American History, 1865-present (H106)      Fall, 2002

Wednesdays, 5:45 – 8:25   CA 217       Section C404

Steve Cox   scox@indianahistory.org    232-1876

 

History 106 is an introductory course to the American experience since 1865.  Our efforts this semester will focus on the many challenges--social, economic, and political--facing the American people during this period of enormous change.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS

 

John Mack Faragher et. al., Out of Many, Vol. 2

Three Negro Classics ("Up From Slavery," by Booker T. Washington; "The Souls of Black Folk," by W. E. B. DuBois)

Hiroshima by John Hersey

 

GRADES

 

Final grades will be based on the following breakdown:

 

First Exam        20%                 Second Exam                                20%

Final Exam       25%                 Paper on Washington & Dubois  20%

                                    Textbook quizzes                                                   15%

 

The three exams will consist of essay and short answer, based on both the text (Faragher) and lectures.   I will supply study guides prior to each exam.  The quizzes over selected chapters in Faragher and over Hersey’s Hiroshima will be multiple choice, true-false, and/or short answer. NOTE:  There will be no “make-ups” for quizzes, nor will students who arrive late be allowed to take the quiz.  I will, however, drop your lowest quiz score when figuring final grades.

 

SOME REQUESTS

 

--Please turn off cell phones and pagers.

--Feel free to ask questions at any time.

--Keep up with your reading and writing.  Do Not wait until the last minute to read the assigned texts, write your paper, or prepare for exams.

--Yes, children are wonderful, but I would ask that they not attend class with you.

--Please arrive on time (note the rule regarding quizzes and attendance above). 

--It is important that you attend class regularly.  Those who consistently miss classes will find it difficult to do well on the exams.  Furthermore, I am required to take attendance and inform the administration if and when individual students are having problems in this area.

 

 

OVER

 

 

Reading/Quiz Schedule and Lecture Topics*

 

Aug  21            Introduction to class; Reconstruction and late 19th-century politics

         28           Agriculture/Industrialization                                                                              

Sept   4            Industrialization/Immigration      (Quiz, Faragher, Chs.18 & 19)                        

        11            Labor unrest and the watershed of the 1890s

        18            America Overseas (Quiz, Faragher, Ch. 20)

        25            First Exam

 Oct  2                         Progressivism and Theodore Roosevelt

         9             TR, Big Stick Diplomacy, and World War I (Quiz, Faragher, Chs.21 & 22)

      16              Paper due; the world of Washington and DuBois; 1920s

      23              1920s, Depression and FDR    

Oct 30             Second Exam

Nov  6             New Deal and the war years (Quiz, Faragher, Ch. 24)

       13             Hiroshima due (Quiz) Cold War I

       20             Postwar society and Cold War II (Quiz, Chs.27, 28, & 29)

       27             Thanksgiving break- -No Class

Dec   4             Recent Politics and Society (Read—no quiz—Chs. 30 & 31)        

        11            Final Exam   

 

*Note:  Lectures and reading material may not correspond at all times.