Hist 2020—003 American History Since ... - History 2020-003



Hist 2020—003 American History Since 1865 (Spring 2018) Instructor Information:Instructor: William E. HardyOffice: Henderson Hall, 113Office Hours: T/R 11:00-11:50 a.m., 3:00-4:00 p.m., & by appointmentContact Information: whardy@tntech.edu; 931.372.6548Class Meeting Information: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12:00-1:20 p.m., Henderson Hall, Rm. 205Course Description:To understand who we are as a nation requires knowledge of our natural origins. This course is an introductory survey of American history arranged chronologically from the end of the American Civil War to the twenty-first century. This course explores the significant events and individuals of America's past and present; however, it is by no means a complete survey of the period. Rather, our study will focus on ideas, cultural trends, social movements, development of institutions, and the effects of economic and political changes in American society. The primary theme of the course is FREEDOM—its changing meanings, its promise, its limits, and the continuing efforts of Americans to define and achieve it.Course Objectives:Students will gain an understanding of the process by which history is constructed thereby developing historical—critical and analytical—thinking skills. This means students will not simply memorize facts but will be able to explain the past and why such knowledge is important to us. By the end of the semester students should have an understanding of the key social, political, and economic events in modern America, from the post-Civil War era to the twenty-first century. Students will read a variety of primary and secondary sources for information about and perspective on the past, synthesize information from these sources, and draw conclusions based on answering questions and persuading through writing.Course Textbooks:Kristin L. Hoganson, American Empire at the Turn of the Twentieth Century: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford, 2017) ISBN: 978-0-312-67705-3David Howard-Pitney, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford, 2004) ISBN: 978-0-312-39505-6Course Website:All course materials (syllabus, primary source document readings, assignment guidelines, lecture outlines, Voice Threads, etc.) may be found on the course website: () (No passwords or invitations required to access this site).Course Requirements & Policies:AttendanceAttendance is a vital part of success in this course. Each student is expected to attend class and arrive on time. Students should be prepared—having read the assigned materials (especially documents) before class—to actively participate by taking notes and engage in class discussion. Each student is responsible for materials missed as a result of any absence (make a friend in class, someone who will be willing to share lecture notes if you miss class and vice versa & even be a study buddy—the instructor does not provide lecture notes or PPTs to students).Primary Source Document ReadingsA number of primary source (original) documents will be assigned to accompany lectures throughout the semester and will be discussed in class. All assigned primary source documents can be found on the course website under the "Outlines and Documents" tab. Students are encouraged to print these documents and bring them to class or take detailed notes for reference in discussions. PoliciesPlease silence all cell phones before class. Recording devices are not permitted without official university documentation to be provided to me by the student. If a student is unable to attend class due to an emergency/university obligation, the student is responsible for providing the professor with official documentation and scheduling, if necessary, any make-up work within a reasonable amount of time (i.e. the next class attended) of their return to the classroom. All unexcused absences/makeup work must be resolved immediately once contacted by your professor.Coursework (Writing Assignments, Exams, Attendance) & Grading Scale:Writing Assignments(2) writing assignments, based on the required course textbooks, will score a total of 50 pts. (25 pts. each). The guidelines for these writing assignments can be found on the course website under the "Assignments" tab. Late work will be deducted 5 points per day (5 point deductions begin on the assignment's deadline). Exams(3) non-cumulative exams, taken in class, will score a total of 150 points (60 pts. each). Each exam will consist of a combination of Matching; Multiple Choice & True/False; and a Short Essay on the Theme of Freedom, all of which are derived from lecture & primary source documents for the exam period. Bonus questions in any format (multiple choice, true/false, or fill-in-the blank) will appear at the end of each exam.Note on exam policy: 1.) Once the student exits the rooms, their exam is over. 2.) No make-up exams will be given w/o official university documentation. If approved, all make-up exams will either be in full essay format or in the same format as listed above, & must be taken during Dead Hour (10:50-11:50 a.m.) on the date of the next class after the scheduled exam. Any bonus questions may be included (only) at the professor’s discretion.Note on Extra Bonus Point Opportunities: Due to Bonus Points being made available on the regular scheduled exams: 1. there are no Bonus Point Opportunities in this course & 2.) there will be no FINAL GRADES rounded up at the end of the semester.AttendanceAs described above, Attendance (participation) is expected and required for success in the course. Attendance will score a total of 15 points. Excessive absences, defined in this course as 4 or more unexcused absences, will be penalized by the loss of 5 points of the attendance grade per absence (thus on the 4th unexcused absence, 4 points will be deducted). A reasonable number of excused absences (with a note submitted at the next class attended) may be allowed at the discretion of the professor. While it is always appreciated by your professor, simply e-mailing or leaving a message explaining one's absence is not an excused absence. Grading ScaleYour Hist 2010 grade is based on a 240 point scale. Points are earned as follows:Writing Assignments = 50 points (2 Writing Assignments @ 25 pts. each) Exams = 180 points (3 Exams @ 60 pts. each)Attendance = 15 pointsTotal = 245 pointsGrading scale: A = 245-220 pts.; B = 219-195 pts.; C = 194-171 pts.; D = 170-145 pts.; F = 144-0 pts.Methods of Instruction:Information will be presented in this course through classroom lectures and, when necessary, brief Voice Thread lectures posted on the