HIST 356: American Women’s History, 1865 to the
Present
Course Home Page
Blackboard
Instructor's E-mail
Themes, Objectives, and Goals
Your Instructor
Required Texts and Readings
Course Requirements
Grading
Honor Code
Course Mechanics
Schedule
Themes, Objectives, and Goals
Welcome to History 356, American Women’s History, 1865 to the Present!
In this course we focus on the pivotal roles women have played in shaping American history
from the late nineteenth century to the present day. We will learn how the experiences of
American women have decisively shaped American society, culture, politics, and economics
throughout the nation’s history. This course is not designed to act as a counter-narrative to
“traditional” American history, but rather it seeks to place women at the center of the
narrative and it offers a more complete and complicated vision of the American past. In
examining the experiences of women, we will pay particular attention to the ways in which
gender roles are historically constructed, especially in relationship to factors such as race,
ethnicity, social class, and age. Understanding what it has meant to be a woman at different
points in American history will allow us to investigate how women have worked within, and
pushed against, various boundaries in order to exercise control over their lives and to gain
visibility and power in American society.
Since we won’t have time to cover everything, we will focus on especially illuminating
examples of women’s experiences that reveal some of the very important ways women
have shaped the American past and shaped their own lives. This will involve learning to
read and analyze different kinds of sources, ranging from secondary material (different
interpretations of the past as written by scholars) and primary documents (sources
produced during the time period we are studying). We will examine a wide array of primary
sources, ranging from political writings to personal memoirs to relics of popular culture, in
order to understand how American women from various backgrounds understood their own
society and culture. In listening to these myriad “voices,” the goal is for you to arrive at your
own interpretations of the history of American women. As a class, we will work on
verbalizing interpretations in our weekly discussion forums and we will learn to craft sound
arguments with the use of historical evidence in our writing. By the end of the course, you
should have a firm understanding of women’s centrality to American history and you will be
well equipped to ask probing questions about the historical contingency of ideas about
gender. Moreover, you will have a better understanding of the historical aspects of issues
facing contemporary women in America.
Finally, I understand that for many, coming from different fields and backgrounds, history
may seem a lackluster—even “boring”—field of study. But, fear not! This course will be
challenging, exciting, and provocative. I want you to leave with a piqued interest in the field
of history and with a fresh understanding of how various women’s histories have all played
a part in shaping American society and culture.
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Your Instructor
Robin Payne is a PhD candidate in the history department at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research and teaching interests focus on modern American
history and the history of gender, sexuality, social justice, and culture. She is presently
completing her dissertation, which examines how second-wave feminists understood the
meaning of romantic love and its impact on women’s lives.
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Required Texts and Readings
We have four principal texts for this course, all available from Friday Center Books & Gifts.
You can purchase the books at the store in person, order the books online, or you can print
out the book order form to fax or mail with your payment. Friday Center Books & Gifts sells
the editions required for the course. If you choose to purchase your books elsewhere, it is
important that you buy the correct editions of Women and the Making of America and
Modern American Women, which are indicated by the ISBNs.
Mari Jo Buhle, Teresa Murphy, and Jane Gerhard, Women and the Making of
America, Volume 2 (2009). ISBN: 9780138126872
Susan Ware, Modern American Women: A Documentary History, 2nd edition (2002).
ISBN: 9780072418200
Kate Chopin, The Awakening (1899)
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi: An Autobiography (1968)
You will also have a number of short reading assignments, including select excerpts from
Volume 1 of Women and the Making of America, that I will make available on UNC Library’s
electronic reserves. In Lesson 6, you will watch a PBS documentary via UNC Library’s
online resources. There will be direct links to these reading/viewing assignments on the
lesson pages.
On average, you can expect to read approximately 60 to 80 pages per lesson; however,
please note that the readings for Lessons 4 and 11 will be longer—you will read a novel and
an autobiography. In addition, you will also read and review a book that you will choose
from a list I provide (see Book Review Assignment). Plan ahead—one of the benefits of an
online course is being able to look ahead at all the lessons (see Schedule for links to
lessons).
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Course Requirements
Your grade will be determined with the following distribution among assignments and
activities:
Discussion Forum Participation 40 percent
Book Review Assignment
15 percent
Midterm Essay
20 percent
Final Exam
25 percent
Discussion Forum Participation
The online discussion forums will be our most important space for learning in this course.
You should view the discussion forum as our virtual classroom, where we come together to
talk about our reactions to the material we’re reading about. Since everyone will be
approaching the material from a unique perspective, our best learning will take place in
dialogue with one another. It will be important that you share your own interpretation of the
readings, read your classmates’ interpretations, and then re-evaluate the conclusions
you’ve drawn.
