AMH2020:The History of the United States II
Instructor Information
Professor: Mark A. Panuthos
Office location (building and room): ECampus
Office Hours: No scheduled on campus office hours. Available online only.
Contact information: Email directly through enrolled course
Secondary email address: [email protected]
Phone: (727) 687-4369
Academic Department Chair: Douglas Rivero ([email protected])
IMPORTANT DATES
Summer Semester 2016
(available at: https://www.spcollege.edu/calendar/ )
Deadline to drop with refund: January 15
Exam I: June 13-19
Exam II: July 11-17
Last date to withdraw with a grade of “w”: June 24
Final grades posted: July 21
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
Text: Of The People: A History of the United States vol II, from 1865, 2nd
ed. ISBN: 9780199924684, James Oakes et al eds.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
"G" Prerequisite: (ENC 0020 and REA 0002) or EAP 1695 or an appropriate score on the
placement test. Whereas AMH2010 (United States History I) covers the origins and
geopolitical growth of the United States through the Civil War and Reconstruction,
AMH2020 (United States History II) spans a much shorter time, but relates the
ascendancy of the American state as an economic and military superpower. This course
partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General Education Requirements.
47 contact hours.
COURSE GOALS
This course is divided into three components which roughly correspond to the
following timeline:
1)the U.S. after the Civil War (1865-1900); 2) the U.S. on the verge of the
American Century (1900-1952); and 3) the U.S. and the Cold War and beyond
(1952-present). As such, the course aims:
1) To examine the development of American political and cultural institutions in
the context of the nation’s increasing industrial, economic, and population
resources.
2) To understand history as a process rather than as a stagnant collection of
facts and figures.
3) To research important events in American history via both conventional
“hard-copy” and web resources.
4) To develop historical interpretations based upon sound methodological
frameworks.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the:
1. Reconstruction plans advocated by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew
Johnson and the Republican Congress. Students will also demonstrate
knowledge of Reconstruction governments in the South and of the factors
leading to Reconstruction's end (1865-1877)
2. Rapid economic growth and industrial expansion and of the role of the
American labor movement (1865-1902)
3. Growth of the Western United States, emphasizing the role of Native
Americans and the role of the regional growth (1865-1917)
4. Expansion of America's cities and the new trends of American cultural life
at the beginning of the twentieth century (1865-1917)
5. Political parties' stalemate and upheaval (1868-1900)
6. American foreign policy toward Alaska, Mexico, Spain and eastern Asia,
including the views of Theodore Roosevelt (1865-1913)
7. Progressive Era including presidential reforms and their effect on minorities
(1900-1917)
8. Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy and the United States' involvement in
World War I (1913-1920)
9. Economy and culture of the 1920s, including the treatment of Native
Americans and other minorities (1920-1928)
10. Causes of the Great Depression of 1929 and its effect on minorities (19201932)
11. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal (1932-1940)
12. America's entry into World War II and the defeat of the Axis powers
(1933-1945)
13. President Harry Truman's foreign policy and the impact of the Cold War on
domestic American politics (1945-1952)
14. “American Dream” and the struggle by African-Americans to end
discrimination (1952-1960)
15. President John F. Kennedy's foreign and domestic policies and the growth of
the counterculture (1960-1968)
16. United States involvement in Vietnam and the revisions of the Democratic
and Republican parties (1960-1975)
17. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, their visions and successes in
foreign policy and domestic programs (1976-1986)
18. Changing personal and social values in the United States and the collapse of
the Soviet Union (1974-1986
19. Increased ability in writing by planning and writing one or more of the
following (all of which will be evaluated):
20. Critical thinking skills in writing assignments and in classroom
Attendance Policy/60% Participation Policy
All students are required to login to the course AT LEAST once per week to
post a discussion forum response and to take an online quiz. Students are
encouraged to log in as often as possible, to read the postings of other
students and to answer chapter review questions. ALL STUDENTS MUST LOG
IN AT LEAST ONCE DURING EACH OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF
SCHOOL OR THEY WILL BE ADMINISTRATIVELY WITHDRAWN!
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION POLICY FOR THIS CLASS: All students must log in
weekly to complete one chapter quiz and one discussion forum posting. All
quizzes and discussion forum postings are due by midnight on Sunday night.
TO BE CONSIDERED ACTIVE at the 60% Mark: Weekly quizzes and discussion
questions must be completed AND Exam I and II must be submitted.
INTERNET USAGE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Students will use the internet on campus to access class-related resources
only. Students using computers and the internet on campus may be subject
to electronic monitoring. Inappropriate use will result in disciplinary action.
All electronic devices such as cell phones, beepers, pagers, and related
devices are to be turned off prior to entering any classroom, library or
laboratory. Use of any device in these areas is a violation of College Policy
and subject to disciplinary action.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Students must follow guidelines and due dates for course withdrawal set
forth by the college and the academic calendar.
