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HS 2500: History of the United States II (LCA) Dr. Cecilia Samonte

Spring 2016 Office: 307 Arrupe Hall

TR 9:30-10:45 am Office Phone: 816-501-4106

105 Sedgwick Hall Email: cecilia.samonte@rockhurst.edu

Office Hours: TR 11:00- am-12:30 pm

or by appointment

Course Description and Objectives

Catalog Description: A survey of the history of the United States from Reconstruction to the

present. Themes include industrial development, immigration, the Depression, the World Wars,

and the development of contemporary American society and culture.

Was the United States able to attain both national unity and racial equality after the Civil War?

Did the prosperity provided by industrialization translate into social equality? How could a

nation that espoused democratic values wage a colonial war in 1898? What impact did the World

Wars have on the on the home front? What role did the Civil Rights movement play in redefining

the hierarchies of race, class, and gender? In this course, we are going to explore and interrogate

the political, social, cultural, and economic development of the United States from the period of

Reconstruction to the present time. Fundamentally, we will study the heterogeneous history of the

United States. While we will recognize the official structures of power, we will also focus on the

lives of those who struggled and resisted various forms of injustice and oppression. By the end of

the term, we should have attained a deeper understanding of how multiple groups within the

United States, throughout various historical eras, have affirmed, shaped, challenged, and

broadened the principles of democracy, equality, and justice that we continue to pursue and

uphold at the present time.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will identify the historic events that shaped the development of the United States

from the Reconstruction era to the contemporary period.

Students will distinguish the pivotal roles played by various races, ethnicities, genders,

and classes in national formation and progress.

Students will read historical sources closely, critically, and analytically.

Students will develop their ability to communicate in oral and written form through their

engagement in discussions and regular writing of reading responses.

Required Texts/Materials

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty Volume 2, Seagull, 4th edition, 2014 (ISBN: 978-0-393-92031-4)

Give Me Liberty! Website at: www.wwnorton.com/college/history/give-me-

liberty3/welcome.aspx

Anthony Marcus, John M. Giggie, and David Burner, America Firsthand, Vol. 2, 9th edition, 2012

(ISBN: 978-0-312-65641-6)

3 Examination Booklets (small--8.5x6)--available at RU Bookstore

Note: In the course of the term, I may be recommending supplementary readings and texts.

Course Requirements and Evaluation First Exam 100 pts.

Second Exam 100 pts.

Final Exam 100 pts.

2

Reading Response # 1 20 pts.

Reading Response # 2 20 pts.

Reading Response # 3 20 pts.

Class Participation 60 pts.

TOTAL 420 pts.

Grading Rubric

93-100 A

90-92 A-

87-89 B+

83-86 B

80-82 B-

77-79 C+

73-76 C

70-72 C-

67-69 D+

60-66 D

0-59 F

Examinations Examinations include an objective section (identification, short answer, multiple choice, for

example) that will evaluate students’ understanding of fundamental facts and an essay section

which will require a comprehensive discussion of two significant issues and themes. I will be

sending a review guide a week before the slated date for the exam. I will only give make-up

examinations in the event of extenuating circumstances (refer to the “excused absences” section

of the Attendance policy) supported by valid or official documentation. These need to be

arranged with me on the day of the student’s return and taken within a week after the student’s

return.

Reading Responses

You will be asked to submit reading responses that will address specific aspects (thesis, evidence,

and implications, for example) of various readings. You should be prepared to submit these at the

beginning of class on the due dates. Please be prepared to submit hard copies well before the day

of submission to avoid last-minute complications with your computer, printer, and other issues. If

you are not going to be able to attend class, please email me your response by the beginning of

class so that it receives due credit. No late responses will be accepted for whatever reason.

Devote a paragraph (with at least 5 sentences) for each question below: 1. What is the identity of the source? Who is the author? What is the author’s purpose for writing?

What is the main idea of the text? What are the key themes that the author presents?

