AMERICAN HISTORY II

                                                           U.S. History since 1865

                                     History H106 - Sections C313 and C314 (3 credits)

                               Spring 2002, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00om to 2:15pm

                                                              Cavanaugh Hall 217

 

 

Instructor:       Dr. Nancy M. Robertson                      Office: Cavanaugh Hall 504N

Office Hours:   Tuesdays 11am to 12 noon                phone/voice mail: 317/274-8017

                        Wednesdays, 4pm to 5pm                   fax: 317/278-7800

                        and by appointment                          e-mail address: nmrobert@iupui.edu

 

“The problem with history is that it’s written by college professors about great men.  That’s not what history is.  History’s a hell of a lot of little people getting together and deciding they want a better life for themselves and their children.”                 Bill Talcott in Studs Terkel, Working

 

 

I.      COURSE DESCRIPTION                                  p. 1

II.     COURSE OBJECTIVES                                    p. 2

III.    REQUIRED BOOKS                                          p. 2

IV.    COURSE REQUIREMENTS                               pp. 2 - 3

V.     COURSE POLICIES                                          pp. 3 - 4

VI.    CLASSROOM GUIDELINES                             pp. 4 - 5

VII.   A FEW HINTS FOR DOING WELL                    pp. 5 - 6

VIII.  LOGISTICS                                                     p. 6

IX.    SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS                  pp. 7 - 8

 

 

                                                         I. COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

            History 106 is a survey of American history from the end of the Civil War (1865) until the present (2002).  There are a number of ways that different historians approach the study of history.  This class relies on a “social history” approach.  Social history is sometimes referred to as “history from the bottom up” because it looks at the daily lives of average people to understand the larger social forces that shaped their lives.  Social historians also look at how those “average” people worked to change those forces and their society.  To understand the history of the United States, you need to analyze both individual people and the larger trends they were part of.  We will focus on the historical trends of expansion, economic development, urbanization, changes in legal and civil rights, immigration and migration, and government intervention.

 

            There are three sets of questions that we will pay particular attention to:

 

<                      What are the relationships between: different groups of Americans?  different regions of the country?  the United States and the rest of the world?

<                      How do people change their society?  How do they make history?

<                      How have Americans understood the role of government (especially the federal government)?  What did different people think that the role of government should be?

 

            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.

 

                                                         II. COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

            Lectures, discussions, and written assignments are designed to help students learn how to analyze documents from the past, take a position on a historical question, use evidence to support it, and express their insights to others.  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.

 

            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 is less on memorizing dates and names and more on using that information to develop reading and writing skills to analyze why things happened.  Such analytical skills allow the student to better understand the present as well as the past.

 

            These course objectives relate to the “Principles of Undergraduate Learning” developed to identify what all IUPUI students are expected to have mastered by graduation.  You can find more information on the Principles at:

            http://www.iupui.edu/~history/principlesundergradlearning.html

 

 

                                                           III. 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 MUST 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).  This is the textbook for the course; it is referred to below as FARAGHER.

On Reserve, you will also find Faragher, et al.,  Out of Many, v.1 (U.S. history before 1877) for background if you need information about that time period.

<          Marian J. Morton & Russell Duncan, eds., First Person Past: American Autobiographies, v. II (1994) [referred to as 1st PERSON].

<          William B. Wheeler and Susan D. Becker, eds., Discovering the American Past: a look at the evidence, 5th ed. (2002) {must use this edition}, v. II since 1865 [referred to as W&B].

 

 

                                                     IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

            The following is an overview of the assignments for the course with due dates.  They are also listed on the class schedule below.  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 biographical essay (typed, double-spaced, approximately 300 to 500 words) about Black Elk.  This is due Tuesday, January 22nd.  We will discuss this assignment in more depth, but the purpose is to think about the life and times of this individual and situate him in his historical context as well as give you a sense of what the writing expectations for this course are like.  The paper is due at the start of the class (5% of your final grade).

 

<          Midterm examination, scheduled for Tuesday, March 5th (20% of final grade).

<          Final examination, scheduled for Tuesday, April 30th (20% of final grade).

            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.

                                               IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS (cont.)

 

<          Assignments based on the chapters from W&B; these are due Tuesday, January 29th; Tuesday, February 5th; Thursday, February 21st; Thursday, March 7th, Tuesday, March 19th; Thursday, April 4th; and Thursday, April 11th.

 

            These assignments will ask you to provide progressively more information for, or analysis of, the historical question and evidence in six chapters in W&B.  The written work will also help you prepare for class discussion of the chapter (together, these will account for a total of 25% of final grade).

 

<          One long paper (approximately 5 to 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.  A draft of this paper is due on Tuesday, March 26th. The final paper is due Tuesday, April 16th at the start of class.  There will be other interim assignments that will break writing the paper down into steps.  You will also give one other student comments on his or her paper.  (Altogether, these steps, including the comments on another student’s work, will count for 25% of your final grade).

