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HISTORY 202
UNITED STATES HISTORY FROM 1877 TO THE PRESENT
ANDREW P. HALEY, PHD
CLASS: Liberal Arts Building 102
Mo/We/Fr 11:00-11:50pm
OFFICE: 451 Liberal Arts Building (4th Floor, History Department)
Office hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 12 and Wednesdays immediately
after class (2:30-3:30). To arrange a meeting during office hours or to set up an
alternative time to meet, email me at Andrew.Haley@usm.edu a day in advance.
CONTACT: Email: Andrew.Haley@usm.edu
History Department: 601 336 0708
Twitter (musings on culture) http://twitter.com/HistoryCult
DESCRIPTION, OBJECTIVES AND GOALS
United States History from1865 to the Present is a chronicle of the modern United States, its people,
government, and culture. As a survey class, we cannot hope to examine every event which contributed to
the building of America. Instead, we will focus on critical moments, long-term trends, and mass culture in
order to uncover a little of what it has meant to live, work, and play in the United States since the end of the
Civil War.
To help make sense of America's complicated past, we will organize our study around a theme. At each
step in our journey, we will scrutinize the calls for—and protests against—a strong central government.
What role has the federal government played in the lives of American citizens? What do Americans expect
from their government? How has the federal government helped to weld together the nation? How has it
divided us?
When you have completed this course you should have a better knowledge of the history of the United
States from 1877 to the present as well as a improved understanding of how history is made, recorded and
interpreted. You will be better prepared to examine critically the past and the present, searching out the
underlying reasons why Americans do what they do and are who they are. To that end, the lectures,
discussions and assignments test your basic knowledge of key events, prepare you to analyze documents,
and offer an opportunity to do original historical research.
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LECTURES AND CLASS PARTICIPATION
Class meets three days a week. Each week, I will present
a lecture in three parts that provides an overview of a key
historical topic. But while this is primarily a lecture
class, participation is important. All students are
expected to attend class regularly, to have completed the
readings before the start of the week, and to be prepared
to raise questions and offer arguments. Don’t hesitate to
interrupt the instructor with questions or observations,
and be prepared to share your views during discussions.
Don’t be shy. Offer your ideas and let the class build on
your thoughts.
Given the importance of lectures, class discussions, and
student questions, you are encouraged to attend every
class and attendance may be taken. Attendance is not
graded, but students who regularly attend class usually
fare well. In addition, students who do not attend class
may miss quizzes and will not be eligible for
participation bonus points at the end of the semester.
Students must actively involve themselves in class
discussions and activities to receive full credit for
participation.
Arrive on time. Avoid disruptive bathroom breaks in the middle of class. Turn off your cell phones and
pagers. Show respect to your fellow students when they are speaking. Students who disrupt class will be
warned once. If you fail to reform, you will not be allowed to attend class until you have met with the
instructor and the issue has been resolved to the instructor's satisfaction.
Remember, if you are struggling with a reading, finding it hard to prepare for an exam, or just want to
discuss history, don’t hesitate to send me an email or to stop by my office hours.
REQUIRED READING
America: A Concise History, Vol. II
James Henretta & David Brody, 4th
Edition, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-48543-6
Available at the University of Southern Mississippi Book Center.
e-Book available at
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/newcatalog.aspx?disc=History&i
sbn=0312615310
USII History Readings
Available online at http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w589232. Additional readings may be
provided by the instructor during the course of the semester. Please note that while
efforts have been made to keep the readings short and manageable, some classes require
more time than others.
ASSIGNMENTS
Take-home Exams
Over the course of the semester, students must complete two take-home exams (see the dates listed below).
The take-home exams consist of one short-answer essay. The essay question will be distributed on the day
Figure 1: Millions of Acres: Iowa and Nebraska Lands
for Sale on 10 Years Credit (Library of Congress)
3
listed in the syllabus and is due at the start of the next class. The question should be answered with a three
page double-spaced essay which incorporates concrete examples from the textbook, lectures, and other
readings. All essays should be typed with standard one-inch margins and a 10 or 12 point standard font.
Your essay must be submitted to turnitin.com before you come to class on the same day it is
submitted in class.
These short essays are intended to test your understanding of a historical period and to develop your critical
thinking skills. Essays must be based on the assigned readings and lectures; additional research is not
required and is generally discouraged. But the essay should be more than a recitation of facts or a summary
of the readings. The essay should develop an argument based on carefully thinking about the question and
the evidence. Why did the event happen? What changed over time? How did one historical event differ
from another? Answering these questions will require that you form your own assessments based on the
evidence available to you. Make sure your essay incorporates that evidence and cites it.
