AMERICAN HISTORY II:
History H106 - Section 3863 or
25061 (with CI) (3 credits)
Fall 2005, Tuesdays &
Thursdays,
Cavanaugh
Hall 217
Instructor: Dr. Nancy M. Robertson
Office Hours: Tuesdays,
Wednesdays,
And by appointment
Office: Cavanaugh Hall 503T
phone/voice mail: 317/274-8017
fax: 317/278-7800
e-mail: please USE ONCOURSE
In a
pinch: 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
History
106 is a survey of American history from the end of the Civil War (1865) until
the present (2005). 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
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
<
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 entail a variety of primary sources. The
material is to be read for the class
that is listed on the syllabus. 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. 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/ugprinciples.html
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.
III. REQUIRED MATERIALS
The
books can be purchased at the Cavanaugh Hall bookstore or Indy’s College
Bookstore. You MUST bring FERNLUND (or a copy of the relevant pages) to class
when it appears on the syllabus for that session. You may also want to bring the textbook
(HENRETTA).
< James
A. HENRETTA, David Brody, & Lynn Dumenil,
< Kevin
J. FERNLUND, Documents to Accompany America’s History, v.2: since 1865.
5th ed.
In
a pinch, there is a copy of each book on Reserve
in the Library. But do not count on it
as your only copy because more than 100 students will be using these textbooks.
On
Reserve, you will also find a copy of:
< James
A. Henretta, et al., America’s History,
5th ed.
< the videos or DVDs that will be shown in class. If you miss a class when something is shown,
you are responsible for watching it on your own time.
IV.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Below
is an overview of the assignments for the course with tentative due dates. A more detailed explanation for each will be
handed out and we will discuss the assignments in class before they are due.
Please
note these requirements for ALL written work for this course.
< Written
assignments are due at the START of class.
< Work
is also to be submitted electronically to the “drop-box” on ONCOURSE.
< ALL
work must include a section (or page) with “Additional Sources Consulted.” The “Additional Sources Consulted” section
covers any sources (except the two assigned books) whether or not you relied on
the source in the course of writing the assignment. Sources includes
internet, reference, and people, as well as more expected materials. The section must provide FULL bibliographic
information. Instructions will be posted
on ONCOURSE. If you did not consult any other source, make that clear.
< If
you do use a source (either for a quotation or information), you must provide
the appropriate citation; instructions for this will also be posted on
ONCOURSE.
Overview of Assignments:
< Answers to questions about documents in FERNLUND (or others
posted on ONCOURSE). You will need to do
this on three times for (3 different) classes from Sept. 6th up to and
including the class on Nov. 15th. Your answers are DUE at START of class. Each set of answers will be worth 5% of your
final grade (for a total of 15% of
the final grade).
< Midterm examination, scheduled for Thurs., 10/20 (20% of
final grade)
< Final examination, scheduled for Tues., 12/13 (20% of
final grade)
Both exams will consist of
an essay question (or questions) as well as short-answers or
multiple-choice. A study guide will be
handed out ahead of time.
< A Medium Length (3-page) paper, due Tues. 11/8. Instructions will be handed out
ahead of time (15% of the final
grade).
< A
Longer (5-6 page) Paper on a historical question of your choice (but it must be
approved by the instructor), which uses at least three primary sources (from
FERNLUND or the “American Voices” in HENRETTA), and covers at least 90 years of
American history since 1865. It will be
due Tues., 11/29. The paper and any interim steps will count
for 25% of the 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 with a B- for this portion of the course grade. You can raise this grade by participating
thoughtfully in class which requires attending, being prepared, and
contributing useful questions, ideas, or opinions. This portion of your grade can be lowered if
you miss the 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 final grade).
PLEASE NOTE:
i Regular
attendance for the full class period is expected in this class. You are allowed three (3) absences in the course of the semester (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.
Frequent absences or repeatedly leaving early will count toward the
three absences.
i If you
miss more than three classes (for any reason), your final exam may be
cumulative so that you can demonstrate mastery of the material for the classes
you missed.
i In the
case of a severe illness or other prolonged difficulty, I will need official
documentation.
