HISTORY 128
THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1865
UNC CHAPEL HILL
FALL 2015
Dr. Matt Andrews
Office: Hamilton 515
Office Hours: M 12:30-2:30; Tu 3:30-5:00;
W 12-1; Th 12:30-1:30; and by appt.
Email: [email protected]
Teaching Assistants and their email addresses:
Trevor Erlacher – [email protected]
Brian Fennessy – [email protected]
Lindsay Holman – [email protected]
Danielle Balderas (AT) – [email protected]
COURSE TOPICS
In this course we will explore many of the major themes and issues in American history since 1865—from the end of the
Civil War to the present. Rather than try to race through and cover everything (an impossible task) we will instead focus
on four distinct eras and themes, slowing down and digging deep, in an attempt to better uncover significant historical
meaning. Our chief topics of inquiry will be:
1.
Becoming Modern. In this section we will explore post-Civil War class and racial conflict. We will begin with
the political revolutions in the South and assess just how much changed for black Americans in the first few decades of
freedom (that is, post-slavery life). We will then look west and overseas and consider how ideas about race and
“civilization” were connected to the expansion of the United States. Finally, we will move north and examine the
ideological, and sometimes physical, conflicts between labor and capital—that is, between industrial workers and
company owners.
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2.
Depression and War. Here we will investigate the federal government’s expanding role in domestic and foreign
affairs. Specifically, we will explore the political improvisation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal”—his attempt
to combat the Great Depression—as well as trace the ideas behind American intervention in World War II. Linked to
this, we will consider how both the Great Depression and World War II changed the United States, as well as discuss the
development and uses of the atomic bomb.
3.
Liberals and Radicals. We will examine the battle over New Deal liberalism in the era after World War II and
gauge the successes and failures of grassroots reform movements such as the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-War
Movement, and Feminism and Women’s Liberation. We will also assess the effects of the Cold War on everyday
American life.
4.
Conservatives and Culture Wars. We conclude the semester with a discussion of the rebirth of conservatism in
American politics and the “culture wars” in this nation. We will also take stock of the effects, intended and otherwise, of
post-World War II United States foreign policy.
CLASS STRUCTURE AND ATTENDANCE
The rhythm of this course is as follows—there are two lectures every week (Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:15).
Eight times during the semester students will also meet for Document Workshops (the Registrar’s Office calls them
“recitations”). Your document workshop will be led by one of the Teaching Assistants and will last 50 minutes.
Depending on which one you registered for, your document workshop takes place on either a Thursday or a Friday. The
dates we have document workshops are marked clearly in this syllabus.
Though I do not plan to take attendance in lecture (I reserve the right to do so), I expect you to attend every
meeting. You are also expected to attend every scheduled document workshop, where your TA will take attendance.
In a large lecture course such as this, document workshops are a vital part of this course. If you
miss more than one document workshop your course grade will be negatively affected. Conversely, attending and
participating in every document workshop will help boost your course grade.
My policy about excused absences comes from the Dean of Students Office: Your absence from a document
workshop will only be excused if you provide university paperwork attesting to the reason of your absence and you notify
your TA about your upcoming absence in advance. You also must arrange to take the quiz (see below) at a time
convenient to your TA and within one week of the original quiz date.
COURSE READINGS
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History, Volume 2 (Seagull Fourth Edition)
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi
Dave Eggers, Zeitoun
Documents on Course Sakai Page
The readings are listed under each lecture/document workshop topic and should be read before coming to class. This is
especially essential for all non-textbook readings assigned for lecture and all readings assigned for document workshops.
Carefully read the assigned piece(s) before class meetings and always bring the material for reference.
You can access the documents on the Course Sakai Page by clicking the “Resources” tab on the left side of the
page. I have listed the documents in the order that we will be reading and discussing them.
A note about the textbook: The textbook is dense. It is filled with a lot of information. This is the book’s value,
but it also means you cannot possibly digest all of the material in one reading. I suggest that you read each assigned
textbook segment twice. The first time, read or skim with the goal of understanding the general narrative in
preparation for lecture—don’t get bogged down in the details. Later, go back and re-read the assigned segments
with an eye toward sifting out specific information that you can use to answer the essay questions. Please note: you do
not need to read the green textbook pages labeled “Voice of Freedom,” even if they fall within the assigned pages.