You essay should begin with an introduction which unambiguously states what your argument will be and
how it will develop, and should end with a conclusion that discusses the how your insights contribute to our
understanding of history. Avoid repetition, using ―big‖ words for the mere sake of using big words, and
long quotations from the sources. Only summarize what is necessary to make an argument.
Essays are not graded on grammar and spelling but a well-written essay is easier to read and invariably
receives a higher grade. Allow yourself time to revise and proofread your essays. Revising requires that
you reconsider your arguments, eliminate unnecessary material, and reorganize your paper for clarity.
Proofreading requires that you reread the final essay and make stylistic corrections that will make the paper
easier to read. Consider reading your own paper out loud; it makes it easier to notice errors you have made.
(I do not grade papers based on grammar and spelling because I understand it is easy to make mistakes, but
a sloppy paper that has not been proofread and contains errors that were easily avoidable will be penalized
at least a full letter grade. You are expected to be professional.)
Essays are graded holistically. In other words, there is no checklist and you will not lose a set number of
points for each error. Rather, your argument is considered in good faith. If the argument you offer is
reasoned and well-supported, you will receive full credit for the assignment. An engaging essay without
flaws will be given an A. A creative argument that may contain some logical errors or a poor use of
sources will receive a B. An essay that ignores evidence from the readings or fails to make a strong, clear
argument will receive a C. A poorly reasoned argument, an essay that demonstrates a poor understanding
of the readings and lectures, or an essay that consists primarily of summary will receive a D. A slipshod
essay will receive an F.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Ideas that are not your own must be accompanied by a citation with the
source and page number. Direct quotations must be in quotation marks (or, for longer quotations,
indented) and must be accompanied by a formal citation. Paraphrasing is plagiarism. Ignorance is not an
excuse for plagiarism; if you have questions about citing source materials, talk to your instructor or visit
the style guides posted on the library’s home page.
Copying another student or another author’s work is cheating and is a violation the University of
Southern Mississippi’s code of student conduct. Students who cheat will automatically fail the course and
may be reported to the Dean of Students for additional disciplinary action. After an appropriate hearing
before the Dean of Students or the Student Judiciary Council, cheating, including but not limited to
plagiarism, may be grounds for probation, suspension, or expulsion.
Late exams will be accepted if submitted to turnitin.com no later than twenty-four hours after the paper was
due. The turnitin.com timestamp will be used to determine the time the paper was submitted. All late
papers are automatically penalized a full letter grade. After twenty-four hours, the paper will not be
accepted and the grade for the assignment will be a zero. Note that receiving a zero is considerably worse
than receiving an F grade.
No extensions will be granted without prior notice. In other words, if you are unable to complete the work
on time because of a schedule conflict, talk to the instructor before the assignment is handed out. Last
4
minute extensions are rarely given. Students who are unable to attend class may submit papers via
turnitin.com. Electronically submitted papers must be submitted before the start of class or they are
considered late and will be penalized. It is the student’s responsibility to verify that the paper has been
correctly submitted to turnitin.com. If you are unable to submit it online, you are required to bring a copy
to class.
Students should keep backup copies of materials submitted. In the unlikely event that the instructor needs a
second copy, you are responsible for producing a copy in a timely manner.
In-Class Exams
There will be two in-class exams (see the schedule below). The first will cover material from the first half
of the class and the second covers material from the second half of the class. Each exam will include a
number of short-answer identifications (in which you have to define a term or identify an image and then
discuss its historical significance) and an essay question, but the exam may include other types of questions
as well. Depending on the content of the exam, you will have roughly an hour to complete the exam.
Reading Reviews
There will be four random reading quizzes during the course of the semester. These will be very short and
very simple. They will be graded A, C, or F.
Final Paper
Students must submit a eight-page (double
spaced, one inch margins, 10 or 12-point font)
research paper and samples of the sources used
to write the paper. These papers will be based
on examining seven consecutive days of a
historical newspaper published prior to 1965. Papers are due by 5pm in the Department of
History on December 6th. Late papers will not
be accepted.
Additional information shall be provided in
class during the week of September 13th. The
final paper must conform to the same ethical
and writing guidelines as the take-home essay
questions.
SCHEDULE AND PERCENT OF GRADE
DUE DATE ASSIGNMENT PERCENT OF GRADE
September 17 Take-home One 10%
October 8 Exam One 20%
November 12 Take-home Two 15%
December 1 Exam Two 20%
December 6 Final Paper 25%
Random Four Reading Reviews 10%
Daily Participation Although this is a lecture class, there will be
opportunities to participate. Earn up to three extra
points on your final grade by actively participating.
