Instructor: Kevin Byrne Phone: ext. 7434
Hours: Mon & Wed, 2:00-3:30 and other hours by
appointment.
About
the course:
History 140 surveys American history since the Civil
War. Beginning with the era of
Reconstruction, it examines the development of an industrialized culture and
then covers the span of twentieth century history. Because it is a survey, the
course examines many different components of historical study (social,
political, military, etc.) and also tries to help you develop a preliminary
comprehension of how historians work.
General in its scope, it examines several facets of the American past and
several ways of approaching the history of a period.
Thinking historically:
The History Department
mission statement (printed in the college catalog) asserts that our courses are
designed to help students learn to think historically. Thinking historically includes the following
skills:
·
understanding change and
continuity over time;
·
appreciating the importance
of historical context;
·
knowing how to interpret and
critique primary and secondary sources;
·
being able to construct
arguments based on historical evidence;
·
understanding the varieties
of approaches employed by historians;
·
developing an appreciation
for the histories of different regions, societies and time periods;
·
and developing an
understanding of the past as the past and of its importance in the present.
This course has been designed explicitly with these
aims in mind. By the end of the
semester, you should understand more fully what the discipline of “history” is
and can begin to use its skills and approaches.
Alan Brinkley, The
Unfinished Nation, Third Edition, vol. II
Hoffman & Gjerde, Major Problems in American History, vol. II
Russell Baker, Growing Up
Stephen J. Whitfield, A
Death in the Delta
All texts are available at The BookMark. NOTE: You must carefully read the assignments for
each class, because lectures and class discussions assume you are familiar with
this material. Keep up to date with the
syllabus; please be aware of any changes I make. Use your materials—underline, highlight, make notes in the
margin—to remember the important points you have read and the insights you have
gained into the reading and the period under study.
Visual Presentations:
You will be required to view six video presentations in the course of the semester. These will run from one to two hours in length, and will be shown in the evening. If you cannot attend the showing at the specified time, then you must inform me and make arrangements to view the presentation at another time.
Website Resource:
The publishers of the Brinkley textbook provide an
on-line resource for us, including chapter outlines, maps, sample test
questions, and more. I invite you to
explore the site generally, and you will use its links to examine historical
documents beyond those assigned in the reading. The address is:
www.mhhe.com/socscience/history/usa/unfinishednation. At
the site, go to Student Resources and click on "Online Learning
Center". You can then select the
appropriate chapter and navigate the site.
Examinations:
There are three
scheduled exams, two during the semester and one during finals week. These exams will test your ability to write
short informative essays and longer analytical essays on the themes of the
course, and they are the primary assessments I use.
As
the semester progresses, you should see certain major themes recurring.
They are central to the manner in which I approach the course. Another historian could emphasize other
themes, but pay special attention to these motifs, as they will be the basis
for the essay questions on exams. The
themes are:
·
the enduring issues
concerning race in this society;
·
the process of adjustment
from rural to an urban, industrial and then post-industrial society;
·
the emergence of, and
resistance to, a strong federal government;
·
social views (gender,
racial, ethnic, class) that dominant groups in society held about themselves
and those left out of the dominance;
·
the changing nature of
American involvement with the rest of the world in economic, diplomatic, and
military contexts.
Beyond those specific themes you will discover that my
approach to history emphasizes the prevalence of ambiguity and complexity. Issues in history are seldom simple and
almost never without some important degree of “grayness.” Embrace these concepts!
Writing Assignments
1.
You
will write a short reaction paper of 2-3 pages on one of the out-of-class
visual presentations, due one week after the showing. I will grade the paper on the basis of your insight and your
ability to connect the video to issues raised in class or in the readings. Rather than letter grades, this paper will
receive one of the following: plus for excellent, check for satisfactory, minus
for unsatisfactory work.
2.
You
will write a brief analytical paper of 2-3 pages that examines at least three
primary documents derived from any one or more websites listed on the Brinkley
website. Your subject will come from
chapters 15 to 25 of the text, and will be due on or before the final day of class prior to the mid-term break
(March 27). The grading for this paper
will be the same as that listed in assignment #1.
3.
You
will write a substantial paper of 5-6 pages (suggested length) analyzing
several primary documents on a narrow topic.
You may find the documents on the Brinkley website or in the
library. Your analysis will put the
documents into their historical context and examine them for both the insights
they shed on the issue and the limitations they have. You will likely need to consult one or more secondary sources to
help you. Your analysis should explain
in clear prose and with reference to evidence important ways that the documents
enhance your understanding of the period and issues. You must read with a critical eye, appreciating the viewpoint of
the document and recognizing what, if any, weaknesses you detect. The nature of the assignment will become
clearer as we analyze documents in class, and I will distribute more
information on the assignment later in the semester. The paper is due anytime during the term, but no later than Monday, May 6.
Note: Although this is not a Writing course,
historical writing depends on clear
prose written in standard English.
My grade on your work will evaluate your writing as well as the content
of the paper.
Grading:
1ST
examination --25%
2ND examination --25%
writing assignments --25% (papers
1 and 2 = 5%, paper 3 = 20%)
Final Exam --25%
Note: I anticipate
giving no make-up exams except in cases of documented emergency.
A Note about Humanities Area
credit:
HIS
140 fulfills one Humanities requirement primarily because it introduces
students to concepts and skills associated with “the historical process,” a
basic component of humanistic study.