It is responsibility of the student to withdraw from the course
themselves by the withdrawal deadline. Any student wishing to withdraw
from the course should do so online at: http://my.spcollege.edu In
accordance with college policy, no student can withdraw from a course after
the withdrawal deadline. Do NOT ask your instructor to withdraw you from
the course. It is your responsibility.
GRADING and GRADEBOOK COMPOSITION
Students enrolled after the withdrawal deadline will receive one of the
grades:
Grading scale:
90+ A
80 – 89 B
70 – 79 C
60 – 69 D
<60 F
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will a student receive a W grade after the
withdrawal deadline.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Grades for the course will be based upon three exams, fifteen discussion
questions, and 15 quizzes. The three exams will comprise a total of 150
points (explained below), the fifteen discussion questions are worth five
points each (75 total points). Thus, the total possible points for the course
is 375 Student grades on each individual assignment will be represented
both by the actual number of points earned.
Module #
1
2
40
35
Weekly Quizzes
(5 x 10pts)
80
70
Exams
75
75
Discussion Questions
5pts each)
(
Total Points
375
Student Evaluations
Exams: One exam will conclude each of the two content modules. There is
no comprehensive Final Exam for the course. The exams will account for a
total of 150, or approximately 40 percent of the final grade. Each exam will
consist solely of three essay questions. Each essay response is worth
twenty-five points, thus, each exam is worth fifty points. Students will have
access to each exam at the conclusion of each content module. The exams
will be online from Monday until Sunday evening of the following week.
Students must log on at some point during exam availability. Once logged on,
students will have ninety minutes to complete the examination. Exams will
be evaluated and exam grades released with instructor comments within five
days of submission. Exam statistics for the class will be posted to the
discussions board once grades have been released so that students might
monitor their progress in a timely fashion.
Each essay will be graded on a scale of between 0-25 points. Essays will be
graded holistically. Each response should include relevant and detailed
historical content from chapter readings and should seek to analyze a given
question rather than merely reporting related information. It is highly
recommended that each response be at least 350 words. Though this
number does not guarantee an "A" or a "B" grade for an essay, it does
represent the minimum number of words necessary to adequately develop a
comprehensive response.
Weekly Quizzes: Students will be evaluated weekly on their reading
assignments through a series of fifteen quizzes. Each quiz will consist of
ten multiple choice questions, and students will have fifteen minutes to
complete each quiz. The quizzes are based entirely off of the assigned
readings. It is highly recommended that students read each assignment
carefully and answer the chapter review questions provided in each section.
Though these questions are not designed to specifically cover quiz
information, they do provide useful outlines for each chapter.
Discussion Questions: See the calendar for specific due dates. For fall
and spring semesters, there will be one discussion post per week. Each post
is worth 5 points, for a course total of 75. Students will be given full credit
(5 points) for each post that is thoughtful and demonstrates knowledge of
required readings. Full credit will be withheld for posts that are incomplete,
inappropriate, or too brief. Student responses must be posted prior to
midnight on Sunday of the week that they are due in order to receive full
credit.
Total Points
335-375
296-334
258-295
240-257
Below 240
Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
W
WF
AU
Percentage Approx
90 – 100%
80 – 89%
70 - 79%
60 - 69%
0 - 59%
Withdrawal – system generated
Withdrawal Failure – system generated
Audit
Grade Point
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
N/A
0
N/A
I
Incomplete
N/A
Possible Exam Essay Questions by Module
Content Module I: Chapters 16-23: Reconstruction, Victorian
Age, World War I, and the Jazz Age
1) In the words of one historian, Reconstruction represented a “Revolution halfaccomplished.” Indeed, the period from the end of the Civil War to 1876
witnessed some radical societal changes within the states of the former
Confederacy only to see those changes give way to extreme conservatism. What
were the greatest successes of Reconstruction? Why did it ultimately fail?
2) Discuss the manner in which US Indian policy changed after the Civil War.
How had the US government misinterpreted both the Battle of Little Bighorn
and the later Ghost Dance Movement and what effects did these events have
upon US Indian policy?
3) With the influx of immigrants in the latter decades of the 19th century,
American society changed in fundamental ways. Discuss these changes with
regard to any three of the following: economically, socially, culturally,
demographically, and politically.
4) In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner published their novel The
Gilded Age, which satirized America as a land of money-grubbers and
speculators. The novel resonated with late-nineteenth-century readers and
continues to do so with historians. In fact, historians have appropriated its title
to characterize the late nineteenth century - America's Gilded Age - as an age
of materialism and cultural shallowness. Citing specific historical examples,
discuss the appropriateness of this label for America in the late nineteenth
century.
5) In what ways did President Teddy Roosevelt change the American
presidency?
6) Progressive reformers called on the federal government to be an active
partner in reforming American society. They demanded the government become
involved in areas traditionally left to state or local governments or to private
charities and philanthropic societies. In many respects, the progressives'
approach to government involvement set the tone for Americans' increased
expectations of the federal government. In what ways did the federal
government expand its powers from 1890 to 1945, and how did this growth
affect American society? Ultimately, did this expansion benefit the country?
