U.S. HISTORY 1870 TO PRESENT, HIS 104 COURSE OUTLINE AND SYLLABUS Fall 2009 Prof. D. Foxx, CL11 Class meets Wednesdays, 7:10 – 9:55 P.M. A. PURPOSES OF THE COURSE 1. To orient the student in the history of the United States from the Reconstruction Era to the Present. 2. To provide basic and accurate information on the development of this country during this period with particular emphasis on those aspects which aid in the understanding of contemporary developments. 3. To introduce the student to the ideas of some of the men and women who have made America and to provoke thoughtful and critical analysis of those ideas. 4. To stimulate in the student a sense of the inevitability of change, and a desire to apply the lessons of history in the discharge of responsibilities as a citizen. 5. To persuade the student that history is to be thought about, not merely learned, and that it can be a very risky business to say, “History proves…” Also to persuade the student that the study of history can be much more exciting than reading facts in the cold pages of a book. B. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Class members will be required to read the assigned chapters in the textbook. Class discussions may or may not parallel these readings, but students will be responsible for information in class discussions. 2. Each student is expected to be in attendance at all class meetings. After accumulating three (3) absences a student may be dropped from the class. Partial absences will be counted and accumulated to total three (3) absences (the maximum allowed). Unexcused absences—partial or otherwise—may result in a lower grade. The student will also be responsible for attending to any administrative or paper work dealing with his/her enrollment, i.e., proper registration, fees, withdrawing from class/school, etc. It is important to keep this in mind as any or all of these could determine the final grade for the course. 3. Please do not assume that if you stop coming to class that you will automatically receive a “W” or no credit. The student is responsible for proper withdrawal prior to the published deadlines; otherwise a failing grade may result. 4. All assignments and examinations must be completed and submitted by the assigned deadlines.2 C. EXAMINATIONS Three exams, including the final, will be given based on the text, class lectures and class discussions with emphasis on the latter two sources of information. These will be predominantly objective exams, but essays may also be given. D. GRADING Each exam will be worth 100 points. A student can, therefore, earn a total of 300 points for the course. The final grade is determined by totaling the maximum number of points earned on each exam and dividing by the total number of exams. EXAMPLE: 1st Exam = 89 2nd Exam = 85 3rd Exam = 96 TOTAL 270 270 divided by 3 = 90 (final grade) Assignments for extra credit may be arranged with the instructor. E. OTHER It is this instructor’s policy to maintain a comfortable and open classroom environment in which all students may feel free to ask questions, make comments or otherwise appropriately express themselves. It is hoped that all students will avail themselves of this opportunity, take class seriously, and attend class regularly. If at any time you have difficulty understanding the information being presented please feel free to ask questions. I welcome discussion, appropriate comments and questions in class. Also please feel free to discuss with me during break time or after class any concerns you may have, either with the subject or with the presentation. Please remember courtesy to others in the classroom and that each person’s behavior can influence the learning of others. Please also remember academic integrity. It’s your money and time, and what you learn depends largely on your making this a good learning experience by attending and participating in class and doing your own work. I hope you will find this an enjoyable learning experience and that you have much success in this class as well as your other studies. GOOD LUCK! Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group of students.3 COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS -- HIS 104 Date Topic Chapters Aug. 26 Introduction, Reconstruction 17 Sept. 2 Politics, Grant to Harrison 17, 18, 19 9 The West, Industrialization 18, 19, 20 16 Economic Revolution, Railroads, and Farmers 19, 20, 21 23 The Farm Revolt and Rise of the Populists 20, 21 30 FIRST EXAM America’s Rise to World Power 20, 21, 22, 23 Oct. 7 The Progressives, Roosevelt to Wilson 22, 23 14 The Road to War 23, 24, 25 21 World War I, Aftermath 24, 25, 26 28 Peace, Prosperity, and Warren Harding 24, 26, 27 Nov. 4 SECOND EXAM Coolidge, Hoover, The Great Depression, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31 FDR and the New Deal 25, 26 11 VETERAN’S DAY—NO CLASS 18 Background to War World War II 25, 26 25 World War II 26, 28 Dec. 2 The Cold War, Korea, Vietnam 27, 30, 31, 32 9 Wrap-up, Carter to Present 29, 30, 31, 32 16 FINAL