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ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADES
Your course grade will be determined by the quality of your three argument essays, your in-class final exam, your
performance on quizzes in document workshop, and your document workshop engagement. The argument
essay prompts will be posted on Sakai and discussed in lecture at least two weeks before each essay is due. We will give
you a “final exam study guide” at least one week before the final exam. The final exam will likely consist of a list of
identifications, short answers, and essay questions. Keeping good notes throughout this semester will help you
immensely when we get to the final exam.
In every document workshop, except the first, there will be a short quiz. In order to take the quiz, you must be in your
document workshop and be on time. Each quiz will consist of five multiple-choice questions that will cover material
discussed in lecture in the weeks immediately prior to the document workshop and/or the readings for that day. We will
drop your lowest quiz score from your final grade.
Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
First (Short) Argument Essay
Second Argument Essay
Third Argument Essay
Final Exam
Quizzes
Document Workshop Engagement
Total
15%
20%
20%
20%
10%
15%
____
100%
Policy regarding late work: Argument essays are due at the beginning of class on the day noted in this syllabus. If
you must miss class on the due date, your essay should be emailed to your TA before class begins, and then you MUST
give your TA a paper copy at our next class meeting. Any essay not handed in during class (or emailed before class
begins) will be considered late. An essay will be marked down one full letter grade (ten points) if it late and then five
points for every additional day it is late. So, for example, once we leave the lecture hall, if you have not turned in your
essay (or emailed your essay before class began) it will be considered late and penalized 10 points. 24 hours later—i.e. at
12:15 p.m. the next day—it will be considered two days late (and thus penalized a total of 15 points). 24 hours later, it
will be docked an additional five points, and so on. If you are turning in a late essay, email it to your TA as soon as it is
finished so you are not penalized further. And then make sure to bring a paper copy to the next class meeting—if you do
not bring a paper copy to the next class meeting the essay will be considered late and the penalties listed above will apply.
DOCUMENT WORKSHOPS
Document workshops are a critical part of a large lecture course. They are where you have your best opportunity to do
the work of a historian, so if you miss more than one document workshop your course grade will be negatively affected.
As the name implies, the point of the document workshop is to “work” and engage with the documents. Therefore, it is
mandatory that you have the document with you for reference and discussion. For this reason, if you do not have
the document with you in some form your TA has the right to ask you to leave the classroom and return only when you
have the document with you.
Here is my general grading rubric for Document Workshops:
• If you attend every document workshop, always bring the assigned documents for reference, and speak every once in a
while, it will be hard for you to get below a C+ for your document workshop grade.
• If you attend every document workshop, always bring the assigned documents for reference, and speak regularly, it will
be hard for you to get below a B for your document workshop grade.
• If you attend every document workshop, always bring the assigned documents for reference, speak often, and provide
comments that demonstrate that you have spent time thinking about the assigned readings and what they can
illuminate about American history, you will likely get an A for your document workshop grade.
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GRADING SCALE
We will keep your grades on the Sakai Gradebook. At the end of the semester you will have a numerical score between
0-100. That number will be translated into a letter grade. Here is the grading scale:
100-93: A
92-90: A-
89-87: B+
86-83: B
82-80: B-
79-77: C+
76-73: C
72-70: C-
69-67: D+
66-60 D
below 60: F
All final grades will be “rounded up.” In other words, if your final mark is 92.50 it will rounded up to a 93 and, thus, an
A (a 92.49 would still be an A-).
ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES
The College of Arts and Sciences has developed several support programs to assist students. Accessibility Resources
and Services provides individual support to students with diagnosed learning disabilities (962-8300). The Learning
Skills Center offers free instruction in a variety of academic learning strategies (962-3782, 962-6389). The Writing
Center—which fills up quickly—provides free tutorial services (962-7710).
HONORABLE AND COURTEOUS BEHAVIOR
I encourage you to study together; however, you are bound by the Honor Code in taking exams and in writing your
papers. Please consult with me if you have any questions about the Honor Code.
THE HONOR CODE: It shall be the responsibility of every student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
to obey and to support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these
actions involve academic processes or University, student, or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.
PLAGIARISM: If the grader of your essay suspects plagiarism and I concur, I will report you to the Honor Court and
then I will contact you. All suspected cases of plagiarism are immediately sent to the Honor Court.
THE CAMPUS CODE: It shall be the further responsibility of every student to abide by the Campus Code; namely, to
conduct oneself so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational opportunities of others in the University
community. The Campus Code asks us to be courteous to each other. In a large class, civility and manners are
especially important.
