I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
VI: Historical and Cultural Studies and IX: American and European
Perspectives
Dept/Program
History
Course #
HIST 155
Course Title
Prerequisite
Honors The Americans: 1877 to the Present
None
Credits
4
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
9/10/08
Instructor
Jeff Wiltse/Michael Mayer
Phone / Email
x2987
x2088
Program Chair
Richard Drake
Dean
Gerald Fetz
III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
This course is an introductory survey of United States history from 1877 to the present. It
focuses on major social, political, cultural, intellectual, diplomatic, and economic
developments. The course also exposes students to the practice of historical interpretation.
They do not just read what others have written about the past; they examine historical
documents and texts for themselves and then articulate their own interpretation of the
documents in classroom discussions and paper assignments.
Course objectives:
1. Provide students with a broad outline of U.S. history from 1877 to the present, including
the major social, political, cultural, and economic developments.
2. Provide students with an in-depth understanding of industrialization, immigration and
urbanization, and the Civil Rights Movement.
3. Improve the ability of students to communicate ideas, both verbally and in writing.
4. Develop students’ analytical thinking skills by interpreting primary source evidence and
constructing your own arguments in papers and discussion sections.
IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Criteria for Group IV: Historical and Cultural
Studies
History 155 offers an introduction to
American history since 1877. It focuses on
major historical trends that have shaped
modern America, such as industrialization
and deindustrialization, urbanization,
immigration, westward expansion, the
growth of a consumer economy and
consumer society, the impact of war and the
Cold War, political reform movements,
social reform movements, and the role of the
United States in the world. The course
encourages students to examine the causes
and consequences of those trends. Towards
that end, students are provided with a
textbook and series of lectures to provide
necessary background. The lectures also
offer an interpretive framework. In addition,
students examine primary sources and are
encouraged to examine them in their
historical context. Students are presented
with conflicting historical interpretations and
encouraged not only to understand the
different interpretations but to arrive at their
own.
Criteria for Group IX: American and European Students learn about the major social,
Perspectives
political, cultural, intellectual, diplomatic,
and economic developments in U.S. history
from 1877 to the present. Particular attention
is given to the growth of the American state,
the emergence of consumer and mass
culture, industrialization and
deindustrialization, struggles for racial and
gender equality, unionism and class conflict,
the emergence of the U.S. as a global power,
immigration, and social mobility. Students
also learn about the critical contributions
individuals such as Andrew Carnegie, Jane
Addams, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin
Luther King, Jr., and Rachel Carson made to
the unfolding of modern American history.
V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Learning Goals for Group VI: Historical and
Cultural Studies
Through lectures, readings, and particularly
discussion sections, students are encouraged
to consider the information in the textbook
and lectures as well as the interpretive
framework presented in the lectures and to
develop their own understanding of the
topics covered and the sweep of American
history. Students are expected to present
their own conclusions in clearly reasoned
papers and essay examinations. Most of the
readings assigned in this course are primary
sources. Students are encouraged to analyze
the documents within their historical context
and to ponder what they reveal about the
period, the author, and the major trends
emphasized in the course. Students are
required to grapple with the ideas of writers
such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Jane
Addams, Louis Brandeis, Rachel Carson,
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Anne Moody (to
name a few). They are asked to consider
court cases, letters, speeches, memoirs,
political polemics, and literary texts.
Learning Goals for Group IX: American and
Students read a general textbook on U.S.
European Perspectives
history from 1877 to the present and listen
to lectures that focus on key themes and
developments. Students also read primary
source documents in preparation for weekly
discussion sections and are expected to
analyze and discuss the documents in the
context of the textbook reading and lectures.
Students also write two five-page papers
during the semester in which they relate
assigned primary sources to the major
themes covered in class. In short, they learn
to study the past as historians do. The
analytical thinking skills, analytical writing
skills, and critical reading skills that they
learn in this class prepares them for upperdivision coursework in history.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
HIST 155: Honors The Americans: 1877 to the Present
Professor Jeff Wiltse
LA 263/x2987
Jeffrey.wiltse@umontana.edu
Course Description and Objectives
This course is an introductory survey of United States history from 1877 to the present. It will
acquaint you with some of the people, events, technologies, ideas, and choices that have shaped
American history during this period. Several overarching themes will guide (but not limit) our
study: social conflict, incorporation and centralization, expansion of government function, the
emergence of consumerism and mass culture, and America's rise as a global power. This class
will also expose you to the practice of historical interpretation. You will not just read what
others have written about the past; you will examine historical documents and texts for yourself
and be expected to articulate your own interpretation of them in classroom discussions and
paper assignments. You will, in short, learn to study the past as historians do.
