American History II
U.S. History since 1865
History H106 - Section C348 (3 credits)
Fall 2001, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30pm-3:45pm
Cavanaugh Hall 217
Instructor: Dr. Nancy M. Robertson Office: Cavanaugh Hall 504N
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1pm to 2pm phone/voice mail: 317/274-8017
Thursdays, 4pm to 5pm fax: 317/278-7800
and by appointment e-mail address: nmrobert@iupui.edu
Course Description:
History 106 is a survey of American history from the end of the Civil War (1865) until the present. There are a number of ways that different historians approach the study of history. This class focuses on what is known as “social history.” Sometimes referred to as “history from the bottom up,” this approach looks at the daily lives of average people to understand the larger social forces that shaped their lives and the history of the United States. It also examines how those “average” people affected those larger social forces. We will focus on the historical trends of expansion, industrialization, urbanization, extension of legal and civil rights, immigration, and migration.
There are three sets of questions that we will pay particular attention to:
< How have Americans understood the role of government (especially the federal government)? What did different people think that the role of government should be?
< What are the relationships between different groups of Americans? different regions of the country? and the United States and the rest of the world?
< How do people change their society? How do they make history?
Classes will include discussion as well as lectures. Reading assignments will include a variety of primary sources including several autobiographies. The material is to be read for the class that is listed on the syllabus. You should come prepared to talk about the issues raised by the readings and lectures. You are encouraged to ask questions during class or my office hours.
Course Objectives:
Lectures, discussions, and written assignments are designed to help students learn how to analyze texts from the past, take a position on a historical question, use evidence to support it, and express their insights to others. These objectives relate to the “Principles of Undergraduate Learning.” Gaining these abilities helps not only in understanding American history, but also in improving critical thinking and communication skills essential to doing well both in school and in the future. A goal of this course is to assist students in developing their analytical and writing skills. I, therefore, count improvement in your work.
Course Objectives (cont.):
Survey courses can feel overwhelming because of the amount of material covered in the course. Someone once complained that “History is just one darn thing after another.” The emphasis in this course, however, is less on memorizing dates and names and more on using that information to develop reading and writing skills to explain why things happened as a way to understand the present as well as the past.
Required Books:
These can be purchased at the bookstore in Cavanaugh Hall or at Follett’s. In a pinch, there is a copy of each on Reserve in the Library. You will need to bring W&B or 1st PERSON to class when they appear on the syllabus for that session. You may also want to bring the TEXT.
< John Mack Faragher, et al., Out of Many: A History of the American People, v.2,
Brief 3rd ed. (2001) [referred to as TEXT].
On Reserve, you will also find Out of Many, v.1 (U.S. history before 1877) for background if you feel like you need that information.
< Marian J. Morton & Russell Duncan, eds., First Person Past: American Autobiographies, v. II (1994) [referred to as 1st PERSON].
< William Bruce Wheeler and Susan D. Becker, Discovering the American Past: a look at the evidence, 4th ed. (1998) {you must have this edition}, v. II since 1865 [referred to as W&B].
Course Requirements:
The following is an overview of the assignments for the course with due dates. A more detailed explanation for each will be handed out and we will discuss the assignments in class before they are due.
< A 1½ to 2 page essay (typed, double-spaced, approximately 300-500 words) comparing two textbooks’ accounts of the presidential election of 1876. This is due Tuesday, September 4th. We will discuss this assignment in more depth, but the purpose is to analyze two different assessments of the election, as well as give you a sense of what the writing expectations for this course are like. The paper is due at the beginning of the class. (5% of your final grade for the course)
< Midterm examination, scheduled for Tuesday, October 16th.
(20% of final grade)
< Final examination, scheduled for Thursday, December 13th.
(20% of final grade) (see next page for more information)
Course Requirements (cont.):
Both exams will include an essay question (or questions) as well as a short-answer or multiple-choice part. A study guide will be handed out ahead of time and we will discuss the exams as they approach.
< Short
assignment based on the chapters from W&B; see the syllabus below for
Thursday, 9/13; Thursday, 9/20; Tuesday, 10/9; Tuesday, 10/23; Tuesday, 11/13; and Tuesday, 11/20.
