Second Start
United States History Since 1877
Fall 2013
History 1302.62 (66051)
Learning Hub Room 220
A. Cangelosi
acange@yahoo.com
COURSE PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION
This survey of American history from 1877 to the present focuses on the evolution of
economic and social institutions, which influenced families, communities and the nation.
Students acquire a working knowledge of events, historical persons, and dates in the history of
this nation.
Program Learning Objectives
Students Will: 1. Evaluate historical developments in an essay
2. Read primary source documents
3. Analyze historical evidence by writing an analytical essay
4. Identify proper academic, history databases.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Explain the features of the Gilded Age and the issues of society, culture, and politics.
 Summarize industrialism and Urbanization
 Analyze the New South and Jim Crow
 Explain Populism and Progressivism
 Identify the causes and effects of WWI and the US involvement
 Discuss America between the wars
 Identify the causes of WWII and the Cold War
 Discuss Post0War America at home
 Discuss Post-Modern America
REQUIRED READING
Textbook: The American Promise, A History of the United States 5th edition by Roark, Johnson,
Cohen, Stage, Hartmann.
Students are required to read two books for this course: Blum’s Woodrow Wilson and the
Politics of Morality ISBN 0-57259-303-2 and Richard M. Nixon An American Enigma by Parmet
ISBN 13:0-321-39893-2 or 10: 0-321-39893-9
Each one will be used to write a paper on a specific topic which will be assigned a few
periods prior to the due date.
In addition, articles & websites will be placed on the Learning Web for your
information.
GRADING SYSTEM
Major exams and Final
Writing
Quizzes
250 points
300
100
1
Oral Presentations
150
Grading scale: A=800=716.5
B=716=636.5 C=636—557
D=556.5--477 below 475=failing
Grades below “C” do not transfer to most major universities; some accept only “As” or “Bs”.
EXAMS AND QUIZZES
Exam format: multiple choice and essay questions.
Minor quizzes will be given at
instructor’s discursion.
Although this is a “lecture” course, each student is expected to be prepared to contribute
to class discussion and make presentations to the class periodically.
EXTRA CREDIT:
None Offered! There is too much to do to make time for extra work.
ATTENDANCE & CLASS PROCEEDURES
 Attendance will be based upon Student’s signing in at the beginning of each class period.
Class will begin promptly, so students should make a special effort to be on time. Arriving
late is very disruptive and inconsiderate of both the instructor and the class. Leaving class
early is totally unacceptable.
 Should tardiness or leaving class early become a problem for the class, there will be
consequences to the offending student’s final grade. If you can’t meet the class on a
regular basis in a timely fashion, then maybe taking the class is inappropriate you.

Students are responsible for any and everything missed due to absence from class.

Students will be expected to treat members of the class as they, themselves, would wish to
be treated. Please turn off all pagers and cell phones upon entering the classroom.

MAKE UP WORK: Students are encouraged to make every effort to take exams and submit
papers at the scheduled times. Anyone missing an exam is expected to inform the
instructor as soon as possible, so arrangement scan be made in the testing center.
Absence is not an excuse for turning papers in late. If you can not attend class, plan to email the assignment to the instructor on the due date. Late work will not be accepted
unless there is some very significant reason why the student was unable to submit the
work at the assigned time.

As this is a survey college course, material will be covered very quickly. Students will be
expected to read and be prepared to discuss topics as assigned.

