United States History Survey from 1865

United States History Survey from 1865

History 206

Professor Andrew Kersten

Fall 2006

MAC 234

This is your Freshman Year Experience Seminar in United States History.

This class is one of six that is teaching traditional general education material in a small size seminar environment. As you will see in the syllabus, not only will you be learning about historical issues, but you will also participate in activities with the other five classes to help you get a better understanding of interdisciplinarity here at UWGB.

Description: This course is a general survey of United States history from the end of the Civil War to present. In this class, we will cover both the content of this history and various themes that I wish to emphasize. Among these interpretative emphases are: labor, race, ethnic, and gender relations; immigration; wealth; and the role of the federal government in creating and influencing American history. This course is interdisciplinary. Technically it is an H3 class, but it will meet many of the Social Sciences and Ethnic Studies learning outcomes as well. It is also important to note that this course encourages students to improve as critical readers, critical writers, and critical thinkers. This focus will move some students from the normal comfort zone. However, everyone will benefit from your thoughts, engagement, and own personal view of history.

Course Information:

Contact times: Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday, 2:00-3:15 pm

Office Hours: 1-2 pm, Monday, Wednesday, and by appointment

Instructor email: kerstena@uwgb.edu

Course email: C10837@uwgb.edu

Web: http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/index2.htm

Required Books:

Digital History: A Free and Online US History Textbook (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm)

Stiles, Jesse James

Schlosser, Fast Food Nation (2001)

Main Internet Sites:

History Matters (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/)

Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm)

Intended Student Learning Outcomes for this course:

Develop critical thinking skills and exercise problem solving skills especially as they relate to historical analysis and interpretation.
Develop a fundamental understanding of major events, chronology, and movements in United States History.
Develop historical analysis skills including comprehension of primary documents.
Develop critical reading skills including the understanding of historical interpretation.
Identify and clarify individual and social values in the United States.
Develop an understanding and appreciation for cultural diversity.
Develop an understanding of the social sciences including: major concepts of social, political, geographic and economic structures; and the impact that social institutions and values have on individuals and groups in a culture.

Intended Student Learning Outcomes for the First Year Experience:

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving – Consistent with UW-Green Bayπs mission and philosophy, students need to address problems from multiple perspectives and have the ability to analyze data/information from a critical perspective. This seminar will introduce students to these ideas, which will continue to develop as they continue on with their education.
Communication Skills – The course will emphasize effective communication including writing, speaking, and the ability to work in a small group environment.
Creativity/innovation – These are important elements to a college education. Students should be expected to develop, explore and present new ideas and beliefs.
Exploring underlying value systems – Through the class, students will recognize that individual values affect the way they examine things. This realization should open up students to differences in beliefs and opinions.

Information Literacy – The seminars will introduce the idea of information literacy in the context of writing and speaking assignments so that students have a better understanding of how information is collected, can assess the quality of the information and its sources, and can use information effectively.
Interdisciplinarity – students should have an understanding of the importance of tackling problems from multiple perspectives.
Engagement – Students should have the opportunity to connect with other students, to connect campus resources, to connect their learning with other courses, and to connect with the community.

Additional Rules:

During class, turn off all pagers, beepers, PDA alarms, telephones, and other electronic or non-electronic communication devices that ring, vibrate, hum, or otherwise annoy.
Never send your written work as an email or email attachment unless specifically instructed to do so.
You are not allowed to bring in outside resources for any take-home exam or essay assignment unless specifically directed to do so. Violating this policy may result in a significantly reduced grade on that exam or assignment.
You are not allowed to use the web site Wikipedia unless specifically directed to do so.
Always keep several updated copies of your files on disk and at least one recent hard copy.
Try to never miss a class immediately following a major exam. In fact, don't skip class at all.
In this class, use your best professional skills while writing, speaking, and communicating with others.
This class welcomes all types of learners. Persons with disabilities that might affect learning should contact me during the first week of class.
Graded papers are returned once during class. If you fail to pick up your paper, you may retrieve it at my office during office hours. After a while, I recycle old class papers.
All written work over two pages must be stapled. Quality staplers are available for under $1. Papers that are not stapled will not be accepted.
Check your UW-Green Bay email twice daily. You are responsible for reading and understanding the email that I send you. Only send me email from your UW-Green Bay email. The campus spam mail filter quarantines mail from yahoo, msn, AOL, hotmail, and other providers.
Finally use this syllabus as a class resource. Don't loose it. Refer to it frequently to ensure that you are caught up on reading and studying, that your papers meet the guidelines below, and that you understand when things will happen in this course.

Expectations:

· Attend class every day, and be respectful of others during class.

· Come to class on time and prepared for the day's work.

· Participate in class every day.

