DE Individualized Learning

Distance Education Programs INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING COURSE SYLLABUS HIST157: History of the United States Since 1865 (3) Course length: 15 weeks Last revised: 6 October 2003

Course Materials:

Paul S. Boyer (Editor), et. al., The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People,

            Vol. 2, X edition, with cd rom.  

Course Description:

HIST 157 History of the United States Since 1865 (3)

A survey of economic, intellectual, political, and social developments since the Civil War. The rise of industry and the emergence of the United States as a world power are emphasized.  Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: HIST 157 or HUMN 120.

Course Goals/Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:

• Explain and analyze the Reconstruction era, the settling of the West, The Gilded Age, the rise of so-called Progressivism, and the setting of the foundations of modern America

• Discuss and identify the major causes and impacts of the emergence of the United States as industrial world leader, the evolution of political reforms and women's rights movements, domestically, and U.S. participation in World War I

• Explain and discuss the turn to isolationism by the United States in the wake of its experiences in world leadership, the failure of the United States to join the League of Nations, the rise of mass society in the 1920s, and the tension between urban and rural America

• Explain the causes and impacts of the Great Depression, World War II, the rise of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal and the development of the regulatory-welfare-labor state

• Discuss the first phase of the Cold War, from its inception until the 1960 election, the McCarthy and HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) congressional actions, society and culture in the 1950s, and the Civil Rights movement and school integration

• Analyze and explain the second phase of the Cold War, the 1960s, Vietnam, the women's movement, the preponderance of consumer culture, and the new conservative politics

• Discuss the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the end of the Cold War, U.S. involvement in Middle-East conflicts, the rise of globalization, and current events within historical context.

Course Introduction:

The present course is a continuation of the general survey of and introduction to North American, in particular, United States history. It will begin with the period of Reconstruction (1865-1877) following the U.S. Civil War. The foci will be on constitutional, intellectual, socioeconomic, social, cultural, political, and diplomatic themes and developments in American history. Special emphasis will be paid to understanding this history from the diverse perspectives of Americans of all races, ethnic groups, and both genders.  The course will examine the Reconstruction period, the Progressive era, the Twenties, the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, the tumultuous Sixties, the Civil Rights and modern women's movements, and the period up to the present.

The history of the Unites States is not the narrative of one group. It is a chronicle of many groups and individuals, including Africans, Asians, Europeans, and Native Americans as well as the differing perspectives of men and women.  In short, the story of the United States can be compared to a mosaic, combining the rich colors and textures of all the world's cultures and experiences. Recent scholarship attempts to preserve and emphasize the diversity within the broader American experience, enriching but not losing sight of the larger picture formed by the individual segments. As the United States has grown into a dominant world power, this diversity has been a testing ground for the ability of different cultures to live together, albeit sometimes under sometimes challenging circumstances. Today, in the early twenty-first century, a greater appreciation of the complexity of the past and of our contemporary society may offer us the keys for resolving some of the conflicts confronting the United States and the larger world within which we live.

In this course, the organization of topics is mainly chronological, with minor exceptions for thematic reasons. The course comprises seven topics:

1. Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Rise of Urban America, 1865-97
2. The Progressive Era, American Imperialism, and World War I
3. The Twenties: The Birth of the Modern Era and the Politics of "Normalcy," 1920-32
4. FDR, The Great Depression, and World War II at Home and Abroad, 1932-45
5. The Origins of the Cold War and the Culture of Consensus, 1945-60
6. Social Change and the Limits of American Power, 1960-80
7. The end of the Cold War, Globalization, and the New Age of Anxiety, 1980-present 

Grading Information and Criteria:

Reflection essays                      60%  (10% each essay)

Final Examination                      40%

Grades will be determined as follows. The reflection essay grades will constitute 60% (or 10% each) of your final grade.  These should be submitted in accordance with the written directions you received with your class materials.  Each essay should be approximately 800-1000 words in length.  The comprehensive final exam will each constitute 40% of your final grade for this course. 

