HIST 1323 -- History of the United
States 1877-Present
Fall 2016
Class Sessions: MW 2:30 - 3:45 PM HFH 101
Instructor: Brad L. Duren, Ph.D.
Office: Hamilton Hall 213
Email: duren@opsu.edu
Phone: Office:
349-1498
Office Hours: MTWR 10:00 – 11:00 AM; 1:30
– 2:30 PM
or
by appointment
Instructor’s website: www.angelfire.com/ok5/historynerdherd/
I. INTRODUCTORY
COMMENTS
This survey course examines
the evolution and development of the United States from the end of the Civil
War era to the present. The lectures and
readings will survey the forces of continuity and change (social, political,
economic, religious, and military factors) that have influenced and shaped
The underlying objectives of
this course include improving the student's analytical/interpretive skills and
building an increased awareness about the complex nature of society, politics,
and culture within
II.
COURSE COMPETENCIES
At the conclusion of this
course, students should be able to:
1. Know the major themes of
2. Understand how the political growth, major
events, and individuals affected the development of the
3. Examine and analyze historical documents that
contributed to the establishment and growth of the government of the
4. Identify and describe events, trends,
individuals, and movements that shaped the social, economic, and cultural
development of the
5. Analyze events and identify individuals who
defined and continue to affect the role of the
III.
ASSESSMENT OF COURSE COMPETENCIES
1. Three major examinations. 2. Section Quizzes and in-class
assignments. 3. Class participation.
IV.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and Class
Participation
1. The
student is expected to attend all class sessions. STUDENTS WHO DO NOT BOTHER TO COME TO CLASS
WILL NOT PASS THE COURSE. Attendance
WILL be considered on borderline grade cases, so don’t
miss and put yourself at a disadvantage.
SIX UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC “F” FOR THE COURSE!! Understand that you are responsible for all
assignments, whether you were here or not.
2. When
you do come to class, please be as coherent as possible. Also, ALL
CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF AND PUT AWAY DURING CLASS SESSIONS!! IF YOU INSIST ON
USING YOUR CELL PHONE FOR ANY REASON DURING CLASS (AND THAT INCLUDES TEXTING),
I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CONFISCATE THE PHONE AND RETURN IT TO YOU WHEN CLASS IS
OVER!! NO EXCEPTIONS…PERIOD!
Music players must also be OFF once class begins. No exceptions!
3.
Don’t just show up, park yourself in a seat, and disconnect. I know this is difficult in a class of this
nature, but don’t be shy! PARTICIPATE!
4.
Class outlines are posted to my website, so go
there regularly, print them off, and bring them to class with you. A GOOD SET OF CLASS
Required
5. Your
REQUIRED textbook is Boyer, Clark, et al, The
Enduring Vision, Concise Seventh Edition, Vol. 2, Since
1865. I
will assign readings each week. Keep up!
6. As
additional incentive, there will be SIX section quizzes (some in-class, some
take-home) over reading and in-class materials at various points throughout the
session. Each quiz/assignment is worth fifty
points, for a total of 300 possible points. This is half of your total class points, so
take these quizzes seriously. Some
quizzes will require you to purchase scantron sheets from the bookstore. I will announce the
class period before each quiz if you will need to purchase one! For those of you who like to plan ahead, you will need at least 10 scantron sheets for
the entire semester, so buy them early so you have them available! Items from section quizzes tend to show up
again on the major exams, so use them to your advantage.
Major Examination Information
7. There will be three major multiple choice/essay
examinations (including the final exam) derived from your readings, class
lectures, and class discussions.
Each exam is worth 100 possible points:
*Essay--40
points
*Multiple Choice--60 points
You will receive a study
guide one week prior to each exam. If
you have done the assigned readings, attended class sessions, and taken all
scheduled quizzes prior to each exam, you should have no problems. The essay portions are take-home and will be turned in the day you take the multiple-choice
section of each exam. If you do not do the essay, you cannot pass
the exam. I
will discuss this more in class.
8. Don’t
cheat or plagiarize in this class. If
you do, you will not like the consequences. Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty is
defined as: “Verbatim copying of an entire paper or other assigned work, not
writing or composing your own work, submitting anyone else’s (student, friend,
professional, web) work, structure, or ideas, in whole or in part, without
adequate acknowledgement of the sources used to construct a paper or other
assigned work, giving or obtaining answers on a test.” The
following includes, but does not limit, specific items that constitute
plagiarism:
1. un-cited ideas,
structure, organization, data, or information;
2. verbatim
passage(s) or phrase(s) not in quotation marks and cited;
3. submitting
another student’s paper or program or art or musical composition or design or
machine, etc. as your own.
