The United States Since 1865 – Syllabus and Survival Guide

 

History 371 – Spring 2014

                                                                                                         

TuTh 11:00 – 12:15 pm, Sierra Hall 186

 

 

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: Sierra Tower 624, Tu,Th 1:00-2:00 pm and by appointment gladly given. 

Email: tom.devine@csun.edu Phone: (818) 677-3550

 

Teaching Assistant: Matthew Sorrenti  Email: matthew.sorrenti.15@my.csun.edu

 

 

Spirit of the Course

 

Someone, probably a frustrated student, once complained, “History is just one damn thing after another.” Unfortunately, many history courses are taught in such a way that one can easily reach this grim conclusion. In this class, however, you will not simply be memorizing a series of facts and regurgitating them for exams. This class is specifically designed for the non-History major in an effort to persuade you that a history course, if well taught, can actually be interesting. I will not be lecturing at you. Most of the time, I’ll be asking you questions, or, more precisely, asking you to think. Thinking can be hard work, which explains why most people never bother, but as college students, you should consider giving it a try. I will give you the opportunity to do so.

 

Although we will be learning a good deal about what happened in the United States between 1865 and the present, more importantly, we will be trying to figure out why things happened the way they did. Why did some Americans gain power, prestige, and prosperity while others fell behind? Why have Americans been at once so open to “progress” and “change” and yet deeply intolerant of those who represent that change? Why, as James Baldwin suggests, does our history play such a significant part in determining the nation and the individuals we are today and where we might be headed?

In addition, the course will provide you with ample opportunities to improve your writing and analytical skills. Throughout the semester you will be critically examining historical sources – both primary (produced at the time of the historical event in question) and secondary (produced after the fact). Using evidence presented in these sources, you will be formulating arguments for a particular position (and evaluating the strength of others’ arguments based on the same evidence). We will also work on how to write a coherent, logical essay that takes a particular point of view and makes a persuasive case for it. These skills are invaluable if you are to succeed in any number of career paths and will serve you well in the world beyond History 371. In fact, it is no coincidence that many employers now say they like to hire History majors in fields such as finance, marketing, management, advertising, journalism, public relations, law, even sales. They know that History students have been trained to think critically, analyze data effectively, argue persuasively, and write clearly – all skills in high demand in today’s job market and in very short supply in our increasingly illiterate culture.

 

Finally, 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. Today, most Americans are astonishingly ignorant of their own nation’s history and even more clueless about the world around them. This is not only embarrassing but unfortunate, for as George Orwell reminds us in his novel1984, 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.

 

Themes

 

One way of making sense of a large amount of material is to identify major themes that recur throughout this period of our country’s history. Looking at a series of events through the lens of a theme, it becomes easier to see how these events are linked. A coherent “big picture” begins to emerge. Moreover, this process can reveal connections between the past and the present that we might not have seen otherwise. Though there are obviously many themes from which one could choose, I have structured the course around four in particular:

 

1.   The expanding role of government in citizens’ lives.

                       

How and under what circumstances should government exercise its coercive power in order to address social problems?

 

2.   The persistence of tensions between the various groups that make up American society.

 

                        What determines and who decides who gets rich and who stays poor? In a country of multiple races, cultural traditions, and religions, what does it mean to be American? (Or, for that matter, “Un-American”?)

 

3.  The United States’ increasing involvement in the international arena and the ramifications this brought.

 

To what extent should the United States involve itself in the affairs of other nations? Over time, what benefits and detriments has this involvement brought both to the U.S. and to other nations?

 

4.    The continuing conflict over what constitutes a “good society.”

 

How does one strike a balance between liberty and equality – the two seemingly contradictory principles upon which the nation was founded?

 

These questions 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 five word slogan, or 140 twitter characters. One needs to exercise one’s brain. Accordingly, in this class, we will try to do the serious thinking that those in power do their best to discourage, lest the average person become too inquisitive or informed.

 

Required Reading

 

Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson

David Nasaw, Children of the City

Jeffrey P. Moran, The Scopes Trial

Eugene Burdick and William J. Lederer, The Ugly American

Michael Patrick MacDonald, All Souls: A Family Story from Southie

 

To avoid the inflated prices at the Matador Bookstore, you should consider buying your books on line. You are likely to find used or discounted copies at the following web sites: http://www.bookfinder.com; http://www.amazon.com; http://www/half.com

 

Requirements & Grading

 

Class Participation, Quizzes, and Short Writing Assignments            20%

 

1st Paper                                                                                                        10%

Option A on Pudd’nhead Wilson due February 17

 

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 1 OPTION A

 

Option B on Children of the City due March 3

 

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 1 OPTION B

 

SAMPLE CHILDREN OF THE CITY PAPER

 

2nd Paper                                                                                                           20%

Option A on The Scopes Trial due March 24

 

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 2 OPTION A

 

Option B on The Ugly American due April 21

 

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 2 OPTION B

 

Option C on All Souls due May 5

 

CLICK HERE FOR PAPER 2 OPTION C

 

Midterm Examination [March 6th]                                                                  25%

 

CLICK HERE FOR STUDY GUIDE

 

Final Examination [May 13th]                                                                         25%

 

CLICK HERE FOR STUDY GUIDE

                                                                                                                                               

• All grading is based on 100 points and will be done on the +/ – system.

• You must write 2 papers. If you more than one of the options, I will count only the highest grade.

• Late papers will be penalized. Any paper turned in more than a week after its due date will not be accepted.

Any assignment not turned in or not accepted will receive a grade of ZERO in the calculation of the final grade.

  

Explanation of Requirements

 

Class Participation and Quizzes

Though this course will include some lectures, it is not exclusively a “lecture course.” Even though we are a large group, the emphasis will still be on discussion and classroom interaction rather than sitting passively and listening to the professor. When there is read assigned, complete it BEFORE you come to class and be ready to comment on it – the class will be far more enjoyable for you and your classmates if we can sustain a good discussion. Since not everyone is comfortable speaking in front of others, your performance on the quizzes and other short writing assignments will also be considered as part of your participation grade. I will drop your lowest quiz score before calculating your quiz average.

 

Midterm and Final Examinations

The Midterm and Final Examinations will consist of 7 short essay questions and 1-2 long essays. A week or so before each exam, I will distribute review questions that will help you prepare. You are responsible for bringing an unmarked green book to the midterm and the final.

 

Paper Assignments

The two analytical papers will focus on the assigned books. There will be a choice of paper topics, which will be handed out well before the due date. You will write your first paper based on Pudd’nhead Wilson or Children of the City. You will write your second paper based on The Scopes Trial, The Ugly American or All Souls. If you wish, you may do more than one of the paper options and I will count only the highest grade. Each paper must be a minimum of 1500 words.

 

Surviving History 371… 

 

Doing Well

You have chosen to pursue a college degree, and therefore – at least in this course – you will have to do college level work if you expect to pass. That said, History 371 is a GE course, it isn’t Rocket Science. As one student evaluation put it, “If you do the reading, study for the tests, and pay attention in class, it’s pretty easy to do well. On the other hand, if you don’t do the reading, don’t come to class, and don’t study, you’ll probably fail.” That pretty much sums it up.

 

Attendance

Since active student participation is crucial to the class’s success, you are expected to be at every meeting. I do take attendance. Moreover, if you are accepting tax payer dollars in the form of grants and/or subsidized loans to fund your education and you do not attend class, you are engaging in fraud. If you are paying your own way and you don’t attend class, you are simply throwing your money away (about $60 a class, but who’s counting?)

