Survey of American History II Fall 2004
Syllabus & Course Outline
Course Description
A survey of American history from Reconstruction to the present. [1877-2004]
Instructor
Gregory D. Pryor Office phone: 931-403-3205
Associate Professor of History Toll free: 800-563-8220
Volunteer State Community College E-mail: Greg.Pryor@volstate.edu
You are encouraged to call or e-mail me if you have questions. If I am not in the office when you call, leave a message which includes your name, the class in which you are enrolled, and a telephone number where I can reach you. I will return your call during my next regularly-scheduled office hours. You are also welcome to stop by my office (see office hours listed below) and talk. If you need to see me and cannot come by the office during those hours, please make an appointment.
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Monday - Wednesday - Friday |
Tuesday - Thursday |
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10:00 – 11:30 |
11:00 - 12:00 |
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1:30 - 3:00 |
1:00 - 2:30 |
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5:00 - 6:00 (Tuesday only) |
Textbook
The American Promise: A History of the United States; Vollume II: from 1865.
[2nd Compact Edition] by James L. Roark, et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
Important Safety Tip
In this class we will cover the major events that have occurred in American history over the last 125 years, including the entire 20th century. This means that it is extremely important for you to :
(1) come to class (approximately 85% of each test will come from the class
discussions);
(2) do the readings assigned in the textbook; and
(3) take good notes over both the class discussions and the text.
Doing these three things properly will take some time outside of class. I suggest that you review your notes and do your readings before each class meeting; that way, if you have any questions, I can answer them at the beginning of the class period. Be sure you know:
(1) WHEN the event in question took place;
(2) WHAT the event in question involved; and
(3) WHY that event was important historically.
(i.e., how did it affect the course of a significant later event?)
If you have problems coming up with an answer to any of these three questions, contact me - I can usually steer you in the right direction in a few minutes.
Grades
All test grades will be assessed on the following grading scale:
|
Letter Grade |
Percentage Grade |
Quality Points |
|
A –, A, A+ |
90 - 100 |
4.0, 4.5, 4.75 |
|
B –, B, B+ |
80 - 89 |
3.0, 3.5, 3.75 |
|
C –, C, C+ |
70 - 79 |
2.0, 2.5, 2.75 |
|
D –, D, D+ |
60 - 69 |
1.0, 1.5, 1.75 |
|
F |
0 - 59 |
0.0, 0.5 |
Final grades will be determined by taking the average of your three exam grades. Final grades will be assessed on a standard 4.0 scale.
You
are expected to do your own work. Cheating on an exam will result in a
grade of “F” / 0 / 0.0 being assigned for that exam.
Exams
There will be three exams given during the semester, each covering approximately one third of the material presented in the course. Students will have the entire class period to complete each exam. Each exam will consist of three sections:
I. Essay (40%) In a well-written narrative essay, discuss a major era in American
history. An essay should be not less than two and not more than
five pages long.
II. Short In a well-written paragraph, identify a significant event in American
Answer (30%) history, including (1) when it happened; (2) what it involved; and
(3) why it was important to a future event.
III. Multiple On 10-20 questions, select the correct answer from a list of four
Choice (30%) possibilities. Be sure to read the question carefully before
answering.
Exams will be given approximately every five weeks; exact dates are listed in the course outline. We will spend part of the period before the exam reviewing the material to be covered. It is your responsibility to be present for each of the scheduled exams.
If circumstances (sudden illness, etc.) keep you from taking an exam at the scheduled time, then you may request a makeup exam, which may or may not be granted at the instructor’s discretion: be prepared to present documentation explaining why you were unable to complete the exam at the scheduled time. If granted, makeup exams will be scheduled at the convenience of the instructor. All makeup exams must be completed within one week of the official exam date.
Fall Semester 2004
Important Calendar Dates
Thursday December 14 Final exam
"It is the intent of Volunteer State Community College to fully comply with Executive Order 11246, as amended, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, as amended, and all regulations implementing those laws and orders, for the promotion and ensuring of equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or status as a qualified disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. It is the intent of VSCC to be free of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, or physical appearance. It is the intent of VSCC to fully comply with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the CRA of 1991, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, the Age discrimination in Employment Act of 1976, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicable state status and all regulations promulgated pursuant thereto."
VSCC Diabilities Statement
It is the student’s responsibility to self identify with the Office of Disability Services in order to receive accommodations. Only those students with appropriate documentation will receive services. Disability Services is located in the Wood Campus Center, Suite C206B.
VSCC Title IX Statement
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 20 U.S.C. § 1681.
VSCC
Financial Aid Statement
Students who are receiving Title IV financial assistance (Pell Grant, Student Loan or SEOG Grant) must regularly attend class or be subject to repay PART or ALL of the Federal Financial Aid received for the semester.