 

<          Completion of reading by the assigned date, pass/fail assignments, reading quizzes, ungraded written assignments in class, and participation in class discussions.  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.  Likewise, this portion of your grade can be lowered if you miss these assignments or do not participate in class.  If you feel too shy to talk in class, come and see me and I can give you some helpful hints (5% of your final grade).

 

<          Regular attendance is mandatory in this class.  You are allowed 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, celebrations, or job requirements.  For each absence beyond three, your grade for the class may be lowered (i.e., if you were going to get a B+ for the class, and you are absent 4 times, you would get a B; if you are absent 5 times, you would get a B-, etc.).

 

            In the case of a severe illness or other prolonged difficulty, I will need official documentation.

 

 

                                                            V. COURSE POLICIES

 

EXTENSIONS FOR ASSIGNMENTS:

 

            Extensions for due dates for assignments are granted only if you contact me BEFORE the deadline.  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; that note must be included with your paper when you hand it in.

 

LATE OR MISSED WORK:

 

            Material that is handed in after the due date (or extended due date) will generally be marked down for each day it is late.  Days means days of the week, not class sessions.

 

                        Make-up exams are offered only at the discretion of the professor.

                                                      V. COURSE POLICIES (cont.)

 

REWRITING PAPERS:

 

            If you want to rewrite an assignment, you MUST:

<                      Speak with me first.

<                      Hand in the original version when you submit the rewrite (with any comment sheet that I included).

 

INTELLECTUAL HONESTY:

 

            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 IUPUI Student Code of Conduct on line at:                 http://life.iupui.edu/dos/code.html

          You may also talk with me if you have questions about what is or is not permissible.

 

INCOMPLETES:

 

          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.

 

WITHDRAWING FROM CLASSES:

 

          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.

 

 

                                     VI. CLASSROOM GUIDELINES

 

To enhance the learning process for all students in this course, there are a few basic guidelines 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 FARAGHER) that are listed for each class session.

                                VI. CLASSROOM GUIDELINES (cont.)

 

          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.  We will go by the clock inside this room.

 

          Please turn off or mute cell phones, pagers, and beepers before class begins.

 

          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.

 

          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 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.

 

 

          VII. A FEW HINTS FOR DOING WELL (in this and other courses)

 

          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 will usually find that other people’s notes are rarely a replacement for being in class.

 

          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 depends on students having read and thought about the W&B and 1st PERSON assignments.

 

          Participate in class.  This includes being prepared and asking questions or contributing informed ideas or opinions.

 

          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.

 

          Read over comments that I make on your writing (or any handout to the class with comments on the assignment).  Understanding what I thought was strong about your work or what could be improved will help you when you write your next assignment.

 

          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.

 

          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 expect that all students in this class will access ONCOURSE regularly.  Generally, I will post materials for Tuesday’s class by 7pm the preceding Friday and for Thursday’s class by 7pm the preceding Tuesday.  I encourage you to set your ONCOURSE options to let you know when you have ONCOURSE mail.

 

 

                          VII. A FEW HINTS FOR DOING WELL (cont.)

 

          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.

 

          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.

 

          Learn how to use textbooks as a resource.  You may find it help to read the textbook (FARAGHER) 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.  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).

 

 

                                                 VIII. LOGISTICS

 

          It is your responsibility to check classmates and ONCOURSE for materials from a class you miss.  You need to contact me as soon as possible to arrange for late written work.

 

          If you need to submit an assignment to me outside of class (either by bringing it to my office or by e-mailing it to me), you should bring a hard copy with you the next time you come to class unless I e-mail you that I received the paper.  E-mail does not always get through and papers can get lost; you need to be sure that I receive your paper.

 

          In any case, be sure to keep a back-up copy of any written work that you do not want to rewrite.

 

          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

 

          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.  If you leave a phone message, speak slowly and clearly, provide a phone number where you can be reached, and state times when you will be at that number.  I will respond to e-mail or voice mail messages within 48 hours (except for messages sent after 12:00 noon on Friday, to which I may not respond until sometime late Monday).

 

          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

 

 

                               IX. SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS

 

PLEASE NOTE:  The syllabus is tentative and subject to change.  Adjustments will be announced in class and posted on ONCOURSE and it is the responsibility of the student to stay on top of changes.

 

          RECONSTRUCTION and THE OTHER CIVIL WAR, 1860s-1890s

 

1/8:   Introductions, overview of course objectives, requirements, themes, and the syllabus.

          What is history?  Why do we study history?  What do we need to know?

1/10: The Crises of Reconstruction: How do you rebuild a nation?—FARAGHER, ch. 17.

