History 1000

Themes in American History

Spring 2003

Registration Code 2023; Section EG13

Mondays and Wednesday, 9:05 – 10:20 a.m.

David Potash

135 East 22nd Street, Room 812 (Box D-710)

212-802-2825; 212-802-2824 fax

Office Hours: By appointment; I am on campus five days a week.

Description and Objectives

Spanning approximately 200 years, from the formation of the United States until the 1970s, this introductory course in American history focuses upon the formation and sources of American nationalism. Our primary concern is political history, but we will necessary spend a great deal of time examining issues of race and the rise of the US as a world power. We will also explore the United States’ dedication to democracy and democratic values. The questions we ask will demand attention to social, economic and cultural concerns.

History is not the memorization and recitation of dates and facts. Instead, history calls for the gathering and assessment of information and the creation and testing of arguments. The assignments and activities in this course are designed accordingly – there is little here that will help with Trivia Pursuit. The course’s objective is to expose students to a range of historical material, primary and secondary sources, and to help them to make cogent arguments about that material – doing history.

Requirements

Active participation is required in the classroom and attendance is essential. Classroom discussions will be enhanced with occasional in-class assignments, and some assignments will be on Blackboard. I encourage you to meet with me once in a one-on-one setting during the semester, and I it would be best if that meeting happens earlier in the term.

Four absences will result in a grade of WU.

Assignments are due at the beginning of each class meeting. Assignments may be emailed to me. A full grade will be deducted for each day an assignment is late; after four days, no credit will be given for late assignments.

Be considerate to your colleagues. Before entering class, turn off all cell phones and beepers. If you are late or have to leave early, choose a seat that will not disrupt discussion. The doors to the classroom lock automatically, and I will not admit students after 9:20.

In addition to providing material in a typed or electronic format, you must familiarize yourself with Blackboard and the web. URLs (web addresses) for pertinent sites will be provided and the vast majority of the class information will be available electronically. Furthermore, some assignments may be completed online. An extraordinary rich variety of historical information can be accessed through the internet. If you need an email account, obtain one by following the instructions on the Baruch College home page. Almost all of the course material will be available through Blackboard, Baruch’s online course delivery system. We will review Blackboard, which is available from the college’s home page.

Learning history does not offer much in the way of shortcuts. Most historical knowledge is obtained through reading and reading takes time. A good rule of thumb is that you will need at least 2-3 hours of study for each hour spent in the classroom. The pace of the course demands that you keep up with the readings and other assignments. If you have difficulty maintaining the schedule, meeting deadlines, or any other problems relating to the course, contact me immediately. I am on campus 5 days a week and am always available through email.

Grading

Your grade for the course will consist of the following:

·  Participation: attendance, active contributions to discussions and classroom exercises (in person and on the web), as well as one substantive discussion/exchange with me (10%)

·  Mid-term Exam: essay/short answer (10%)

·  Final Exam: essay/short answer (10%)

·  4 Quizzes: multiple choice (20%)

·  5 Writing Assignments (50%)

Required Texts

Purchase the following textbooks, all of which are available in the Baruch Bookstore:

Eric Foner, The Story of American Freedom (NY: Norton, 1998)

Gary Gerstle, American Crucible (Princeton, 2002)

Other required readings and handouts will be posted via Blackboard on the web.

Recommended Texts

Students unfamiliar with US history are strongly encouraged to consider purchasing a survey textbook. Many are good; but I recommend:

Berkin, Carol et. al., Making America (Houghton Mifflin)

Also, there is a wealth of information and strategies available in the following handbook:

Berkin, Carol and Anderson, Betty S., The History Handbook (Houghton Mifflin)


Schedule of Classes

(Subject to Revision)

1 – Monday
January 27 / Introduction
American values and colonial America / Introductory Quiz
2 – Wednesday
January 29 / Revolution and the creation of the US
Read: AF 1-28 (Birth of American Freedom)
Declaration of Independence
Smith on reserve / Study Guide 1
(HIS 1000 assessment)
3 – Monday
February 3 / Read: AF 29-46 (To Call it Freedom)
Read US Constitution & the Federalist papers (#10 in particular)
4 – Wednesday
February 5 / Constitution & Federalist Papers / Draft Writing Assignment 1
5 – Monday
February 10 / Read: AF 47-68 (Empire of Liberty)
AF 69-94 (Boundaries of Freedom in the Young Republic) / Study Guide 2
6 – Wednesday
February 19 / Read Frederick Douglass – selection available via Blackboard / Quiz
7 – Monday
February 24 / Civil War
Read: Handout – Mississippi Black Codes / Study Guide 3
8 – Wednesday
February 26 / Civil War & Reconstruction / Writing Assignment 2
MS Black Codes
9 – Monday
March 3 / Reconstruction:
Read: AF 95-113 (A Birth of New Freedom)
10 – Wednesday
March 5 / Gilded Age
Read: AF 114-137 (Liberty of Contract and its Discontents) / Study Guide 4
11 – Monday
March 10 / Read: Chinese Exclusion Act / Quiz
12 – Wednesday
March 12 / Progressive Era
Read: AF 138-161 (Progressive Freedom) / Study Guide 5
13 – Monday
March 17 / Problem of Progressivism
Read AC (Chapters 1 & 2)
14 – Wednesday
March 19 / Review for Midterm Exam / Writing Assignment 3
15 – Monday
March 24 / Midterm Exam
16 – Wednesday
March 26 / WWI and 1920s
Read: AF 162-193 (The Birth of Civil Liberties) / Study Guide 7
17 – Monday
March 31 / Read AC (Chapter 3)
18 – Wednesday
April 2 / 1920s continued / Writing Assignment 4
19 – Monday
April 7 / New Deal
Read: AF 194-218 (The New Deal and the Redefinition of Freedom) / Study Guide 8
20 – Wednesday
April 9 / Read: AC (Chapter 4)
21 – Monday
April 14 / WWII
Read: AF 219-249 (Fighting for Freedom) / Study Guide 9
Quiz
22 – Tuesday
April 15 / WWII
Read: AC (Chapter 5) / Writing Assignment 5
23 – Monday
April 28 / Cold War
Read: AF 250-273 (Cold War Freedom) / Study Guide 10
24 – Wednesday
April 30 / Read: AC (Chapter 6)
25 – Monday
May 5 / Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act
Read: AF 274-306 (Sixties Freedom) / Study Guide 11
26 – Wednesday
May 7 / Read AC (Chapter 7) / Quiz
27 – Monday
May 12 / Vietnam
Read AC (Chapter 8) / Study Guide 12
28 – Wednesday
May 14 / 1970s-1980s
Read: AF 307-332 (Conservative Freedom)
Read: AC (Chapter 9)
Review for Final / Writing Assignment 6
Week
May 17th / Final Examination

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History 1000 - Spring 2003