· Read and understand all materials.

· Work hard and honestly and professionally.

Writing:

All written work—aside from the annotated bibliographies for the films—must be at least 300 to 700 words (depending on assignment), typed or printed in black ink. You must have your name on your paper, follow good writing etiquette, staple your pages together, and use page numbers for papers longer than one page. Double-space everything. No cover pages or report covers.

History Assignments:

There are five kinds of history writing assignments in this course. Each assignment is tied closely to one of the learning outcomes. History's Moments assignments focus on primary documents and developing our deep understandings of major events, time periods, and movements in United States History. History as Mystery assignments foster problem solving skills and an understanding of historical methodology and thinking. Words That Changed History assignments center on understanding the past, past social values, and how they have changed. What Would You Do? assignments explore how the past was shaped and lets you not only investigate the past but delve into alternative historical paths. Finally, there are Historical Reflection essays that ask you to ponder what other historians have said about the past. Remember, these assignments must be typed. You are required to do four of these eight assignment opportunities.

For each assignment, you'll work in a group, and you will need to use analysis worksheets located here:

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/worksheets.html

Interdisciplinary Exercise:

On November 13 and 15, we will be joining the five other freshman seminar classes for a small group exercise. You will be teamed up with five other participants (each from a different FYE Seminar class) to complete the task. Your role in the exercise is to represent the Historical expert. We will provide you with worksheets to help guide you through the exercise and we will discuss the exercise in more detail prior to November 13. On Nov. 13 and 15, we will be meeting in Phoenix Room B. The purpose of the exercise is to get you to work as a team to solve an issue by using a wide range of information and interdisciplinary knowledge some of which will be provided in class.

Other Requirements:

The university offers a number of extra and co-curricular activities that can enhance your overall education. You are strongly encouraged to attend at least one from each of the category of events. In addition, the freshman seminar faculty is sponsoring a FYE film series during the semester. We will show six films and you must attend at least three of these (November 10, December 8, and one of your choice). The films will normally be shown on Friday afternoon beginning at 2:00 in the Christie Theater. For the November 10^th film, you will have to fill out a worksheet. For the ONE of the other TWO required films, you are responsible for creating ONE annotated bibliography of five refereed sources that provide further reading on a subject in the film. For the other ONE required film, you need to do a 300 word reaction essay to the film. The three EXTRA films and co-curricular activates are OPTIONAL. Should you participate and want to earn extra credit, you are required to turn in a 300 word summary of the film or activity. Each summary is worth 2 extra credit points on the upcoming exam. There is a maximum of six extra credit points for each exam.

This is the link for the annotated bibliography assignment:

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Courses.html

Assignment Checklist:

History Work

¨ Historical Worksheet #1 (5%)

¨ Historical Worksheet #2 (5%)

¨ Historical Worksheet #3 (5%)

¨ Historical Worksheet #4 (5%)

¨ Historical Essay #1 (10%)

¨ Historical Essay #2 (10%)

¨ Exam #1 (15%)

¨ Exam #2 (15%)

¨ Exam #3 (15%)

Interdisciplinary Activity (15%)

¨ Participation

¨ Essay

¨ Film #1

¨ Film #2

¨ Film #3

Grading:

Grades are not curved. Except in emergency situations, late work will lose one letter grade per weekday (Sunday through Saturday) without prior approval of the instructor. Attendance will be taken and students are expected to attend class for the entire period and are expected to contribute to discussions. Cheating constitutes a violation of University policy and students will be subject to University disciplinary actions.

Your grade will be based on your performance on the exams and worksheets. There will be three exams (all multiple choice). Additionally, you will have to turn in four (4) of the eight (8) worksheet opportunities. Everyone must answer one of the discussion questions for Jesse James and Fast Food Nation in essay format.

3 Multiple Choice Exams (15% each; 45% total)

4 Worksheets (5% each; 20% total) [the other four are extra credit, although everyone must read the materials]

Book Essays (10% each; 20% Total)

FYE Work [films 2% each, interdisciplinary exercise 9% <4.5% participation; 4.5% essay] (15% total)

Grading Scale:

Course Outline

Week One: [Textbook: ≥Reconstruction≤ and ≥Along the Color Line≤; Read Stiles to page 206]

September 6 (W): Introduction and Reconstruction

History's Moments: Documenting Reconstruction

Week Two: [Textbook: From ≥Industrialization & the Working Class≤ to ≥Rise of the City≤; Read Stiles to page 306]

September 11 (M): Second Industrial Revolution

September 13 (W): Farmers and Workers in the Gilded Age

Week Three: [Textbook: From ≥Struggle for Womenπs Suffrage≤ to ≥Political Crisis of 1890s≤; Read Stiles to page 396]

