UNITED STATES HISTORY SINCE 1865
SYLLABUS
First Summer Session, 2009
Dr. Lee Bruce Kress
History Dept/ Robinson Hall
(856) 256-4500, ext. 3987
E-mail: Lbkress@rowan.edu
COURSE SCOPE AND GOALS:
This course covers American history from the end of the U.S. Civil War through more than a century of
domestic and international development. The purposes of the course are:
1. To become familiar with the events and personalities of the American past.
2. To be able to analyze those events and people in a historical context in order to determine their
significance for American and international development.
3. To learn about historical materials and methods in order to understand how historians study the past.
4. To become familiar with some of the theories and interpretations by which some historians have seen
broad patterns in the past.
GRADING AND REQUIREMENTS:
Students must take all examinations and submit all graded materials at the time required or receive a zero
for the assignment. Late work or missed assignments or exams cannot be made up unless the student presents
verifiable proof of a major and unavoidable emergency.
The midterm exam will count approximately 40% of your grade, and the final exam is worth about 60%.
There may be other small written exercises or quizzes given that can also affect your status. In addition, there will
be an opportunity for extra credit. All of these exercises can add points to the final average of your examinations at
the end of the course.
Students are expected to read and become familiar with the reading assignments in advance of the class, to
attend class sessions regularly and on time, and to participate in all discussions. Learning is a cooperative activity,
which can only occur properly with your full participation. Failure to take part adequately in class will definitely
affect your final grade.
Regular attendance in class is absolutely necessary. A sign-in attendance sheet will be passed around at the
start of class; and it is your responsibility to see that your name appears on that sheet. You are allowed two class
absences without penalty during the course of the semester, and no excuse for these two missed classes is necessary.
However, each additional missed class will cost you one point subtracted from your grade average at the end of the
semester, and generally no excuse will be adequate. Since emergencies and unexpected circumstances sometimes
arise, you would be wise not to waste your permitted absences. If you have a disability that may have an impact
upon your work in this course, please contact me. Students also need to provide documentation of their disability to
the Center for Academic Success in Savitz Hall in order to receive official University services and accommodations.
Final grades will not be posted and cannot be obtained directly from the History Department over the
telephone or by e-mail. However, you can get them from the Registrar by the Student Banner System on the web.
See the printed “Schedule of Courses” for details. If you provide me a self-addressed and stamped 9 ½” x 4”
standard business-sized envelop at the time of the final examination, I will mail your competed bluebook along with
your semester grade. Alternatively, if you provide me a stamped addressed postal card, I will send out just your
final exam grade and your semester grade. All official final grades will appear on your university transcript..
TEXTBOOKS:
Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. Vol. 2: Since 1865. 13th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2009.
American History: A Survey website: http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center.
On this website, click on Student Edition, then choose a chapter, and go through the
various exercises.
For each on-line chapter, pay particular attention to the sections on Objectives, Main
Themes, Summary, Glossary, and Self-Assessment, esp. the multiple choice questions.
Some of these multiple-choice questions will appear on your examinations.
McClellan, Jim R. Historical Moments: Changing Interpretations of America’s Past. Volume 2: The Civil
War Through the 20th Century. Second edition. New York: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill, 2000.
ASSIGNMENTS: (Each Roman numeral corresponds to a week of classes.)
Caution: Please keep up with the pace of the reading assignments as given and not just with the rate of the
work covered in class. In the classroom, we shall spend more time on some subjects than others. However, when it
comes time for an examination you will be tested on all the required reading indicated on this syllabus for that exam
whether we have gone over it class or not.
I.
Reconstruction and the West
Brinkley: Chapters 15, 16
Constitution of the United States of America, Appendix of textbook
American History: A Survey website: http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center. .
McClellan: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
II.
Industry, Urbanism, and Foreign Expansion
Brinkley: Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20
American History: A Survey website: http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center.
McClellan: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9
IIIA.
The Progressives
Brinkley: Chapter 21, 22
American History: A Survey website: http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center.
McClellan: Chapters 11, 12, 14, 15
MIDTERM EXAMINATION: June 3
IIIB.
The Great War
Brinkley: Chapter 23
American History: A Survey website: http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center.
McClellan: Chapter 13
IV.
The Jazz Age, Depression, and World War II
Brinkley: Chapters 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
American History: A Survey website: http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center.
McClellan: Chapters 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
V.
The Cold War and Social Development
Brinkley: Chapters 29, 30
American History: A Survey website: : http://www.mhhe.com/brinkley13e
Student Resources: On Line Learning Center.
McClellan: Chapters 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Extra Credit due: June 18
See the course web page for the exercise.
FINAL EXAMINATION: June 18