chapters 7-12 in History Reader
March 7, 2013 / NO CLASS
March 10-16, 2014 / SPRING BREAK
March 17-21, 2014 / World War II / Chapter 26
March 24, 2014 / Review
March 26, 2014 / Test 2 – Chapters 23-26
March 28, 2014 / A Nuclear World / Chapter27
March 31, 2014 / Korean War / Chapter 27
April 2-4, 2013 / The Myth of the 1950s / Chapter 28
April 7, 2013 / McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare / Chapter 27, 28
April 9-11, 2013 / The Struggle for Civil Rights / Chapter 28, 29
April 14, 2013 / The Kennedy Years / Chapter 28
State Fair Paper Due in Class
April 16, 2013 / The Great Society / Chapter 29
April 18-21, 2013 / The Road to Vietnam / Chapter 29
April 23, 2013 / Nixon and Watergate and the “Me” Decade of the 1980s / Chapter 29,30
April 25, 2013 / Quiz 3 – Chapters 13-20 in
History Reader
April 28, 2013 / Review
April 30, 2013 / Conference Day
May 2, 2013 / Reading Day – no class
May 5, 2014 - Final Exam / Final Exam 10:30 am -12:30 pm / Chapter 27-30