September 18 (M): Constitution Day Film Festival

September 20 (W): Populism and Imperialism

History as Mystery: Raising the Maine

Week Four: [Textbook: From ≥The Progressive Era≤ to ≥The Twentieth Century≤]

September 25 (M): Discussion of Stiles

Stiles Paper Due

September 27 (W): Muckrakers and Progressives

Words that Changed History: Documenting the Muckrakers (Stephens and Wells)

Week Five: [Textbook: From ≥America at War: World War I≤ to ≥The Jazz Age≤]

October 2 (M): First World War

October 4 (W): Tribal Twenties

Week Six:

October 9 (M): Review

October 11 (W): First Exam

Week Seven: [Textbook: ≥1930s≤]

October 16 (M): Great Depression

October 18 (W): New Deal

Week Eight: [Textbook: ≥America at War: World War II≤]

October 23 (M): Campus Speaker, Craig Coenen

October 25 (W): Second World War

What Would You Do? Dropping the Atomic Bombs

Week Nine: [Textbook: ≥America at War: World War IIπ]

October 30 (M): Campus Speaker, Michal Novak

November 1 (W): Home Front of Second World War

Week Ten: [Textbook: ≥Postwar America: 1945-1960≤]

November 6 (M): The Origins of the Cold War

Discussion of Interdisciplinary Exercise Readings

November 8 (W): Eisenhower and Fear in the Fifties

Discussion of Interdisciplinary Exercise Worksheets

November 10 (F): Film: Contact

Week Eleven:

November 13 (M): Interdisciplinary Exercise

Annotated Bibliography for Contact Due

November 15 (W): Interdisciplinary Exercise

Week Twelve: [Textbook: ≥America in Ferment: The Tumultuous 1960s≤; Read Fast Food Nation to page 110]

November 20 (M): JFK

What Would You Do?: The Cuban Missile Crisis

November 22 (W): The Great Society

Week Thirteen: [Read Fast Food Nation to page 192]

November 27 (M): Review

November 29 (W): Second Exam

Week Fourteen: [Textbook: ≥Vietnam War≤; Read Fast Food Nation to page 272]

December 4 (M): Vietnam

History as Mystery: The Gulf of Tonkin Episode

December 6 (W): Richard Nixon and ≥Malaise≤ in the 1970s

History as Mystery: Watergate Break-In and Cover-Up

December 8 (F): Film: Super Size Me

Week Fifteen: [Textbook: ≥The Past Three Decades≤]

December 11 (M): From Reaganπs Revolution to Clinton

History's Moments: Carter and his Malaise Speech

Annotated Bibliography for Super Size Me due

December 13 (W): Schlosser Discussion and Review

Schlosser Paper Due

Final Examination: December 18 (Monday), 3:30-5:30 P.M.

Assignments and Sources

History's Moments: Documenting Reconstruction

Images of Reconstruction

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart5.html

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart5b.html

Affidavit of Mark Walker

http://www.freedmensbureau.com/texas/texaffidavit2.htm

List of Murders

http://www.freedmensbureau.com/tennessee/outrages/columbia.htm

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/freedom/docs7.html

History as Mystery: Raising the Maine

Destruction of the Maine

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq71-1.htm

What Really Sank the Maine?

http://www.usni.org/navalhistory/articles98/nhallen.htm

Report on the Maine

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/McKinley_web.PDF

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Final Report 1_web.PDF

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Final Report 2_web.PDF

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Final Report 3_web.PDF

To access the PDFs, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have a copy, then click here.

Once you have Acrobat Reader installed, download the PDF by right clicking on the link to download file. 

Once in Acrobat Reader, you will have to rotate the image.

Words that Changed History: Documenting the Muckrakers

Introduction to Lincoln Steffens's Shame of the Cities

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5732

Lincoln Steffens Exposes Corruption in St. Louis

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5733

Plunkitt Responds to Steffens

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5731

The Shame of America

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6786

The Murder of Postmaster Baker

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5486

Ida B. Wells Protests the Murder of a Black Postmaster

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/56

Senator Benjamin R. Tillman Justifies Violence Against Blacks

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/55

What Would You Do? Dropping the Atomic Bombs

Petition to President Truman from Concerned Scientists, 17 July 1945

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php

Draft statement on the dropping of the atomic bomb, 30 July 1945

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php

Truman rationalizes dropping the bomb

Correspondence between Harry S. Truman and Samuel Cavert, 11 August 1945

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php

Why did we have to win it twice?: A physicist (Bernard Feld) remembers his work on the first atomic bomb

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/141

Remembering Nagasaki (This site has material some might find objectionable.)

http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki/

What Would You Do? The Cuban Missile Crisis

Photographs of missiles and silos in Cuba (pick five photographs)

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/photos.htm

White House Briefings (listen to three conversations)

(Audio – requires free computer software RealPlayer from Real Audio)

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/audio.htm

Letter, Khruschev to Kennedy, 24 October 1962

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/x2jfk.html

Letter, Kennedy to Khruschev, 6 November 1962

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/621106jfkletter.pdf

White House Post-Mortem on Cuba

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/19621029mortem.pdf

Should you see "Thirteen Days"? (Do this if you have time)

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/brenner.htm

History as Mystery: Gulf of Tonkin

Statement of Robert McNamara, 5 August 1964

http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/vietnam/tonkin-7.htm#statedod5aug

Statement of Robert McNamara, 20 February 1968

http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/vietnam/tonkin-7.htm#state28feb

White House Tapes about the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (listen to three)

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB132/tapes.htm

President Johnson's Address to Congress, August 5, 1964

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/tonkin-g.htm

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

http://vietnam.vassar.edu/doc9.html

Toward a New History of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident

http://www.uwgb.edu/kerstena/Vietnam_web.PDF

History as Mystery: Watergate Break-in and Cover-Up

Nixon Tapes (read three transcripts)

http://nixon.archives.gov/find/tapes/excerpts/watergate.html

Who was ≥Deep Throat≤?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/01/AR2005060102124.html

Nixon Resignation Speech

http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/exhibits/nixon/resignation/index.html

Ford Pardon

http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/exhibits/nixon/pardon/index.html

Last Three Days in Office (Photographs)

http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/exhibits/nixon/photos/nara/index.html

History's Moments: Carter's Malaise Speech

Carter's "Malaise Speech"

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/filmmore/ps_crisis.html

John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inaugural

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/johnfkennedyinaugural.htm

Ronald W. Reagan's 1981 Inaugural

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreagandfirstinaugural.html

Ronald W. Reagan's 1985 Inaugural

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres62.html

History's Moment's: The Patriot Act

Text of the USA Patriot Act

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.03162:

ACLU's Resource Page for the USA Patriot Act (choose one document/web site)

http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=12126&c=207

ALA Resource Page for the USA Patriot Act (choose one document/web site)

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ifissues/usapatriotact.htm

Slate Magazine's Analysis of the USA Patriot Act (Read part 1, 2, 3, or 4 [see bottom of web page])

http://www.slate.com/id/2087984/

Writing Tips for Students

How to Write a History Essay

Most history essays are written in response to a historical question. The best way to answer that question is to use the "five paragraph" essay.

Your first paragraph (that is, your introduction) should provide some general background on the question (and may even restate the question) and then directly answer that question. This statement is your thesis. It is a good idea to add one final sentence, which will allude to the rest of your paper.

Your next three (or so) paragraphs provide a detailed, structured, and concise summary of evidence and ideas that support your thesis.

The conclusion is the place to summarize your thoughts, your essay, and your thesis. It is also the place to talk about how the past might relate to the present.

It is always a good idea to use quotations from the sources that are utilized and discussed in class.

It is always a good idea to review the Guide to Good Writing before and after you write your essay.

Basic Suggestions, Guidelines, and Grading

General Suggestions

Ä Start early.

Ä Have a friend read your early drafts.

Format

Ä Staple your papers.

Ä No coversheets.

Ä No plastic covers or folders.

Ä Always use page numbers.

Ä Use footnotes, endnotes, or in paragraph citation.

Style -- avoid these problems

AFW Avoid Flavoring Words ("very" etc)

AWK Awkward Sentence Structure

COLL Colloquial Language

DA Don't Abbreviate

DP Dangling Preposition

DUC Don't Use Contractions

DUF Don't Use First Person

DWQ Don't Write in Questions

KPP Keep the Past in the Past (use past tense verbs)

As (90-100)	Bs (80-89)	Cs (70-79)	Ds (60-69)	F (59 and below)
Your essay is well constructed. It has paragraphs, topic sentences, and most importantly a clear thesis. Your essay demonstrates a command of the material. It uses quotes from the readings. You have an exceptional command of the English language. You avoid making many grammatical or stylistic errors.	You essay is very good. It has paragraphs. You probably need to develop your thesis and/or topic sentences. You have a fair command of the reading materials but could have used more quotes or direct references. You have some grammatical and stylistic problems.	Your essay is good. And yet, your essay needs work to improve its structure. You need to work on your thesis and/or topic sentences. You have a fair command of the reading materials. You could have used more quotes. You have serious grammatical and stylistic problems.	Your essay lacks coherence. You make errors in essay structure, style, and grammar. You lack a command of the reading materials. You make many stylistic and grammatical errors. This paper needs a lot of work.	You failed to complete the assignment.