4. submitting a
paper (etc) written by a spouse, relative, roommate, parent, etc.,
5. mosaic
plagiarism, i.e. plagiarized passages included in the author’s own work,
6. submitting a
paper (etc) so heavily edited by a tutor or anyone else that it is no longer
the original student’s work,
7. submitting the
same paper (etc) in two different classes without the knowledge and approval of
instructor,
8. using any source
without citation, including web/internet sources,
9. buying or
downloading a paper (etc),
10. having someone else do a substantial
portion of the work for you - called by some improper collaboration,
11. submitting any work which you
were to have created but didn’t as your own.
9. Miss a quiz or exam? Inform me IN WRITING no later than one class period after the
missed quiz to schedule a make-up. All
make-up quizzes and/or exams will have different questions from the regular quizzes
and exams. The date for the final exam
is Wednesday, December 14, at 3:30 PM. All
students must take the final exam at the allotted time during finals week...NO
EXCEPTIONS! If you are making
travel arrangements for the holiday break, make sure they include attending the
final exam for this course at the allotted time. I will NOT give anyone
the final exam early for ANY reason!
Additional Information
10. The instructor reserves the right to assign
additional class or take home assignment(s) as part of the course instruction
and/or give extra credit. The instructor
also reserves the right to require individual conferences with students when
necessary, and/or have students redo an assignment.
11. I
will incorporate audio/visual material (in other words, TV stuff) during the
course of the session. Nobody wants to
listen exclusively to me, and a little variety never
hurts.
12. The grading scale is as follows:
Based on a scale of 500 possible points:
3 Exams @ 100 points each = 300 points
6 Quizzes/Take-Home Assignments @ 50
points each = 300 points
90-100% = A (450 total points and above)
80-89% =
B (400-449 total points)
70-79% =
C (350-399 total points)
60-69% =
D (300-349 total points)
Below 59% = F (299 total points and below)
Students
who stop attending class without officially dropping the course will receive a
failing grade unless they officially drop the course. No exceptions! Here are the important dates you need to
know:
FINAL DAY TO CHANGE
SECTIONS—AUGUST 23
FINAL DAY TO ENROLL
OR ADD A CLASS—AUGUST 23
FINAL DAY TO CHANGE
FROM AUDIT TO CREDIT—AUGUST 23
NO REFUND ON
DROPPED COURSES OR COMPLETE WITHDRAWALS AFTER THIS DATE—AUGUST 30
BEGINNING DAY FOR
AUTOMATIC GRADE OF “W” FOR DROPPED COURSES—AUGUST 31
FINAL DAY TO CHANGE
FROM CREDIT TO AUDIT—NOVEMBER 3
BEGINNING DAY OF
GRADE OF “W” OR “F” FOR DROPPED COURSES—NOVEMBER 4
FINAL DAY TO
WITHDRAW OR DROP A CLASS—NOVEMBER 18
13. Requests for accommodation for disabilities should have been made prior to the start of the semester
through the Vice President for Academic Affairs Office (academic, i. e.
learning disabilities) or the Vice President for Student Affairs Office (physical,
i. e. mobility, vision, hearing).
However, if you feel that you have a disability and are in need of
special accommodations, the instructor will work with you to provide a
reasonable accommodation to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform
in this class. Please advise the
instructor (and appropriate VP) of such a disability and the desired accommodation
at some point before, during, or immediately after the first scheduled class
period.
Tentative (with a capital T)* Class Schedule:
Class Introduction/The Shaping of Modern
Urbanization
OUTLINES: Gilded Age, Part I
and Gilded Age, Part II
God, Guns and Government:
American Politics and Foreign Policy from 1880-1900
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 20
OUTLINE: McKinley and War with Spain
The Search for Order:
The Progressive Era
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 21
OUTLINE: The Progressive Era
EXAM 1
Making the World Safe for...What?: World War I
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 22
OUTLINE: World War I
Mass Society, Mass Culture, Another
Fine Mass: 1920s America
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 23
OUTLINE: America in the 1920s
Let’s
Make a Deal: FDR, the New Deal, and
1930s America
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 24
OUTLINE: Great Depression
V is for Victory:
World War 2
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 25
OUTLINE: World War II
EXAM II
Fear and Anxiety in an Unstable World: The Cold War
Ike, Communism, and Conformity: 1950s
READINGS: Boyer, Chapters 26 & 27
OUTLINE: The Cold War
New Frontiers, Great Societies, and Vietnam: America from 1960-1968
Youth Culture, Nixon, and Watergate: America from 1968-1980
READINGS: Boyer, Chapters 28 & 29
OUTLINE: America Since 1960
Revolution from the Right, Cold War Ends, and the Clinton
Era: America 1980-2000**
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 30
Global Dangers and Global Challenges, 2001-present**
READINGS: Boyer, Chapter 31
FINAL EXAM –
Comprehensive Exam covering material from the entire course.
*Topics and discussions may
vary.
**Time
Permitting. Outlines will be made
available for these sections if necessary.
Instructor will let you know!