 

1/15: Emancipation: What is freedom? What is equality?—1st PERSON, Campbell.

1/17: The West: Can you look at the west by itself?—FARAGHER, ch. 18 and

          1st PERSON, Black Elk.

 

1/22: The Other Civil War, pt. 1: How did industrialists understand the tensions?—

review FARAGHER, pp.321-325; read FARAGHER, ch. 19 and 1st PERSON, Carnegie.

          Paper on Black Elk DUE.

1/24: The Other Civil War, pt. 2: How did workers understand the tensions?—review FARAGHER, pp.356-358; read FARAGHER, ch. 20: pp.370-381 & 1st PERSON, Jones.

 

 

                            AMERICA and THE WORLD, 1890s-1919

 

1/29: Imperialism and the US’s growing role in the world: Why did the US expand overseas?— FARAGHER, ch. 20: p.381 to end, esp. the map on p.383 and W&B, ch. 4.

          W&B assignment #1 DUE.

1/31: Urbanization & Immigration: What does it mean to be an American?—

          FARAGHER, ch. 21 and 1st PERSON, Antin.

HINT: you will find useful information in FARAGHER, pp.358-361, 364-365, 440-443, esp. the chart on p.441, and the chart on p. A-18.

 

2/5:   How do you get change when the government won’t help?—W&B, ch. 2.

          W&B assignment #2 DUE.

2/7:   Progressivism: How do you get government involved? pt. 1: the middle class and reform—review FARAGHER, ch. 21 and read 1st PERSON, Howe.

 

2/12: Progressivism: How do you get government involved? pt. 2: workers and women—

          1st PERSON, Shaw.

2/14: Review:  What should the role of government be?  How do people get change?

          NOTE: Bring both W&B and 1st PERSON to class.

 

2/19: World War I: “Over There”: How is the US connected to the rest of the world?— FARAGHER, ch. 22.

2/21: World War I: Over Here: How did WWI affect the country?—W&B, ch. 5.

          W&B assignment #3 DUE.

 

 

                           GOOD TIMES/HARD TIMES, 1920s-1930s

 

2/26: The 1920s: What is your image of the 1920s?—FARAGHER, ch. 23.

2/28: The Great Depression: Who should help people in hard economic times?—

FARAGHER, ch. 24: pp.446-448 and 1st PERSON, Guthrie.

 

3/5:   MIDTERM (covering the material through 2/26–the 1920s).

 

 

                      GOOD TIMES/HARD TIMES, 1920s-1930s (cont.)

 

3/7:   The New Deal, pt. 1: What should government do?—FARAGHER, ch. 24: pp.444-445, 448 to end and W&B, ch. 7.

W&B assignment #4 pt. 1 DUE.

 

3/12 & 3/14: Spring Break–no class.

 

3/19: New Deal, pt. 2—review FARAGHER, ch. 24 and W&B, ch. 7.

W&B assignment #4 pt. 2 DUE.

 

 

                 WARS, REBELLIONS, and REVOLUTIONS, 1930s-2002

 

3/21: World War II: the World at War: How did the US affect the war?—FARAGHER, ch. 25: esp. pp.461-465, 472 to end.

 

3/26: World War II: the Homefront: How did the war affect the US?—FARAGHER, ch. 25:

          esp. pp.465-471 and 1st PERSON, Sone.

          Draft of long paper DUE.

3/28: Cold War America: How did the US/USSR relations shape the world?—

          FARAGHER, ch. 26.

          You will get a copy of someone else’s long paper.

 

4/2:   The Affluent Society: What is the American way of life?—FARAGHER, ch. 27.

          Your comments on another student’s paper DUE.

4/4:   Other Americas: Who was left out of the “affluent society?”—FARAGHER, ch. 28 and

          W&B, ch. 9.         

          W&B assignment #5 DUE.

 

4/9:   The 1960s: What was the impact of the civil rights movement on all Americans’ efforts to change things?—review FARAGHER, ch. 27: 513 to end & read  FARAGHER, ch. 29.

4/11: Vietnam: How does this war affect the country?—W&B, ch. 10 is required;

          1st PERSON, Kovic is optional.

          W&B assignment #6 DUE.

 

4/16: The 1970s, one view: Why were they called the “lean years?”—FARAGHER, ch. 30.

          Long paper DUE.

4/18: The 1970s, another view: What else was happening?—review FARAGHER, pp.554-560 and 577-581.

 

4/23: The Reagan-Bush I Years: What was the Reagan Revolution?—FARAGHER, ch. 31: pp.589-604.

4/25: What is the future of America?  How will people in the future look at 1992-2002?— FARAGHER, 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

 

Tuesday, 4/30:     FINAL EXAMINATION: 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

                             Note the different time, but it will be in our usual classroom.