History 114: Introduction to Modern American History Professor Michael Flamm Ohio Wesleyan University Elliott Hall: (740) 368-3634 [email protected] Office Hours: M 9:30-10:50 / W 4-5 / F 2-4 (or by appt.) Fall 2009 Texts: • Alan Brinkley, The Unfinished Nation (Vol. II; Fifth Edition)* • David Von Drehle, Triangle: The Fire that Changed America* • E.B. Sledge, With the Old Breed* • John Ehrman and Michael Flamm, Debating the Reagan Presidency* All texts are available at the bookstore. The * indicates the text is also on reserve in the library. Grades: • Participation 10 percent • Preparation 45 percent • Exams 45 percent Participation will include regular attendance, informed discussion, in-class assignments, and a mandatory conference. The discussion questions serve as a general guide to particular topics. Preparation will include reading essays, memos, quizzes, and worksheets. Exams will include two hourlies and a final. I will drop the lowest earned preparation grade and reward improvement on exams over the course of the semester. Students should in turn expect to demonstrate a sense of responsibility by using the restroom in advance and arriving on time – lateness is disruptive and disrespectful. Please turn off cell phones and refrain from texting or eating during class. Deadlines: • September 2: Reading worksheet #1 (“Cross of Gold”) • September 16: Reading worksheet #2 (von Drehle) • September 23: Hourly exam #1 • October 21 : Reading essay (Sledge) • October 31 : Hourly exam #2 • November 9: Reading rewrite (optional) • December 9: Reading quiz (Ehrman/Flamm) • December ??: Final exam Late work – when accepted – will result in substantial penalties (one full letter grade per day). If you need an extension, contact me in advance – not the day the assignment is due. Academic misconduct such as plagiarism or cheating will lead to severe sanctions in full accordance with university policy. For changes or updates, please consult Blackboard.Topics and Assignments (due in class that day unless otherwise announced): Course Introduction The Construction of the “New South” Due: Brinkley, chapter 15 Discussion: 1) How “new” was the “New South”? 2) Who had the better approach to African-American advancement at the time, Du Bois or Washington? Why? Industrialization and Immigration Due: Brinkley, chapter 17 Discussion: 1) What was the main cause of American industrialization? 2) Why did the “New Immigrants” face greater hostility than the “Old Immigrants”? The Battle for Industrial America Due: Begin Von Drehle, Triangle Discussion: What was the main reason for the failure of labor unions in this period? The American Farmer and the Populist Movement Due: Brinkley, chapter 19; reading worksheet (see Blackboard) on “Cross of Gold” (packet) Discussion: 1) What was the most important legacy of the election of 1896? Why? 2) Was the Populist Party a success or a failure? Why? The American City and the Progressive Movement Due: Brinkley, chapters 18 and 21 Discussion: 1) What was the main challenge faced by cities? 2) What was the main obstacle faced by the Progressives? The “Progressive” Presidents: Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Due: Brinkley, chapter 22 Discussion: Who was the most “progressive” president? American Expansionism Due: Brinkley, chapter 20; continue Von Drehle, Triangle Discussion: 1) What was the most important cause and consequence of American expansionism? 2) Was the creation of the “American empire” a positive or negative development? Why? The Road to World War I Due: Brinkley, chapter 23 Discussion: What was the main reason for U.S. entry into World War I? Week One: August 24-28 Week Two: August 31-September 4 Week Three: September 7-11 Week Four: September 14-18The “Great War”: Over There and Over Here Due: Finish Von Drehle, Triangle Discussion: 1) Why was the “Great War” so devastating? 2) How was American society affected by the war? The Struggle for Suffrage Due: Reading worksheet (see Blackboard) on Von Drehle, Triangle Discussion: 1) What were some of the causes of division and sources of tension within the women’s movement? 2) Who was the most important suffragette? Why? 3) What was the greatest tragedy of the Triangle Fire? The “Lost Peace”: Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations Due: Prepare for exam Discussion: Was Wilson primarily responsible for the failure of the U.S. to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and join the League of Nations? The Search for Enemies Due: Prepare for exam Discussion: 1) Was the Red Scare an inevitable outgrowth of World War I? 2) Why was the Second Klan so popular for a time? EXAM #1 The “New Negro” and the Harlem Renaissance Due: Brinkley, chapter 24; “The Great Black Migration” (packet) Discussion: 1) How did World War I affect black Americans? 2) Why according to “The Great Black Migration” were so many black Americans moving to the North? No Class Due: Begin Sledge, With the Old Breed The Clash of Cultures: Prohibition and Fundamentalism Due: “The Menace of Darwinism” (packet); continue Sledge, With the Old Breed Discussion: 1) Was Prohibition a dismal failure or “noble experiment”? 2) Why were the cultural clashes of the 1920s so intense? The “New Era”: Women and Youth Due: “Petting on Campus” and “Drinking on Campus” (packet) Discussion: 1) To what extent did the image of the “New Woman” match reality? 2) What do the documents reveal about college life in the 1920s? Week Five: September 21-25 Week Six: September 28-October 2 Week Seven: October 5-9The Great Depression: Causes and Consequences Due: Brinkley, chapter 25 Discussion: 1) What was the main cause of the Great Depression? 2) Which were worse, the physical or psychological consequences, and who suffered most? Hoover, Roosevelt, and the Coming of the New Deal Due: Brinkley, chapter 26; continue Sledge, With the Old Breed Discussion: 1) To what extent are the popular or conventional images of Hoover and Roosevelt accurate? 2) Why do they remain so powerful and prevalent? The New Deal: Achievements and Limits Due: “The New Deal in History and Historiography” (packet) Discussion: 1) Was the New Deal a success or a failure? In what