Course objectives:
·Provide you with a broad outline of U.S. history from 1877 to the present, including the
major social, political, cultural, and economic developments.
·Provide you with an in-depth understanding of industrial labor, immigration and
assimilation, and the Civil Rights Movement.
·Improve your ability to communicate ideas, both verbally and in writing.
·Develop your analytical thinking skills by interpreting primary source evidence and
constructing your own arguments in papers and discussion sections.
Readings
Copies of the following books are available at the bookstore. They are the texts for the course.
James West Davidson, et al., Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American
Republic (Vol. 2)
David Shi and Holly Mayer, eds., For the Record: A Documentary History of America
(Vol. 2)
Thomas Bell, Out of This Furnace: A Novel of Immigrant Labor in America
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi
Assignments
Writing is a process, not sudden inspiration. Your skill as a writer and your grades will
improve by writing and re-writing your papers. I strongly encourage you to start early on the
written assignments so you will have time to edit and revise them before handing them in. The
graders will take punctuation, grammar, and style into account when determining your grade.
Midterm 1: In-class exam on Monday, February 25
Paper #1:
Five-page paper analyzing Bell’s Out of This Furnace in the context of
industrialization, immigrant assimilation, and labor. An assignment sheet will be
distributed in class. Due Friday, March 7
Midterm 2: In-class exam on Friday, March 21
Paper #2:
Five-page paper analyzing Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi in the context
of the Civil Rights Movement and Postwar America. An assignment sheet will be
distributed in class. Due Friday, April 25
Final:
In-class exam on Thursday, May 8 at 3:20
Grading
Your final grade will be the weighted average of your individual grades for the term. Final
letter grades are figured at 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D. The dividing line for +s and –s
is _7% for + and _3% for -. You must take this course for a grade. Late papers will
automatically be reduced one full letter grade and must be turned in within one week of the due
date. No paper will be accepted later than one week after it was originally due. No exceptions.
Grades will be weighted as follows:
Paper 1
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Paper 2
Final
Discussion Section
20%
10%
10%
20%
15%
25%
*Discussion section attendance is required. More than two unexcused absences will result in a
failing grade for discussion.
Academic Honesty
Neither plagiarism nor any form of cheating will be tolerated. The work you submit in this
course must be your own. When you draw from the words or thoughts of others, acknowledge
it in the footnotes. Plagiarism/cheating will result in a failing grade for the course. I take
plagiarism very seriously and consider it easily avoidable. If you have any questions about
what plagiarism is, ask me or your TA.
Add/Drop Deadlines
The last day to add/drop by Cyberbear is February 11. The last day to add/drop with instructor
and advisor signature is March 4. A WP or WF will appear on your transcript for courses
dropped after this date. May 2 is the last day to drop this class.
Course Schedule
Wk 1 Discussion: Introduction
Wed, Jan. 23:
Introduction
Fri, Jan. 25:
Making Sense of Industrialization
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 519-38.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 3-30.
Wk 2 Discussion: Industry and Labor
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 56-62, 65-66.
Mon, Jan. 28:
The Consequences of Industrialization
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 538-48, 591-93.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 30-60.
Wed, Jan. 30:
Mass Immigration
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 550-54.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 60-117.
Fri, Feb. 1:
The Rise of Cities
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 554-76.
Wk 3 Discussion: The West
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 47-53.
Mon, Feb. 4:
Three Dilemmas of the New South
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 487-97.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 119-44.
Wed, Feb. 6:
“Ida B. Wells” Video
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 595-98.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 144-90.
Fri, Feb. 8:
The Economic West
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 498-517.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 191-208.
Wk 4 Discussion: An American Empire
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 116-17, 119-23, 128-29.
Mon, Feb. 11:
The United States and Native Americans in the West
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 598-613.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 209-25.
Wed, Feb. 13:
Gilded Age Wrap-up
Readings:
Fri, Feb. 15:
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 225-71.
Jane Addams, Jacob Riis, and the Origins of Progressivism
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 578-91, 615-33.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 272-88.
Wk 5 Discussion: Progressivism
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 130-34, 147-49, 155-56.
Mon, Feb. 18:
No class
(President’s Day)
Wed, Feb. 20:
The 1912 Election and National Progressivism
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 633-46.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 288-305.
