The United States Since
1865
Syllabus and Survival
Guide
History 271 – Fall 2023
– GE Title V Requirement
Monday-Wednesday 2:00 –
3:15 pm, LA 181 Kurland Hall
History, as nearly no
one seems to know, is not merely something
to be read. And it does
not refer merely, or even principally, to the
past. On the contrary,
the great force of history comes from the fact
that we carry it within
us, are unconsciously controlled by it in
many ways, and history
is literally present in all that we do. It could
scarcely be otherwise,
since it is to history that we owe our frames
of reference, our
identities, and our aspirations.
– James Baldwin
Instructor
Dr.
Thomas W. Devine
Office Hours: Mondays and
Wednesdays, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm via Zoom and face-to-face. If you are not free to
meet during regular office hours, I am glad to set up an appointment with you
(in person or on Zoom) at some mutually convenient time.
Campus
Office: 624
Sierra Tower (818) 677-3550
Email: twd@pacbell.net
[I
prefer that you contact me through this email address and not through the
Canvas message function.]
Spirit
of the Course
As
someone who believes an informed citizenry is vital to sustaining the health of
a democracy, I hope that by studying the unfolding of American history since
the Civil War, you will leave this course a more informed citizen than when you
entered. Far too many aspects our contemporary culture – particularly new
technologies – enable people to remain perpetually entertained and distracted,
but also keep them docile, easily manipulated, or overcome by meaningless
outrage. We are urged to consume mindlessly and to express every “feeling” that
pops into our psyche. But we are actively discouraged from engaging in any form
of critical thinking. Living in such a culture, many of you – and indeed most
Americans – have never “learned how to learn.” As a result, people around the
world see Americans as astonishingly ignorant of their own nation’s history and
even more clueless about the contemporary world around them. Worse still, they
see us (with some justification) as being proud of our ignorance. This is not
only embarrassing but perhaps even dangerous, for as the British author George
Orwell reminds us in his novel 1984, those who have no knowledge of the
past are not only powerless, they inevitably are dominated by those who do
possess such knowledge – something to think about as we begin the semester.
As
someone who understands and appreciates that many students’ experiences in high
school History classes may not have been the best, I have specifically designed
this course for the non-History major in an effort to persuade you that a
History course, if well taught, can actually provide you with valuable skills
and prepare you for a career in numerous fields that are unrelated to the
discipline of History per se. Accordingly, I will not be inundating you
with lists of facts or asking you to memorize random names and dates or
expecting you to mindlessly copy down text from Powerpoint slides.
Most of the time, I’ll be asking you questions, or, more
precisely, trying to get you to think critically by using logic and
evidence to solve problems and make judgments. I will ask you why you
believe something is so and challenge you to convince me that you’re right by
making an argument based on evidence (and not on your opinion or
your “feelings”). This kind of thinking can be hard work, which explains why
most people never bother with it, but as college students, you should consider
giving it a try. Don’t just sit there passively; try to engage your mind and
answer the questions – if not out loud (some of us are more shy than others)
then at least in your own head. Some of you may someday take jobs in which you
will need to do some critical thinking and problem solving. In this course, I
will give you the opportunity to learn and practice these skills. The questions
we will be addressing in class have no simple answers, though today one hears
no end of simple-minded ones. To grapple thoughtfully with these issues, one
needs more than a 20-second sound bite, a four-word slogan, or 140 twitter
characters.
As
someone who laments the low level of political and social discourse in our
society, I will emphasize in this class ideas, not ideology. Rather than
passionately adhere to a dogmatic “progressive” or “conservative” political
creed, one needs to exercise one’s brain and think independently. Being
“passionate” achieves little if you don’t know anything. American
politicians, some have argued, will say anything because they assume
American voters don’t know anything. I would urge you to join me in
proving them wrong. In this class, we will try to do the serious thinking that
those in power – both progressives and conservatives – understandably do their
best to discourage, lest the average person become too inquisitive or informed.
Finally,
be aware that how much you learn this semester will be largely up to you. I
will provide opportunities for you to participate in discussions, to ask and
answer questions, and to sharpen your skills, both in class and during office
hours. I will do my best to introduce you to the learning process, but
ultimately you will determine how much effort you put into this class
and whether you take anything away from it.
Required
Reading
You
are not required to purchase any books for this course.
All
required reading will be available through the links on this syllabus or
through the course Canvas page.
You
access the readings on the syllabus by entering the password when prompted to
do so.
