Fall 2013: HIST 212: United States Since 1865

Instructor: Nicole Perez, nperez1@luc.edu Section: 20Office: Crown 334D MWF 12:35-1:25Office hours: W 1:30-3:30 or by appointment Cudahy Hall Room 206

COURSE DESCRIPTION : This course is an introduction to the history of the United States from the end of the Civil War to the present. Topics under discussion include the growth and development of modern industrial society; the development of the general welfare state; the emergence of the United States as a world power; the debate over civil rights and civil liberties; and the evolution of the political culture of the United States.

REQUIRED READING :

Kevin Schultz, HIST: US History Since 1865 Volume 2 (Cengage, 3rd ed., 2013) ISBN-13: 9781133953524

Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward: 2000-1887

Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

If you have a question about versions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

These readings are available at the Loyola Bookstore and Beck’s Bookstore, can be found online, or at local new and used bookstores. Additional required short readings will be assigned each week. Documents for Friday discussions will be made available online through Blackboard or email. Assigned readings are to be completed before discussion.

SCHEDULE:

This schedule is tentative and subject to change.

Week Date Topic Background Reading

1 August 26-28-30 Introduction Schultz, Ch. 16.Reconstruction

2 September 4-6 Industrialization Schultz, Ch. 17Sections 1, 2, 3.

3 September 9-11-13 Urbanization Schultz, Ch. 18The New South Sections 1, 2.

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4 September 16-18-20 New Immigrants Schultz, Imperialism Ch. 20, Sections

1, 2, 3, 4.

5 September 23-25-27 Labor and Farm Protest Schultz, Ch. 17Progressivism Section 4. Ch. 18,

Section 4. Ch. 19.Essay on Bellamy due October 4

6 September 30-2-4 Birth of Feminism Schultz, Ch. 21Section 3 “Changing Roles for Women”

Midterm Exam October 9

8 October 14-16-18 The Twenties into Depression Schultz, Ch. 22.The New Deal

9 October 21-23-25 World War II Schultz, Ch. 23.World War II Homefront

10 October 28-30-1 Cold War Abroad and At Home Schultz, Ch. 24The Long Civil Rights Ch. 25. Section 2, 5.

11 November 4-6-8 Civil Rights and Racial Change Schultz, Ch 24Lorraine Hansberry Background Section 4. Ch 25

Section 2, 5.

Essay on Hansberry due on November 13

12 November 11-13-15 Liberalism and the Great Society Schultz, Ch. 25 Vietnam Sections 3, 4, 5.

13 November 18-20-22 Movements of the Vietnam Era Schultz, Ch. 25Section 5. Ch. 26Sections 4.

14 November 25 Rise of Conservatism and the Crises of the 1970sSchultz, Ch 26Sections 1, 2, 3, 5.

15 December 2-4-6 Reagan and the End of the Cold War Ch. 27.Conclusions

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Final Exam Friday December 14 9-11 am in Cudahy 206

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this course is to help you to become familiar with the ideas, institutions, social life, world-views, and notions of United States history over time. The desired outcome is for you to emerge from the course with core knowledge about how the world in which you live evolved; and with the ability to:

Evaluate and assess the forces of change and the forces of stability.

Place events, texts, objects, and ideas (artistic, literary, theological, etc.) in their proper historical and cultural contexts and see how they affect cultures today.

Understand that historical knowledge is constructed from primary sources and competing paradigms, and use such sources critically to construct history.

Understand important elements of your cultural heritage as citizens of the United States and the world, including notions of citizenship, representative government, romantic love, the nuclear family, and the market economy.

Differentiate between contemporary values and worldviews and those of previous historical civilizations. By comparing the views of past societies with current ones, students can appreciate how present attitudes are as much conditioned by historical context as past attitudes.

Become a more informed and productive citizen of your country and your world.

SKILL OBJECTIVES:

All sections of HIST 212 develop critical thinking through written analysis of and discussion of primary documents and competing interpretations of history. Students are required to evaluate documents for origin; bias and point of view; argument; usefulness as evidence; relationship to other documents or interpretations.