2. What are the most important or convincing pieces of evidence the author presents to support

his/her thesis? How do these corroborate or belie the author’s main point? Provide 2-3 short

quotes to support your response. For more information on the basics of in-class citation, please

refer to this resource from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab

(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/):

Short quotations

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If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page

number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.

3. What does the text tell us about the historical period within which it was produced? What lessons

can this reading impart to the present time? Provide at least one concrete example of similar

events, situations, or issues.

Please adhere to the following format: 1-2 pages for Reading Response # 1; 2-3 pages for

Reading Responses # 2 and 3, double-space, Times Roman font (size 11 or12), one-inch margins

on all sides. Think of an appropriate title that reflects the author's main point. Make sure to give

yourself enough time to write and revise your response. Staple pages. Proofread the text for

grammatical and typographical errors. Please refer to the following rubric:

RUBRIC FOR READING RESPONSES

Excellent Good Fair

SUMMARY

(5 points)

*identity of source

*identity of author

*purpose of author

*main idea of author

* key themes presented

Explains identity

of source and

author

Explains author’s

purpose and main

idea

Discusses major

themes presented

by author in

logical order

Provides partial

description of source

and author

Provides partial

explanation of author’s

purpose/main idea

Identifies some

important themes

in a disjointed manner

Fails to

provide

identity of

source and

author

Fails to

present

author’s

purpose/

main idea

Fails to

present

themes

ANALYSIS

(5 points)

*important evidence

*relationship between

argument and evidence

Discusses 2-3

short quotes as

key pieces of

evidence

Cites page

numbers

appropriately

Discusses direct

connection of

Provides discussion of

some textual evidence

Fails to cite page

numbers consistently

Provides general and/or

ambiguous correlation

between thesis and

evidence

Fails to

identify key

evidence

Fails to cite

page

numbers

Fails to show

correlation

between

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evidence to

author’s main

point

thesis and

evidence

CONTEXT

(5 points)

*regard for time and

place

*lessons for present time

*provides examples

Clearly explains

how document

reflects time and

place within it was

produced

Presents important

lessons imparted

by document

Provides relevant

examples

Gives broad or partial

explanation about how

document reflects the

time and place within

which it was produced

Mentions some lessons

that may not be

relevant to ideas

imparted by document

Mentions some

examples that may not

be directly relevant

Fails to

explain

significance

of time and

place within

which

document

was

produced

Fails to give

lessons

imparted by

document

Fails to

provide

examples

STYLE

(5 points)

*length

*format

*organization

*mechanics(grammatical

and typographical errors)

*clarity

Follows

prescribed length

Follows

prescribed format

Well organized

with distinct

paragraphs that

address all aspects

of the assignment

Minimal (1-2

errors) spelling,

grammatical

and/or

typographical

errors; appropriate

choice of words

Consistently well-

written, clear, and

readable prose

Follows prescribed

length

Follows most of

formatting guidelines

Assignment addresses

all issues but not

always in a logical and

organized manner

Acceptable number (3-

4) of spelling,

grammatical and/or

typographical errors

Readable most of the

time, with some issues

in terms of sentence

construction and

language usage

Falls under

prescribed

length

Fails to

follow

formatting

guidelines

Poor

structure

(Confusing

paragraph/

sentence

structures

and

transitions)

Excessive

(more than

5)

grammar/ty-

pographical

errors);

Awkward,

confusing,

and/or

unreadable

prose style

Class Participation

Classes are going to take on a lecture-discussion format. To prepare effectively for class

discussion, you must have read the readings assigned for each session. Bear in mind that you are

responsible for all assigned readings even when you are not able to attend. Please make

arrangements (for notes, announcements, updates, etc.) with a classmate. You are expected to

participate in class discussions using the assigned readings. Please bring all assigned texts to

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every session and be ready to cite evidence from and pose questions about the information

contained in these texts.