Grading
& Requirements
Quizzes
(5 total – each worth 5 points) -- 25
points
Quiz
#1 [September 13th]
Quiz
#2 [October 11th]
Quiz
#3 [October 30th]
Quiz
#4 [November 15th]
Quiz
#5 [December 4th]
Optional
Bonus Quiz [December 11th]
Test
One [September 27th] --
20 points
Test
Two [November 6th] --
25 points
Test
Three [Dec 18th, 3:00-5:00 pm] --
30
points
Calculating
Your Grade
The
grade reported on Canvas is often incorrect because it does not take into
account the fact that the assignments in this course are weighted. Test 2, for
example, is weighted heavier than Test 1, and all of the Tests are weighted
heavier than each Quiz. The score you receive on each assignment is the
percentage of points you earned out of the total available. So, for example, an
“85” on Test One earns you .85 x 20 points (17 points); a “75” on a quiz earns
you .75 x 5 points (3.75 points). To calculate your course grade, add together
the number of points you earned on each of the eight assignments and divide by
the total points available (100).
Grading
Scale
A = 93-100
A- = 90-92
B+
= 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+
= 77-79
C = 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+
= 67-69
D = 63-66
D- = 60-62
F = below 60
Explanation
of Requirements
Quizzes
There
will be five 20-question quizzes based on lecture material and short reading
assignments. You will take the quizzes on Canvas.
Tests
Each
of the three tests will consist of 50 multiple choice questions based on the
material covered in class and from any of the assigned readings. I will post
study questions and lecture notes on the web syllabus. Going over these
questions and notes is the best way to prepare yourself for the tests. The
tests will NOT be cumulative. Each will cover only the
material from one unit of the course. You will have 75 minutes to
complete each test. You will take the tests on Canvas during the normally
scheduled class time, so be sure not to schedule anything else during these
test times.
Special
Accommodations
If
you have special accommodations and are registered at the DRES office, please
let me know and we will schedule quizzes and tests at times that fit your
schedule.
Surviving
History 271…
Office
Hours and Personal Consultation
Contrary
to what you may have heard about professors who teach large classes such as
ours, I go out of my way to be available for students on a one-on-one basis.
So, if you need advice or help – even if your problem is not directly related
to this course – do not hesitate to email me, visit during my
regularly-scheduled office hours, or set up an appointment for a Zoom
conference at a time that is convenient for you. Since establishing
professional networks is crucial to later success, I urge you to meet with me
(and all of your professors) one-on-one at least once during the semester to
ask questions, discuss course material, or simply introduce yourself. Students
who make the effort to get to know their professors end up benefiting far more
from their college education than those who don’t. Part of my job is to
interact with you, and I’m happy to do so.
Problems
If
you are feeling overwhelmed, find yourself falling behind, or are having any
problems outside of class that are adversely affecting your performance in
class, be sure to let me know. Do not wait until the end of the semester
when it will be too late. I am not here to intimidate you or to make you
feel uncomfortable. In fact, I am more than willing to work with you to insure
you “survive,” but you need to tell me that you are having difficulties.
Schedule a Zoom chat, visit me in my office, or send an email as soon as a
problem arises and we can work something out. Also, if you are struggling
academically, I will gladly give you extra help.
Lecture
Notes, No Textbook
Because
I don’t like reading textbooks any more than you do, and because they are
ridiculously overpriced, there is no textbook for this course. Instead, I will
post lecture notes from each class on the web syllabus. These notes, in
narrative or essay form, will either repeat or develop further what was said in
class. Reading these notes after class or before the next class will help you
better retain and understand the information. If you do not attend class
regularly, you should read these notes carefully in order to prepare for the
quizzes and tests.
Academic
Honesty
Do
not cheat on the quizzes or tests. The University has already taken far too
much of your money, so you’re not “gaming” the system when you cheat; the only
one you’re cheating is yourself. More importantly, get in the habit of being
honest with others and with yourself. You will be a better person for having
done so.
Attendance
I
do not take attendance, so attending the classroom meetings is entirely
voluntary (that means you don’t have to come to class if you don’t want to.) I
do not record the lectures, so you will have to rely on the notes
and powerpoints posted on the web syllabus to prepare for the quizzes
and tests. You will need to take the quizzes and tests at the regularly
scheduled class time, so be sure to keep these times open in your calendar,
even if you do not regularly attend class.
Schedule
of Topics & Assignments
On
those days for which an assigned Reading is listed, be sure to
have completed the reading BEFORE class begins.
Unit
One
Mon.
