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Course
Description: A survey of US
history from the 1870's to the
present. In the course we will be
particularly concerned not with
names and dates, but rather with
historical processes that made the
US the way it is. The course will
focus on political history, but more
importantly on the history of the
struggles between labor and capital,
women and minorities versus the
dominant patriarchal state, and the
plight and status of the working
poor and the way in which they
either made, influenced, or were
exploited by the American system. In
essence, political, economic, and
most importantly social history will
be covered in this course in order
to understand just what the
"American Experience" represents for
the majority of Americans, not just
the elite. Note: This is not a
“lollipop” history course where
everything turns out for the best.
US history is an epic drama full of
victories as well as atrocities. For
this reason you will not be fed
disconnected facts so common in
courses that focus on what can only
be described as American mythstory.
This is course emphasizes critical
thinking and understanding processes
of causality that forged the saga of
US historical development between
1870 and 1988.
Prerequisites: None
Instructional
Objectives
Upon completion of
the course the student should be
able to:
Correctly identify
and explain the major historical
events and their
impact on the U.S. since
1876. The student can then:
A. Chart
the
development of the United
States from post-Reconstruction
society
to the emergence of
the New South, the American West,
and
'Modern' America;
B. Correctly
identify the changes in the late 19th
century as the United States moves
from a rural to urban environment;
C. Discuss the
emergence of the United States as a
world power and its effects on
politics, economics and diplomacy
from the late 19th century to the
present;
D. Discuss the
shifting of political power from the
East Coast to the South and
Southwestern areas
of United States after World War II;
E. Discuss the
effects of immigration on the
economic, political and social
culture of the United States.
Student
Learning Outcomes:
1.
Chart
the expansion and development of the
U.S. domestically and
internationally in the post-Civil
War era. The student can then: A.
Identify the
factors in causing Western
settlement and the growth of
urban areas from
the 19th century to the present; B.
Discuss the
similarities and
differences in United States
involvement in World
War I and World War
II; C. Correctly identify and
discuss the policies
of the United
States both domestically and
internationally during the Cold War
2. Discuss
and analyze the role of race and
gender in from the
Reconstruction Era
to the present, especially
politically, socially,
politically and
intellectually. The student can
then: A. Correctly
identify and
discuss the impact of Jim Crow laws
and segregation in
the 19th and 20th
centuries; B. Chart the emergence of
the Women's
Suffrage movement
and its goals; C. Identify and
discuss the key
players and
objectives in the Civil Rights
movements of the 20th
century; D.
Evaluate and discuss the state of
racism and
gender-based
discrimination in the early 21st
century, and historical
precedent.
3
Identify
and explain global economics,
politics and diplomacy and
how those factors
have affected the development of the
U.S. and its
reaction to global events
since 1876. The student can then: A.
Correctly identify
the key factors contributing to the
United States'
emergence as an
economic world power in the late
19th century and
the link to
imperialism; B. Correctly identify
and discuss the key
elements involved
in the causes, progress and end of
the Great
Depression; C.
Compare and contrast the role of the
United States
as an international
economic power with domestic
economic issues
such as unions and
protective tariffs; D. Analyze the
role of the
United States in
world events since World War II.
Student Learning
Outcomes:
Upon completion of
the course the student can:
Analyze causal
variables that led to the historical
development of the
United States
between 1870 and the early 21st
Century.
1.
Compare
and contrast various eras of US
history since 1876 and explain their
historical commonalities and
differences.
2.
Critically
analyze how issues of race and
gender were affected by both the
economic and political development
of the United States from 1870 to
the present.
3.
Explain
how global economic cycles have
historically affected not only the
economy of the United States, but
also its political responses.
4.
Recognize,
identify and discuss the political,
economic, social, diplomatic and
intellectual development of the
United States from 1876 to the early
21st century.
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