HISTORY 17- Class Syllabus
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1876
3 Units, 3 hour lectures. Prerequisite: None; Co-requisite: None; Preparation: None required
Text: The American Pageant, by Bailey, Cohen and Kennedy, Vol. II: Since 1865, 15th Edition
Course Description: U.S. History from the Reconstruction Period to the present, relating to:
The Industrial Revolution
Reform movements from the Progressive Era to the New Deal
Overseas expansion
Collective security in foreign affairs
Other foreign and domestic issues since World War II
Course Goals:
To communicate in narrative form the major events of American History during this period
To acquaint students with the major personalities of this period
To develop a sense of national identity leading to a greater appreciation of common citizenship
To present a curriculum that approaches a level of intellectual and academic rigor equal to freshman history
courses offered at four year colleges and universities
Saddleback College History Department Learning Objective:
Students who complete History 17 will be able to analyze critically, with reference to historical evidence, the evolution of
US politics, economics, and culture since 1876.
Specific Student Learning Outcomes, History 17: Modern American History:
Students will be able to identify the Factors of Production which contributed to America’s rapid industrialization. (Unit One)
Students will be able to identify the specific responses of the National Government to the crisis of the Great Depression.
(Unit 2)
Students will be able to identify the major military and diplomatic actions of the American Government in response to the
advent of the Cold War. (Unit 3)
Presentations:
Date
January 22
Topic
Industrial Transformation; Political and
Economic Philosophies of the Gilded Age
The Railroads
Readings
Chapter 23
January 29
Life in the New Industrial Age
Chapter 26
February 5
Progressivism – the Response to Industrialism
Chapter 28 & 29
February 12
The Rise of the American Empire; Foreign Affairs, 1876 – 1914
Chapter 27
February 19
To Make the World Safe for Democracy The U.S. in World War I, 1914 – 1920
Chapter 30
February 26
EXAM I: (Lecture to follow)
The Early Twenties, Transition from War to Peace
March 5
The Twenties and the Great Depression
Chapter 31 & 32
March 12
The 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt and The New Deal
Chapter 33
March 19
America in the Second World War, 1941 – 1945
Chapter 34 & 35
April 2
Harry Truman, The Fair Deal and the Genesis of the Cold War
Chapter 36
April 9
EXAM II
April 16
The Fifties: Ike and Dulles; Waging Peace,
The Happy Days – America at Home
Chapter 37
April 23
JFK: The Thousand Days
Chapter 38
April 30
The Great Society
to
May 7
Nixon, Ford and Carter – The Seventies
Chapter 39
May 114
The Recent Past
Chapter 40
May 21
EXAM III
Exams are scheduled for the evenings of 2/26, 4/9, 5/21 They are equal in value and composed of multiple choice and
short essay questions. Grading criteria will be discussed in class. The formal written component of History 17 will be a
book report, the format of which is described in an accompanying handout. This paper will have the value of two exam
scores; thus, a student’s grade will be drawn from 3 exams and one paper worth 2 exams. Make-up exams may be
administered for a legitimate or anticipated absence. Irregular attendance may result in a student being dropped from the
class. Drop dates without penalty can be found in the class schedule. This is a student responsibility. Please be punctual
- presentations will begin promptly at 7 o’clock.
Saddleback College: 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA 92692–3635 Website: www.saddleback.cc.ca.us;
Tel: (949) 582-4500
Professor Timothy Gamble Vargish: Social and Behavioral Sciences Division; Office Hours: Available the hour before class in
the Division Office or by appointment. Voice Mail: 582-4900, ext. 3571; E-mail: tvargish@saddleback.edu.
The Saddleback College Library: The James B. Utt Memorial Library, the first permanent facility built at Saddleback College,
plays a leading role in the instructional program of the Saddleback Community College District. A professional staff of seven
librarians is available to assist faculty and students with research projects and in planning reading programs for instructional
purposes and personal enrichment.
Library Resources Available to Faculty, Students and Community Members: The book collection of approximately 85,000
volumes is supplemented continuously by acquisitions in every major subject field. In addition to the more than 325
periodical subscriptions, the library resources include compact disc, video cassettes, tapes, records, slides, microfilms,
maps, newspapers and a law library. Computers are available for student use in the Interdisciplinary Computer Center in
Library 111 adjacent to the Learning Assistance Program.
Special Library Services: These consist of a one-unit course on how to use the library, and a one-unit advanced research
skills course using electronic resources.
Learning Resource Center – Tutoring: provides free tutoring for Saddleback College students. Varied tutoring services are
available to satisfy student’s needs such as one-on-one and small groups instruction plus drop-in and study-skill workshops.
The LRC is located on the first floor of the Library Building, room 212. The LRC is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00
A.M. until 8:00 P.M., and closed Friday through Sunday. Hours are subject to change and may be confirmed by calling
582-4519.
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS): EOPS is an outreach and retention program designed to assist
low-income, educationally disadvantaged and under represented ethnic minority students. EOPS eligible students may
receive:
College and financial aid application assistance
Priority registration
EOPS book service
Academic, personal and career counseling
Tutoring
Assistance in transferring to a 4 year college or university
Interested students should apply at the EOPS office in the Student Services Center, room 126, or call 582-4620. Bilingual
staff is available.
Computer Sites for The American Pageant, 15th Edition:
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http://college//cengage.com/history/us/kennedy/am pageant/14e/student home.html
http://apusreader.podomatic.com/archive/
course-notes.org
APNotes.net
WikiNotes.com
Please note that any materials or information connected to the text that refers to the 14th Edition of the American Pageant
will be essentially the same and just as useful.