Figure 2: Oyster-shuckers in the Barataria Canning Company in
Biloxi, MS (Lewis Hine, February 1911)
5
6
Schedule Revisions
You are responsible for any and all changes to the syllabus announced in class. If you miss class, contact a
fellow student or check the website for updates.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Library
Assistance accessing and evaluating online sources, as well as help finding the research materials you will
use for your final paper, can be found at the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries. For more
information, see http://www.lib.usm.edu/.
Disability Services
If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires
accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information
on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric,
physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether
a medical condition/disability qualifies.
If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires
accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information
on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric,
physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether
a medical condition/disability qualifies.
The University of Southern Mississippi
Office for Disability Accommodations
118 College Drive # 8586
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Voice Telephone: (601) 266-5024 or (228) 214-3232
Fax: (601) 266-6035
Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1-800-582-
2233 (TTY) or email Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@usm.edu.
Email will be used to pass on vital information about quizzes and
writing assignments. All students are required to have an active
Southern Miss email address. (If you use a different account to
check your email, you should contact iTech for help with
forwarding your USM email account to your preferred email
address.)
turnitin.com
The take-home exams and final paper must be submitted to
turnitin.com on the day they are due before the end of class. To
set up an account, you will need the class identity number
(3393363) and the class enrollment password (Levittown). If you
need additional instructions, they are available on the turnitin.com
website.
Figure 3: Blossom Restaurant, 103 Bowery,
New York City. (Bernice Abbott, October 3,
1935)
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WEEKLY OVERVIEW AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
THE GILDED AGE and PROGRESSIVE ERA
Week 1
August 18-20
Introduction to Course/Reconstructing the South
Approximate Time Period: 1865-1877
Readings
Review the syllabus. Familiarize yourself with the course policies and the assignment due
dates.
Suggested: America: A Concise History, review Chapter 15.
Week 2
August 23-27
Industrialization and the Making of the Upper Class
Approximate Time Period: 1870-1900
Music and History: The Evolution of Casey Jones
Readings
Read Andrew Carnegie's "Wealth" from the North American Review, June 1889.
Read excerpts from Ida Tarbell's "The History of Standard Oil."
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 17 (to page 512)
Quotes of the Day
―Everything that can be invented, has been invented.‖
Charles H. Duell, Office of Patents, urging President
McKinley to abolish the Patent Office (1899)
―That a deep-rooted feeling of discontent pervades the masses, none
can deny.‖
Terrence Powderly, North American Review (1885)
Week 3
August 30-September 3
The Working Class and the City
Approximate Time Period: 1870-1900
NOTE: August 31 is the last day to drop classes without financial penalty.
Readings
Ragged Dick is a novel by Horatio Alger, Jr. about a poor street urchin who rises from
poverty through moral behavior, determination, and luck. Ragged Dick was serialized in 1867
and published as a novel in 1868. Read the last three chapters from page 242 to the end.
View three images of Coney Island at the turn of the century.
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 17 (from page 513) and Chapter 18.
Quote of the Day
8
―It is with roses and locomotives (not to mention acrobats Spring
electricity Coney Island the 4th of July the eyes of mice and Niagara
Falls) that my ''poems'' are competing.‖
E. E. Cummings (n.d.)
Week 4
September 8-10
Populism
Approximate Time Period: 1880-1896
NOTE: No class on September 6.
Readings
Read the Populist Party Platform from 1892.
Read excerpts from William Jennings Bryan’s
Democratic convention speech and William
McKinley’s Republican convention speech.
What themes do they share? On what issues do
they differ? (Keep in mind that these men were
politicians seeking to convince voters would
represent their interests.)
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 19.
Quote of the Day
―We meet in the midst of a nation brought
to the verge of moral, political and material
ruin. Corruption dominates the ballot box,
the legislatures, the Congress, and touches the ermine of the bench.
The people are demoralized. . . . The newspapers are subsidized or 3;
public opinion silenced; business prostrate, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor impoverished, and the land concentrating in the hands
of capitalists.‖
Ignatius Donnelly, People’s Party Platform (1892)
Week 5
September 13-17
The Middle Class and the Progressive Impulse
Overview of Final Paper
Approximate Time Period: 1890-1924
Assignment: First Take-home Exam Distributed on September 15 and Due on September 17
Readings
Immigration, spurred by America's growing industries, transformed the American city. Read
Chapter 1 from How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis' famous account of tenement life and
immigration in New York first published in 1890.
Read Jane Addams’ "Hull House, Chicago: An Effort toward Social Democracy" first
published in the Forum in October of 1892.
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 20.