28 Aug. Introduction: An
explanation of course objectives, mechanics, and procedures.
Wed.
30 Aug. “What this Cruel War was Over” –
Assessing the Results of the Civil
War
Mon.
4 Sept.
LABOR DAY [No class meeting]
Wed.
6 Sept. “Reconstruction or Restoration?” – The
South Rejoins the Union
Reading: K.
Stephen Prince, “Radical Reconstruction”, pp 2-28
Mon.
11 Sept. “A Failed Revolution?”
– The End of Reconstruction
Wed.
13 Sept. “The Iron Horse” – Railroads as the Herald
of the Industrial Age
Reading: William Cronon,
“Railroads and the Reorganization of Nature and Time”
Burton W. Folsom, Jr.,
“James J. Hill and the Transcontinental Railroads”
QUIZ #1 – Reconstruction and Railroad Readings
Mon.
18 Sept. “The New Economy” – Railroads and the Rise
of Big Business
Wed.
20 Sept. “Let us Prey” – John D. Rockefeller
and the “4 ‘C’s”
Mon.
25 Sept. “Who Benefits?” – The Social Effects of
Big Business
Wed.
27 Sept. TEST #1 [on Canvas]
UNIT
2
Mon.
Oct. 2 “Raise Less Corn and More Hell!” – The
Populist Revolt
ECONOMIC
RELATIONSHIPS TO KEEP IN MIND
Wed.
Oct. 4 “Gold Bugs and Free
Silver” – Economic Conflict and the Election of 1896
[See
pre-recorded lecture on Canvas]
Mon.
9 Oct. “Imperial Ambitions?” –
Motivations for U. S. Expansionism at the Turn of the 20th Century
Wed.
11 Oct. “A Splendid Little War”
– The Spanish-American-Cuban Conflict
QUIZ #2 – Populism Lectures [On Canvas
between 6am and 11:59pm. Class meets as usual at 2pm.]
Mon.
16 Oct. Spanish-American
War Continued
Wed.
18 Oct. American Empire and the
Four “D”s – Duty, Destiny, Defense, Dollars
Mon.
23 Oct. “The Search for Order”
– Progressive Reformers Respond to Industrialization
Wed.
25 Oct. “Reforming Other
People’s Bad Habits” – Implementing the Progressive Vision
Mon.
30 Oct. “Over There” – The
European Origins of the Great War
QUIZ #3 – Progressive Era Lectures [On
Canvas between 6am and 11:59pm. Class meets as usual at 2pm.]
WORLD WAR I OVERSIMPLIFIED
(PART I)
Wed.
1 Nov. “Over Here” – The U.S.,
the Great War, and the Failed Peace
WORLD WAR I OVERSIMPLIFIED
(PART II)
Mon.
6 Nov. TEST #2 [on Canvas]
Wed.
8 Nov. “From Harding to Hard Times” – The
Origins of the Great Depression, 1920-1940
ORIGINS
OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION POWERPOINT
Mon.
13 Nov. “Tariffs, Taxes, and
the Great Depression” – Making the Depression Worse
Wed.
15 Nov. “FDR and the New Deal” –
Trying to Solve the Problem of the Great Depression
QUIZ #4 – Origins of the Great Depression Lectures
[On Canvas between 6am and 11:59pm. Class meets as usual at 2pm.]
Mon.
20 Nov. “Establishing the
Welfare State” – The Legacy of the New Deal
Wed.
23 Nov. “The Second World War”
– Long Origins, High Stakes
[fast forward –
content begins at 2:44]
Mon.
27 Nov. “Anxiety and
Anticommunism” – The Postwar World
Wed.
29 Nov. CLASS CANCELLED
Mon.
4 Dec. Anticommunism Continued
QUIZ #5 – World War II Lectures [Available
on Canvas between 6am and 11:59pm. Class meets as usual at 2pm.]
Wed.
6 Dec. “Affluence and
Alienation” – American Culture in the 1950s
Mon.
11 Dec. Alienation Continued
Bonus Quiz – Four “A”s Lectures [Available on
Canvas between 6am and 11:59pm. Class meets as usual at 2pm.]
[This quiz is OPTIONAL. Your score on it will
replace the lowest score of the 5 quizzes you have already taken.
If your score on the Bonus Quiz is lower than
your lowest score on any of the other quizzes, I will not count it.
Taking the Bonus Quiz can only help raise your
grade. If you missed a quiz (and therefore have a zero), you
should definitely take the Bonus Quiz so that
you can replace the zero with a higher score.]