Exemplary participation includes initiating contributions more than once during each session,

giving insightful, constructive and informed comments, listening attentively and giving feedback

when others present class material or express perspectives on specific subject matters, and is

never absent. Participation also encompasses good knowledge of the subject matter, critical

thinking, the ability to pose relevant questions, attentiveness, and the ability to work individually

and in groups. In addition to eliciting voluntary responses, I will be calling on people at any time.

We will be engaging in different activities such as film-showing and group work. I may also be

giving reading quizzes which may be announced and unannounced, so preparation is always key.

All participation is graded, so you must be ready to contribute productively during every class

session.

In terms of the use of technology, you are welcome to use your laptop solely for the purpose of

taking notes. Those who choose to use their laptop must sit up front by the instructor and submit

notes electronically not later than 5 minutes after the end of class. If you fail to abide by these

conditions, you will not be allowed to continue using your laptop in class. Audio and/or visual

recording of the class lecture is prohibited unless advanced written permission is obtained from

the professor. And even when permission is granted, bear in mind that this does not waive

copyright. Students who need accommodations must speak to me first about arranging any kind

of recording.

Extra Credit: There may be good opportunities for earning extra credit which will go toward the

participation requirement. I will make announcements about events on and off campus for which

extra credit may be given. In order to earn credit, you are expected to attend and/or participate in

the event and write a short reaction paper (1-2 pages, double-spaced) that will provide a summary

of the most important information presented in the event and a critique that discusses the validity

and importance of the information shared, as well as its relevance to the themes of this course.

Well-written papers can earn as many as two points for the participation requirement.

Class Conduct

We work toward providing a welcoming and open learning environment for everyone. In

realizing this goal, students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and respectful

manner at all times toward their professor and their peers. When you correspond with me over

email, please be prepared to give me at least 24 hours to respond to your email. During class, I

expect your undivided attention to the lectures and discussions. Those observed doing any other

activities may be counted absent for that session. You are encouraged to express your informed

opinions and pose relevant questions. But bear in mind that you are also responsible for your

ideas, and you must be ready to provide an explanation of your assertions and to respectfully

exchange ideas with your peers. It is natural to disagree with some of the viewpoints that may be

expressed in class. This is, after all, an important part of the learning process. But you must also

remember to always keep an open mind and respond in civil, responsible, and productive ways.

You must never demean people for their perspectives or experiences. Criticism should always be

constructive.

Attendance Policy

We will be adhering to the “Attendance Policy” as stipulated in the current RU Catalog. Students

are expected to attend every class but will be allowed three unexcused absences without penalty.

Please use these absences wisely. For each subsequent unexcused absence, two points are going

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to be deducted from the participation grade. Note that the Catalog also says that a “student may

be assigned a grade of ‘F’ in a course by a faculty member because of excessive absences when

the total number of hours of classes missed exceeds twice the number of credit hours assigned to

the course (i.e. seven absences in a three-hour MWF course).” Once you reach a total of six

unexcused absences in this class, you may incur a failing grade. Please let me know of any factors

impeding your attendance early on so we can address this immediately. Students are also

expected to attend class promptly and to attend the entire class session. Those who arrive after I

have checked attendance will be marked tardy; two instances of tardiness will constitute one

absence. If you leave before the session ends, you may receive only partial attendance credit.

Excused absences are related mainly to four factors: observation of a religious holiday, illness or

emergency situation, participation in a university athletic event, and participation in a curricular

or co-curricular activity approved by the appropriate department or office. Before any absence

can be excused and before you will be allowed to make up for any missed work, you must

provide me with proper and official documentation (a doctor’s note or an administrator’s

certification, for example).

On Location Policy: Please consult the Catalog concerning your obligations with regard to co-

curricular activities such as student leadership conferences, athletics, theater competitions, and

others. Students should make appropriate arrangements with me when these occasions arise.

Rockhurst University Statements

Academic Honesty

“Academic honesty includes adherence to guidelines pertaining to integrity established for a

given course as well as those established by the University for conducting academic,

administrative, and research functions. All forms of academic dishonesty or misconduct are

prohibited. The examples given are not intended to be all inclusive of the various kinds of

academic dishonesty, cheating, plagiarism, or misappropriation which may occur.

