AMH 2020: UNITED STATES SINCE 1877
FULLY ON-LINE
Summer 2009
Dr. Matt Clavin
mclavin@uwf.edu
Office Hours: Building 50, Room 143
Mon. and Wed. 10:00-12:00, or by appointment
Phone: (850) 474-2684
Prerequisites or Co-Requisites: None
Course Description:
Provides a survey of United States history beginning in 1877 and ending with a discussion of America in
the modern era.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
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Describe the newness of the New South
Explain how workers responded to the changing demands of the workplace in the late nineteenth
century
Illustrate the impact of new immigration on northern cities
Define the new middle class
Identify the main objectives of federal Indian policy in the late nineteenth century
Describe the environmental consequences of the expansion of mining in the nineteenth century
Summarize the factor that contributed to the rise and fall of the Populist party
Enumerate the values and beliefs that bound progressives together
Describe the emergence of American imperialism
Discuss Americans’ reluctance to get involved in World War I
Evaluate the legacy of the Treaty of Versaille
Explain the causes of the Great Depression
Describe the goals of the New Deal
Summarize American involvement in World War II
Indicate the catalyst for the economic boom that began in 1947
Enumerate the causes of the Cold War
Describe the significance of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Explain the unraveling of the national consensus of the 1950s in the 1960s
State the legacy of Richard Nixon’s presidency
Identify the key social and cultural issues that divided Americans in the 1980s and 1990s
Topics: (Listed under Schedule)
Required texts:
1. Goldfield, American Journey, Volume Two, Brief Fourth Edition (ISBN 013199249X)
2. Plunkitt of Tammany Hall: A Series of Very Plain Talks on Very Practical Politics (ISBN
0451526201)
3. Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It: The
Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson (ISBN 0-87049-527-5)
Required Materials:
Access to the Internet and UWF ELEARNING, and UWF E-mail Account
Grading / Evaluation:
The course grade will be determined as follows: 400 Total Points
Two Exams - (Covering approximately Five to Six Chapters of the Text, will consist of Short
Answers and a Comprehensive Essay; There will be no multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, or
True/False in this class. (100 points each)
Two Papers – (Analyses of Plunkitt’s, Plunkitt of Tammany Hall: A Series of Very Plain Talks on
Very Practical Politics, and Robinson’s, The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who
Started It) (100 points each)
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT PERMIT MAKEUP EXAMS, QUIZZES, OR
PAPERS WITHOUT A DOCUMENTED MEDICAL EXCUSE. If for some
reason you must miss the exam/quiz/test I must be informed before the day of
the exam/paper. Students who will miss graded assignments for vacations,
work, etc., should not take this course.
Special Technology Utilized by Student: UWF E-LEARNING
Expectations for Academic Conduct/Plagiarism Policy:
Departmental Academic Standards:
The Department of History’s policy for cheating or plagiarism is FAILURE IN THE CLASS. It is your
responsibility to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, since ignorance is not a defense. For
information on plagiarism, go to http://uwf.edu/history/studentinfo/index.cfm.
E-Mail Policy:
E-mails should be limited to the following topics: (a) illnesses and reasons for missing class, (b) questions
re: graded assignments and other general questions regarding the completion of assignments, (c) other
course-related concerns. Lastly, e-mail is normally an inappropriate forum for discussing many things,
including grades. However, it is necessary in an on-line class. Students wishing to discuss grades should
wait at least 24 hours after receiving a grade before e-mailing the professor to challenge the grade. Emails deemed inappropriate will not be acknowledged.
Expectations for Academic Conduct/Plagiarism Policy:
As members of the University of West Florida, we commit ourselves to honesty. As we strive for
excellence in performance, integrity-personal and institutional-is our most precious asset. Honesty in our
academic work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in ways which erode that integrity. Accordingly,
we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to plagiarize the work of others. We pledge to share
community resources in ways that are responsible and that comply with established policies of fairness.
Cooperation and competition are means to high achievement and are encouraged. Indeed, cooperation is
expected unless our directive is to individual performance. We will compete constructively and
professionally for the purpose of stimulating high performance standards. Finally, we accept adherence to
this set of expectations for academic conduct as a condition of membership in the UWF academic
community.
Assistance:
Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other course-related
accommodations should contact Disabled Student Services (DSS) at #2387. DSS will provide the student
with a letter for the instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations.