History 131

U.S. 1865-1990

Fall, 2001

Jeff Charles

Craven 1211 750-4093

Office Hours: MW 10:30-12:00 or by appointment

Course Description

This course has two purposes: to familiarize students with some of the details of major events in post-Civil War American history, and to acquaint students with ways of thinking historically about contemporary life. Stress will be placed on the struggle for Civil Rights, American economic development and its social implications, and America’s emergence as the world’s superpower. A special theme, introduced through supplementary readings, will be the relationship between individuals and their identity as Americans.

Course Readings:

Text: Tindal and Shi, The Essential America

Note: This text is available in the bookstore; but it is also available in downloadable electronic version for $18; it also has free supplements available on-line at www.wwnorton.com/eamerica

Primary Documents Workbook: Wheeler and Becker, Discovering the American Past

Supplementary Works:

Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

Yokada, No-No Boy;

Kovics, Born on the Fourth of July.

Course Written Work:

Tests: September 13^th; October 16^th, Nov. 13^th, and December 13th

Short paper, 3-5 pages, due Oct. 2 discussing Wheeler and Becker Chapter 3

(further information will be provided two weeks before due date)

Paper, 4-6 pages, due Dec. 6, discussing No-No Boy and Born on the Fourth of July

(further information will be provided two weeks before due date)

Determining your grade:

4 Tests are worth100 points each

Paper 1 is worth 65 points

Paper 2 is worth 85 points

Attendance and participation: 50 points.

The point total cutoffs for A, B, C, D, F will be determined in relation to average class performance.

Course Outline

Unit 1 Racial Dilemmas in New Nation

Reading: Essential America, 17 and 18

Wheeler and Becker: Chapter 2

Autobiography of an ex-Colored Man

Week 1

Aug. 23^rd Introduction to requirements/The aftermath of the Civil War

Week 2

Aug. 28^th Reconstruction and its consequences

Aug. 30^th The Plight of African Americans in Late Nineteenth Century America

Week 3

Sept. 4^th Discussion of Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 2

Sept. 6^th The Conquest of the West

Week 4

Sept. 11^{t h} Discussion of Autobiography of an ex-Colored Man

Sept. 13^th Test

Unit 2 Industrialization, Urbanization, and the Political Response

Reading: Essential America 19-26

Wheeler and Becker, Chapters 3,4,5

Week 5

Sept. 18^th. Industrialization and Urbanization

Sept. 20^th. Transformed Politics

Week 6

Sept. 25^th Discussion of Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 3

Sept. 27^th U.S. Imperialism

Week 7

Short Paper Due

Oct. 2^nd World War I

Oct 4^th Discussion of Wheeler and Becker, Chapters 4 and 5

Week 8

Oct 9^th The 1920s

Oct. 11^th Discussion of Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 6 and Review

Week 9

Oct. 16^th Test

Unit 3 Big Government, War, and the Economy

Reading: Essential America Chapters 27-30

Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 7-9

No-No Boy

Oct. 18^th Crash and the Depression

Week 10

Oct. 23^rd. The New Deal and the Transformation of Government

Oct. 25^th Interwar foreign policy and World War II

Week 11

Oct. 30 Discussion of Wheeler and Becker, Chapters 7 and 8

Nov. 1^st World War II into the Cold War.

Week 12

Nov. 6^th The Civil Rights Movement

Nov. 8^th Discussion of Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 9 and No-No Boy

Week 13

Nov. 13^th Test

Unit 4 Potential and Problems of a Superpower

Reading: Essential America, 31-36

Wheeler and Becker, Chapters 10 and 11

Born on the Fourth of July

Nov. 10^th Vietnam and its Foreign policy aftermath

Week 14

Nov. 20^th Post war consumer culture and the Sixties

Nov. 22^nd Thanksgiving

Week 15

Nov. 27 Discussion: Wheeler and Becker Chapter 10; Born on the Fourth of July

Nov. 29^th Reorientation and Disorientation

Week 16

Dec. 4 Discussion, Wheeler and Becker, Chapter 11

Dec. 6 The End of the American Century

Paper Due

Week 17

Dec. 11^th No Class

Dec. 13^th Test