HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1865-PRESENT (HIST 1493-030)
1:30- 2:20 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, Nielsen Hall 170, Fall 2015
(This syllabus may be amended as necessary.)
Professor Kathleen Brosnan
kbrosnan@ou.edu //Office Hours: TTH 3:00-4:30 p.m., or by appointment; Dale Hall Tower 820
Discussion Leaders
Dr. Matthew Pearce: Matthew.A.Pearce-1@ou.edu – Office Hours: TTh 10-11:30 a.m. DHT 411
Discussion 1493-034 – F10-30:11:20 a.m., CEC 0031
Discussion 1493-035: F 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m., MFPH 3065
Discussion 1493-037: F 1:30-2:20 p.m., COH 246
Discussion 1493-038: F 2:30-3:20 p.m., CEC 441
Ms. Chelsea Frazier: cfrazier2@ou.edu – Office Hours: MW 12-1:30 p.m. DHT 306
Discussion 1493-032: F 8:30-9:20 a.m., COH 218
Discussion 1493-033: F 9:30-10:20 a.m., HH146
Mr. John Buchkoski: buch4030@ou.edu – Office Hours: MTh 10-11:30 a.m. Library Coffee Shop
Discussion 1493-031: Th 4:30-5:20 p.m., PHSC 212
Discussion 1493-036: F 12:30-1:20 p.m., MFPH 3065
Course Overview
History 1493 introduces you to U.S. history from Reconstruction to the beginning of the 21st
century. To understand the nation’s history, it is important for you to write some of it. You will
delve into sources from the past, evaluate the work of contemporary historians, and defend your
conclusions. As part of a college education, you have a right to acquire essential skills, such as
the ability to locate important facts, analyze them, and offer informed conclusions. The nation’s
unfinished experiment in self-government and your own job prospects depend on your
comprehension and communication of complex realities..
Course Objectives
In this course, you will 1) develop greater knowledge of US history; 2) recognize the value of
history in understanding civic duties; 3) learn to evaluate evidence and to integrate it into
persuasive arguments; and 4) develop critical thinking skills by writing cohesive, coherent essays.
Required Books
(The books are bundled together at the bookstore or can be purchased directly from the publisher
at a discounted price at http://www.cengagebrain.com/course/1-1MI83RR.)
-Boyer, et al., The Enduring Vision, Vol. II (8th edition)
-Wheeler/Becker, Discovering the American Past: A Look at the Evidence, Vol. II (7th edition)
-Additional readings are found on D2L or Exploring U.S. History(http://explorehistory.ou.edu/).
It is easier to access materials on these platforms using Firefox as your search engine.
Required Technology
Students will use an I-clicker 2 available at the Bookstore. You must register your clicker by
11:59 p.m. on Monday, August 31and have it in class on Tuesday, September 1. See
instructions at end of syllabus.
Reading Questions
Readings assigned on any given day must be completed before class that day. Questions based on
readings are integrated into every lecture. You answer questions with the clicker. Students may
make up questions from missed lectures only if they have acceptable reasons for absences.
Exams
The midterm exam (October 22/23) and final exam (December 15) will include two essays
questions. We will give you four or five questions in advance; two will be selected on the days of
the exam.
Writing Assignments
You will write two papers in this course. The first paper is a 1000-word paper based on primary
sources and is due on September 24. The second paper is a 2000-word research paper and is due
on November 19. You will find details on these assignments on http://explorehistory.ou.edu.
Participation
You will be graded on participation in discussions. Participation requires the timely completion of
assignments. It requires that you listen to fellow students and build on their contributions.
Attendance
You are expected to attend all lectures and discussion sections. Failure to attend diminishes your
ability to succeed.
Extra Credit Options
When appropriate campus events arise during the semester, we may offer you extra credit points
for your attendance and your submission of brief essays. Such events will be announced in class.
Grading Scale
Paper One:
Midterm Exam:
Reading Questions:
100 points
250 points
100 points
Paper Two:
Final Exam:
Discussion:
200 points
250 points
100 points
Computers and Cell Phones
You may use a computer to take notes. If you use a computer for any other reason, all computers
will be banned. Please turn off and remove from the desks all phones. If a student uses a phone in
class, there will be one warning. Thereafter, the student will be expelled from the course and
receive a failing grade.
Food and Drink
Out of courtesy to others, do not eat in class. Be careful not to spill beverages. Clean up all litter.
Cheating
We do not tolerate cheating. Cheating results in a failing grade for the assignment and may result
in other penalties depending on the student’s record. We report students who cheat to the Office
of Academic Integrity. Please review the OU policy on academic integrity, including but not
limited to the provisions on plagiarism at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html.
Religious Observances
It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious
observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional
required work.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all
students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations must speak
with Prof. Brosnan as soon as possible. Said students must be registered with the Office of
Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Disability Resource
Center is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone 405/325-3852 or drc@ou.edu. Do
not ask for accommodation after the fact. Before we can accommodate you, we must have proper
forms from the Disability Resource Center.
