UNITED STATES HISTORY II:
RECONSTRUCTION TO THE PRESENT
FALL I 2016
Instructor: Jennifer Zoebelein
HIST 1302: SAT 9:00am–1:00pm, Building 7656, Rm. 8
Contact Information: [email protected] , [email protected]
Required Reading Material
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History, Volume II. Seagull Fourth Edition.
Course Overview
This course is a survey of the United States from Reconstruction to the present. It includes topics
such as industrialization, the Indian Wars, labor movements, Progressivism, the Great
Depression, US involvement in the world wars and Cold War politics. We will consider all
thematic elements of this history including foreign relations/military history; important domestic
issues and policies as well as questions regarding race, class and gender.
This course is a part of the core curriculum at Central Texas College and satisfies three semester
hours of the Social/Behavioral Sciences for the Associate of Science and Associate of Arts
degrees. Please check your degree plan to determine the status of this course in your program of
study. There are no pre-requisites necessary.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have a greater understanding as to the
complex components that have contributed to the country’s modern evolution. Students will also
have gained knowledge in the writing and communicating of historical information, specifically
through the reading and interpretation of primary and secondary materials.
Course Requirements
1. Reading assignments: One cannot fully understanding history and historical concepts
without reading, thus it is important that students keep up with ALL assigned chapter
readings. The majority of chapters are no longer than 20–25 pages.
2. Attendance and participation: All students are expected to attend class and contribute
in class discussions. As per CTC standards, each absence will be reported to the CTC
office and after two unexcused absences, evaluation will be made whether you will be
permitted to finish the class. If you miss class due to an excused absence, you should
contact the instructor to see what was missed so you do not get behind.
3. Homework Assignments: There will be two take-home assignments, with due dates
listed in the course outline below.
4. Writing Assignment: There will be one long writing assignment, centered on a
historically-based film of the student’s choosing, with the goal of introducing students to
analytical writing. Specific guidelines will be given one month prior to the due date.
5. Exams: There will be two exams—a midterm and a final—through which students will
demonstrate their knowledge/comprehension of the material. Questions will range from
objective (fill in the blank, matching, map) to short answer. Review sheets will be
provided for all exams.
Grading System
All grades are based on the following scale: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F =
59 and below.
The breakdown of points is as follows:
Attendance and participation: 100 points
Homework assignments: 25 points each, totaling 50 points
Writing assignment: 50 points
Exams: 100 points each, totaling 200 points
Additional Important Information
All students are expected to maintain appropriate classroom behavior. Please remember, this is a
college course and as such, students are treated as adults. I DO NOT want to see/hear any cell
phones nor should students using computers do anything beyond typing notes. Also, students
should not talk amongst themselves once the lecture has begun; I am more than happy to answer
any/all questions as well as to facilitate good discussions of topics.
Cheating and plagiarism will NOT be tolerated. If a student is found to be involved in cheating
or not submitting an assignment in their own words and thoughts, that assignment will be entered
in the grade book as a zero.
Students are reminded to complete End of Course Evaluations. The process is as follows:
 Visit www.ctcd.edu<http://www.ctcd.edu> click on students > current students > student
tools > submit course evaluations
 Click on “I would like to compete an evaluation for a CLASSROOM (lecture / face-toface) course
 Select “Fort Riley, KS” when selecting where you took your course
 Select your course alpha ex: “AUMT”
 Select your course numeric ex: “1405”
 Select your instructors name
 Select your Term start date
 Provide your name and valid email address
 Please hit continue and complete your end of course evaluation
Course Schedule (subject to change)
Week 1: 8/13
Give Me Liberty! (GML) Chapters 15-16
Reconstruction
Post-Civil War westward expansion
Indian Wars
The Gilded Age – Business, Politics and Political Issues
Week 2: 8/20
GML Chapters 16-17
Urbanization
Labor Movements
Populism
Election of 1896
Creating an American Empire
ASSIGNMENT #1 DUE BY MIDNIGHT: 8/24
Week 3: 8/27
GML Chapter 18
The Progressive Era
Progressivism in the White House
Week 4: 9/3
GML Chapter 19
MIDTERM EXAM (first half of class)
The First World War
America and World War I
Week 5: 9/10
GML Chapters 20-21
The 1920s
Onset of the Depression
The Great Depression
Road to War
Week 6: 9/17
GML Chapters 22-24
**NO CLASS—instructor out of town. Will send lecture notes and link for
documentary—all information fair game for exam!
The Second World War
Early Years of the Cold War
The 1950s—Eisenhower documentary
ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE BY MIDNIGHT, 9/21
Week 7: 9/24
GML Chapter 25-26
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE
Domestic Policy—Kennedy to Carter
Vietnam—History Channel documentary (episodes 1 & 5)
Week 8: 10/1
GML Chapters 26-27
FINAL EXAM
Foreign Policy (Beyond Vietnam)—Kennedy to Reagan
Reagan’s Presidency—Assertion of Conservatism
Exam review