History 106, Section 6
The History of the United States Since 1877
Fall 2012
Instructor: Amanda Nagel
Office: 312 Bishop Hall – amnagel@olemiss.edu and 915-1804
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 2:30-3:45 and by appointment
This course aims to explore the main political, social, and cultural changes in American
history from the end of the Civil War through the present. Students will engage in critical
thinking concerning important events, places, and people within American history and how these
events shaped America as we know it today. This will also allow students to analyze sources as
a means of interpreting the past as well as learning new ways to interpret documents.
Requirements: Students are required to attend and participate in lectures, to read the assigned
texts carefully and thoughtfully, and to fulfill the writing requirements of the course. The
assigned readings must be completed by the end of each week. Students are prohibited from
utilizing cell phones during lectures, but are permitted to use laptops only for note-taking. This
course is designed to enhance students’ analytical and critical thinking skills through the analysis
and evaluation of readings and lectures, writing assignments, and examinations.
Required Texts:
Alan Brinkley, The Unfinished Nation, vol. II: Since 1863
*Other assigned readings that will be posted to Blackboard throughout the semester
Grading: There will be multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate a command of the
course materials. This will include two mid-term exams (each worth 20% of the final grade), a
final examination (20%), and two essay assignments (each worth 20% of the final grade).
Students are required to submit both essay assignments to the SafeAssign portion of the course’s
Blackboard site as well as turn in a hard copy of these essays to class. If problems occur when
attempting to submit the assignment, contact the IT Help Desk at 915-5222 or
helpdesk@olemiss.edu. Students are required to attend class on each day an assignment is due
or an exam is to be taken. Assignments will not be accepted via e-mail. Only a few exceptions
to this will allow students to take make-ups (i.e. health or family emergencies).
NOTE: Attendance is highly recommended. Any student missing multiple lectures
for any reason will be at risk of failing the class. Late papers will not be accepted. The final
examination is NOT optional.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: There will be zero tolerance for academic dishonesty.
This includes cheating on exams and plagiarism, meaning passing off someone else’s work,
whether a website, another student’s work, or a historian’s work, as your own. Any assignment
found to contain plagiarism or cheating in any form will receive a grade of 0% and may lead to
further disciplinary actions. For more information regarding the University of Mississippi’s
policies on plagiarism, consult the M-Book.
Schedule of Class Meetings and Reading Assignments
Aug. 20
Aug. 22
Introduction
Reconstruction/The West
Brinkley, Ch. 15
Aug. 27-29
The West/Industrialization
Brinkley, Ch. 16-17
Sept. 3
Sept. 5
Labor Day – No Class
Rise of Consumption and Urbanization
Brinkley, Ch. 18
Sept. 10-12
Imperialism/Progressivism
Brinkley, Ch. 19-20
Sept. 17-19
Progressivism/World War I
Brinkley, Ch. 21
Sept. 24-26
World War I
First Exam Sept. 26
Oct. 1-3
1920s/Great Depression
Brinkley, Ch. 22-23
Oct. 8-10
Great Depression/New Deal
First Paper Due Oct. 10
Brinkley, Ch. 24
Oct. 15-17
New Deal/World War II
Brinkley, Ch. 25-26
Oct. 22-24
World War II
Second Exam Oct. 24
Oct. 29-31
Cold War
Brinkley, Ch. 27
Nov. 5-7
Cold War/The Rise of the Middle Class
Brinkley, Ch. 28
Nov. 12-14
Civil Rights Movement and the 1960s
Second Paper Due Nov. 14
Brinkley, Ch. 29-30
Nov. 19-23
Thanksgiving Break – No Class
Nov. 26-28
Vietnam War and the 1970s
Dec. 7
Final Exam (Friday, 4:00 PM)
Brinkley, Ch. 31