 

History Writing Center

Most CSUN students lack college level writing skills. To help address this serious problem, the History Department has established its own Writing Center. You can make an appointment with one of the writing tutors by calling the History Department at 818 677-3566 or you can talk to me about setting up an appointment. The tutor will read a draft of your paper and discuss with you ways to improve it. You may then resubmit your paper up to a week after your appointment with the tutor and I will grade the revised version. If you graduate still unable to write a coherent paragraph, beyond being embarrassing, it will be difficult for you to advance very far in your career of choice. Make an effort to improve your writing. I will make every effort to help you 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 more than willing to work with you to insure you “survive,” but I need to know you are having difficulties. Come to see me or send an email as soon as a problem arises and we can work something out. If you are struggling academically, I will gladly give you extra help.

 

Office Hours

Contrary to what you may have heard about professors in large state universities, 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 come to my regularly scheduled office hours or, if you are unable to make them, set up an appointment to meet with me. Students who make the effort to get to know their professors end up getting far more from their college education than those who don’t.

 

Laptop Policy

Since “multi-tasking” is a constant temptation, laptops and tablets end up being more of a distraction than an aid. I do not allow you to use a laptop or a tablet in my classroom unless you have a medical note stating that you must have one.

 

Common Courtesy

You are at a university among professional people so you should try to act like you belong here. Do not embarrass yourself by behaving badly. Don’t speak while others are speaking. Please turn off and put away all cell phones and other electronic gadgets while you are in class. Texting or constantly playing with your phone during class is rude. I’m not that blind; I can see you, and such behavior is very distracting. Beyond that, it makes you look ridiculous, and people – like me – will judge you accordingly. Arrive on time and do not walk out in the middle of class unless it is an emergency or you have spoken to me about it ahead of time. In short, act courteously and professionally. Try to show some class. It’s part of being an educated person.

 

Academic Honesty

Do not lie to me about why you missed class or failed to turn in an assignment. It is unnecessary and it insults my intelligence. Do not cheat on the quizzes or exams. I will catch you and you will receive an automatic zero for the assignment. Do not plagiarize from written sources or from the web. Since plagiarism is always obvious and easily caught (I know how to use Google too), it is better to hand in your own work and get a C than someone else’s and get an F. Plagiarized assignments will receive a grade of zero. Beyond that, your name will be circulated among other faculty as someone who lacks integrity and you risk being expelled from the University. If you are unsure what plagiarism is, please consult with me BEFORE you hand in an assignment.

 

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

 

The reading listed for each day should be completed BEFORE you arrive at class.

 

Tues. 21 Jan.           Introduction:  An explanation of course objectives, mechanics, and procedures.

                                    Top 5 Skills

 

Thurs. 23 Jan.         “Restoring the Union: Reconstruction in the North and South”

                                   

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

Tues. 28 Jan.           “The Iron Horse” – Railroads as the Herald of the Industrial Age

Reading: Burton W. Folsom, Jr. “James J. Hill and the Transcontinental Railroads”

William Cronon, “Railroads and the Reorganization of Nature and Time”

                                   

WRITING ASSIGNMENT #1

 

Thurs. 30 Jan.         “Let us Prey” – Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and the new Corporate Order

Reading: Glenn Porter, “Industrialization and the Rise of Big Business”

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

LECTURE NOTES

 

Tues.  4 Feb.            “Worse Than Slavery?” – Black Poverty, the Plantation Economy, and the Rural South

Reading: Jay Mandle, Not Slave, Not Free, Chapters 1-5

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

           

QUIZ #1 – Mandle, NOT SLAVE, NOT FREE

 

Thurs. 6 Feb.           “Sharecropping, Free Labor, and Paternalism” – Northern and Southern Economies Contrasted

                                    [Continue discussion of Mandle, Not Slave, Not Free]

 

Tues. 11 Feb.           “Separate but Equal?” – Mark Twain and the Irony of American Race Relations

                                    Reading: Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson

 

Optional Reading: Shelley Fisher Fishkin, “‘The Tales He Couldn’t Tell:’ Mark Twain, Race, and Culture at Century’s End: A Social Context for Pudd’nhead Wilson

 

Thurs. 13 Feb.         Continue Discussion of Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson

 

                                    STUDY GUIDE

 

Electronic “Smart Text” of Pudd’nhead Wilson

[This web site contains the entire text of the novel, but also allows you to follow various themes – race, law, economics, gender, politics, ancestry – using hypertext links.]

