AMERICAN HISTORY II
History
H106 - Section C370 or C383 (3 credits)
Fall
2003, Tuesdays and Thursdays,
Cavanaugh
Hall 217
Instructor: Dr. Nancy M. Robertson
Office: Cavanaugh Hall 503T
Office
Hours:
Mondays,
Tuesdays
and
by appointment
e-mail:
please USE ONCOURSE http://oncourse.iu.edu/Default.asp?action=login
In a pinch:
nmrobert@iupui.edu
phone/voice
mail: 317/274-8017
fax:
317/278-7800
“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
History
106 is a survey of American history from the end of the Civil War (1865) until
the present (2003). 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 have Americans understood the role of government
(especially the federal government)?
What did different people think that the role of government should be?
< 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.
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 about the
Principles at:
http://www.iupui.edu/~history/principlesundergradlearning.htm
III. REQUIRED BOOKS
These
can be purchased at the Cavanaugh Hall bookstore. In a pinch, there is a copy of each on Reserve in the Library. You
MUST bring W&B or FPP to class when they appear on the syllabus for
that session. You may also want to bring
the textbook (DIVINE).
<Robert
A. Divine, et al., The American Story,
v.2 (New York: Longman, 2002) [referred to as DIVINE]. On Reserve,
you will a copy of The American Story,
complete edition. You will also find
Divine, et al., America: Past and Present,
long 6th edition, both v.I and v.II if you want more information.
<Marian
J. Morton & Russell Duncan, eds., First
Person Past: American Autobiographies, v. II (St. James, NY: Brandywine
Press, 1994) [referred to as FPP].
<William
Bruce Wheeler and Susan D. Becker, eds., Discovering
the American Past: a look at the evidence, v.II since 1865, 5th
ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002) [you must have this edition;
referred to as W&B].
IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The
following is an overview of the assignments for the course with tentative 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. Written assignments
are due at the START of class.
< Assignments based on the chapters from W&B; these are
due Tues, Sept. 2;
Thurs, Sept. 18; Tues, Oct. 7;
Thurs, Oct. 23; Tues, Nov. 11; and Tues, Nov. 18.
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).
< Written answers (about 3 paragraphs) to questions about two
of the nine people that are required reading in FPP. The questions will be up on ONCOURSE. You may answer more than two questions, and I
will count your two strongest answers.
The first of these must be done on Campbell, Black Elk, Carnegie or Jones,
while the second must be on Antin, Howe, Shaw, Guthrie, or Sone (together,
these will account for a total of 10% of
final grade).
< One long paper (approximately 5 to 6 pages, i.e., 1250 to
1500 words), based on two of the individuals in FPP, supplemented by other
class materials. We will discuss this
further in class. The paper is due Tues, Nov. 25 at the start of
class. There may be interim assignments
to break writing the paper down into steps.
(Altogether, these steps will count for 20% of your final grade.)
< Midterm examination, scheduled for Thursday, October 16 (20%
of final grade).
< Final examination, scheduled for Tuesday, December 9 (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.
< 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 the course 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 attend or participate in
class. Frequent tardiness or early
departures may also affect this part of your grade. If you are uncomfortable talking in class,
contact me and I can give you some helpful hints (5% of your final grade).
PLEASE
NOTE:
iRegular
attendance for the full class period is expected in this class. You are allowed three (3) absences in the course of the semester without penalty to
your grade (although you are expected to stay on top of the reading). You do not have to offer a reason or an
excuse for your absence. These absences
allow for emergencies, family needs, celebrations, or job requirements.
iIf
you miss more than five classes, your final examination will be cumulative so
that you can demonstrate mastery of the material for the classes you missed.
iIn
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. Work that is handed in late may not be
returned when on-time work is.
Make-up
exams are offered only at the discretion of the professor.
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 (and any comments I made).
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.htm
You
may also talk with me if you have questions about what is or is not
permissible.
INCOMPLETES:
IUPUI’s
policy on incompletes is that they are only for students who have completed
almost all of the course requirements and have been prevented by significant or
unanticipated events from finishing the class.
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 the books
(other than DIVINE) that are listed for each class session.
We
will start and end each class on time.
If circumstance mean that you must arrive to class late or leave early,
please 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 FPP reading 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.
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.
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.
Read over comments that I make on
your writing (and any handout
with comments about 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.