A. Cheating

1. Copying, or the offering, requesting, receiving or using of unauthorized assistance or

information in examinations, texts, reports, computer programs, term papers or

other assignments.

2. Attempting to change answers after an exam has been submitted.

B. Plagiarism

1. The appropriation of ideas, language, or work of another without sufficient attribution

or acknowledgment that the work is not one’s own.

2. Violations include but are not limited to:

a. submitting as one’s own work material copied from a published source.

b. submitting as one’s own work someone else’s unpublished work.

c. submitting as one’s own work a rewritten or paraphrased version of some one

else’s work.

d. allowing someone or paying someone to write a paper or other assignment to

be submitted as one’s own.

e. utilizing a purchased pre-written paper or other assignment.

C. Manipulation, alteration, or destruction of another student’s academic work or of faculty

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material.”

Please check the catalog for more examples and guidelines.

Special Needs

“Rockhurst University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with

disabilities. Please contact Sandy Waddell, Director of Access Services (Massman Hall, Room 7,

816.501.4689, sandy.waddell@rockhurst.edu) to provide documentation and request

accommodations. If accommodations have already been approved by the Access Office, please

communicate with the instructor(s) of this course regarding these arrangements by the second

week of class in order to coordinate receipt of services.”

Contact Information

“Student contact information must be kept current in order to receive important notices from

Rockhurst University. Your contact information is online via your RockWeb account. Please

check your local address, local phone number, and emergency contact information on RockWeb

and revise as needed. All important University notices will be sent only to your RU email

address. Please check your RU email account in addition to any other email accounts you may

have. Accounts are activated at the Computer Services Help Desk.”

Course Withdrawals

“Course withdrawals are the responsibility of the student. The RU Catalog lists the procedures for

a student to withdraw from one or all courses and will be upheld. If the student does not process

course withdrawal(s) correctly, it will result in a failing grade."

Emergency Procedures

“The Crisis Management Team for Rockhurst University, out of a concern for the safety and

welfare of all community members, urges you to familiarize yourself with Campus Emergency

Procedures as well as emergency, evacuation, and shelter signage located within and outside of

buildings across campus. They also request that you sign up for Rock@lerts, the University’s

emergency communications system. All community members must comply with University staff

instructions during regularly scheduled fire/tornado drills as well as actual emergencies.

Information regarding the above resources can be found at www.rockhurst.edu/emergency.”

Please note: Student work (with no names mentioned) may be shared with a third party in

connection with grant that promotes the development of pedagogical practices. In addition, this

syllabus is subject to change at the professor’s discretion.

Course Calendar

Note: All chapters can be found in Give Me Liberty (GML) text, while all documents (indicated

in italics) can be found America Firsthand. Unless I give other instructions, I strongly recommend

that you write the answers to the focus questions in your notebooks and be ready to share these

during class discussion. Try to cite 2-3 quotes or other forms of evidence from the texts in

supporting your answers.

R 1/14 Introduction – Syllabus and Course Overview

T 1/19 Introduction: Using Sources to Study the Past, pp. 1-7

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Chapter 15: RECONSTRUCTION, pp. 554-568

Focus Questions:

1. What visions of freedom did former slaves and slaveholders pursue

in postwar South?

2. What caused the confrontation between President Johnson and

Congress over Reconstruction policies?

R 1/21 Submit 3 examination booklets---Leave front cover blank and write name on

back cover

Chapter 15, pp. 568-591

From a Sharecropping Contract, p. 567

African Americans during Reconstruction, pp. 22-26

Focus Questions:

3. What were the social and political effects of Radical Reconstruction?

4. By what methods did southern whites seek to limit African-

American civil rights and liberties?