Fri, Feb. 22:
Paradoxes of Progressivism
Readings:
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 306-54.
Wk 6 Discussion: Out of This Furnace
Mon, Feb. 25:
Midterm 1
Wed, Feb. 27:
World War I: Diplomatic and Military History
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 648-62.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 354-83.
Fri, Feb. 29:
World War I: The Home Front
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 662-77.
Bell, Out of This Furnace, 384-413.
Wk 7 Discussion: The Paradoxical 1920s
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 188-89, 192-96, 203-205.
Mon, Mar. 3:
Babbitt and the Culture of Consumption
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 681-88.
Wed, Mar. 5:
The Acids of Modernity
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 689-97.
Fri, Mar. 7:
The Interesting Cases of Ozawa and Thind
Paper #1 Due
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 697-713.
Wk 8 Discussion: The New Deal
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 218-20, 236-40, 255-56.
Mon, Mar. 10:
Hard Times
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 715-28.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 3-30.
Wed, Mar. 12:
The Early New Deal
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 728-35.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 31-59.
Fri, Mar. 14:
The Wagner Act and Social Security
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 735-54.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 60-90.
Wk 9 Discussion: World War II
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 275-77, 280-89.
Mon, Mar. 17:
World War II: Diplomatic and Military History
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 756-73.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 90-123.
Wed, Mar. 19:
World War II: Homefront
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 773-94.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 127-55.
Fri, Mar. 21:
Midterm 2
Wk 10 Disc:
No discussion (Spring Break)
Mon, Mar. 24:
No class
(Spring Break)
Wed, Mar. 26:
No class
(Spring Break)
Fri, Mar. 28:
No class
(Spring Break)
Wk 11 Disc:
The Cold War and Red Scare
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 282-87, 288-91, 293-96.
Mon, Mar 31:
Origins of the Cold War and the Red Scare
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 798-825.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 157-221.
Wed, Apr. 2:
Mobility and the Suburban Ideal: Postwar American Society
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 826-37.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 222-49.
Fri, Apr. 4:
Consumption and Conformity: Postwar American Culture
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 837-55.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 250-82.
Wk 12 Disc:
Postwar America
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 316-17, 324-30, 350-52.
Mon, Apr. 7:
Video: “Eyes on the Prize”
Readings:
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 285-334.
Wed, Apr. 9:
Civil Rights Movement
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 857-73.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 335-52.
Fri, Apr. 11:
The Great Society
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 873-78.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 353-90.
Wk 13 Disc:
Coming of Age in Mississippi
Mon, Apr. 14:
The Vietnam War
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 886-97.
Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, 391-424.
Wed, Apr. 16:
The Tumultuous 1960s
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 878-83, 897-903.
Fri, Apr. 18:
From Integration to Diversity: The Transformation of American Ideals
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 903-13.
Wk 14 Disc:
Modern Conservatism
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 431-35, 438-41, 455-59.
Mon, Apr. 21:
America in the 1970s
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 915-39.
Wed, Apr. 23:
Ascendance of Modern Conservatism
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 941-56.
Fri, Apr. 25:
End of the Cold War
Paper #2 Due
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 956-64.
Wk 15 Disc:
Contemporary Foreign Policy
Readings:
Shi, For the Record, 443-46, 466-74.
Mon, April 28:
Culture Wars
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 966-83.
Wed, Apr. 30:
Community Life in Contemporary America
Readings:
Davidson, Nation of Nations, 984-1003.
Fri, May 4:
Course Review
Final Exam:
Thursday, May 8 at 3:20
SYLLABUS
HISTORY 155
THE AMERICANS - HONORS SECTION
PROFESSOR MICHAEL MAYER
SPRING 2008
Assignments for the Honors Section are identical to those for other sections - with the
following exceptions.
1) Students in the Honors Section are exempt from the second midterm exam.
2) Students in the Honors Section are required to write a 10-12 page research paper on
a topic to be arranged in consultation with the instructor. The paper may be on any
topic within the purview of the course. The paper must be based in large part on
primary research. This does not mean that students should not use secondary sources.
On the contrary, students should master the secondary literature and incorporate it into
their own research.
The research paper will be due on April 20 at 3:00 pm. Late papers will be
severely penalized, unless there is a very good reason for being late.
Final grades will be calculated as follows:
Midterm
Paper
Exam
20%
40%
40%
*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide
sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.