COURTESY DURING CLASSES. It is disruptive to others to arrive late to class or to leave early. If you must do it
(which I strongly discourage), please be unobtrusive. Also, please turn off all cell phones. Checking your phone
and/or texting during class is disruptive and discourteous.
LAPTOP COMPUTERS
Please do not open your laptop in this class (lecture and document workshops). It’s already hard to stay engaged with
the course when we have 165 students in a large room; it’s nearly impossible when laptops are open and students are
Facebooking, shoe shopping, and/or watching sports highlights. Numerous studies show that using laptops diminishes
not only your attention and performance in a course, but the attention and performance of those around you (for one
such study, see: http://www.ugr.es/~victorhs/recinfo/docs/10.1.1.9.9018.pdf). Less use of laptops for note-taking has
also been correlated with better learning outcomes (for example, see http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alearning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/ for one summary of this). If you feel you have a special need to use a
laptop for note-taking, please come see me. I like to think I am reasonable.
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IMPORTANT: This means that when we discuss a short document in lecture or longer documents in document
workshops, you will need to print the document(s) and bring it with you.
OFFICE HOURS AND CONTACTING ME
I am glad you are in this class and I want you to do well. One of the best ways of doing so is to come and ask questions
or just chat with me (or your TA) during office hours. If you cannot make my office hours (they are listed on the front
page of this syllabus) please contact me and we will arrange a meeting time convenient to us both.
Please note that the instructor reserves to right to make changes to the syllabus, including project due dates and test dates
(excluding the officially scheduled final examination), when unforeseen circumstances occur. These changes will be
announced as early as possible so that students can adjust their schedules.
COURSE CALENDAR
18 August (Tue.)
Course Introduction
BECOMING MODERN
20 August (Thu.)
Reconstruction
Read:
Andrew Johnson, “Third Annual Message” (1867).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 554-579.
25 August (Tue.)
Read:
Redemption and Jim Crow
Give Me Liberty, 579-590; 648-657.
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27 August (Thu.)
Jack Johnson v. Great White Hopes
27 or 28 August (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop – The Color Line
Read:
Booker T. Washington, “Atlanta Exposition Address” (1895).
Read:
Rev. H. M. Turner, “The American Negro and His Fatherland” (1895).
Read:
W. E. B. Du Bois, “Men of the Niagara Movement” (1906).
1 September (Tue.)
“Closing the Western Frontier”
Read:
Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer, “Wounded Knee Editorials” (1890 and 1891).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 602-616.
3 September (Thu.)
March of the Flag
Read:
Albert Beveridge, “The March of the Flag” (1898).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 664-678.
3 or 4 September (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop – Writing a History Essay
Read:
“How to Write a Compelling History Essay.”
Read:
“Footnote Guide.”
To Do:
Quiz # 1 (beginning of class meeting).
To Do:
In this workshop we will discuss strategies for crafting a compelling college-level thesis and essay. We
will discuss the importance of evidence and counter-evidence, how to footnote, and how to avoid some of the common
mistakes that students make in their essays.
8 September (Tue.)
Progress and Success
To Do:
Hand in First (Short) Argument Essay.
Read:
Andrew Carnegie, “The Triumph of America” (1885).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 592-602.
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10 September (Thu.)
Demon Machines
Read:
A Striker, “Fair Wages” (1877).
Read:
Thomas A. Scott, “The Recent Strikes” (1877).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 616-634.
15 September (Tue.)
Votes for Women!
Read:
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, ch. 18.
DEPRESSION AND WAR
17 September (Thu.)
Read:
Listening to the Great Depression
Give Me Liberty, 798-804.
17 or 18 September (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop – Reading the Great Depression
Read:
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath (1939) [entire].
To Do:
Quiz # 2 (beginning of class meeting).
22 September (Tue.)
Read:
Give Me Liberty, ch. 21.
24 September (Thu.)
Read:
A New Deal for America
World War II – “A Shock to the System”
Give Me Liberty, ch. 22.
24 or 25 September (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop – Historians and World War II
Read:
Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (1980) [excerpt].
Read:
Paul Johnson, A History of the American People (1998) [excerpt].
Read:
Thaddeus Russell, A Renegade History of the United States (2010) [excerpt].
To Do:
Quiz # 3 (beginning of class meeting).
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In addition to the above histories of World War II, please bring your Foner textbook, Give Me Liberty!,
To Do:
to the document workshop, as well. We will be comparing and contrasting how different historians tell the story of
World War II, Foner included.