5. What were the main factors for the abandonment of Reconstruction?

T 1/26 Chapter 16: GILDED AGE, pp. 592-602, 616-621

From Andrew Carnegie, “Wealth” (1889), p. 609

Focus Questions:

6. What factors made the U.S. a mature industrial society after the

War?

7. Was the Gilded Age political system effective in meeting its goals?

R 1/28 Chapter 16, pp. 602-616, 621-634

From Ira Seward, “A Second Declaration of Independence,” p. 608

School Days of an Indian Girl, pp. 43-50

Focus Questions:

8. How was the West transformed during this period?

9. How did industrial society exacerbate inequalities in society and how

did workers respond?

T 2/2 Chapter 17: FREEDOM’S BOUNDARIES, pp. 637-658

Agrarian Protests, pp. 83-88

African American Protest, pp. 27-31

Focus Questions:

10. What were the origins and significance of Populism?

11. How were the freedoms of blacks reduced after 1877? How did they

respond?

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R 2/4 Chapter 17, pp. 658-679

From “Aguinaldo’s Case against the United States,” p. 675

A Bintel Brief, pp. 124-130

Focus Questions:

12. Why did workers, famers, and women feel excluded from the

meanings of freedom between 1877-1900?

13. Compare the arguments for and against U.S. imperialism.

T 2/9 Chapter 18: PROGRESSIVE ERA, pp. 681-694

Conditions at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, pp. 88-94

Focus Questions:

14. Why was the city a central element in Progressive America?

15. Describe how Fordism transformed American industrial society.

R 2/11 Chapter 18, pp. 694-724

From Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Women and Economics, p. 698

Focus Questions:

16. What were the motivations, goals and philosophies of

Progressivism?

17. What did feminists want to change in society and how did they

actions spearhead broader reforms?

T 2/16 FIRST EXAM

R 2/18 Chapter 19: WORLD WAR I, pp. 725-744

Last Name A-H Reading Response # 1 due:

From Eugene V. Debs, Speech to the Jury, p. 745

Focus Questions:

18. How did the U.S. get involved in World War I?

19. How did the U.S. mobilize resources and public opinion for the war?

T 2/23 Chapter 19, pp. 744-767

Last Name I-Z Reading Response # 1 due:

From W.E.B. DuBois, “Returning Soldiers,” p. 747

Focus Questions:

20. What were the experiences of German Americans, Mexicans, Puerto

Ricans, Asian-Americans, and African-Americans?

21. What were the major arguments made by Du Bois in his efforts to

expand civil rights in America?

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R 2/25 Chapter 20: TWENTIES, pp. 768-788

From Andre Siegfried, “The Gulf Between,” p. 782

In Defense of the Bible, pp. 150-158

Focus Questions:

22. What were the sources, and limits, of the economic prosperity of the

twenties?

23. In what ways can the 1920s be seen as a “modern” period; in what

ways, as a “conservative” period?

T 3/1 Chapter 20, pp. 788-806

Last Name A-H Reading Response # 2 due:

My Fight for Birth Control, pp. 171-178

Focus Questions:

24. How did the meanings of freedom change for American women?

25. How did Americans experience, explain, and respond to the Great

Depression?

R 3/3 Chapter 21: NEW DEAL, pp. 807-834

From Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Fireside Chat,” p. 830

Focus Questions:

26. What were the major policy initiatives of the New Deal in the

Hundred Days?

27. What were the major initiatives of the Second New Deal?

T 3/8 Chapter 21, pp. 834-849

Taking a Stand: The Sit-Down Strikes of the 1930s, pp. 189-194

Focus Questions:

28. How did the New Deal recast the meaning of American freedom?

29. How did New Deal benefits apply to women and minorities?

R 3/10 Chapter 22: WORLD WAR II, pp.850-869

From Henry R. Luce, The American Century, p. 882

Last Name I-Z Reading Response # 2 due:

Rosie the Riveter, pp. 216-222

Focus Questions:

30. What steps led to American participation in World War II?

31. How did the U.S. mobilize economic resources and promote public

support for the war?