Quotes of the Day
Figure 4: Fourth of July, North Danville, Vermont
(Verner Reed, 1955)
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Greasiness in various degrees distinguishes the German dishes. Dirt in
all degrees is present at the German restaurants. Plates and cups with
pieces chipped out . . . and knives which know no cleaning, are always
found. When the grease, which is so freely used, takes fire in the
kitchen below, or in the rear of the dining-room, there is a suffocating
odor which attends the decomposition of animal fat dispersed through
the room.
C. Gesner, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, 1866
―To keep the world clean -- this is one great task for women.‖
Helen Campbell, Household Economics (1897)
Week 6
September 20-24
From Sea to Shining Sea and Beyond
Approximate Time Period: 1870-1900
Readings
The Anti-Imperialist League opposed the acquisition of the Philippines. In May of 1899, the
League published a pamphlet consisting of letters written home by disgruntled soldiers.
Selected letters have been assigned for this course.
In 1899, Andrew S. Draper, the President of the University of Illinois, published The Rescue
of Cuba: an Episode in the Growth of Free Government. Draper wrote the book for "young
Americans" in order to celebrate "the steady progress of the world towards universal liberty"
and "the heroism and manly quality of the American soldiers and sailors who gave their lives
for the rescue of their oppressed neighbors." Read Chapter XII: "Results."
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 21.
Quote of the Day
―Only Anglo-Saxons can govern themselves.‖
William Allen White, journalist and editor (1899)
THE TRIUMPH OF LIBERALISM
Week 7
September 27-October 1
World War I/Mass Culture in the 1920s
Approximate Time Period: 1917-1929
NOTE: September 29 is the last day to drop classes without
academic penalty.
Readings
In the 1920s, as today, people worried about the
impact of mass media on the youth of America.
Published in 1933, Herbert Blummer's survey of
movie-goers offers us a glimpse at how the growing
popularity of movies changed people’s lives. Read
the following four accounts: How the Movies
Made Some People Restless (this is a summary
from the final report); A College Student's Motion
Picture Autobiography; A High-School Student Describes Movie Going in the 1920s; and A
Black High-School Student Tells What 1920s Movies Meant to Him.
Figure 5: Rudolph Valentino (Son of the
Sheik, United Artists, 1926)
10
Read page 2 and 3 of the KKK newspaper The Imperial Nighthawk from August 29, 1923.
America: A Concise History, briefly skim read Chapter 22 and read Chapter 23.
Quotes of the Day
―The restlessness approached hysteria. The parties were bigger. The
shows were bigger. The pace was faster, . . . the buildings higher, the
morals looser.‖
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1926)
―I say it’s spinach and I say the hell with it.‖
New Yorker cartoon of a child refusing to eat the
―new‖ Italian vegetable, broccoli. (1928)
Week 8
October 4-8
The Great Depression
Approximate Time Period: 1929-1941
Assignment: First in-class exam will be held on October 8
Music and History: Music and Dance as Escape and Protest
Readings
Read letters sent to Mississippi Congressman William Colmer during the Great Depression.
Read letters sent by children to Eleanor Roosevelt during the Great Depression.
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 24.
Quote of the Day
Federal relief aid to end the Depression would cause ―degeneration of
that independence and initiation which are the very foundation of
democracy.‖
President Herbert Hoover (1931)
Week 9
October 11-13
The Real New Deal
Approximate Time Period: 1929-1941
NOTE: There is no class on October 15.
Readings
Read FDR’s radio address concerning the second phase of the New Deal.
Read and listen to Father Coughlin's critique of the New Deal.
Read and listen to Huey Long's argument for his "Share our Wealth" program.
View post office murals created during the Great Depression [Mural 1, Mural 2, Mural 3,
Mural 4, Mural 5, Mural 6, Mural 7]
Review: America: A Concise History, Chapter 24.
Quote of the Day
11
―I will say one thing for this administration. It is the only time when
the fellow with money is worrying more than the one without it.‖
Will Rogers on Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933)
Week 10
October 18-22
World War II and the Cold War
Approximate Time Period: 1927-1965
Readings
View 10 to 15 World War II posters. Who were these intended
for? What claims are the government making (time, sacrifice)
on its citizens?
Read George Kennan’s "The Sources of Soviet Conduct"
written in 1947. Kennan’s assessment of the Soviet threat
served as the basis for America’s early Cold War policies.
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 25 and 26.
Quote of the Day
―I know how easy it is . . . for a girl to be tempted to forsake her
chastity . . . especially in these times when human life is uncertain, . . .
especially still if the boy is in uniform. Out salvation . . . lies within us,
in a hard-boiled code of wartime morals.‖
Actress Bonita Granville (1943)
Week 11
October 25-29
White America/Fear and Loathing in Postwar America
Approximate Time Period: 1945-1965
Readings
View images from Levittown.
