United States from 1876

History 152

United States From 1876

Fall Semester 2003

Mon, Wed, Fri 10:30-11:20 and

Tues, Thurs discussion sections

Instructor:Kevin Boyle

Office:144 Dulles Hall

Phone:292-7101

E-Mail:

Office Hours:12:30-2:00 Mon and Wed and by appt.

Web site: then follow the links.

Course Description

History 152 surveys the course of American history from the end of Reconstruction to the present. It is, then, the story of our times, of the forces, events, ideas, and individuals who have shaped the way we live.

The course will focus on three interlocking themes: 1.) In the years since the Civil War, Americans have been shaped by and have attempted to shape the tremendous power of corporate capitalism. 2.) At the same time, they have grappled with the question of whether the promise of equality applies to all Americans or only to a portion of society 3.) Americans have also struggled to define the United States' response to other nations, often with the most profound consequences for our own.

It is hoped that History 152 will give students a greater sense of the complexity of the American past and of the nation for which we now share responsibility.

Required Readings

George Tindall and David Shi, America: A Narrative History v. II (New York: W.W. Norton, 2004).

Thomas Bell, Out of This Furnace (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976).

Jacqueline Jones Royster, ed., Southern Horrors and Other Writings: The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells, 1892-1900 (Boston: Bedford Books, 1997).

John Hersey, Hiroshima (New York: Random House, 1989).

Alex Kotlowitz, There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America (New York: Anchor Books, 1991).

The books are available for purchase at SBX and the University Bookstore. Copies also may be available at other area bookstores and have been placed on reserve at the main library.

Course Requirements

Final grades will be determined by five components: a mid-term exam (20 %); a final exam (30 %); two 4-5 page papers (15 % each); and class attendance and participation (20 %).

Both the mid-term and final exams will be essay exams and will be based on material from lecture, readings, and discussion sections. The mid-term will be given as a take-home and will be due in lecture on October 29. The final will also be a take home and will be due on December 11. The first paper is due on October 10. The second paper is due on November 21. The papers will be based on readings required for class and will not require additional reading.

There will be no make-up exam unless arranged in advance with the professor. Make-ups will only be administered, moreover, in cases of personal or medical emergency. Late papers will not be accepted. Be sure to keep track of all deadlines.

Students must complete all graded assignments in order to pass the class. Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive a failing grade for the class and may be prosecuted through the university disciplinary system.

Students who require special arrangements due to physical or learning disabilities should contact the instructor as soon as possible.

Lecture and Reading Schedule

Sep 24Introduction

26The Industrial Landscape I

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 802-821

Bell, 3-34

29The Industrial Landscape II

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 869-876

Bell, pp. 34-60

Oct 1 In the Belly of the Beast: Immigrants and Workers

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 821-825,843-856

Bell, 60-117

3The Winning of the West

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 778-800

6The New South

Readings: Tindall and Shi, chapter 18, 761-769

Royster, 1-41, 50-72

8The Crisis of the 1890s: The Northern Working Class

Reading: Tindall and Shi, 824-841

Bell, 119-171

10The Crisis of the 1890s: Populism

Reading: Tindall and Shi, chapter 22

FIRST PAPER DUE IN CLASS

13Containing the Threat: Race and War

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 769-778, chapter 23

Royster, 158-208

15Reforming the System: Progressivism I

Readings: Tindall and Shi,881-890, 967-976

Bell, 172-208

17CLASS CANCELLED

20Reforming the System: Progressivism II

Readings: Tindall and Shi,976-1005

Bell,209-258

22Reforming the World: Progressives Go to War

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1006-1029

24The Collapse of Progressivism

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1029-1048

27 The Capitalist Promise: The 1920s

Readings: Tindall and Shi, chapter 26, 1081-1103

Bell, 259-266

29 The Capitalist Betrayal: The Great Depression

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1103-1115

Bell, 266-288

MIDTERM DUE IN CLASS

31 The New Deal I: Saving the System

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1116-1134

Bell, 289-341

Nov 3The New Deal II: The Limits of Reform

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1134-1160

Bell, 341-413

Nov 5The World in Crisis

Readings: Tindall and Shi, chapter 29

7World War II: The Lessons of War

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1191-1222

Hersey, chapters one and two

10World War II and the Coming of the Cold War

Readings: Tindall and Shi,1222-1236

Hersey,chapters three and four

12The Cold War in Practice

Readings: Tindall and Shi, chapter 31, 1307-1332

Hersey, chapter five

14The Military Industrial Complex

Readings: Tindall and Shi, chapter 32

17The Civil Rights Revolution

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1332-1337, 1341-1352

Kotlowitz, ix-18

19Dreaming of a Great Society

Readings:Tindall and Shi, 1359-1366

Kotlowitz, 18-105

21The Cold War Completed: Vietnam

Readings: Tindall and Shi,1352-1359, 1370-1376

SECOND PAPER DUE IN CLASS

24The Collapse of the New Deal System

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1366-1370,1377-1400

Kotlowitz, 106-189

26The Crisis of American Power

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1401-1431

Kotlowitz, 193-246

Dec 1 The Reagan Revolution, From Top to Bottom

Readings: Tindall and Shi, chapter 36

Kotlowitz, 249-309

Dec 3The Post-Industrial System

Readings:Tindall and Shi, 1467-1502

5September 11

Readings: Tindall and Shi, 1502-1512

11FINAL EXAM DUE: TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED