CREDIT HOURS: 3
CONTACT HOURS: 3
LECTURE HOURS: 3
Meeting Times:
Monday and Wednesday afternoon 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.
Instructor Information:
Instructor name: Dr. Donald L. Wasson
E-mail address: Don.Wasson@heartland.heartland.edu
Hours and days of instructor’s office hours: before or after class
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (includes specific prerequisites):
Prerequisite: completion of or concurrent enrollment in ENGL 101 or its equivalent. This course covers the major political, social, economic and diplomatic trends that have shaped the United States from the end of the Civil War to the present.
TEXTBOOK:
Murrin, Edward. et al. Liberty, Equality, Power. Compact Fifth Edition, Vol. 2. Boston:
Thomson Wadsworth, 2008. Print.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
TRANSFER:
This course fulfills 3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Social Sciences required for the A.A. or A.S. degree. This course should transfer as part of the General
Education Core Curriculum described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative to other Illinois colleges and universities participating in the IAI. However, students should consult with an academic advisor for transfer information regarding particular institutions. Refer to the IAI web page at www.itransfer.org for more information.

COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes):
Learning Outcome GE
Code
Method of Assessment
Distinguish between primary and secondary sources PS1 exams, quizzes, research as the foundation of modern historical scholarship from 1865 to the present. paper, group project, other methods
Interpret primary sources critically by analyzing CT3 exams, quizzes, research their historical contexts.
paper, group project, other methods
Formulate historical interpretations, both in CO4 exams, quizzes, research discussion and in writing, and defend them critically with reference to primary and secondary sources.
paper, group project, oral report, other methods
Incorporate into historical interpretations, both in CT3 exams, quizzes, research discussion and in writing, an understanding of historical causation reflecting a) knowledge of paper, group project, oral report, other methods important figures and events and their chronological relationship to each other and b) an awareness of the contingent relationships.
Acquire at one and the same time a comprehension DI3 exams, quizzes, research of diverse cultures and shared humanity, as evidenced both orally and in writing.
paper, group project, oral report, other methods

HIST 135 is a course within the General Education Program at Heartland, and as such, contains learning outcomes that help students develop proficiency in Communication, Diversity, Problem
Solving, and Critical Thinking. Specifically, upon completion of this course, students will develop an increased proficiency in the following areas:
Communication:
1.
Formulate historical interpretations, both in discussion and in writing, and defend them critically with reference to primary and secondary sources.
Diversity:
1.
Acquire at one and the same time a comprehension of diverse cultures and shared humanity, as evidenced both orally and in writing.
Problem Solving:
1.
Distinguish between primary and secondary sources as the foundation of modern historical scholarship from 1400 to 1865.
Critical Thinking:
1.
Interpret primary sources critically by analyzing their historical contexts.
2.
Incorporate into historical interpretations, both in discussion and in writing, an understanding of historical causation reflecting a) knowledge of important figures and events and their chronological relationship to each other and b) an awareness of the contingent relationships.
METHOD OF EVALUATION (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
2 exams = midterm and final
2 quizzes
Class discussion and attendance
2 research papers (one biographical and one topical)
Possible weekly question with write-ups
GRADING SCALE
90-100=A
80-89=B
70-79=C
60-69=D
Below 60 =F

CONTENT OUTLINE:
Topic Outline for the Course:
1. Reconstruction
. 2. Closing of the Frontier and Western Expansion
3. Industrialization and Its Impact
4. Gilded Age Politics, 1876-1896
5. Overseas Empire and Expansionism
6. Progressive Era, 1900-1917
7. World War I
8. Jazz Age: The 1920’s
9. The Great Depression and New Deal
10. Isolationism to Involvement: World War II
11. Cold War and McCarthyism
12. Eisenhower Era, Civil Rights and the 1950’s
13. The 1960’s: Kennedy, Johnson and Vietnam
14. Nixon through Carter
15. Reagan through Bush: Recent Trends
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
This course requires approximately 30-40 pages of reading per week or 500 per semester.
Reading assignments will include both primary and secondary source materials. A minimum of 15 pages of college level writing is required in this course. Writing assignments include papers of various lengths, essay exams and various projects as deemed appropriate by the instructor.
Standard Syllabi Disclaimer: Changes to the Course Calendar may be made during the course of the class. This is sometimes unavoidable and students will be notified in class should changes become necessary.

Class Schedule
Week 1 – 1/10 -1/12 Introduction/Expectations – Why Study History?
Recap – U. S. History to 1860/Reconstruction – Chapter 17
Week 2 – 1/17 – 1/19 No Class – Monday – Martin Luther King Day
Reconstruction Continued
Week 3 – 1/24 – 1/26 Chapter 18 – The Old West
Week 4 – 1/31 – 2/2 Chapter 19 -20 – Corporate America Begins
Week 5 - 2/7 – 2/9 Quiz #1 – Chapters 17 – 20
Chapter 21 – Progressives
Week 6 – 2/14 – 2/16 Chapter 22 – 23 – U. S. Becomes a World Power
World War I
Week 7 – 2/21 – 23 Biography Paper Due
World War I Continued/The Twenties – Chapter 24
Week 8 - 2/28 – 3/2 The Twenties continued/Review for Midterm
Midterm – Chapters 21 -24
3/7 – 3/9 Spring Break
Week 9 - 3/14 – 16 Chapter 25 – Great Depression/Begin New Deal
Week 10 – 3/21 -3/23 New Deal Continued
Movie – Hitler in Color
Week 11 – 3/28 /3/30 Chapter 26 - World War II
Week 12 – 4/4 – 4/6 World War II continued
Movie – Rape of Nanking
Quiz #3 – Chapters 25 – 26
Week 13 – 4/11 – 4/13 Chapter 27 – Cold War – Age of Containment
Week 14 - 4/18 – 4/20 Chapter 28 – Affluent Society/The Fifties
Week 15 – 4/25 – 4/27 Chapter 29 – The Sixties/Vietnam/Hippies
Research Papers Due
Week 16 – 5/2 – 5/4 Chapter 30 – Post ‘60s – Reagan and the other guy
5/9 Final – 2:00 – Chapters 27 -30