There will be a separate explanation for this assignment, but here is a brief overview. The assignments will ask you to provide progressively more information for, or analysis of, the historical question and evidence in six of the chapters in W&B. In addition to the written work due at the beginning of class, this assignment will help you prepare for class discussion on the chapter.
(Together these will account for a total of 20% of final grade)
< One longer paper (approximately 5-6 pages, i.e., 1250 to 1500 words), based on two of the individuals in 1st PERSON, supplemented by other class materials. We will discuss this further in class. The paper is due Tuesday, November 27th at the start of class; there will, however, be interim assignments that will break writing the paper down into steps.
(Altogether, these steps, including the final paper, will count for 25% of your final grade).
< Completion of reading by the assigned date, attendance at class meetings, pass/fail assignments, reading quizzes, ungraded written assignments in class, and participation in class discussions (10% of your final grade).
ELABORATION OF THE ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Because a portion of your grade depends on class participation, regular attendance is expected. In addition, University Policy requires that I take attendance.
Each person starts off with a B- for this portion of your grade. You can raise this grade by participating thoughtfully in class. Thoughtful participation includes being prepared and contributing useful questions, ideas, or opinions.
You are allowed 3 three (3) absences in the course of the semester. You do not have to offer a reason or an excuse for your absence. I expect, however, that three absences will take care of emergencies, family needs, or job requirements. Late arrivals and early departures will each count as 1/3 of an absence.
More than three (3) absences will reduce your grade for class participation. In the case of a severe illness or other prolonged difficulty, I will need official documentation. It is your responsibility to check ONCOURSE for materials from the class. You should contact me as soon as possible to make arrangements for you to make up missed work.
If you are going to miss more than two classes in a row, please contact me by telephone or email so it is clear that you have not dropped the class.
Grading policies:
Extensions for assignments are granted only if you contact me BEFORE the deadline.
FYI: extensions are not automatically given. You should be sure to get from me IN WRITING a note indicating that I agreed to the later date; it should be included with your paper when you hand it in.
Material that is handed in after the due date (or extended due date) will generally be marked down a 1/3 of a letter grade for each day it is late. That is: a paper that would have been an A, will be an A- if it is one day late and a C- if it is 7 days late, etc. Days means days of the week, not class sessions.
If you want to rewrite
an assignment, you MUST:
G Speak
with me first.
G Hand
in the original version when you submit the rewrite.
Make up exams are offered only at the discretion of the professor.
Developing your intellectual skills is possible only when you actually do the work assigned. We will have a longer discussion of intellectual work, academic integrity, and plagiarism. Plagiarism and cheating will result in an “F” for the work in question and possible disciplinary action by the University. The University’s policy on plagiarism, as stated in the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2000-2002 (p.36) is:
A
student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another
person without an appropriate acknowledgment.
A student must give due credit to the originality of others and
acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:
a. Quotes another person’s actual words,
either oral or written;
b. Paraphrases another person’s words,
either oral or written;
c. Uses another person’s idea opinion, or
theory; or
d. Borrows facts, statistics, or other
material, unless that information is common knowledge.
For more information, you can find the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct on line at: http://www.hoosiers.iupui.edu/studcode/stucode.pdf. You may also talk with me if you have questions about what is or is not permissible.
The University’s policy on incompletes is that they are only for students who have completed almost all course requirements and have been prevented by significant or unanticipated circumstances from finishing them.
BE ADVISED: If you decide to drop the class, please note that you must submit an official “drop slip” to the registrar (signed by the appropriate people). University policy requires assigning an “F” to a student who stops showing up even if that student has told the professor that she or he plans to withdraw.
Classroom Guidelines:
To enhance the learning process for all students in this course, there are a few basic policies that will govern classroom etiquette.
Class discussions will go better and be more interesting and useful if students keep up with the reading (indicated on the schedule below for each session). Please bring to class the syllabus, handouts about upcoming assignments, and books (other than the TEXT) that are listed for each class session.
The ability to take good notes is a useful skill, and one that improves with practice. I, therefore, ask that students not record my lectures. If a hearing impairment or physical disability prevents you from taking notes without a tape recorder, please visit the office of Adaptive Educational Services in CA-001E and have them contact me. You can reach them at 274-3241.
I welcome questions at any time (although I may sometimes put you “on hold” until I conclude a particular point or topic). I do not, however, welcome private conversations between class members while I am lecturing or your classmates are talking. In addition to being rude, such conversations are distracting for other members of the class.