V.
COURSE POLICIES
LATE OR MISSED WORK:
< 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;
include that note when you hand your paper in.
< Material
that is handed in after the start of class on 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.
< In
addition, the examples used in late written work cannot be examples discussed
in class.
< Work
that is handed in late will not necessarily be returned with on-time work.
< 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 and there
will be a more detailed statement on ONCOURSE which you should consult. Plagiarism and/or cheating will, at a
minimum, entail a grading penalty for the work in question and most likely be reported to the appropriate dean’s office. The latter step may mean additional
disciplinary action by the University.
The University’s policy on plagiarism, as stated in the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2004-2006
(p.37-38) 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.
You can find the IUPUI Student Code of Conduct on line
at:
http://life.iupui.edu/help/code.asp
Please
note the requirement for written work about “Additional Sources Consulted”
above. You may also talk with me if you
have questions about what is or is not permissible.
INCOMPLETES:
IUPUI’s
policy on incompletes states they are only for students who have completed 75%
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 FERNLUND
(or copies of documents from ONCOURSE) when documents are listed for a class
session.
< We
will start and end each class on time.
If circumstances 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 difficult to arrive
late without disrupting other students. We go by the clock in this room.
< Turn
off or mute cell phones, pagers, and beepers before class begins.
< I
welcome questions (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,
these conversations disrupt the learning environment for 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
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, however, 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 reading assignments.
Participate in class. This includes being prepared and asking
questions or contributing informed ideas or opinions. Generally, if you have a question about the
material you have read or something that was said in class, other people may as
well.
Get to know some of your fellow students. They can tell you about a class that you
miss.
If
you are hesitant to ask questions during class, see me during my office hours or e-mail me.
Learn how to use textbooks as a
resource. You may find it help to
read the textbook (HENRETTA) 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).
Make use of the Resources of the
274-3000). Your tuition and fees pay for this
service. Appointments are usually
required and it gets busy around exam time.
They can work with you one-on-one to improve your writing.
It
is often useful to talk over assignments
or study for exams with other students.
But each of you is to write your own, distinct paper or exam. You will want to use different examples or
use examples differently in order to be clear that you have written a unique
piece. If you have questions about what
is appropriate collaboration, please check with me AHEAD of time.
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. Keep a back-up copy of any written work that
you do not want to rewrite.
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.
Information
for this class will be on ONCOURSE.
Generally I post the overview for the lecture, a list of important terms
to know, announcements, changes in the syllabus or due dates, and some
handouts. I expect that all students in this class will access ONCOURSE
regularly. Generally, I will post
materials for Tuesday’s class by
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 submit an assignment to me outside of class (either by bringing it to my
office or by e-mail), you should also bring a hard copy with you the next time
you come to class. I will let you know
when I receive the email. If you don’t
hear from me within 24 hours, contact me again.
E-mail does not always get through and papers can get lost; you need to
be sure that I receive your paper.
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.
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. It is your responsibility
to stay on top of changes.
8/25: Introductions,
overview of course objectives, requirements, themes, and the syllabus.
Why
study history?
BUILDING
AND RE-BUILDING A NATION, 1860s to early 1900s
How did the
8/30: Political Reconstruction: How to rebuild
the nation after the Civil War?
HENRETTA, ch. 15; also Appendix, D20-D21 for the 13th, 14th, and
15th Amendments.
FERNLUND, ch. 15 - look over,
but no written assignment due.
8/31: Last
day to withdraw and receive a 100% refund.
9/1: Emancipation: What is necessary for
people to be free and equal?
HENRETTA:
Jourdon Anderson, “Relishing Freedom,” 447, questions on ONCOURSE.
9/6: The legacy of Reconstruction: How did
people try to get change when the government does not help?
HENRETTA,
ch. 19: 581-587, incl. maps on 463 and 585.
FERNLUND, ch. 18: 6-9.
9/8: The West: How different are the regions?
HENRETTA, ch. 16.
FERNLUND, ch. 16.
9/13: Industrialization, pt. 1: How did
industrialization affect the
HENRETTA,
ch. 17: 505-514, note map on 511.
