History 114: Introduction to Modern American History Professor Michael Flamm Ohio Wesleyan University Elliott Hall: (740) 368-3634 [email protected] Office Hours: M-W-F 3-4 pm (or by appointment) Spring 2006 Texts: • Alan Brinkley, The Unfinished Nation (Vol. II; Fourth Edition)* • Eleanor Clift, Founding Sisters* • John Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson* • Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July* All texts are available at the bookstore. The * indicates the text is also on reserve in the library. Requirements: • Participation 10 percent • Essay #1 15 percent • Essay #2 15 percent • Exam #1 15 percent • Exam #2 15 percent • Exam #3 30 percent Class participation will include regular attendance and informed discussion. Significant improvement will receive appropriate recognition. Deadlines: • February 10 Essay #1 • February 17 Exam #1 • March 20 Essay #2 • March 29 Exam #2 • April 24 Essay #3 (optional) • May 10 Exam #3 Late work will result in substantial penalties (one full letter grade per day). Academic misconduct will lead to severe sanctions in full accordance with university policy.Topics and Readings (due that day): Course Introduction The Construction of the “New South” Due: Brinkley, chapter 15 (419-427) 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? The Conquest of the “Old West” Due: Brinkley, chapter 16 Discussion: 1) Why were Native Americans unable to defend their lands? 2) Was the U.S. guilty of cultural genocide in relation to American Indians? The American Farmer and the Populist Movement Due: Brinkley, chapter 19 (522-533) 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? 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: Brinkley, chapter 18 Discussion: What was the main reason for the failure of labor unions in this period? The American City and the Progressive Movement Due: Brinkley, chapter 21 Discussion: 1) What was the main obstacle faced by the Progressives? 2) What was the most effective weapon at their disposal? The “Progressive” Presidents: Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Due: Brinkley, chapter 22 (581-593) Discussion: 1) What incident from Bell most moved you? Why? 2) How “progressive” were the “Progressive Presidents”? Week One: January 16-20 Week Two: January 23-27 Week Three: January 30-February 3American Expansionism Due: Brinkley, chapter 20 and chapter 22 (593-601) 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 22 (603-615) Discussion: What was the main reason for U.S. entry into World War I? The “Great War”: Over There and Over Here Due: Finish Clift, Founding Sisters Discussion: 1) Why was the “Great War” so devastating? 2) How was American society affected by the war? The Struggle for Suffrage Due: Essay #1 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 “Lost Peace”: Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations Due: Brinkley, chapter 23 (615-624) 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 “Bitter Peace”: Strikes, Reds, and Nativism Due: Prepare for exam Discussion: 1) Was the “Bitter Peace” an inevitable outgrowth of World War I? 2) Is the U.S. on the verge of another Red Scare? Why or why not? 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 African Americans? 2) How has the Harlem Renaissance affected American culture? The “New Era”: Women and Youth Due: “Petting on Campus” and “Drinking on Campus” (packet) Week Four: February 6-10 Week Five: February 13-17 Week Six: February 20-24Discussion: 1) To what extent did the image of the “New Woman” match reality? 2) Was the emergence of the “New Youth” a positive development? The Clash of Cultures: The KKK and Fundamentalism Due: “The Scopes Trial” (packet) Discussion: Why were the cultural clashes of the 1920s so intense? The Great Depression: Causes and Consequences Due: Brinkley, chapter 25 (649-667) 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 25 (667-672) and chapter 26 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 (I): Achievements Due: Continue Chalberg, Rickey and Robinson Discussion: 1) Were the most important achievements of the New Deal concrete or symbolic, short-term or long-term? 2) Were they primarily positive or negative? The New Deal (II): Limits Due: “The New Deal in History and Historiography” (packet) Discussion: 1) What were the most important limits or constraints upon the New Deal? 2) Which interpretation of the New Deal seems most plausible? Why? The Road to World War II Due: Brinkley, chapter 27 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 World at War Due: Brinkley, chapter 28 Discussion: 1) Could Hitler have won? Why or why not? 2) Why were the Allies able to defeat Germany and Japan? The War at Home Week Seven: February 27-March 3 Week Eight: March 6-10 Week Nine: March 13-17 (University Holiday) Week Ten: March 20-24Due: Essay #2 Discussion: 1) How was the impact of World War II similar to and/or different