Each week, you are required to participate at least three times on at least three different
days in the discussion forum. In each lesson, I offer you at least one question or prompt to
help you start thinking critically about the material you’ve read. By the designated
deadline (usually the end of the day on Thursday), you must start a thread on the
discussion forum with a response that engages the materials and offers direct textual
evidence from your readings. It is important that you read what your classmates write so
that you can be sure to offer something new to the discussion. After you have posted your
initial response, you must respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. The goal of
these follow-up responses is to encourage dialogue with one another and to help us push
our interpretations of the material in new directions. You should post two follow-up
responses to your classmates’ posts on two different days by the end of the week.
I ask that you post your responses on different days during the week in order to foster an
ongoing, back-and-forth dialogue. This also ensures that there is always new material for
you and your classmates to address at any given time. The requirements and deadlines for
discussion forum posting should give you plenty of flexibility to accommodate your own
schedule.
Your discussion forum posts need not be overly formal; however, you should usually aim to
write approximately 200 to 300 words for an initial post, with complete sentences and
paragraphs. Of course, you’re welcome to write more than that if you wish. In addition,
please use parenthetical citations whenever you are offering quotations or ideas from your
readings. An appropriate parenthetical citation might look like this: (Chopin, 36).
Aside from the three required responses, I encourage you to use the discussion forum as
frequently as you like. This is your space to raise questions and share ideas as they occur
to you. The more you participate and engage with one another, the more all of us will learn.
It is best to write your discussion posts in a Word document, then copy and paste into the
forum. This will allow you to keep a record of your work for future reference and to protect
yourself against unexpected technology glitches.
Finally, it is crucial that we foster an easygoing rapport with one another in the discussion
forum. As such, I ask that you follow basic rules of conduct. We will often discuss highly
sensitive topics in this class including, but not limited to, issues of race, ethnicity, class,
gender, sexuality, religion, and politics. Since history is open to multiple interpretations,
disagreement is fine—but disagreements are to be grounded in historical interpretation.
They must be targeted at ideas and they must be delivered respectfully. Personal attacks
against individuals will not be tolerated. You can expect the same respect from me that I
expect from you.
Writing Assignments
In addition to our discussion forum, you will have three formal writing assignments: a book
review, a midterm essay, and a final exam.
Please note that your written assignments have word-length, rather than page-length,
requirements. This is because word processor programs offer so many formatting options
that it is difficult to set a page limit that is uniform. Generally speaking, you will find that one
page (with double-spacing and standard font and margins) is about 275 to 300 words long.
In preparing for your writing assignments, you might wish to consult the UNC Writing Center
for helpful information about different kinds of writing. The Writing Center has a number of
informational handouts and offers online consultation as well for full-time students. I am also
happy to correspond with you individually about your papers.
To submit your writing assignments, save them in Word .doc or .rtf format and e-mail them
to me. Make sure that your name is clearly displayed on the paper itself and that your file
name includes your last name.
Book Review Assignment
During the first week of the semester, I will post a list of books on Blackboard (for more
information on Blackboard, see the Course Mechanics section). The list will include several
books relating to each lesson. Taking into account your own schedule and your particular
interests, you will select a book to review. During the lesson that corresponds with your
selected book, you will post a review of the book (approximately 1,000 to 1,200 words) to
share with the class. You might think of this as our version of an in-class presentation. Your
review is due on Thursday of the lesson that corresponds with your selected book.
That way, your classmates will have a chance to read your review, ask you questions, and
take the material into consideration for their follow-up responses.
Your book review should briefly describe what the book is about; however, you should aim
to go beyond summarization in order to critique the book. What kind of argument is the
author trying to make? What kind of evidence does the author offer? How does the book fit
in with what we’re learning? I will be happy to consult with you individually about your book
review, but you may also wish to consult this very helpful handout from the Writing Center.
In addition to posting your book review on Blackboard, you will e-mail the review to me as a
Word document so that I can offer confidential comments and a grade.
Midterm Essay
Mid-way through the semester, you will be asked to answer an historical question that
relates to material covered in the readings, lesson notes, and discussion forums in the form
of an essay. The essay will give you an opportunity to synthesize what you’ve learned so
far, weave together pieces of historical evidence, and craft an interpretation about the past.
Your essay must include an introduction that indicates what you will argue, full paragraphs
with supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Your essay should be approximately 1,200 to
1,500 words long. The question will be posted on Blackboard. See the Schedule for dates.
Final Exam
For your final exam, you will write two essays in answer to questions I will post on
Blackboard. One will address information covered after the midterm and the other will be
cumulative. Each essay should be approximately 1,200 words long. See the Schedule for
dates.
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Grading
Your exam essays and book review will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. Focus on the issue: Does the essay deal with the topic?
2. Use of evidence: Does it support its position by providing a range of specific
examples to prove its point?
3. Organization: Does the essay’s structure serve to tie together the paper’s sections
and paragraphs? Is it always clear where the essay is going? Does the paper meet
the length requirements of the assignment?
4. Clarity: Are words employed precisely? Is the essay’s language active and to the
point?
5. Originality: Does the argument show creative thought? Does the essay suggest new
ways to think about the topic at hand?