Explain your answer.
7) President Harding's 1920 presidential campaign is perhaps most notable for
introducing the word "normalcy" into the American political vocabulary. What
did Harding mean by "normalcy", and did he in fact make good on his campaign
promise?
8) The "Jazz Age," the "Roaring Twenties," the "Turbulent Twenties," and the
"Dollar Decade" all describe the decade of the 1920s. Which label, in your
opinion, is most accurate? Justify your answer in an essay describing the
decade's major events and problems.
Content Module 2: From the New Deal to the Devolution
Revolution and Beyond
9) Reform movements and impulses had a long, albeit sometimes checkered,
history in the United States by the time Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised
Americans a "new deal" during the 1932 campaign. Did his New Deal truly
represent a dramatic departure from the progressive movement, or did it
represent a continuation of that earlier movement? Be sure to consider aims,
results, motivations, and the reformers themselves.
10) During the first half of the twentieth century, two major global conflicts
shattered the country's notions of peace and stability, prompting the United
States to send money, munitions and troops overseas. Consider the ways in
which Woodrow wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt approached foreign war.
What were their public stances before the United States entered the fray?
Why did they eventually commit to U.S. involvement? In what ways did they
attempt to mobilize domestic support, and how successful were these efforts?
Ultimately, who was the more successful wartime leader?
11) The actions of African-American civil rights activists had a broader effect
on activists for other minorities. Agree or disagree.
12) From your reading on the Vietnam War, evaluate the American role in
Vietnam from 1961 to 1975. Was the United States able to fulfill its
objectives?
13) FDR had hoped that the wartime alliance between the United States and
the USSR would continue in the postwar world. Yet the two nations soon became
locked in a global conflict that came to dominate international relations for the
next forty years. This cold war also had profound implications for U.S. domestic
policy and culture. Discuss the ways in which heightened tension with the
Soviets influenced America's national scene from 1945 to 1989. What were the
benefits and losses of this "great fear" in American culture?
14) In the two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United
States has found itself alone atop the world’s military powers. Yet challenges to
the US have seemingly multiplied. Identify some of those challenges. How did
the Clinton administration address these challenges? How did the George W
Bush administration address these challenges? What differences and what
similarities do you notice?
15) Describe the fallout resulting from the Watergate Scandal. How did that
event alter American attitudes and opinions regarding its government? Trace
your argument through the present administration. What scandals have rocked
the administrations since Nixon’s and how have American politicians reacted?
LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MAKE UP POLICY
All assignments are due weekly, by Saturday at midnight. Exceptions to this policy
are at the instructor’s discretion. Late assignments may be accepted, but only with
appropriate documentation and may result in a grade penalty
EXTRA CREDIT
No official extra credit assignments are available. However, students that
participate frequently in class will receive special consideration when final grades
are determined at the end of the semester. Students may also turn in their
homework notebook for additional consideration at the end of the semester.
All course work must be completed by the appropriate due dates. A grade of
zero will be assigned to any course requirement not completed.
IMPORTANT COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING COURSE DROP/ ADD PERIOD
AND AUDIT INFORMATION
Students CANNOT add a course following the 1st day the class meets prior to the second
class meeting. Students CAN drop a course during the 1st week of classes and be eligible
for a refund. Except by appeal to an associate provost, students may not change from credit
to audit status after the end of the first week of classes. Online classes may be added
through the standard drop/add period set forth by the College.
ONLINE STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND CONDUCT GUIDELINES
The practices of courtesy and respect that apply in the on-campus classroom also apply
online. Any discriminatory, derogatory, or inappropriate comments are unacceptable and
subject to the same disciplinary action applied in courses offered on campus.
Students are required to post to online discussion boards in this class. Therefore, it is
important that students acquaint themselves with proper Internet etiquette. There are
several such Internet resources available, such as Virginia Shea’s book Netiquette and the
online resource www.NetManners.com. In general, emails and posts of a disrespectful,
threatening, or sarcastic nature will not be tolerated.
SYLLABUS ADDENDUM
Link for revised syllabus addendum: http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/
In the event that topics listed in this addendum also appear in your
syllabus, please note that you should rely on the addendum information as
the most current and correct information.
KEY TOPICS COVERED IN THE ADDENDUM INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT
LIMITED TO:
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COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING COURSE DROP-ADD PERIOD AND AUDIT
INFORMATION
GRADING AND REPEAT COURSE POLICIES
ATTENDANCE/ACTIVE PARTICIPATION/WITHDRAWAL POLICIES
FEDERAL GUIDELINES RELATED TO FINANCIAL AID AND TOTAL WITHDRAWAL
FROM THE COLLEGE
ACADEMIC HONESTY http://www.spcollege.edu/academichonesty/
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITY http://www.spcollege.edu/safety/
SEXUAL PREDATOR INFORMATION
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/hr/accommodations_manual.htm
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LIBRARY SERVICES
http://spcollege.edu/libraries/