Also
ch. 19: 571-572 and the graph on p. A-3 in the Appendix.
FERNLUND, ch. 17: 2-5.
9/15: Industrialization, pt. 2: What was
industrialization like for workers?
HENRETTA,
finish ch. 17: bottom 514 to end.
FERNLUND, ch. 17: 6-8.
MODERN
What did it mean to be an
American (at home and abroad)?
9/20: Immigration and Urbanization: Who is an
American?
HENRETTA,
ch. 18, incl. charts on 517, 536, maps on 538, 553.
Also
ch. 19: 576-577.
Statistics
on urbanization and immigration - ONCOURSE
FERNLUND, ch. 19.
9/20: Last
day to withdraw and receive any refund.
9/22: Progressivism: What were the problems of a modern society?
PROGRESSIVISM, ch. 20.
9/27: What were the possible solutions?
HENRETTA:
ch. 19: 578-top of 581; ch. 20: 600-604, maps on 603 and 623.
FERNLUND, ch. 20.
9/29: Who gained the most (and why)?
10/4: Imperialism and the
HENRETTA,
ch. 21, esp. chart on 633, and maps on 596, 650-651.
FERNLUND, ch. 21: 3-5, 8.
10/6: World
War I: “Over There”: What was the
HENRETTA,
ch. 22: 662-673, 683-687, incl. maps on 664 & 685.
FERNLUND, ch. 22: 1-4, 11-14.
10/11: WWI: Over Here: How did WWI affect the
country?
HENRETTA,
ch. 22: 674-683, 687-690, incl.. map
on 677.
WWI
posters - ONCOURSE
FERNLUND, ch. 22: 5-10, 15-16.
10/13: The 1920s: What was the second industrial
revolution?
HENRETTA,
ch. 23–pay particular attention to maps, chart, visuals, and personal accounts
FERNLUND, ch. 23.
BUILDING
THE AMERICAN CENTURY, 1930s-1950s
How did
10/18: The Great Depression: What happened? How did
people respond?
HENRETTA, ch. 24.
FERNLUND, ch. 24: 4-6.
10/20: MIDTERM
(covering the material through 10/13–the 1920s).
10/25: The New Deal, pt. 1: What should the federal
government do in hard times?
HENRETTA, ch. 25.
FERNLUND, ch. 25: 1-11.
10/27: The New Deal, pt. 2: Who supported the New
Deal?
FERNLUND, ch. 24: 9.
DOCUMENTS - ONCOURSE
11/1: World War II: the World at War: How did the
Allies win?
HENRETTA,
ch. 26: 780-787, 799-811, incl. maps on 786 & 800-801, 804-805.
FERNLUND, ch. 26: 1-4, 11-14.
11/3: World War II: the Homefront: How did WWII
affect the
HENRETTA,
ch. 26: 787-798, incl map on 798.
FERNLUND, ch. 26: 9-10.
11/8: Cold
War
HENRETTA,
ch. 27: 816-831, 842-847.
MEDIUM-LENGTH PAPER DUE.
11/10: The Affluent Society: What created the
American way of life?
HENRETTA,
ch. 27: 831-839; ch. 28: 848-860, esp. map 853.
FERNLUND, ch. 28: 1-3.
OTHER VISIONS OF
What were the challenges
to the
11/15: Other
HENRETTA,
ch. 27: 839-842; ch. 28: 860-874, esp. map on 866.
FERNLUND, ch. 27: 5, 7-9; 28:10.
11/15: Last
day to withdraw: advisor’s and instructor’s signatures are necessary.
11/17: The 1960s: What was the impact of the civil
rights movement for all Americans?
HENRETTA,
ch. 28: 874-879.
FERNLUND, ch. 28: 7, 12; 29: 8.
11/22:
HENRETTA, ch. 29.
FERNLUND, ch. 29: 1-3, 5, 9-12.
11/24 NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING
11/29: The 1970s, one view: Why was it an age of
limits?
HENRETTA,
ch. 30: 915-927, esp. chart on 924, visuals on 923 & 926.
LONGER PAPER DUE.