Please turn off or mute cell phones, pagers, and beepers before class begins.
We will start and end each class on time. If you must leave class early or arrive late, you should do so with a minimal amount of disruption. In this classroom, it is particularly difficult to arrive late and find a seat without disrupting other students. As you may have noticed, the clocks in this building are each set to a different time. Unless I announce otherwise, we will go by the clock inside this room.
A Few Hints for Doing Well:
Come to class. You may have to miss a class very occasionally (see above for my attendance policy). I strongly encourage you to find someone who will share notes with you if you miss class. You may, however, find that other people’s notes are rarely a replacement for being in class yourself.
If you are hesitant about asking questions during class, come see me in my office hours or e-mail me. Generally, if you have a question about the material you have read or something that was said in class, other people may as well. If you ask the question, they will benefit from the answer; you may benefit from a follow-up question they ask.
Lectures, discussions, the primary sources, and the textbook will be mutually reinforcing ways to gain control over information and begin to understand key questions about what happened and why. Class discussion will depend on students having read (or looked at) the primary materials in W&B and 1st PERSON.
A Few Hints for Doing Well (cont.):
You may find it help to read the textbook carefully once and skim it once. If you read it before the class session, it will help you understand what is going to be covered. Skimming it after the class lecture or discussion will give you additional information related to the issues and themes covered during class. As we will see, textbooks do not simply recount “the facts,” but rather present an interpretation of history. While sometimes dry, a textbook can be a useful tool for organizing a lot of information (using its index may help you find an answer quickly, for instance).
I cannot stress too heavily the usefulness of planning ahead, saving work on your computer OFTEN, making backups (on diskettes), and printing out your paper early.
Get to know some of your fellow students. They will be able to tell you about a class that you miss. You can also study together for examinations.
Read over comments that I make on your writing (or hand out to the class or talk about). Understanding what I thought was strong about your work or what could be improved will help you when you write your next assignment.
Your tuition and fees pay for the Writing Center (CA 427; 274-2049; grammar hotline 274-3000). Make use of it. Appointments are usually required and it gets busy around exam time. They have the time and skills to work with you one-on-one to improve your writing.
Logistics:
Information for this class will be posted on ONCOURSE. This will include a copy of the overview for the lecture, announcements to the class, changes in the syllabus or due dates, some handouts, e-mail, etc. I will not be using the “chat room” or discussion features of ONCOURSE.
I expect that all students in this class will access ONCOURSE regularly. Generally, I will post materials for Tuesday’s class by 5pm the preceding Sunday and for Thursday’s class by 7pm the preceding Tuesday. I will respond to e-mail within 48 hours (except for messages sent after 12:00 noon on Friday, to which I may not respond until sometime late Monday). I encourage you to set your ONCOURSE options to let you know when you have ONCOURSE mail.
You are entitled to an e-mail account through IUPUI. I realize that many of you prefer to use another provider for e-mail and web work. The University encourages you to set up your IUPUI account to forward information to your other accounts. It means that you can easily access information from the University. If you need help setting up the account or forwarding mail, contact:
https://iupui-accts.iupui.edu/students/student.html
Logistics (cont.):
Please note that according to University policy, you are, ultimately, responsible for activity on your computer account.
I have voice mail that is on twenty-four hours a day. You are welcome to call me should you need to do so. Note, however, that I will not play “phone tag.” If you leave a phone message, speak slowly and clearly, provide a phone number where you can be reached, and state when you will be at that number.
FYI: There is a University web page that will let you know if the campus is closed for snow:
http://registrar.iupui.edu/adverseweather.html
You can also call: 317/278-1600
SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS
PLEASE NOTE: The syllabus is tentative and subject to change. Adjustments will be announced in class and posted on ONCOURSE, but it is the responsibility of the student to stay on top of changes.
RECONSTRUCTION and THE OTHER CIVIL WAR
1860s-1890s
8/23: Introductions, overview of course objectives, requirements, themes, and the syllabus.
What is history?
Who won the election of 1876?
8/28: The Crises of Reconstruction: How do you rebuild a nation? (TEXT, ch. 17).
8/30: Emancipation: What is freedom? What is equality? (1st PERSON, Campbell).