 

QUIZ #2 – Twain, PUDD’NHEAD WILSON

 

Tues. 18 Feb.           “Raise Less Corn and More Hell” – Populism and the Farmer’s Revolt

     

Reading: James Turner, “Understanding the Populists”

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

LECTURE NOTES

 

WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2

 

Thurs. 20 Feb.         “The Four D’s: Duty, Destiny, Defense, Dollars” – Explaining American Imperialism

                                   

LECTURE NOTES

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

Tues. 25 Feb.           “Life in the Big City” – Street Kids and Progressive Reformers

                                    Reading: David Nasaw, Children of the City

 

STUDY GUIDE

 

QUIZ #3 – Nasaw, Children of the City

 

Thurs. 27 Feb.         Continue Discussion of Nasaw, Children of the Ctiy

 

Tues. 4 Mar.             “The Search for Order: The Progressives’ Response to Industrialization

 

Thurs. 6 Mar.                                   MIDTERM EXAMINATION

                         

Tues. 11 Mar.           “Rebellion Against Victorianism: The Rise of a New Mass Culture”

Reading:  John F. Kasson, “Workers Seek Leisure Time and Space”

 

Film: “Coney Island” (The American Experience)

 

WRITING ASSIGNMENT #3

 

Thurs. 13 Mar.         “Over There” – The Catastrophe of World War I

 

 Tues. 18 Mar.          “Trial of the Century” – Cultural Conflict in the 1920s

                                    Reading: Moran, The Scopes Trial

 

Thurs. 20 Mar.         Continue Discussion of The Scopes Trial

 

QUIZ #4 – Moran, The Scopes Trial

 

Tues. 25 Mar.           “From Harding to Hard Times” – The Origins of the Great Depression, 1919-1933

                                   

Thurs. 27 Mar.         “Nothing to Fear” – FDR and the New Deal

                                    Reading: David Kennedy, “What the New Deal Did”

                                   

                                    WRITING ASSIGNMENT #4

           

Tues. 1 Apr.             World War II – Munich to Hiroshima

 

Thurs.  3 Apr.           “Anxiety, Anticommunism, Affluence, and Anxiety” – America in the 1950s

 

                                    FOUR “A”s POWERPOINT

 

                                                            SPRING BREAK

 

Tues. 15 Apr.           “Making them like Us” – U.S. Cold War Policy in the Developing World

Reading: Burdick and Lederer, The Ugly American

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

Thurs. 17 Apr.         Continue discussion of The Ugly American

 

QUIZ #5 – Burdick and Lederer, The Ugly American

                                   

Tues. 22 Apr.           “The Liberal Hour” – America in the 1960s

 

Thurs. 24 Apr.         “The Hard Year” – 1968 and the Unraveling of America

 

                                    1968 POWERPOINT

 

                                    1968 DOCUMENTARY

 

Tues. 29 Apr.           The Greatest Place in the World”: Busing, Gangs, and Urban Poverty in South Boston, 1965-80

Reading: MacDonald, All Souls

 

STUDY GUIDE

 

Thurs. 1 May            Continue discussion of All Souls

 

QUIZ #6 – MacDonald, All Souls

 

Tues.  6 May            Right Turn” – Foreign and Domestic Challenges during the 1970s and 1980s

 

Thurs. 8 May            “The End of the American Dream?” – Economic Inequality and Class Mobility in the Early 21st Century

Reading: Tony Judt, Ill Fares the Land, Charts and Tables

Michael Sandel, “Morality and the Free Market” [Video Clip]

 

 

Tues. 13 May                       FINAL EXAMINATION – 10:15 am – 12:15 pm