Your
tuition and fees pay for the
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
Learn how to use textbooks as a
resource. You may find it help to read the textbook (DIVINE) 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
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
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 make arrangements 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.
KEEP A BACK-UP COPY OF ANY
WRITTEN WORK THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO REWRITE.
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
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:
Please
note that, according to University policy, you are, ultimately, responsible for
activity on your computer account.
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.
It is your responsibility to stay on top of changes.
8/21: Introductions, overview of course
objectives, requirements, themes, and the syllabus.
Who
are we and how did we get here?
BUILDING AND
RE-BUILDING A NATION, 1860s-1890s
How did the
8/26: Reconstruction: How did people
rebuild a nation?—DIVINE, ch. 16.
Answers to the questions about
the cartoons (handed out with the syllabus) DUE.
8/28: Emancipation: What is
equality?—FPP, Campbell.
9/2: How do people get change when the
government will not help?—W&B, ch. 2.
W&B assignment #1 DUE.
9/4: The West: What was the role of the
West in
9/9: Industrialization, pt. 1: How did
the bosses understand the tensions?—DIVINE, ch. 18 and FPP, Carnegie.
9/11: Industrialization, pt. 2: How did
workers understand the tensions?—review
DIVINE, ch. 18: p.590-end and read
ch. 20: pp.635-636 (opening) & pp.651-658 and FPP, Jones.
[NOTE: you need to have done a
FPP assignment by now.
What does it mean to be an American?
9/16: Urbanization and Immigration: Who
is an American?—DIVINE, ch. 19, graph on p.608 is key and FPP, Antin.
9/18: Imperialism: Why did the
W&B assignment #2 DUE.
9/23: Progressivism: What are the problems of a modern
society?—DIVINE, ch. 22.
9/25: Why did people want government
involved?— DIVINE, ch. 23 and FPP, Howe.
9/30: Who gained the most (and
why?)—FPP, Shaw.
10/2: World War I: “Over There”: How
was the
10/7: World War I: Over Here: How did
WWI affect the country?—W&B, ch. 5.
W&B assignment #3 DUE.
10/9: The 1920s: What is your image of
the 1920s?—DIVINE, ch. 25.
HARD TIMES and
WARS, 1930s-1950s
How did
10/14: The Great Depression: What
Happened?—DIVINE, ch. 26: pp.834-842 and FPP, Guthrie.
10/16:
MIDTERM (covering the
material through 10/10–the 1920s).
10/21: The New Deal, pt. 1: What should
government do in hard times?—DIVINE, ch. 26: p.841-end; the chart on pp.862-863
is very helpful.
10/23: The New Deal, pt. 2: Who
supported the New Deal (and why?)—W&B, ch. 7.
W&B
assignment #4 DUE.
10/28: World War II: the World at War: How
did the
10/30: World War II: the Homefront: How
did the war affect the
11/4: Cold War
ELECTION DAY!!
11/6: The Affluent Society: What is the
American way of life?—DIVINE, ch. 29 to p.952.
OTHER VISIONS
OF AMERICA, 1950s to the present
What were the challenges to the American Way?
11/11: Other Americas: Who was left out
of the affluent society?—DIVINE, ch. 29: p.952-end and W&B, ch. 9.
W&B assignment #5 DUE.
Last day to withdraw from Fall
2003 classes.
11/13: The 1960s: What was the impact
of the civil rights movement on all Americans’ efforts to change
things?—DIVINE, ch. 30 to p.985; FPP, Moody is optional.
11/18: Vietnam: How does this war
affect the country?—DIVINE, ch.30: p.985-end & ch. 31: pp.1011-1013 and
W&B, ch. 10; FPP, Kovic is optional.
W&B assignment #6 DUE.
11/20: The 1970s, one view: Why was
there a “crisis in confidence?”—DIVINE, ch. 31.
11/25: The 1970s, another view: What
else was happening?—review DIVINE,
ch. 31.
Long paper DUE.
11/27: NO CLASS—Thanksgiving.
12/2: The Reagan-Bush I Years: What was
the Reagan Revolution?—DIVINE, ch. 32.
12/4: What is the future of
America? How will people in the future
look at our time?—DIVINE, ch. 33.
Course review.
Tues 12/9: FINAL EXAMINATION: 1:00pm-3:00pm.
The
time is different, but the location will be the same as the class.