29 September (Tue.)
The Bomb
1 October (Thu.)
1948 – Election Day
To Do:
Hand in Second Argument Essay.
LIBERALS AND RADICALS
6 October (Tue.)
Read:
Give Me Liberty, ch. 23.
8 October (Thu.)
Read:
Anti-Communism
Conformity and Rebellion in the 1950s
Give Me Liberty, 945-951.
8 or 9 October (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop — Coming of Age in the 1950s
Read:
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, “Childhood” and “High School (1968).
Read:
Willie Morris, North Toward Home (1967) [excerpt].
Read:
Florence King, Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady (1985) [excerpt].
To Do:
Quiz # 4 (beginning of class meeting).
13 October (Tue.)
Read:
The Civil Rights Movement (Part I)
Give Me Liberty, 957-968.
15 October (Thu.)
FALL BREAK
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20 October (Tue.)
The Civil Rights Movement (Part II)
Read:
Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” (1963).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 974-978.
22 October (Thu.)
Concrete Reservation
Read:
“Black Panther Party Platform” (1966).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 981-993.
22 or 23 October (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop — Civil Rights
Read:
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, “College” and “The Movement” (1968).
Read:
Alice Walker, “The Civil Rights Movement: What Good Was It?” American Scholar (1967).
To Do:
Quiz # 5 (beginning of class meeting).
27 October (Tue.)
America in Vietnam
Read:
Tim O’Brien, “How to Tell a True War Story,” from The Things They Carried (1990).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 993-1001.
29 October (Thu.)
Vietnam in America
Read:
“Proclamation of the Anti-Draft Resistance” (1967).
Read:
Tom Anderson, “Dear Brats” (1969).
3 November (Tue.)
Read:
Women’s Liberation
Gloria Steinem, “If Men Could Menstruate,” Ms. (1978).
CONSERVATISM AND CULTURE WARS
5 November (Thu.)
Read:
The Conservative Reaction
Give Me Liberty, 1041-1047.
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5 or 6 November (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop — Feminism and Anti-Feminism
Read:
National Organization for Women, “Statement of Purpose” (1966).
Read:
“The Redstockings Manifesto” (1969).
Read:
Phyllis Schlafly, “What’s Wrong With Equal Rights for Women” (1972).
To Do:
Quiz # 6 (beginning of class meeting).
To Do:
Hand in Think Piece (see question below).
In preparation for document workshop this week I am asking you to read the above
Think Piece Question:
documents, but also to do some oral history and then write a short (1-2 pages max.) “think piece.” First, select a female
family member (or friend)—perhaps your mother or grandmother or aunt…but the older the person (or, put differently,
the greater their “historical range”), the better. Next, interview her about feminism and the Feminist Movement. Was
she aware of the movement? If so, what were/are her thoughts? Did the opportunities available to her (e.g., school, jobs,
sports) change for her during the 1970s? Would she describe herself as a feminist? Why or why not? You can ask these
questions or others, but please explore her relationship (or lack thereof) to feminism and the Feminist Movement in your
think piece. If your interviewee was born outside of the United States that is fine! Ask the same types of questions and
we will compare and contrast ideas about feminism on an international level. The think piece will not be graded. You
will either get credit for doing it or you will not.
If there is nobody for you to interview, that’s OK. Let me know and I will put you in contact with someone.
10 November (Tue.)
Read:
The Curious Case of Richard Nixon
Give Me Liberty, 1021-1033.
12 November (Thu.)
Sucking in the Seventies
To Do:
Hand in Third Argument Essay.
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 1033-1041.
17 November (Tue.)
Reagan’s World
Read:
Ronald Reagan, “Evil Empire Speech” (1983).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 1047-1058.
19 November (Thu.)
Read:
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Give Me Liberty, 1061-1070; 1081-1095.
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19 or 20 November (Thu. or Fri.)
Document Workshop — Zeitoun
Read:
Dave Eggers, Zeitoun
To Do:
Quiz # 7 (beginning of class meeting).
24 November (Tue.)
Read:
September 11, 2001
Give Me Liberty, 1105-1119.
26 November (Thu.)
1 December (Tue.)
THANKSGIVING BREAK
State of the Union
Read:
Barack Obama, “A More Perfect Union” (2008).
Read:
Give Me Liberty, 1133-1146.
5 December (Sat.)
FINAL EXAM (12:00 noon)
All photographs in this syllabus from Robert Frank—check him out!