Grading Scale:

A=	90-100
B=	80-89
C=	70-79
D=	60-69
F=	0-59

Other Information

Any other information the instructor wishes to add. This might include:

¨        General expectations of students, such as hours per week students should expect to devote to the class

¨        Turnaround time for faculty to respond to email and return papers

¨        Unique class procedures or activities (such as cooperative learning exercises, panel presentations, case study methods, class journals or learning logs)

¨        Supplemental objectives (such as development of skills like teamwork, writing, oral presentation; integration of knowledge on focus topics)

¨        Optional activities such as study groups

Project Descriptions

These are the reflection essay topics.  These assignments are intended to highlight the main points of discussion in the reading and to give you a chance to obtain feedback from your instructor about important course material on a regular basis.  Each essay should be submitted in accordance to the directions you received with your course materials.

Essay #1:  Discuss the characteristics and consequences of American industrial expansion during the last quarter of the 19^th century.  What technological, political, and human factors made industrialization possible?  What impact did industrialization have on American economic and social life?  What impact did it have on the country’s urban and natural environments?  On balance, do you find more to praise or criticize about the process of industrialization as it occurred?

Essay #2:  What were the characteristics of the early 20^th-century progressive movement?  What kinds of problems were progressives responding to?  How did progressive agendas lead presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson to expand the power of the federal government?  What do you believe were the greatest successes and shortcomings of the progressive movement?

Essay #3:  What were the causes of the Great Depression?  What impact did the Depression have on American life during the 1930s, and how effectively did President Hoover respond to the economic crisis?  How did the Roosevelt administration respond to the Great Depression?  What can you find to both praise and criticize about the New Deal?

Essay #4:  What were the origins of the Cold War?  Do you believe that either the United States or the Soviet Union was primarily responsible for the onset of the Cold War, or were they equally responsible?  What policies did the Truman administration initiate in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union?  How did anticommunism shape American politics during the late 1940s and early 1950s?

Essay #5:  How did American society and culture transform from the 1950s to the 1970s?  To what degree was American culture of the 1950s one of “consensus and conformity?”  What role did the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the youth counterculture play in shattering this supposed culture of consensus and conformity?

Essay #6:  Why and how has the Middle East become such an important region in American foreign policy in the past several decades?  What are the roots of the crises in the Middle East, and what problems have the United States encountered in this part of the world?  Why do you believe the popular image of America in much of the Middle East is so negative?

Academic Policies

Course Schedule:

Week	Topic and Readings	Due Date/Assignments
Week 1	“Reconstructing the South” Boyer, Chapters 16 Module One
Week 2	“Settling the West” Boyer, Chapter 17 Module One
Week 3	“The Rise of Industrial America” Boyer, Chapters 18-19 Module One	Essay #1 due
Week 4	“Politics, Foreign Policy, and Culture in the Gilded Age” Boyer, Chapters 20-21 Module One
Week 5	“The Progressive Era” Boyer, Chapters 22 Module Two	Essay #2 due
Week 6	“World War I” Boyer, Chapter 23 Module Two
Week 7	“The 1920s” Boyer, Chapter 24 Module Three
Week 8	“The Great Depression and the New Deal” Boyer, Chapters 25 Module Four	Essay #3 due
Week 9	“World War II” Boyer, Chapters 26 and 27 Module Four
Week 10	“The Origins of the Cold War” Boyer, Chapter 28 Module Five	Essay #4 due
Week 11	“Society and Culture in the 1950s” Boyer, Chapter 29 Module Five
Week 12	“The Turbulent 1960s” Boyer, Chapters 30-31 Module Six	Essay #5 due
Week 13	“Society and Politics During the 1970s and 1980s” Boyer, Chapter 32 Module Six
Week 14	“Recent Challenges and Hopes” Boyer, Chapter 33 Module Seven	Essay #6 due
Week 15	FINAL EXAM