History 102-101 – US History from 1877 to the Present
Chesapeake College, Fall 2012
Meeting Times: M/W 8:30am-9:45am
Place: HUM 113
Instructor: Dr. Eric Cheezum
Email: ericacheezum@verizon.net
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Course Description
A survey of United States history from 1877 to the present. Political, economic, social, and cultural factors that shape the
pattern of life in the United States are covered. This course is a continuation of History 101 but may be taken before History
101. Three hours lecture per week. [F/S] 3 credits
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Statement of Course Goals
The goals for the course are to:
1. Acquaint the student with a basic survey of United States History since Reconstruction.
2. Equip the student and the community for civil social and political discourse.
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Common Core Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Identify and describe major periods in American history from Reconstruction to Current Day.
2. Identify important names, terms, and events of significance in America’s past.
3. Describe how social, economic, political, intellectual, and cultural phenomena are interrelated in American history,
showing cause and effect where appropriate.
4. Analyze and evaluate important decisions and actions in American history, and their relevance for today.
5. Evaluate differing viewpoints of the major events in American’s past (Historiography) through the use of primary,
secondary, and tertiary documents.
6. Describe and assess the significance of increasing United States’ involvement in world affairs.
7. Identify geographic features of North America and the world that relate to American history and describe how
geography has influenced the development of the American nation.
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Important Information
Reading assignments should be completed by the day for which they are assigned. You should have a working understanding
of the thesis of each document for discussion purposes. That means, in most cases, that “just reading” the documents
won’t be all that helpful. You should employ whatever study tactics are necessary to have that knowledge (i.e., writing
summaries for yourself). Exams will focus on the document readings – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Attendance will be recorded. Excessive absences will necessarily affect your participation grade. In the event of an absence
on the date of an exam or quiz, requests for make-ups must be accompanied by a written excuse. If you are not present in
classes when papers are returned, it is YOUR responsibility to collect them, at the instructor’s convenience.
Please ensure that you are checking your skipjack email. Most class communications will come via that system. Moreover,
please be aware that unless you receive a reply to emails sent to me, they are understood not to have been received.
This is doubly true for emails with documents included as attachments; in the event that you send a document to
me, it is not considered received unless I so reply to you.
Last but not least: accurate spelling and good grammar are essential to communication, and a prerequisite for a college
degree. I will expect to see both in all your written work. Please proofread: excessive mistakes will result in the lowering
of assignment grades.
US Department of Education Requirement: Students are expected to do a minimum of two hours of work outside of class for
every hour in class. Some assignments may require more time.
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Required Texts
Degler, et al., Introduction to American History, v2 (8th Edition)
Handouts as assigned
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Grading Policy
There are two grading schemes for this class, depending upon whether or not you wish to complete a research paper.
Breakdowns for each system are noted below. In general, however, this class follows the usual ten-point grading scale
(i.e., 90-100=A, 80-87=B, 88-89=B+, etc.). Assignments (not the final class grade) will be marked with letter
grades calculable as follows: A++ = 1.00, A+ = 0.98, A = 0.95, A- = 0.92, with the pattern repeating down the
grade scale. Any variation from this pattern will be noted on the returned work.
The weighting of assignments will be as follows:
Exam 1 – 20%
Exam 2 – 25%
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Exam 3 – 25%
Quizzes – 10%
Interview – 10%
Participation – 10%
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Academic Instruction Emergency Management Plan
In the event that Chesapeake College needs to close for an extended period of time due to an emergency situation,
consideration will be given to the timing and duration of the closure as follows:
1. Closure during the semester for up to one week – there will be an opportunity to make up work missed
without significant alteration to the semester calendar.
2. Closure extending beyond one week (or in situations where classes are cancelled on the same
days/evenings over multiple weeks) – the College may extend the length of the semester. Depending on
the timing of the closure, scheduled breaks, end of semester dates, and/or the processing of final grades
might be affected.
Students can acquire information about closures on the College website or by calling 410-822-5400 or 410-2284360.
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Course Schedule
(Note-this schedule of daily topics and reading and writing assignments is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.
Every effort will be made to inform the class of any change as far in advance as possible.)