VSCC Academic Integrity Statement
Academic misconduct includes plagiarism, copying, cheating or other forms of academic dishonesty. Academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance is prohibited. The instructor has the primary responsibility for control over classroom behavior and maintenance of academic integrity and can order the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive conduct or conduct violative of the general rules and regulations of the institution.
Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are immediately responsible to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed through the regular institutional procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign an F or a zero for the exercise of examination or to assign an F in the course.
Plagiarism is the act of using another's words or ideas as your own without proper attribution. (If you are unsure about how or when to cite sources, please see me!) Acts of plagiarism or cheating will result in a failing grade for the course and initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
Introduction to the Course. 8-31
I. The Gilded Age, 1877-1900. Chapter 18
A. Economic development (from readings in text)
1. Railroads: Jay Gould and stock speculation.
2. Steel: Andrew Carnegie and “vertical integration”.
3. Oil: John D. Rockefeller and “horizontal integration” (trusts).
4. Technology: Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison.
5. Banking: J.P. Morgan and corporate (finance) capitalism.
B. Social change.
1. Social Darwinism and “survival of the fittest”.
2. The Social Gospel and the rise of evangelicalism.
C. Political stagnation.
1. Republicans, the “Bloody Shirt”, and party strife.
2. Democrats, the “Lost Cause”, and the “Solid South”.
3. “Jim Crow”. Chapter 21
a. Plessey vs. Ferguson (1896).
b. Booker T. Washington and the “five fingers” strategy.
c.W.E.B. DuBois and the N.A.A.C.P.
II. Early Reform Movements. 9-3
A. Organized labor. Chapter 19, 20
1. The Knights of Labor and the Haymarket Square incident, 1886.
2. Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor.
3. Labor strife: Homestead (1892) and the Pullman (1894) strike.
B. Populism. Chapter 20
1. Railroad regulation, greenbacks, and nativism.
2. The “Cross of Gold” in 1896.
3. Populism and the “color line” in the South.
III. The Progressive Era, 1900-1920. 9-14 Chapter 21
A. The reform impulse.
1. The impact of the Spanish-American War, 1898.
2. Status revolution and the managerial class.
B. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-08) and the Square Deal.
1. The “Fair Deal” and the United Mine Workers Strike, 1902.
2. Trust-busting and the Northern Securities Case, 1904.
3. Other reforms and the “muckrakers”.
C. William Howard Taft (1908-12) and the Old Guard.
1. The tariff issue.
2. The Ballinger-Pinchot scandal.
D. Woodrow Wilson (1912-20) and the Great War (World War I). Chapter 22
1. The 16th , 17th ,18th , and 19th Amendments.
2. “Over There”: American neutrality and intervention.
3. The impact of the Great War at home and abroad.
IV. The Roaring Twenties. 9-21 Chapter 22-23 A. The Red Scare (1921).
1. Causes: domestic and foreign.
2. Results: Sacco and Vanzetti, immigration restrictions, etc.
B. New Era Industrial Capitalism, 1921-29.
1. Henry Ford and the assembly line.
2. Supply-side economics.
C. Social changes and the rise of modernism.
1. The “Lost Generation”.
2. Prohibition: flappers, bootleggers, and bathtub gin.
3. Woman’s suffrage: Alice Paul and Margaret Sanger.
4. The Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance.
5. Modernism and the Ku Klux Klan.
6. The Scopes “Monkey Trial”, 1925.
Test #1 Tuesday September 28th
Part Two: The United States becomes a superpower
IV. The Great Depression and the New Deal, 1929-1941. 10-5 Ch. 23-24
A. The Crash of 1929.
1. Explanations: neo-classical, Keynesian, and post-Keynesian.
2. Impact of the Great Depression on America.
3. The Bonus Army.
B. The New Deal, 1933-41.
1. New Deal I (1933-34).
a. The New Deal Coalition.
b. Relief programs: FERA, CWA, PWA, WPA, CCC, NYA...
c. Recovery programs: RFC, FDIC, TVA, NRA...
2. New Deal II (1935-36). a. “Lefty”: Townsend, Coughlin, and Long.
b. Social Security.
c. The Wagner Act (NLRA).
3. Crisis of the New Deal (1937-38).
a. Court-packing controversy.
b. General Motors strike.
c. The “boll weevils”
d. Roosevelt’s recession.
4. Impact of the New Deal.
V. Overview of the Interwar Years, 1919-39. 10-12 Ch. 23-24
A. Communism and fascism.
1. Stalinism in the Soviet Union.
2. Imperialism in Japan.
3. National Socialism (Nazism) in Germany.
B. American isolationism and neutrality. Chapter 25
1. Washington Naval Conference, 1921.
2. Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928.
3. Roosevelt’s “Quarantine Speech”, 1937.
4. The Panay Incident, 1937.
5. The ‘Rape of Nanking’ and the US embargo.
October 19th
Fall Break
No class
VI. The Second World War, 1939-45.
10-26 Ch. 25
A. The conflict begins, 1939-41.
1. Blitzkrieg in Poland and France, 1940.
2. Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, 1940.
