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%
Final Examination [May 13th] 25%
• 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.
Thurs. 23 Jan. “Restoring
the Union: Reconstruction in the North and South”
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”
Thurs. 30 Jan. “Let
us Prey” – Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and the new
Corporate Order
Reading: Glenn Porter, “Industrialization and
the Rise of Big Business”
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
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
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”
Thurs. 20 Feb. “The
Four D’s: Duty, Destiny, Defense, Dollars” – Explaining American Imperialism
Tues. 25 Feb. “Life in the Big City” – Street Kids
and Progressive Reformers
Reading: David Nasaw,
Children of the City
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”
Tues.
1 Apr. World War II – Munich to Hiroshima
Thurs. 3 Apr. “Anxiety, Anticommunism, Affluence, and Anxiety” – America
in the 1950s
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
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
Tues. 29 Apr. “The
Greatest Place in the World”: Busing, Gangs, and Urban Poverty in South Boston,
1965-80
Reading: MacDonald, All Souls
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