H.C.C.’s stated attendance policy is after missing six hours from a course you can be
administratively withdrawn. This means after missing three (3) classes you may be
dropped.
2

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from the course. If you stop attending and do
not complete the proper withdrawal forms, you will receive a grade based upon work
submitted while meeting the class.
EGLS---Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is
necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to
answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The
anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs
for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston
Community College Student System online near the end of the term.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by College System
policy and the rules of this class. Plagiarism is the use of the ideas or words of another person
(either in whole or in part) without crediting the source. Plagiarism is the theft of another
person’s work and its appropriation as one’s own. Cheating involves fraud and deception for
the purpose of violating legitimate testing rules. Cheating includes, but is not limited to,
copying from another student’s test paper; using, during a test materials not authorized by the
person giving the test; collaborating with another student during a test; knowingly using,
buying, selling, etc. whole or part of an unadministered test. Any questions about academic
dishonesty should be referred to the Student Conduct section of the College System catalog.
Please note that Cheating in any form will result in a failing grade for the course. This policy
will be enforced for all examinations and written assignments.
Disability Statement;
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact Disability Services
Office (Dr. Becky Hauri) at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to provide
only the accommodations requested by the Disability Services Office
Course Outline
Unit I The Gilded Age 1877-1900 Text: Chapters 17-19
Classes 1-3
1. The Contested West: Indian problem, mining, homesteaders & Cattle Kingdom
2. The Economic Transformation of the US 1877-1887
3. Urbanization & Immigration
4. Urban and national politics
Quiz I
Unit II. Reform and Expansion chapters 20, 21, 22
Classes 4-6
Dissent, Depression and War 1890-1900
Organizing of Labor; strikes
Agrarian Revolt
Women’s Activism
1896 Election
3
Overseas Expansion
The Spanish American War
Imperialism Debated
Progressive Era 1900-1917
Goals Reforms
Local level State Level
National Level
Progressive Presidents: Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, Woodrow Wilson
Foreign Policy of Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” policy
Taft ‘s “Dollar Diplomacy”
and Wilson’s “Moral Medling”
Limits of Progressive Reform
Quiz 2
Unit III The Great War and its Ramifications 1914-1920 Chapter 23
Classes 7 & 8
The Great War I, 1914-1921—Struggle over Peace Treaty &
League of Nations
Paper due on The Great War & Wilson’s failure to get the
Versailles Treaty ratified class 8
Unit IV Between the Wars chapters 23
Classes 9-12
American Society 1921-1927
Red Scare, Intolerance, Fundamentalism, Prohibition
Booming economy
Urban social life
Quiz 3
Politics of the Roaring Twenties & The Great Depression
1920 Election
Foreign policies
Harding‘s Domestic programs & scandals,
1928 Election
Coolidge & the economy
The Great Depression & Hoover’s Administration
1932 Election
Class 11 Midterm Exam 17, --24
The New Deal, 1933-1938 chapter 24
Class 12
The New Deal Relief, Recovery & Reform
Agriculture, Business & labor
Social Programs
Unit V The Second World War Chapter 25
Classes 13 & 14
World War II 1941 --1945
Pearl Harbor Attack compared to September 11th
4
Critics of New Deal
Legacy of New Deal
End of the Beginning
Discrimination during Wartime
Science in War
Decision to Use Atomic bomb
Unit VI
The Beginning of the End
The Home Front
Social Solutions
Wartime Conferences
The American Century 1945-2001 Chapters 26-31
Classes 15-17
Cold War Politics in Truman Years (26)
From Grand Alliance to Containment
Truman’s Fair Deal
Korean Conflict
Quiz 4
Politics & Culture of Abundance (27)
Eisenhower and the Politics of the Middle Way
Liberation Rhetoric and Containment
Emergence of Civil Rights
Reform, Rebellion, and Reaction 1960-1974 (28)
Liberalism at High Tide
Second Reconstruction
Multitude of Movements
New Feminism
Nixon’s Surprisingly liberal domestic policy
Creating a new foreign policy
Quiz 5
America Moves Right 1969-1989 (30)
Class 18 Vietnam
Class 19 Watergate and its Aftermath
Nixon Paper due
Class 20 Ford/Carter
Reagan and the Conservative Ascendancy
Class 21 George H.W. Bush & Iraq War (31)
Clinton Prosperity
Bush 43: War on Terrorism
Final Exam
5
6