History 114: Introduction to Modern American History Professor Michael Flamm Ohio Wesleyan University Elliott Hall: (740) 368-3634 [email protected] Office Hours: M, 12-1; W, 4-6, F, 2-3 (or by appt.) Spring 2011 Texts: • Alan Brinkley, The Unfinished Nation (Vol. II; Sixth Edition)* • Eleanor Clift, Founding Sisters* • John Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson* • 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: • Class participation 10 percent • Class preparation 45 percent • Class exams 45 percent Class participation will include regular attendance, informed discussion, in-class assignments, the Reagan debate, and a mandatory conference. The discussion questions serve as a general guide to particular topics. Class preparation will include reading essays, memos, quizzes, and worksheets. Class exams will include two hourlies and a final. In this category, I will reward improvement over the course of the semester. Students should also 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: • January 24: Reading worksheet (“Cross of Gold”) • February 7: Reading essay #1 (Clift) • February 18: Hourly exam #1 • March 14: Reading essay #2 (Chalberg) • March 25: Hourly exam #2 • April 18: Reading quiz (Ehrman / Flamm) • May ??: 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”? No Class Due: Begin Brinkley, chapters 18 and 20 The American City and the Progressive Movement Due: Finish Brinkley, chapters 18 and 20 Discussion: 1) What was the main challenge faced by cities? 2) What was the main obstacle faced by the Progressives? No Class Due: Begin Clift, Founding Sisters The American Farmer and the Populist Movement Due: Brinkley, chapter 19; reading worksheet on “Cross of Gold” (Blackboard) 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 Road to World War I Due: Brinkley, chapter 21; continue Clift, Founding Sisters Discussion: What was the main reason for U.S. entry into World War I? The “Great War”: Over There and Over Here Due: Continue Clift, Founding Sisters Discussion: 1) Why was the “Great War” so devastating? 2) How was American society affected by the war? Week One: January 10-14 Week Two: January 17-21 Week Three: January 24-28 January 25: Special Branch Rickey Presentation (John Chalberg) Benes Rooms (7:30 pm) -- attendance requiredThe “Lost Peace”: Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations Due: Continue Clift, Founding Sisters 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: Brinkley, chapter 22 Discussion: 1) Was the Red Scare an inevitable outgrowth of World War I? 2) Why was the Second Klan so popular for a time? No Class Due: Finish Clift, Founding Sisters The Struggle for Suffrage Due: Reading essay #1 (Clift) 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? The “New Negro” and the Harlem Renaissance Due: Begin Brinkley, chapters 23-24 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? The Clash of Cultures: Prohibition and Fundamentalism Due: Finish Brinkley, chapters 23-24 Discussion: 1) Was Prohibition a dismal failure or “noble experiment”? 2) Why were the cultural clashes of the 1920s so intense? The Great Depression: Causes and Consequences Due: Prepare for exam Discussion: 1) What was the main cause of the Great Depression? 2) Which were worse, the physical or psychological consequences, and who suffered most? The New Deal: Achievements and Limits Due: “The New Deal in History and Historiography” (Blackboard) Discussion: 1) Was the New Deal a success or a failure? In what sense? 2) With which interpretation of the New Deal in the packet do you agree? Why? EXAM #1 Week Four: January 31-February 4 Week Five: February 7-11 Week Six: February 14-18The Road to World War II Due: Brinkley, chapter 25; begin Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson Discussion: 1) Did the U.S. practice appeasement during the 1930s? 2) Was FDR aware in advance of Japanese plans to attack Pearl Harbor? The War at Home Due: Brinkley, chapter 26; continue Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson Discussion: 1) How was the impact of World War II similar to and/or different from the impact of World War I? 2) Which developments had the greatest long-term significance? The “Good War”: Security and Morality Due: Continue Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson Discussion: 1) Was the U.S. right to intern Americans of Japanese ancestry? 2) Was the U.S. right to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The Cold War: Causes and Controversies Due: Brinkley, chapter 27 Discussion: Was the Cold War unavoidable? If not, who was primarily to blame? The Cold War: Containment and Confrontation Due: Continue Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson Discussion: 1) Was containment a successful policy for the