#1 – W 8/22:
Introductions
Readings: Degler, Chapter 15
#2 – M 8/27:
The “Gilded Age”: 1877-1890
Readings: Degler, Chapter 16
#3 – W 8/29:
Big Business: Pros and Cons
Readings: Degler, Chapter 17; handout
M 9/3 – NO CLASS – Labor Day
#4 – W 9/5:
Agrarian Revolt and the Populist Movement
Readings: Degler, Chapter 18; handout
#5 – M 9/10:
The Progressive Movement
Readings: Degler, Chapters 19 and 20; handout
#6 – W 9/12:
American Imperialism
Readings: Degler, Chapter 21; handout
#7 – M 9/17:
Foreign Policy in a Progressive Age
#8 – W 9/19:
World War I and the League of Nations
Readings: Degler, Chapter 22; handout
#9 – M 9/24:
The “Return to Normalcy”: Politics and Economy in the 1920s
Readings: Degler, Chapter 23; handout
#10 – W 9/26:
The “Roaring Twenties”: Society and Culture
Readings: Degler, Chapter 24
#11 – M 10/1:
EXAM #1
#12 – W 10/3:
The Economics of the Great Depression
#13 – M 10/8:
The New Deal
Readings: Degler, Chapter 25; handout
#14 – W 10/10:
World War II (Part 1)
2
Readings: Degler, Chapter 26; handout
#15 – M 10/15:
World War II (Part 2)
#16 – W 10/17:
The Cold War Abroad, 1945-1961
Readings: Degler, Chapter 27; handout
#17 – M 10/22:
The Cold War at Home: Life in the “Long 1950s”
Readings: Degler, Chapter 28; handout
#18 – W 10/24:
The New Left, the “New Frontier,” and the “Great Society”
Readings: Degler, Chapter 29, pp. 661-86
#19 – M 10/29:
Vietnam, 1954-1975
Readings: handout
#20 – W 10/31:
EXAM #2
#21 – M 11/5:
The New Right
#22 – W 11/7:
Crisis of Confidence: Nixon, Ford, and Carter
Readings: Degler, Chapter 29, pp. 687-715; handout
#23 – M 11/12:
Identity and Civil Rights in the “Long 1970s”
Readings: Degler, Chapter 30; handout
#24 – W 11/14:
Ronald Reagan’s First Term
Readings: Degler, Chapter 31, pp. 781-803; handout
#25 – M 11/19:
Ronald Reagan’s Second Term
W 11/21 – NO CLASS – Thanksgiving
#26 – M 11/26:
The Limits of Conservatism: George HW Bush and Bill Clinton
Readings: Degler, Chapter 31, pp. 803-18; Chapter 32, pp. 831-57; handout
INTERVIEWS DUE
#27 – W 11/28:
Diplomacy in a “Global” Era: Post-Cold War Foreign Policy
#28 – M 12/3:
Embarking on a New Century: The US after 2000
Readings: Degler, Chapter 32, pp. 858-77
W 12/5, 8:30-10:30pm – EXAM #3
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Interview Project Guidelines (due 11/26/2012)
Find someone older than yourself, whom you love, respect, or admire (preferably a family member)
who will agree to an hour-long (approximately) biographical interview with you, which you will type up
and submit to me. You need not make an audio recording of the interview, but it is important to capture
as much as you can of the subject’s actual language in your transcription.
Please format your interview transcription as follows. If you do not, you will receive no credit for this
project! Transcripts should be in 12-pt, Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. Text should be
single-spaced within paragraphs, skipping an extra line between paragraphs; it should also be justified.
The page number should be centered at the bottom of each page. The following information should
appear at the top of page one, single-spaced and left-justified. Interviews should be two to three pages.
Transcript of an interview with interviewee, date of interview.
Interviewee’s date of birth: their birthday. Relationship to interviewer: relationship. Place
of origin: their birthplace. Current place of residence: their town and state.
Interviewed as part of requirements for HIS 102, Chesapeake College, Summer 2012.
Interviewer: your name. Date of birth: your birthday. Place of origin: your town and state. Current
place of residence: your town and state.
The following are questions you must ask. It is not necessary that they be exactly as I have phrased them
here – let the interviewee be your guide – but do make sure you cover all of these questions.
Remember that you are writing this for yourself ultimately; don’t cheat yourself out of either the
information you can gather, or the way it is expressed. Both things are important.
Questions you must ask:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
When and where were you born? What are your parents’ and grandparents’ names?
What was your childhood like?
Describe the personalities of your family members.
What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend? Are you still religious?
What do you do for a living? How did you become involved in that career?
Were you in the armed forces? If not, why not? If so, what branch? Did you serve in any wars?
Can you talk about that?
7) What is your political outlook or party affiliation? Do you remember any elections or issues that
seemed particularly important?
8) Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
9) What historical figure do you admire the most? Why?
10) What is the biggest problem facing America today?
11) What piece of technology has changed the world the most during your lifetime?
12) If you’re a native to the Shore, how has the Shore changed during your lifetime? If you’re new to
the Shore, why did you move here? In either case: what do you like/dislike the most about Shore
life?
I strongly encourage you to ask more questions than these. Take your cues for further questions from the
interviewee. If you have a preexisting relationship with the interviewee, you will almost certainly
have plenty of questions you will want to ask! Put some effort into this assignment: down the
road, you will be glad you did.
Feel free to transcribe your interview as a “Q&A,” with the question listed first, then the answer next.
Your job is to capture as much of the person’s language and ideas as possible.
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