From the Educational Forum in 1949, read "Communists Should Not Teach in American
Colleges" by Raymond B. Allen, the president of the University of Washington, Seattle.
Higher Education's Appalling Responsibilities. Read Jazzes H. Halsey's defense of academic
freedom.
Communists on campus? Read E. Merrill Root's warnings about communist indoctrination on
college campuses (from Collectivism on the Campus, 1955).
Review: America: A Concise History, Chapter 26 & 27.
Quotes of the Day
―The smart woman will keep herself desirable. It is her duty to be
feminine and desirable at all times in the eyes of the opposite sex.‖
Leland Kirdel, Coronet (1953)
―When you find an intellectual, you will probably find a Red.‖
Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer in their best-selling
book, Washington Confidential (1951)
LIBERALISM CHALLENGED
Figure 6: Camp Shelby,
Hattiesburg (William Perlitch,
1941)
12
Week 12
November 1-5
Black America
Approximate Time Period: 1945-1970
Music and History: The Sound of Protest in Mississippi
Readings
Watch two clips from CBS Reports: Who Speaks for Birmingham?
Explore the Mississippi Civil Rights History timeline. Audio files may take a while to load,
but the transcripts are also available. Most excerpts are very short, so take your time and
explore a number of different topics. Bring your questions to class.
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 28.
Quotes of the Day
"There are those who say to you –we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say we are
172 years late."
Hubert H. Humphrey (1948)
Week 13
November 8-12
The Great Society and Fragmentation/Vietnam
Approximate Time Period: 1963-1968
Assignment: Second Take-home Exam Distributed on November
10 and Due on November 12
Readings
View a newsreel from the 1964 Miss America contest
and then read the 1968 press release ("No More Miss
America!") announcing that the pageant will be
boycotted. What is the basis for the protest?
Visit an online exhibit examining anti-gay rights
activism in Florida in 1977.
Read poetry written by Vietnam veterans. How do
these poems cut across political and class lines? [The
poems have been selected from From Both Sides Now
edited by Phillip Mahony (New York: Scribner Poetry,
1998). The selections reflect only the American
viewpoint.]
Review: America: A Concise History, read Chapter 28.
Quotes of the Day
―A spirit of national masochism prevails encouraged by an effete core
of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals . . .
[Americans want] a cry of alarm to penetrate the cacophony of
seditious drivel.‖
Vice President Spiro Agnew (1969)
Figure 7: The Great Society Comic
Book (Parallax, 1966)
13
―Slave catchers, slave owners, murderers, butchers, oppressors -- the
white heroes have acquired new names.‖
Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice (1968)
Week 14
November 15-19
Watergate, Oil and Stagnation
Approximate Time Period: 1968-1980
Readings
View one of the following three movies: Taxi Driver [1976],
Five Easy Pieces [1970] and/or Network [1976] . All three
are on reserve at Cook Library. Treat these as if they were
texts: view them carefully, take notes, and ask yourself what
they say about American’s view of themselves in the 1970s.
Recommended: Jacob Holdt visited the United States in the 1970s. With little money, he
traveled the South living with and documenting social conditions. View the photo gallery
documenting the rural South. Warning. These images are graphic, disturbing, and include
some nudity. How does Holdt’s photographs compare with the picture of the seventies
depicted in the film you watched?
America: A Concise History, read Chapter 29.
Quotes of the Day
"In your heart you know he's right."
1964 Goldwater slogan, countered by Democrats with: "In your guts,
you know he's nuts." (1964)
―For some reason, self-doubt appears to thrive in our Bicentennial
year.‖
Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. (1976)
THE CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH
Week 15
November 22
November 29-December 1
The Reagan Revolution and the Challenges of the 21st Century
Approximate Time Period: 1980-Present
Assignment: Final In-class Exam on December 1
Music and History: Rap and Reagan
Readings
Read Barry Goldwater's 1964 convention speech.
Read Ronald Reagan's 1964 speech for Barry Goldwater.
Watch Johnson's 1964 television advertisements.
Review: America: A Concise History, Chapters 30 and 31.
Quotes of the Day
"I'm not the expert on how the Iraqi people think, because I live in America, where it's
nice and safe and secure."
Figure 8: New York Post (1973)
14
George W. Bush (Sept. 23, 2004)
"It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of
gravity."
Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary-General
Week 16
December 6
Exam Period
Assignment: Final Paper is due by 5pm on December 6
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