The United States Since 1877
HIST 1302
Houston Community College
Spring 2011
Office: EDC-228
Instructor: Clayton Lust
Ph: 713-718-6063
Email: clayton.lust@hccs.edu
www.claytonlust.com
Office Hours – by appt.
Course Description: The United States has undergone tremendous change since the Civil War
and Reconstruction. While the U.S. has seen the rise of large corporations, become a military
and industrial power, and indeed a global force, this has not been accomplished without
tremendous conflict, both at home and abroad. There was a true revolution, as the United States
transformed itself, the way it viewed itself, and indeed the way the world viewed the U.S.. What
we will find, is that the more history we know, the less surprised we are. This survey of U.S.
history will show that while the actions and actors change, there are broad themes that remain
constant.
Objectionable Materials Warning: Over the course of the semester I will utilize some film clips,
not as a substitute for lecture, but to allow us to move between the past and the present, and to
allow us to see how those in the past have viewed history. Some of the film clips that we will
view will contain scenes of explicit violence, sexual brutality, ethnic and gender stereotyping,
nudity, obscenity, adult themes, profanity, and offensive language that might be found
objectionable by some. There may also be ideas or practices endorsed by specific motion
pictures that some might consider immoral or amoral. All of these films, however, were already
in wide circulation in the culture at large and are, in the instructor’s opinion, essential to
understanding American cultural history
Books: All books are required
Foner - Give Me Liberty: An American History, Volume II (FONER)
Various Authors, American Perspectives: Readings in American History, Volume II – 4th edition
Sinclair, The Jungle – available in hard copy or as a free download at
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/140/140-h/140-h.htm
Madison, A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America
Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Grading: Your grade in this class is arrived at in the following manner. There are 3 closed
book, closed note exams, the dates of which are below. The two mid term exams are worth 25%
apiece. The final exam is worth 30% of your grade. In addition there are three (3) quizzes from
the book American Perspectives that are worth a total of 15%. The final 5% is derived from
unannounced (pop) quizzes.
EXAM/QUIZ DATES:
Midterm 1 – Feb. 19, 2011
Midterm 2 - April 2, 2011
Final Exam – May 7, 2011
HCC’s final exam schedule
Reader Quiz 1 – Feb. 5, 2011
Reader Quiz 2 – March 12, 2011
Reader Quiz 3 – April 16, 2011
At the end of the semester I will take your accumulated points and add them together and assign
a grade on the following basis:
90-100 points = A
60-69 = D
80-89 = B
59 and below = F
70-79 = C
Student B
EXAMPLE: Student A
3
Reader Quiz 1
2
5
Reader Quiz 2
4
4
Reader Quiz 3
5
18
Midterm Exam I
23
22
Midterm Exam II
25
26
Final Exam
25
4
Pop Quiz Average
3
82
87
84
76 OF DIRE,
THERE ARE NO MAKE-UPS
IN THIS CLASS EXCEPT IN CASES
B
Final Grade
C GIVEN IS AT
DOCUMENTED EMERGENCY.
WHETHER
A MAKEUP WILL BE
THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR – YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO A
MAKEUP SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU MISS AN ASSIGNMENT. ANY MAKEUP WILL
BE IN AN ALL-ESSAY FORMAT, AND WILL BE GIVEN ON MAY 13, 2011 AT 8 AM
IN EDC 228– THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.
SIMILARLY, INCOMPLETES WILL BE GIVEN ONLY IN CASES OF EXTREME
EMERGENCY AND ONLY WHEN A STUDENT IS PASSING THE COURSE AT THE
TIME THE INCOMPLETE IS GRANTED – THE INCOMPLETE IS NOT AN OPTION
FOR THOSE WHO ARE FAILING THE CLASS.
Academic Honesty Policy
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by HCC policy and
by the rules of this class.
 Plagiarism is the use of the ideas or words of another person (either whole or in part)
without crediting the source and constitutes the theft of another person’s intellectual
property. It is the most common form of academic dishonesty. If you are unclear as to
what constitutes plagiarism, you should seek clarification before beginning an
assignment.
 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 materials or resources not authorized by the instructor during an exam;
collaborating with another student during a test; knowingly using, buying, selling whole
or part of an unadministered test.
Academic dishonesty constitutes a severe violation of HCC policy and rules and is subject to
stringent penalties. Violations of these policies will result, at a minimum, in the automatic
failure of this course. Severe violations could result in suspension or expulsion from HCC.
FYIs
The Houston Community College System is an open-admission, public institution of higher
education offering academic preparation and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare
individuals in our diverse communities for life and work in an increasingly international and
technological society. The History Department will provide an environment conducive to
learning and encourages academic excellence. Furthermore the History faculty will encourage
the development of the following competencies: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Critical
Thinking, and Computer Literacy.
Disability Policy
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support
Service Counselor, Jaime Torres (713 718-6164) at the beginning of the semester. Faculty
members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Office of
Disability Support Services (DSS). Students who are requesting special testing accommodations
must first contact the office.