9/4: The West: Can you look at the west by itself? (TEXT, ch. 18 and 1st PERSON, Black Elk).
Brief paper on the textbook accounts of the Election of 1876 DUE.
9/6: The Other Civil War, pt.
1: How did industrialists understand the tensions? (TEXT, review pp.322-325,
READ ch. 19 and 1st PERSON, Carnegie).
9/11: The Other Civil War, pt. 2: How did workers understand the tensions? (TEXT, review pp.356-358, READ ch. 20: pp.370-381 and 1st PERSON, Jones).
AMERICA and THE WORLD
1890s-1919
9/13: Imperialism and the US’s growing role in the world: Why did the US expand overseas? (TEXT, ch. 20: p.381 to end, esp. map on p.383 and W&B, ch. 4). Short assignment due.
9/18: Urbanization & Immigration: What does it mean to be an American? (TEXT, ch. 21 and
1st PERSON, Antin).
HINT: you may also find TEXT, pp.358-361, 364-365, 440-443 useful, esp. the chart on p.441, and the chart on p.A-18.
9/20: How do you get change when the government won’t help? (W&B, ch. 2); Short assignment due.
9/25: Progressivism: How do you get government involved? pt. 1: the middle class and reform (TEXT, review ch. 21 and READ 1st PERSON, Howe).
9/27: Progressivism: How do you get government involved? pt. 2: workers and women (1st PERSON, Shaw).
AMERICA and THE WORLD (cont.)
1890s-1919
10/2: Review: What should the role of government be? How do people get change?
10/4: World War I: “Over There”: How is the US connected to the rest of the world? (TEXT, ch. 22).
10/9: World War I: Over Here: How did WWI affect the county? (Review Howe, pp.115-118 in 1st PERSON and READ W&B, ch. 5).
Short assignment due.
GOOD TIMES/HARD TIMES
1920s-1930s
10/11: The 1920s: What is your image of the 1920s? (TEXT, ch. 23).
10/16: MIDTERM (covering the material through 2/27--the 1920s).
10/18: The Great Depression: Who should help people in hard economic times? (TEXT, ch. 24: pp.446-448 and 1st PERSON, Guthrie).
10/23: The New Deal, pt. 1: What should government do? (TEXT, ch. 24: pp.444-445, 448 to end and W&B, ch. 7).
Short assignment due.
10/25: New Deal, pt. 2 (review TEXT, ch. 24).
WARS, REBELLIONS, and REVOLUTIONS
1930s-2001
10/30: World War II: the World at War: How did the US affect the war? (TEXT, ch. 25: esp. pp.461-465, 472 to end).
11/1: World War II: the Homefront: How did the war affect the US? (TEXT, ch. 25, esp. pp.465-471 and 1st PERSON, Sone).
11/6: Cold War America: How did
the US/USSR relations shape the world? (TEXT, ch. 26).
11/8: The Affluent Society: What is the American way of life? (TEXT, ch. 27).
11/13: Other Americas: Who was left out of the “affluent society?” (TEXT, ch. 28 and
W&B, ch. 9).
Short assignment due.
11/13, 6pm: Last day to withdraw from Fall 2001 courses.
11/15: The 1960s: What was the impact of the civil rights movement on all Americans’ efforts to change things? (review TEXT, ch 27, 513 to end; READ TEXT, ch. 29).
WARS, REBELLIONS, and REVOLUTIONS (cont.)
1930s-2001
11/20: Vietnam: How does this war affect the country? (W&B, ch. 10 is required; 1st PERSON, Kovic is optional).
Short assignment due.
11/22: NO CLASS–THANKSGIVING
11/27: The 1970s, one view: Why were they called the “lean years?” (TEXT, ch. 30).
LONG PAPER DUE.
11/29: The 1970s, another view: What else was happening? (review TEXT, pp.554-560 and
577-581).
12/4: The Reagan-Bush I Years: What was the Reagan Revolution? (TEXT, ch. 31: to p.604).
12/6: What is the future of America? How will people in the future look at 1992-2001? (TEXT, ch. 31: p.604, “The Election of 1992” to end and pp.612-615, if there is no chart on p.615, see p.A-18).
Course review.
FINAL EXAMINATION
12/13: FINAL EXAMINATION: 3:30pm-5:30pm (note different time).