History of the U.S. II - HIS 112 - 66
Holyoke Community College

Maura A. Henry, Ph. D.

Office: Donahue 259

Office Hours: M, W, F 8:30am

email: mhenry@hcc.mass.edu

Course Objectives

Our fast-paced class analyzes the social, cultural, economic, and political developments shaping United States history from the end of the Civil War to the present. Adopting a hands-on approach to history, students study several key themes, including: Reconstruction; the transformation of American business and labor relations; the emergence of the United States as a leading economic and military power; the struggles for equality by African-Americans, women, immigrants, and other disenfranchised groups; mass culture and its discontents; and the global conflicts and possibilities for a better world in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students interpret and debate a rich variety of primary sources, including texts, photographs, music, and film. Our course is challenging and rewarding - and it is definitely not for the faint of heart!

Please ask questions often!

The course sets out these objectives:

  • Empower students to understand the history of the United States as both a dynamic, unpredictable process and as the product of the actions and ideas of men, women, and institutions.
  • Enable students to contextualize history - placing people, events, and ideas within their social, political, and economic contexts.
  • Help students to comprehend the importance of race, gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, region, age, and religion in shaping the lives of Americans and the institutions of American society.
  • Enhance students' analytic, oral presentation, and writing skills.

Required Reading

Alan Brinkley, American History: A Survey, Volume II. (McGraw-Hill, 13th Edition). ISBN: 007293672X

Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman and Jon Gjerde (Editors), Major Problems in American History, Since 1865 (Houghton Mifflin Company, Revised 2006). ISBN: 978-0-618-67833-4

Jane Addams, Twenty Years at Hull House (Bedford). ISBN: 0312157061

Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi (Delta) ISBN: 978-0385337816

B. Edelman (ed). Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam ISBN: 978-0393323047

Ida B Wells & J. Jones Royster (ed). Southern Horrors and Other Writings ISBN: 978-0312116958

Course Requirements

You are required to do the following by the stated deadlines, and your work will be evaluated as follows:

  • Complete all readings prior to due date, complete all chapter questions, submit 3 substantive posts per chapter (1 initial post and 2 substantial responses to classmates' initial postings) by the stated deadlines, complete the Writing Workshop, and engage in informed and collegial online discussion (50%).
  • Complete and submit as directed Exam 1 (20%) and Exam 2 (30%) and utilize the personnel and resources at CAPS and the William Dwight Jr. Writing Center.
  • Late work (postings and exams) will not be accepted and thus will not earn any credit.
  • Avoid plagiarism at all costs - harsh penalties will ensue for those who violate this cardinal rule.
 

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