course website and/or (links to Voice Thread lectures) sent by email to the entire class; students should be prepared to take clear and effective notes. Lecture Outlines, which can be printed for each student’s convenience, can be found on the course website—typically posted by midnight prior to the next class—under the "Outlines and Documents" tab. Students should be prepared to actively participate in classroom discussions based on the assigned course textbook readings and all electronically scanned primary source documents posted on the course website. At times during the semester, STUDENTS WILL BE CALLED ON to read passages from primary source material in lecture PPT slides. Informational Literacy/Technological Resources:Students should be able to access the Internet for the course website, as well as student e-mail on the TTU website. All course announcements, Voice Threads, assignments, and other information will be disseminated by TTU e-mail and posted on the course website.University Policies:Students with Disabilities PolicyStudents with a disability requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). An Academic Adjustment form?should be completed as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the first week of the course. The ODS is located in the Roaden University Center, Room 112; phone 372-6119. Discrimination, Scholastic Dishonesty, Cheating, and Plagiarism PoliciesThese policies can be found the Learning Support Plagiarism website (). When you summarize, paraphrase (put someone else’s ideas into your own words), quote, or borrow data from someone else, you must indicate your source. Failure to do so is plagiarizing. Students who plagiarize will receive a 0 for the assignment. Students should be aware that the university policies regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism will be strictly enforced in this class. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, may result in a grade of “F” for the course. Tennessee Tech University's Weather PolicyA copy of TTU's weather policy can found at Student Handbook Inclement Weather policy website (). Note: Should class be cancelled due to weather/professor’s absence, a notice may be sent out via e-mail with a Voice Thread lecture for missed class content.Mission Statements:Tennessee Tech University's Mission StatementTTU's Mission and Vision Statements can be found at of History Mission StatementThe Department of History offers a wide array of courses to diverse student populations.? The Department provides General Education instruction to a large number of students in the state-required American history sequence, while Western and World Civilization sequences satisfy TBR humanities requirements.? In addition, Department faculty offers numerous specialized courses that attract majors and non-majors alike.?The Department has developed and maintains a comprehensive and successful curriculum for history majors.? The programs are designed to provide future historians with the tools and knowledge for successful graduate study in the discipline, and to prepare graduates for careers in education, law, public service or business.? Majors are expected to think analytically, ascertain facts and make objective judgments, and write clearly, communicating the results of reasoned analysis. The department shares with the University both its broader commitment to cross-cultural understanding and its special obligation to serve the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee.Course Schedule:Note: The course schedule is subject to change as the course may, from time to time, fall behind the topics listed below. The most up-to-date course schedule with assigned primary source documents to read can be found on the course website under the "Outlines and Documents" tab.DateCourse Schedule (see course website for a detailed schedule of readings)Week 1:Jan. 16 –No Class Jan. 18 – Lecture #1: Course Introduction & Lincoln's Post-Civil War Vision Week 2:Jan. 23 –Lecture #2: “What is Freedom?” Reconstruction, 1865-1877—Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction Jan. 25 – Lecture #3: “What is Freedom?” The Overthrow of Reconstruction—Violence and Redemption in the New SouthWeek 3:Jan. 30 –Lecture #4: America’s Gilded Age, 1870-1890—The Second Industrial RevolutionFeb. 1 –Lecture #5: America’s Gilded Age, 1870-1890—West of AppomattoxWeek 4:Feb. 6 –Lecture #6: Freedom’s Boundaries, at Home and Abroad, 1890-1900—The Populist Challenge & the Jim Crow SouthFeb. 8 –Lecture #7: Freedom’s Boundaries, at Home and Abroad, 1890-1900—Becoming a World PowerWriting Assignment #1 DUE (see "Assignment" tab on course website for guidelines)Week 5:Feb. 13 –EXAM #1 [Note: Tested on materials up to this point]Feb. 15 –Lecture #8: The Progressive Era, 1890-1916—Immigration & Lewis Hine, Jacob Riis, & How the Other Half LivesWeek 6:Feb. 20 –Lecture #9: The Progressive Era, 1890-1916— The Politics of ProgressivismFeb. 22 –Lecture #10: Safe for Democracy: The United States and World War I, 1916-1920 Week 7:Feb. 27 –Lecture #11: Safe for Democracy: The United States and World War I, 1916-1920March 1 –Lecture #12: Safe for Democracy: The United States and World War I, 1916-1920—Red Summer & Women’s SuffrageWeek 8:March 6-8 – Spring Break (NO CLASSES)Week 9:March 13 –Lecture #13: From Business Culture to Great Depression: The Roaring Twenties March 15 –Lecture #14: From Business Culture to Great Depression: The Great DepressionWeek 10:March 20 –Lecture #15: The New Deal, 1932-1940March 22 –Lecture #16: Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II, 1941-1945Week 11:March 27 –Lecture #17: Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II, 1941-1945March 29 –EXAM #2 [Note: Tested on all materials covered from Lectures 8-#17] Week 12:April 3 –Lecture #18: The United States and the Cold War, 1945-1953April 5 –Lecture #19: An Affluent Society—From IKE to JFKWeek 13:April 10 –Lecture #20: The Freedom "Civil Rights" MovementApril 12 –Lecture #21: The SixtiesWeek 14:April 17 –Lecture #22: The Sixties, 1960-1968Writing Assignment #2 DUE (see "Assignment" tab on course website for guidelines)April 19 –Lecture #23: The Sixties and SeventiesWeek 15:April 24 –Lecture #24: The Triumph of Conservatism, Post-Cold War World, A New Century, & New CrisesApril 26 –EXAM #3 [Note: Tested on all materials covered from Lectures #18-#25]Instructor's Policy: The instructor reserves the right to revise, alter and/or amend this syllabus, as necessary. Students will be notified in class and/or by e-mail of any such revisions, alterations, and/or amendments. ................
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