For instance, the study of history examines change over time. The pace of change in a given period, the
ways society responded to change, the impact change had on individuals or
groups of people—these issues and more are central to historical inquiry and to
a humanistic examination of how the present came to be. As we proceed, you will draw upon the skills
of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, all of which depend upon clear thinking. Discovering the process of history is an
important way to understand human experience, although one among many. A liberal arts education should expose you
to several of these avenues.
Academic
Honesty:
The
Academic Honesty Policy stated on
page 31 of the Gustavus Adolphus College Academic Bulletin for 2001998-99
applies to this course. The policy explains
the bounds of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and practices. If you have not read the policy, you must do
so. I will especially enforce the
provisions regarding plagiarism, and
will give a failing grade to any student who presents plagiarized material as
his or her own work.
Attendance:
I expect you to participate
in class, and that requires your attendance. Copying someone else's notes is a poor
alternative to being in the classroom yourself, short of your being ill. You need to hear the lectures and
discussions yourself. I do allow you
freedom to miss class during the semester, but a pattern of absences is
unacceptable. If you don't want to, or
cannot for another reason, attend regularly, my advice is to drop the course
now. Please be aware of the following
policies:
·
If
you accrue more than five absences,
I may lower your grade.
·
If
you accrue more than nine absences,
I may lower your final grade to F
for the course.
Incomplete Grades:
Following
College policy, I will grant a final grade of “Incomplete” only to students who
cannot complete the semester's work on time due to reasons of ill health or
similar emergencies. In those cases,
the student will sign a contract to complete the work by a specified date.
Things to Note:
1. Take careful notes in class! There is no one style that works, but if you
cannot reconstruct a lecture or discussion by referring to your notes, you are
missing a significant means of learning, not to mention of preparing adequately
for an exam.
2. If you have a question about class material
or assignments, ask me about it either
in or outside of class. You will have
to take the first step: call my office, email, or stop by to see me.
3. I will utilize
class discussion, and you need to be familiar with the ground rules. We must all respect the right of another to
voice an alternative opinion without taking the disagreement personally, and we
must express our disagreements in a respectful manner. Finally,
though, keep in mind that we seek to reach conclusions based on hard evidence,
using reasoned analysis. It is
the soundness of the argument, not the decibel level of the voice, which must
carry the day.
M Introduction
to the course
W Brinkley,
chapter 15, pp. 441-62 Hoffman
and Gjerde (hereafter, MP), Preface and Introduction and chapter 1, documents
1-6
F Brinkley,
chapter 15, 462-479 MP, chapter 1, docs 7, 8, & 9
Week of February 18
M MP,
chapter 1, interpretive essays
W Brinkley,
chapter 16, pp. 481-508 MP,
chapter 2, docs 1-6
F Brinkley,
chapter 16, pp. 508-13 MP, chapter 2, interpretive essays
Week of February 25
M Brinkley,
chapter 17 MP,
chapter 3, docs 1-8
W
F
Week of March 4
M Brinkley,
chapter 18 MP,
chapter 3, interpretive essays
W Brinkley,
chapter 19
F Brinkley,
chapter 20 MP,
chapter 4, docs 1-7
Week of March 11
M MP,
chapter 4, interpretive essays
W EXAM
F Brinkley,
chapter 21 MP,
chapter 5, docs 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, & 10
Week of March 18
M Brinkley,
chapter 22 MP,
chapter 5, docs 4, 7, & 8
W MP,
chapter 5, interpretive essays
F Brinkley,
chapter 23 MP,
chapter 6, docs 1-9
Week of March 25
M Brinkley,
chapter 24 MP,
chapter 7, docs 1-8 &
Russell
Baker, pp. 1-87
W Brinkley, chapter 25 MP, chapter 8, docs 1-5
F No class; beginning of Easter/Spring
Break
Week of April 1 Spring
Break
Week of April 8
M Baker,
pp. 88-247.
W Brinkley,
chapter 26 MP,
chapter 8, docs 6-10
F
Week of April 15
M MP,
chapter 8, interpretive essays
W EXAM
F Brinkley,
chapters 27, pp. 797-807, and 28, pp. 809-15, 822-28, & 837-42
Week of April 22
M Brinkley,
chapter 29, pp. 844-63 MP, chapter 9, docs 1-6
W Brinkley,
chapter 29, pp. 863-73 MP, chapter 10, docs 7-10 and
interpretive essays
F Brinkley,
chapter 30 MP,
chapter 10, docs 1-4
Week of April 29
M Whitfield,
pp. 1-84
W Whitfield,
pp. 85-148
F Brinkley,
chapter 31, pp. 914-27 MP, chapter 13, docs 1, 2, 3, &
6
Week of May 6
M MP,
chapter 12, docs 5, 6, & 7 and interpretative essays
W Brinkley,
chapter 31, pp. 927-43 MP, chapter 14, docs 1-8
F MP,
chapter 14, interpretive essays
Week of May 13
M Brinkley,
chapter 32 MP,
chapters 13, docs 7 & 8, and 14, docs 9 & 10
W Brinkley,
chapter 33 MP,
chapter 15, docs 1-6
Saturday,
May 18: Final Exam at 8:00 a.m., Olin Hall 103 (tentative)