H 106 American History II

Reconstruction to the Present

Section 8543, 3 Credit Hours

Spring 2006

 

 

 

 

Location:  Cavanaugh Hall, Room 217

Time:  Wednesdays, 5:45 to 8:25 p.m.

Instructor:  Richard Gantz

Office Hours:  Tuesdays 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wednesdays 8:30 to 9:00 p.m., and other times by appointment.  Cavanaugh Hall, Room 243E (through 243D)

                  Telephone:  278-3247

                  E-mail:  rgantz@iupui.edu 

 

Course:  This course will provide a broad survey of major political, cultural, social, diplomatic, and economic developments in America from the end of the Civil War to the present time. The class will look at how and why people have reacted to events, movements, and ideas and how the nation has changed through the years.

 

This course will seek to incorporate many of the educational goals as outlined in the “IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning.”  These principles include basic skills in communication, critical thinking, and analysis to understand society and culture.  Just as America did not evolve into a modern nation in a vacuum, history is part of a larger stream of human experience that includes art, literature, culture, science, different societies, religion, and technology.  Students are encouraged to apply knowledge from other disciplines to the study of historical movements and events.  A copy of the “Principles of Undergraduate Learning” is posted on the Department of History’s Home Page at www.iupui.edu/~history.

 

Texts:  Alan Brinkley, The Unfinished Nation, A Concise History of the American People, Volume II: From 1865. 4th edition (2004).

            J. William T. Youngs, American Realities, Volume II:  Historical Episodes from Reconstruction to the Present. 6th edition (2004).

 

Quizzes and written assignments will be based on assigned readings.  Follow the reading assignments as listed in the syllabus; the instructor will note any exceptions to the published schedule.  Check Original Oncourse for changes and assignments.

 

 

 

 

Semester Schedule:

 

January 11 – Introduction, United States in 1865.

January 18 – Reconstruction and Race.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 15; Youngs, Ch. 1.

January 25 – The West.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 16 & 17.    

February 1 – Railroads and Rise of Cities.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 18; Youngs, Chs. 2 & 5.

Quiz over assigned reading.

February 8 – Imperialism Impulse.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 20; Youngs, Ch. 4.

February 15 – First Examination.

February 22 – Populism and Progressivism.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 19, 21, 22;

Youngs, Ch. 6.   

March 1 – World War I and the Twenties.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 23 & 24;

Youngs, Chs. 7 & 8.  Written assignment over assigned reading due.

March 8 – Great Depression and the New Deal.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 25 & 26;

Youngs, Ch. 9. 

March 15 – Spring Break, no class.

March 22 – World War II.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 27 & 28; Youngs, Ch. 10.

March 29 – Second Examination.

April 5 – Cold War.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 29 & 30; Youngs, Ch. 11.  Quiz over assigned

reading.

April 12 – Postwar America & the Civil Rights Movement.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 31;

Youngs, Ch. 12.

April 19 – Vietnam.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 32; Youngs, Ch. 13.  Quiz over assigned

reading. 

April 26 – Modern Conservatism.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 33 & 34; Youngs, Ch. 15.

May 3 – Final Examination at 5:45 p.m.

 

Grading:  The semester grade will be based on the following elements:

 

            Attendance and class participation                                 10%

            Three highest quiz & written assignment grades  24%

            First examination                                                           22%

            Second examination                                                      22%

            Final examination                                                          22%

 

The grading scale is as follows:

 

            A+ 99-100       B+  87-89        C+ 77-79         D+ 67-69

            A   93-98         B    83-86        C   73-76         D   63-66

            A- 90-92         B-  80-82         C-  70-72        D-  60-62

 

 

 

 

 

Quizzes and Written Assignments:  Quizzes over the reading assignments will be given in class on February 1, April 5, and April 19.  The quizzes will be over the reading assigned for that week (February 1, April 5, and April 19).  During the quizzes you may use any study notes that you have taken.  A written assignment will be due on March 1; details on this assignment will be provided later in the semester.  Students should use complete sentences and an essay format in the written assignments.  Back up your statements and conclusions with explanations and examples cited from the readings.  If you are ill on a day that an assignment is due, you may either e-mail the assignment to me or put it in my mail box in the History Office (Cavanaugh Hall, Room 504M).  Make sure that you keep a copy of your paper.  Grades on late papers will be reduced by a grade step (B to B- for example) for each day it is late.  If you e-mail your paper, I will always e-mail you back that I have received and printed out your paper. 

 

Only the three highest 3 scores of the quizzes and written assignment will be counted. 

 

Examinations:  The examinations will cover the readings in the text, class lectures, and other materials presented in class in handouts and audio-visual presentations.  Students will be expected to know significant facts, causes, and results in American history since the Civil War.  It is more important to know the sequence of events, since this relates to cause and effect, rather than simply memorizing dates.  Students should also be able to use critical thinking to interpret and compare ideas, episodes, and movements from the different periods of American history after the Civil War.

 

Cheating:  Cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication of research or work will result in a zero for the paper, quiz, test, or project involved.  This includes use of another student’s work or use of published and/or Internet materials without citations.  Students will be expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct as adopted by IUPUI.

 

Attendance:  Attendance and participation in class discussions are important.  The entire class will benefit from your ideas, questions, and reactions.  Students will be docked for each unexcused absence; those who miss half or more of the class sessions will receive a zero for the attendance/participation portion of the semester grade.    

 

Makeup Policy:  There will be not makeup quizzes or examinations.  If a student has an excused absence due to illness or a provable emergency on a day of a quiz or an examination, the other quiz or test scores will be increased in weight to compensate for the excused work.

 

Cell Phones:  Cell phones and pagers are disruptive to everyone in class.  All cell phones and pagers must be turned off and put away during class.