T 3/15 SPRING BREAK

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R 3/17 SPRING BREAK

T 3/22 Chapter 22, pp. 869-893

From Charles H. Wesley, p. 883

Last Name A-H Reading Response # 3 due on one of the following:

Memories of the Internment Camp, pp. 222-228

To Build an Atomic Bomb, pp. 200-208

Focus Questions:

32. How did American minorities face threats to their freedom at home

and abroad?

33. How did the end of the war shape the postwar world?

R 3/24 Alan Brinkley,”The War Transformed American Liberalism” (Blackboard)

What is the legacy of World War II? What are its lessons?

T 3/29 SECOND EXAM

R 3/31 Chapter 23: COLD WAR, pp. 894-910

From Will Herberg, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, p. 924

Focus Questions:

34. What events and ideological conflicts prompted the Cold War?

35. How did the Cold War reshape ideas of American freedom?

T 4/5 Chapter 23, pp. 911-928

From Henry Steele Commager, “Who Is Loyal to America?” p. 925

Blacklisted: The Post World War II Red Scare, pp. 230-237

Focus Questions:

36. What were the major initiatives of Truman’s domestic policies?

37. What effects did anticommunism have on American politics and

culture?

R 4/7 Chapter 24: AFFLUENT SOCIETY, pp. 929-957

Levittown: Making America Suburban, pp. 237-241

Focus Questions:

38. Explain the meaning of the “American standard of living” during the

1950s.

39. How were the 1950s a period of consensus in both domestic policies

and foreign affairs?

T 4/12 Chapter 24, pp. 957-971

From Martin Luther King Jr.,”Speech at Montgomery, Alabama,” p. 959

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Focus Questions:

40. What were the major thrusts of the civil rights movement in this

period?

41. What basic freedoms did African-Americans seek through the civil

rights movement of this period?

R 4/14 Chapter 25: SIXTIES, pp. 972-989

Last Name I-Z Reading Response # 3 due on one of the following:

Feminism and Consciousness-Raising, pp. 265-272

Mississippi Freedom Summer, pp. 275-282

Focus Questions:

42. What were the major events in the civil rights movement of the early

1960s?

43. What were the purposes and strategies of Johnson’s Great Society

programs?

44. How did the civil rights movement change in the mid-1960s?

T 4/19 Chapter 25, pp. 989-1019

From Tom Hayden and Others, The Port Huron Statement, p. 999

Toward Mexican-American Civil Rights, pp. 289-292

Recalling the Stonewall Uprising, pp. 292-297

Focus Questions:

45. How did the Vietnam War transform American politics and culture?

46. What were the sources and significance of the rights revolution of

the late 1960s?

R 4/21 Chapter 26: CONSERVATISM

From Jerry Falwell, Listen America! P. 1049

When PATCO Went on Strike, pp. 317-323

Focus Questions:

47. What were the major policies of the Nixon administration on social

and economic issues?

48. In what ways did the opportunities of most Americans diminish in

the 1970s?

49. How did the Reagan presidency affect Americans both at home and

abroad?

T 4/26 Chapter 27: GLOBALIZATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS

From Bill Clinton, Speech on the Signing of NAFTA, p. 1078

From Global Exchange, p. 1079

Focus Questions:

50. What were the major international initiatives of the Clinton

administration in the aftermath of the Cold War?

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51. What cultural conflicts emerged in the 1990s?

R 4/28 Chapter 28: SEPTEMBER 11 AND THE NEXT AMERICAN CENTURY

From The National Security Strategy, p. 1112

From President Barack Obama, Speech on the Middle East, p. 1113

The Tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, pp. 308-314

Focus Questions:

52. How did the war in Iraq unfold in the wake of 9/11?

53. How did the war on terror affect the economy and American

liberties?

54. What kinds of changes did voters hope for when they elected Barack

Obama?

T 5/3 Last Day of Class: Conclusions and Course Evaluation

R 5/5 FINAL EXAM, 1:00-3:00 pm —in our classroom