A: Excellent performance on all five criteria
B: Above average on four of the criteria or excellent on some but flawed on
others
C: Average across the board or above average in part but with significant flaws
D: Below average across the board
F: Plagiarism evident or fails entirely to address the paper’s requirements
Policy on Late Papers
All due dates are clearly marked in the Schedule. Plan your time in order to meet the
deadlines because for each day your midterm essay or book review is late, the letter
grade you receive will automatically drop one third of a grade level. Papers more than one
week late will not be accepted for credit. Late papers will be penalized because a) having
“extra” time to work on a paper past its due date puts you at an unfair advantage over
students who conscientiously followed deadlines and turned their papers in on time; and b)
essays are designed to help you learn, synthesize, and interpret information as it relates to
where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re heading. Once that moment passes,
what you will have learned from writing your essays or sharing your book review with the
class is increasingly limited.
Your final exam essays must be submitted by the due date in the Schedule.
In exchange for your thoughtful observance of due dates, I will return your work in a timely
manner with written comments aimed at providing you with constructive feedback and
suggestions for future success in your writing.
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Honor Code
We will abide by the university’s Honor Code at all times in HIST 356 CCO. An especially
egregious offense under the honor code is plagiarism. Plagiarism is stealing the words or
ideas of another person and passing them off as your own. Sometimes plagiarism is
intentional; however, many students inadvertently plagiarize material when they’ve put off
their work until the last minute and forget to properly cite the materials they’ve used. Either
way, it’s a serious offense with serious consequences. If you’re unclear about what
constitutes plagiarism, consult this helpful handout from UNC’s Writing Center. I am also
happy to consult with you individually about the matter.
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Course Mechanics
Blackboard
Some of your class components (discussion forums, class listserv, and announcements)
are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to log in to
Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever
Need) and Onyen password.
There is a link to the Blackboard site in the gray navigation bar at the top of every page in
this course. Click on that link, and then use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard. Click on the
“HIST 356” link, and you will see navigation buttons on the left side of the screen labeled
Announcements, Discussion Forum, and so on.
If you have technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the
Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP). The response team is available
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by phone, e-mail, online request form, or live
chat. See help.unc.edu.
Using E-mail
All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one
that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their
UNC e-mail using UNC Webmail. You can have your e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail
address by clicking “Forward e-mail” at the Onyen Web site. We recommend that you use
your UNC Onyen e-mail account for this course.
If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not
prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff.
Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within
Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. Some
commercial webmail services such as Yahoo! frequently block messages sent from the
University. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account for this course.
Library Services and E-reserves
Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit
Distance Education Library Services to access a wide array of online services and
resources including e-reserves, online databases, online journals, online books, and live
help with research and library access. Most online resources require you to log in with your
Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging
in to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance
Education Library Services. You can chat live about your problem, or send an e-mail to
request assistance.
Other Questions
If you have questions regarding the content of the course and your progress, contact me.
There is a link to my e-mail address at the top of every lesson page. It is essential that you
include “CCO HIST 356” in the subject line of your e-mail so I do not overlook it.
Contact the instructional designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site,
including bad links.
If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen,
credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center
(phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).
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Schedule
The course follows the UNC-Chapel Hill academic calendar. All times (for deadlines) are
Eastern Time. If you are in a different time zone, plan accordingly. It is essential that you
adhere to the schedule. Mark the dates in your personal calendar. Establish a plan for
reading, study, discussion, and writing that enables you to meet the deadlines. Click on the
link for each lesson to view my lesson notes and your assignments.
Lesson
Topic
Lesson 1
Gender and Jim Crow: Women’s Lives and Sexualized Racial Violence in
the Aftermath of the Civil War
Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday
Lesson 2
Women and Westward Expansion in the Late Nineteenth Century
Select title for book review assignment.
Lesson 3
The New Woman at Century’s End: Changing Patterns at Work and Home
Lesson 4
Sexuality and Intimacy in Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century America
Lesson 5
Moral Reform and Progressive Era Politics, 1880–1920
Lesson 6
The Battle for Women’s Suffrage
Midterm
Essay question will be posted on Blackboard.
Lesson 7
Navigating the Roaring Twenties
Lesson 8
Women in Depression Era America, 1929–1940
Lesson 9
World War II Home Fronts, 1940–1945
Lesson 10
Competing Visions of Women in the 1950s: A Return to Postwar
Domesticity or a Continued Challenge to Traditional Ideals of
Womanhood?
Lesson 11
Women and the Civil Rights Movement
Lesson 12
Second-Wave Feminism: Seeking Equality and Liberation
Lesson 13
Work, Family, and Backlash in the Aftermath of Second-Wave Feminism
Lesson 14
Third-Wave Feminism and American Women in a Global Context
Lesson 15
Reflecting on the Past, the Present, and the Future for Women in America
Final Exam
Essay questions will be posted on Blackboard.
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Course author: Robin K. Payne, PhD
© The University of North Carolina
Last modified: December 21, 2009
Send comments and questions to [email protected].