In this course you will practice/employ the following skills:

Read critically and assess the reliability of sources in several media. Generate new ideas, hypotheses, arguments, and questions about the historical experience of

humans. Predict and respond to counterarguments, adjust your thinking in the light of the process,

and maintain throughout cordial and civil discourse with various audiences in a variety of formats.

Write clearly and effectively in two critical essays and two exams.

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Present evidence and articulate a position independently of peers and instructors through oral discourse and written form.

Recognize and have the ability to act on your obligation to contribute to civic discourse. In discussions and examinations, you will be asked to distinguish between fact and opinion and to try to understand both sides of conflicts. You are urged to be sensitive to how seemingly distant events like slavery or nativism still evoke resentment and tension among people today.

GRADING:

Critical Essay 20%Midterm Exam 20%Critical Essay 20%Final Exam 20%Participation 20%

Critical Essays:You will write an answer using analysis for your choice from a list of selected prompts I will provide at least a week prior to the deadline. These essays will be response papers based solely on the required readings Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward: 2000-1887 and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. No outside sources are permitted. These essays, 4-6 pages in length, double-spaced, require parenthetical or footnote citations. You will be required to submit your essays through Turnitin.com. The Class ID is 6833449 and the password is Fall2013.

Participation:Class discussion will occur on Fridays. Your participation grade will be evaluated on your ability to engage meaningfully with your instructor and classmates. A satisfying discussion raises new questions and deepens everyone’s understanding of the readings. Be ready to share your ideas on the assigned readings. You will be responsible for reading the weekly primary sources that will be posted on Blackboard or emailed the week prior. You will receive full credit for the day for thoughtful contributions.

If you miss discussion for any reason you have the option of make-up work to earn some or all your points for that particular week. You will have one week to write a 2-3 page double-spaced summary of the readings assigned for the discussion you missed. This option is for one class only.

To prepare for discussion, while reading the primary documents, keep the following questions in mind:

1) WHAT- What type of document is it? What is being discussed? What is omitted? 2) WHEN- When was it written?3) WHY- Why was it written? Why does the author write this way?4) WHO- Who wrote the document? Who is the audience? Who is being discussed? Who is

excluded?5) HOW- How did it impact society?

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Midterm and Final Exams:The midterm and final exams will consist of a combination of identifications, short answer, and analytical essays. The exams will be based on readings, lectures, and class discussions. Answers must be in essay form with complete sentences. If you are running out of time near the end of the exam, you may begin outlining your answer.

Late Work:Late essays are accepted but penalized a third of the grade for each weekday late (A to A-, B+ to B, etc.). Make-up mid-term requests must be submitted in advance and are restricted to illness or other appropriate reason. The final exam is determined by the university.

A NOTE ON EMAIL:I am always happy to communicate via e-mail, and I check my inbox at least once a day. Our electronic correspondence should follow the forms of professional etiquette. This means including: a subject line (HIST 212 works), a salutation (proper greeting), correct SPAG within the body of the text, and a close with your name.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Students who need accommodations must meet with me and submit the proper paperwork from the Center for Services for Students with Disabilities.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Loyola defines academic dishonesty:“Plagiarism is a serious form of violation of this standard. Plagiarism is the appropriation for gain of ideas, language, or work of another without sufficient public acknowledgement and appropriate citation that the material is not one's own. It is true that every thought probably has been influenced to some degree by the thoughts and actions of others. Such influences can be thought of as affecting the ways we see things and express all thoughts. Plagiarism, however, involves the deliberate taking and use of specific words and ideas of others without proper acknowledgement of the sources. Submitting as one's own:

1. Material copied from a published source: print, internet, CD-ROM, audio, video, etc.2. Another person's unpublished work or examination material.3. Allowing another or paying another to write or research a paper for one's own benefit.4. Purchasing, acquiring, and using for course credit a pre-written paper.” 1

Students who commit academic dishonesty including plagiarism will earn a grade of zero for the assignment and will be reported to the department chair and the dean.

1 “Academic Integrity,” Loyola University Chicago, http://www.luc.edu/academics/catalog/undergrad/reg_academicintegrity.shtml (12/17/12).

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