3. “Destroyers for bases” and “Lend-Lease”, 1941.
B. America gets involved.
1. Pearl Harbor (December 1941).
2. The Bataan Death March (1942).
C. War in Europe (ETO).
1. “Nibbling around the edges”.
a. The Battle of the Atlantic (1940-45).
b. North Africa (Nov 1942).
c. Italy (Sep 1943).
2. “Cross-channel invasion”.
a. Strategic bombing (1943-45).
b. Normandy (June 1944).
c. The Battle of the Bulge (December 1944).
3. Victory in Europe (May 1945).
D. War in the Pacific (PTO). 11-2
1. Protecting Australia and the US West Coast.
a. Coral Sea (May 1942).
b. Midway (June 1942).
c. Submarine blockade of Japan (1942-45).
2. “Island-hopping”.
a. The Philippines (Oct 1944 – Sep 1945).
b. Iwo Jima (Feb 1945) and strategic bombing.
c. Okinawa (Apr 1945) and US invasion plans.
d. Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the atomic bombs (Aug 1945).
3. Victory over Japan (Sep 1945).
VII. Post-war America, 1945-52. Ch. 26
A. Major trends.
1. The “Baby Boom”.
2. Macroeconomic stability: production, consumption, and employment.
B. Truman and the Fair Deal (1945-52).
1. Keynesian tax policy in the election of 1948.
2. The Taft-Hartley Act (1947) and the right to work.
Test #2: Tuesday November 9th
Part Three: The United States
discovers the limits of power
VIII. United States foreign policy during the early Cold War. 11-16 Ch.26-27
A. Containment and conflict in the atomic age, 1945-53.
1. Containment Policy (1947).
2. Marshall Plan (1947).
3. Truman Doctrine (1947).
4. The Red Scare (1950-53).
5. The Korean Conflict (1950-53).
B. Foreign policy in a nuclear world, 1953-64.
1. “Massive retaliation” and “brinksmanship”.
2. Sputnik (1957), the U-2 Incident, and the “missile gap” (1960).
3. Bay of Pigs invasion (1961).
4. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
5. The Kennedy assassination (1963).
IX. United States domestic policy during the early Cold War. 11-23 Ch.26-28
A. Eisenhower and “dynamic conservatism”.
1. Spending cuts and the “New Look” military.
2. Brown vs. Board of Education (1954/55).
3. Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955).
B. Kennedy and Camelot.
1. “Supply-side” economics, Part II.
2. The space race.
3. “Sit-ins” and “freedom rides” (1961).
4. Marches on Birmingham, Selma, and Washington (1963).
C. Johnson and the Great Society (1964-68).
1. The “War on Poverty” and the rise of the welfare state.
2. The Civil rights movement.
a. Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965).
b. Malcom X, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panther Party (1965-70).
c. The King assassination (1968).
d. Title IX and Affirmative Action.
X. The Vietnam Conflict, 1945-75. 11-30 Ch.29
A. The First Indochina War (1945-60).
1. The French vs the Viet Minh.
2. The Partition of North and South Vietnam (1955-60).
B. “Flexible Response” and the Domino Theory (1961-63).
C. Lyndon Johnson’s war (1964-68).
1. Tonkin Gulf Incident (1964).
2. The “guns and butter” policy and Johnsonian micromanagement.
3. The war in the mountains: the NVA and the Ho Chi Minh trail.
4. The war in the villages: the “hearts and minds” strategy.
D. The Tet Offensive (1968).
1. Military victory: the triumph of American firepower.
2. Political defeat: the anti-war movement.
E. Richard Nixon’s war (1969-73).
1. Vietnamization and the secret war in Cambodia and Laos.
2. The Paris Peace talks and the air war over North Vietnam.
3. American withdrawal (1973).
F. The Fall of South Vietnam (1973-75).
XI. Out of the Quagmire: America After Vietnam. 12-7 Ch.30-33
A. The 1970’s: A decade of disintegration.
1. “Stagflation”, recession, and the OPEC oil embargo (1973).
2. Watergate scandal (1974).
3. Entitlement spending and malaise (1976-78).
4. America as a “paper tiger”: the Cold War drags on.
a. Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) and détente.
b. Iran Hostage Crisis (1979).
B. The 1980’s: A decade of rebuilding.
1. Supply-side economics, Pt. III.
2. Crushing the ‘Evil Empire’: the end of the Cold War.
a. Reagan Doctrine.
b. Strategic Defense Initiative.
C. The 1990’s and beyond: A “New World Order”.
1. Return to recession: the 1990 budget deal.
2. Persian Gulf War (1990-91).
3. Clinton scandals and impeachment (1999).
4. Third World terrorism: an overview.
Exam #3 Tuesday December 14th