Attendance
Class attendance is expected and per HCC policy is mandatory. Attendance will be taken at the
beginning of each class - if you are late YOU WILL BE COUNTED AS ABSENT UNLESS
YOU SPEAK TO ME AT THE END OF CLASS - it is YOUR responsibility to let me know you
arrived, I will not track you down. Students are permitted three free absences, after that the
student will lose one point from their final grade for each additional absence. Students who
maintain perfect attendance will receive a 3-point bonus to their course grade. While HCC MAY
(and I stress may) administratively drop you if you miss more than six hours of in-class time,
deciding not to attend class will not result in MY dropping you – if you wish to drop the class it
is your responsibility to do so.
Tardiness - get here on time. Lateness happens, habitual lateness is inexcusable. If you are the
type of person who is constantly late, you should consider another class. If you come to class
more than one half hour late, I will not count you as present.
Classroom Behavior: THIS IS NOT THE 13TH GRADE. You are adults, and are expected to
behave as such. Come to class prepared to take notes every class period - a pen and notebook are
all you need to bring with you. Additionally I have a few very simple rules.
1. The ONLY person who should be talking is me. If you have a question raise your
hand - don't ask the person next to you, unless the person next to you has a PhD in history.
2. NO CELL PHONES. In case that wasn't clear, let me repeat - NO CELL PHONES.
When you enter this classroom, cell phones are to be turned off or on vibrate. DO NOT EVER
answer a call in class. If you have a situation where it is imperative you be reached, tell me
beforehand.
3. You registered for this class - no one forced you to. Once you are here, you are here.
Do NOT get up and leave in the middle of class, unless you have spoken to me beforehand and I
have approved it.
4. Do not read materials for other classes, do homework, listen to CD/mp3 players, sleep,
or read newspapers.
5. Finally, respect your peers. Periodically we may have discussions in this class where
you will be asked to express your own ideas. This classroom and the class list serve must be
spaces in which people feel free to express thoughts. Someone may say something you
completely disagree with, that even I may disagree with. But I will not tolerate any circumstance
where students feel threatened or fearful of expressing ideas - after all that is why you are going
to college, to flesh out your ideas and beliefs and find a way to convey those to others.
Course Warning Label:
The instructor recognizes that virtually no learning takes place when students do not attend class
regularly, nor does it take place when students do not keep up with readings and related course
assignments. If you are not interested in attending class regularly, and if you are not interested in
completing assignments, both of which are strong indicators that you are not committed to your
own education or to learning more generally, then this class is going to be incredibly difficult on
you.
Course Schedule and readings
Date/Topics
Week 1/ Jan. 22
Course Introduction
The United States in 1877
The Disputed election of 1876
The South as an economic colony
Lynching in the United States
The Populist Crusade
The Election of 1896
The Wizard of Oz as an Allegory
Week 2/ Jan. 29
The 1890s - a Decade of Transformation
Segregation and Disfranchisement
Conquest of the West
Defeat of the Plains Indians
The triumph of corporations
Week 3/ Feb. 5
The Rise of Big Business
Industrialization and the Working Class
The US becomes a world power
America at the turn of the century
20th Century Revolutions
Reader Quiz 1 – Feb. 5
Week 4/ Feb. 12
Progressive America
Creating the activist state
World War I
The First Red Scare
The Cultural Civil War of the 1920s
Review/catch up
Readings
Begin Sinclair – complete by midterm I
Foner Ch, 16
AP pp 1-12
Foner Ch. 17
AP, 13-34
Foner Ch. 18
AP – 35-46
Foner Ch. 19
AP 47-70
Finish Sinclair for Exam
Week 5/ Feb. 19
Midterm Exam I
The Stockmarket Crash and Causes of the Great
Depression
The New Deal and FDR's Disputed Legacy
Week 6/ Feb. 26
Hitler, Nazism, and the Holocaust
“The Good War”
The War in Europe
Week 7/ March 5
Transformation on the Home front
War in the Pacific and the Dawn of the Atomic Age
Week 8/ March 12
Origins of the Cold War
Containment
Bretton Woods and Marshall Plans
Korean War
Reader Quiz 2
Week 9/ March 19
No Class Spring Break
Week 10/ March 26
The Second Red Scare, and Cold War America
The Military Industrial Complex
Review and Catch up
Begin Reading Madison, complete by midterm
II
Foner Ch. 20
AP – 71-91
Foner Ch. 21
AP 92-125
Foner Ch. 22
AP 133-168
Finish Madison for Exam
AP 169-178
Week 11/ April 2
Midterm Exam II
AP – 179-190 235-255
Vietnam and its impact
Begin Reading Ehrenreich, complete by Final
Exam
Week 12/ April 9
Civil Rights
JFK and LBJ
Struggles for Social justice
The Great Society and Capital L “liberalism”
Foner Ch. 25
Week 13/ April 16
A changing America, again.
Watergate
America in Decline?
Reader Quiz
Foner Ch. 26
AP 256-282
Week 14/ April 23
Rise of Globalization and America's new role
The Significance of 9/11
Foner Ch. 27 & 28
AP – 283-289
Wars on terror
Week 15/ April 30
Wrap Up and review, a glimpse into the future.
AP – 290-319