Lecture/Discussion/Readings Schedule
Week 1
Tue. 08/25
1. Introduction
Thu. 08/27
2. Reconstruction
Boyer: Chapter 16
Discussion:
Wheeler/Becker (W/B): Chapter 1
Tue. 09/01
3. Myth and Reality in the American West
Boyer: pages 502-514
Thu. 09/03
4. The New South
Under Paper Two and the category of Reconstruction on
http://explorehistory.ou.edu, read DuBois’s “Niagara Address” and
Washington’s “Atlanta Exposition Address”
-Also Review “A Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at the University of
Oklahoma,” with special attention to the sections on plagiarism, at
http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html. YOU WILL BE QUIZZED ON
THIS MATERIAL AS WELL AS THE READINGS
Discussion:
Read five sources for Paper One on http://explorehistory.ou.edu
Tue. 09/08
5. Industrialization and Labor
Boyer: Chapter 18
Thu. 09/10
6. Regional Economies
Boyer: pages 514-533
Discussion:
Under Paper Two and the category of the Gilded Age on
http://explorehistory.ou.edu, read “An Interview with William Powell,” and
under the category of Populism, read Turner’s “The Significance of the Frontier
in American History”
Tue. 09/15
7. Urbanization and Immigration
Boyer: Chapter 19
Thu. 09/17
8. Politics and Government at the Turn of the Century
Boyer: 601-617
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 3
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Tue. 09/22
9. An Imperial Nation
Boyer: 618-620, 664-670
Thu. 09/24
10. Progressivism, Part I
Boyer: 630-652
ESSAY ONE DUE ON D2L NO LATER THAN NOON ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 4
Tue. 09/29
11. Progressivism, Part II
Boyer: 653-663
Thu. 10/01
12. World War I
Boyer: 670-697
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 5
Tue. 10/06
13. The Roaring Twenties
Boyer: Chapter 23
Thu. 10/08
14. The Great Depression
Boyer: 730-737
Week 6
Week 7
NO DISCUSSION SECTIONS IN WEEK 7
Week 8
Tue. 10/13
15. The New Deal
Boyer: 737-765
Thu. 10/15
16. Preparing for World War
Boyer: Chapter 25
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 7
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE IN DISCUSSION SECTION
Week 9
Tue. 10/20
17. World War II
W/B: Chapter 8
Thu. 10/22
Midterm Exam
Discussion:
Midterm Exam
Week 10
Tue. 10/27
18. The Cold War
Boyer: 803-813
Thur. 10/29
19. Prosperity and Conformity in Postwar America
Boyer: 814-827
Discussion:
Under Paper Two and the category of The Cold War on
http://explorehistory.ou.edu, read the primary and secondary sources under Cold
War Censorship in Oklahoma
Week 11
Tue. 11/03
20. Civil Rights, Part I
Boyer: Chapter 27
Thur. 11/05
21. Civil Rights, Part II
Boyer: 863-872
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 9
THESIS PARAGRAPH AND PAPER OUTLINE DUE IN DISCUSSION SECTION
Week 12
Tue. 11/10
22. The Road to Vietnam
Boyer: 856-863; 872-887
Thur. 11/12
23. Questioning Authority
Boyer: 888-903
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 10
Week 13
Tue. 11/17
Thur. 11/19
24. Nixonian Politics
Boyer: 903-917
25. Watergate and its Aftermath
ESSAY TWO DUE ON D2L NO LATER THAN NOON ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Discussion:
Week 14
Tue. 11/24
Thur. 11/26
Week 15
Tue 12/01
Under Paper Two and the category of The 1970s on http://explorehistory.ou.edu,
read the primary and secondary sources under Environmental Justice
26. Conservative Resurgence
Boyer: Chapter 30
Thanksgiving Holiday
27. End of the Cold War
Thur. 12/03
28. The New Immigrants
Discussion:
New Immigration Reading on D2L
Week 16
Tue. 12/08
29. Globalization
Boyer: Chapter 31
Thu. 12/10
30. A New Millennium/Conclusion
Discussion:
W/B: Chapter 11
Final Exam
Thur. 12/15
Final Exam
1:30-3:30 pm
I-Clicker
We will be using the i>clicker student response system in class this term. You will use the
i>clicker to answer questions on the assigned readings for lecture days. You can earn a total of
100 points/1000 points with the clickers.
OU uses the i>clicker 2 remote. This is the model you should purchase. The mobile application,
i>clicker GO, will not be allowed in this course.
Register Your Clicker
To receive credit for the responses you submit with i>clicker, you must register by 11:59 p.m. on
August 31. We will begin using the clickers in class on September 1. Students who register after
this time will not receive credit.
You must register your clicker within D2L. Do not register your clicker on iclicker.com: if you
do, I will not be able to match your responses with your name and you will not receive credit.
Cheating
As noted above, we do not tolerate any form of cheating, including the inappropriate use of
clickers on your own behalf or on behalf of a fellow student.