History 100mg THH 202

Fall 2017 Mon., Wed., 12:00-1:50

Kurashige

THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Note: This syllabus is from the last time I taught HIST 100mg in Fall 2017. The one for Spring 2019 will be
very similar but may not be identical to this one.

This course presents main themes and topics in U.S. history to promote a critical understanding
of the nation’s past. By “critical,” I mean establishing fair and consistent criteria for evaluating claims to
historical truth. We all confront a bewildering barrage of truth-claims about the past. Some come from
teachers, textbook authors, researchers, and authority figures, while others emanate from news media,
entertainment, and advertisements. How can we recognize these claims? Which ones should we believe?
And how, as consumers of history, can we make informed decisions?
This course is concerned primarily with the production and evaluation of historical “knowledge.”
Unlike math, history is a subject directly connected to the inculcation of national identity and pride. In
this sense, history education is a political act. Children and youth are trained to appreciate their nation’s
past rather than to seek truth irrespective of national sentiment or political ideology. It is difficult to be a
successful truth-seeker because it involves recognizing and evaluating other people’s, as well as one’s
own, beliefs about the past without relying on familiar national, ideological, racial, gender, class, religious,
or other identities. Much of the time we don’t even realize how these kinds of identities blind us to truth.
The goal of this course is to develop a heightened awareness of truth claims about U.S. history,
and to effectively evaluate these claims based on analysis of course readings and research. Given that
one of the main purposes of K-12 history education is to produce “good citizens,” this course may be
more of an experience of unlearning, rather than learning, the past. The intended outcome is for
students to become smart consumers who resist the compulsive requirements, seductive enticements,
and unspoken biases of U.S. history education to think in fresh ways about the nation’s past, including its
impact on the present.
In rethinking the American experience, History 100gm fulfills the General Education requirement
in the Cultures and Civilization category I designed to “introduce students to the norms and patterns of
civilizations associated with the Greco-Roman and European traditions and the legacy of those traditions
in North America.” This class also fulfills the university’s Diversity requirement. For students under the
new GE system, this course applies to the Humanistic Inquiry requirement that among other things
“emphasizes forms of representation and methods of interpretation, adopting broad perspectives that
are chronological, disciplinary, and cross-disciplinary. Students immerse themselves in arts and letters to
think about their own place in history and in contemporary society, and inquire into our shared futures.”

LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course will introduce you to a broad range of ways of thinking that will take you beyond the
specialization of your major and significantly extend your ability to understand the human world and your
place in it. In this course you will provide these six learning objectives:
• Reflect on what it means to be human through close study of human experience throughout
time and across diverse cultures;
• Cultivate a critical appreciation for various forms of human expression, as well as develop an
understanding of the contexts from which these expressions emerge;
• Engage with lasting ideas and values that have animated humanity throughout the centuries
for a more purposeful, more ethical, and intellectually richer life;
• Learn to read and interpret actively and analytically, to think critically and creatively, and to
write and speak persuasively;
• Learn to evaluate ideas from multiple perspectives and to formulate informed opinions on
complex issues of critical importance in today's global world;
• Learn to collaborate effectively through traditional and new ways of disseminating
knowledge.
Having successfully met the learning objectives, you will have acquired both practical skills and more
intangible competencies. You will master strategies for finding, reading and understanding relevant
information from different genres, for analyzing complex problems, for making and evaluating compelling
arguments, and for preparing effective presentations. You will become a clearer thinker and a stronger
writer. You will know how to situate current events and ideas in the right historical and cultural context to
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be able to make better decisions. You will gain new insights and be inspired. You will be ready for a life of
learning and creativity

INSTRUCTOR
Lon Kurashige, SOS 264, 740-1666, kurashig@usc.edu
Office Hours: W 2:00-3:30; F 11:00-12:30, and by appointment

Instructor’s Teaching Philosophy

My main goal is to empower students to identify and analyze problems preventing individuals
and societies from developing empathy for all people, especially those groups excluded from social
approval. Deeply informed and felt empathy, I assume, is the cornerstone for good judgment and
decision-making.
This kind of empathy squares with psychologist Eric Fromm’s ideal form of adulthood: “The
process of living hardens the heart of most people. As children we still have an open and malleable heart;
we still have faith in the genuineness of mother’s smile, in the reliability of promises, in the unconditional
love which is our birthright. But this ‘original faith’ is shattered sooner or later in our childhood. Most of
us lose the softness and flexibility of our hearts; to become an adult is often synonymous with becoming
hardened. Some escape this fate; they keep their heart open and do not let it harden. But in order to be
able to do so, they do not see reality fully as it is. They become as Don Quixote, seeing the noble and
beautiful where they are not; they are dreamers who never awaken fully to see reality including all its
ugliness and meanness. There is a third solution, but an exceedingly rare one. The persons who take this
road retain the softness of a child’s heart, and yet they see reality in all clarity and without illusions. They
are children first, then they become adults, and yet they return to being children without ever losing the
realism of adulthood. This is a difficult way, and that is why it is so rare.”

TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Jillaine Cook, Yesenia Hunter, and Daniel Wallace

DISCUSSION SECTIONS (ALL ON FRIDAY)

36981R 8:00-8:50AM VKC207 HUNTER
36982R 9:00-9:50AM VKC207 HUNTER
36983R 10:00-10:50AM VKC207 COOK
36984R 11:00-11:50AM VKC207 COOK
36985R 12:00-12:50PM VKC258 WALLACE
36986R 1:00-1:50PM VKC258 WALLACE

REQUIRED READINGS
1. James W. Loewen, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got
Wrong, revised and updated edition (2007). Paperback available at USC bookstore; if purchasing on
your own make sure to get “revised and updated edition” (2007).
2. Montoya, et. al., Global Americans (2017). This is a custom textbook only available either at the USC
bookstore or on the publisher's website. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK ANYWHERE ELSE! IT WILL NOT BE
THE SAME BOOK. You can buy option 1: textbook bundle (includes loose leaf hardcopy chapters +
access to MindTap website that contains digital version of the textbook); or option 2: just access to
MindTap (if you don’t mind reading on-line only). Both options are available here:
http://www.cengagebrain.com/course/2254838. Option 1 (textbook bundle) is also available at the
USC Bookstore.
3. Additional readings to be downloaded from Blackboard
4. Both course textbooks also available for loan at Leavey Library via course reserves.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
 Two papers that test understanding of course readings, lectures, and discussions. A major part of
this understanding is the ability to apply knowledge learned from course materials to the analysis
of historical claims not discussed in class. Specific information about each paper assignment is
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posted on Blackboard (see under Assignments). Papers are to be submitted to the Blackboard
website by 10 pm (see due dates below). In addition, each student must give an oral presentation
during discussion section that is based on one paper assignment (details discussed in paper or
assignment 1 prompts).
 Two examinations (midterm and final): each exam contains short answer and essay questions. See
exam dates below. Each will be taken in our lecture classroom. Students registered with The Office
of Disability Services and Programs and requiring a laptop or other needed service to complete
exams MUST sign-up with DSP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to take the midterm and final exams at the
DSP office on the same day and time as the scheduled exams. Submit “Request for DSP Proctoring”
to instructor during the first week of classes.
 All students must enroll, regularly attend, and fulfill written assignments and a presentation for one
discussion section. Refer to your discussion section syllabus for details about reading and weekly
assignments, and discussion section grading. Assignments are worth 40 points (10 points per
assignment); presentation is 25 points; and participation is 35 points for a total of 100 discussion
section points.
 Reading assignments are listed below on the class schedule. These should be completed BEFORE
attending lecture. This is crucial because “lecture” is a chance to expand and deepen understanding
of the readings, and to share your thoughts with classmates. My role as instructor is to encourage
and prompt this expansion, deepening, and discussion of the readings.
 In-class written assignments. There will be five of these given on various dates during lecture session.
Each is worth 20 points for a total of 100 points.
 Consistent attendance at lecture and discussion section is required because this course demands a
great deal of student participation (in both lecture and discussion).

COURSE GRADING
Breakdown
Paper One 15%
Paper Two 20%
First Exam 20%
Second Exam 25%
In-class Writing 05%
Discussion Section 15%
(Presentation, Assignments, Participation)

Extra Credit
There are NO extra credit opportunities in this course. The only way to boost your final course grade
through activity outside of course curriculum is by participating in the Joint Education Project (JEP).
Adequate completion of JEP raises your final course grade by one level, e.g., from a B to a B+. A JEP
representative will discuss this program in class; for information, see http://dornsife.usc.edu/joint-
educational-project/

Grading Scale
Exams, papers, and assignments are scored as follows:
97-100 A+ 87-89 B+ 77-79 C+ 67-69 D+ Below 60 F
94-96 A 84-86 B 74-76 C 64-66 D
90-93 A- 80-83 B- 70-73 C- 60-63 D-

Letter grades for the entire course are based on the same scale, except the University allows no A+ course
grades; thus students receiving 94-100 will receive an A.

TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Laptops, tablets, smartphones, and any other screened devices are not to be used during class or
discussion sections. Recording devices are allowed, but to use them you MUST sit in the front 2 rows of
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class. No devices of any kind will be allowed beyond the first two rows of class. The seating rule for
recording devices does not apply to discussion sections.

STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC CONDUCT AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Academic Conduct
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words –
is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion
of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards
https://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-and-appropriate-sanctions. Other
forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and
university policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to
report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu or to the Department of
Public Safety http://adminopsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety. This is important for
the safety of the whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend,
classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of
another person. The Center for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides
24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage http://sarc.usc.edu describes
reporting options and other resources.

Support Systems
A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with
your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should
check with the American Language Institute http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which sponsors courses and
workshops specifically for international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services and Programs
http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html provides certification for
students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially declared
emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu will
provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of
blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

This course proceeds chronologically through the entire span of American history, from pre-historic
migrations to the present. But it does not pretend to cover every important subject. Remember: the main
goal of the course is to train you to think critically about American history and not to fall victim to the
blind acceptance of public opinion. This is not to say that facts do not matter. They do, because any good
critical analysis requires that you get the facts straight.

This course assumes that students already possess a familiarity (as limited as it may be) with U.S. history.
If you have never taken a class (at any level) in American history or if you want to refresh your memory, I
encourage you, as soon as possible, to read ahead in our textbooks.

IMPORTANT DUE DATES

Sept. 1 Assignment 1
Sept. 8 Presentations Assignment One
Sept. 15 Assignment 2
Sept. 24 Paper One
Oct. 2 Exam 1 (during lecture session)
Oct. 6 Presentation for Paper One
Oct. 20 Assignment 3
Oct. 27 Assignment 4
Nov. 5 Paper Two
Nov. 10 Paper Two Presentation
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Nov. 17 Paper Two Presentation

Dec. 8 Final (11-1)

CLASS SCHEDULE INCLUDING DISCUSSION SECTIONS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

SECTION I: THE POLITICS AND ECONOMICS OF U.S. HISTORY EDUCATION
Aug. 21 CLASS INTRODUCTION AND SYLLABUS
Aug. 23 NATIONALISM AND TEXTBOOKS: Loewen, Introduction (not intro. to second edition);
Schweikart and Allen, Interview and Introduction.
Aug. 25 Discussion Section
 Syllabus
 Assignment One and Assignment Two preparation

Aug. 28 NATIONALISM AND TEXTBOOKS: Loewen, Ch. 1 and Afterword

Aug. 30 CONSEQUENCES OF BAD HISTORY: Loewen, Chs. 12, 13; Ravitch, Ch. 7
Sept. 1 Discussion Section
 Paper One Preparation: concepts and State History/Social Science Standards
 Due: Assignment One—High School History

SECTION 2: CONQUEST AND COLONIZATION OF NORTH AMERICA, 1492-1776

Sept. 4 NO CLASS – Labor Day
Sept. 6 BEGINNINGS OF US HISTORY: Loewen, Ch. 2
Sept. 8 Discussion Section
 Assignment One – Presentations
Sept. 8 Last day to add class or switch grading to “pass/no pass” or withdraw from course with
mark of “W” and receive 100% refund

Sept. 11 REPRESENTING NATIVE PEOPLES: Loewen, Chs. 3

Sept. 13 WHY DID EUROPE WIN? Diamond, Ch. 11
Sept. 15 Discussion Section
 Paper One Preparation
 Due: Assignment Two—Conventional Wisdom on the Conquest of America

Sept. 18 BEGINNINGS OF AMERICAN HISTORY: GA, Ch. 1

Sept. 20 ATLANTIC ECONOMY: Hartman, Ch. 6
Sept. 22 Discussion Section
 Paper One Preparation – editing drafts
Sept. 24 (Sun.) Due: Paper One (by 10 pm)

Sept. 25 EMPIRES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WORLD: GA, Ch. 4

Sept. 27 RETHINKING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: Bender, Ch. 2
Sept. 29 Discussion Section
 Exam 1 Review

Oct. 2 EXAM 1 (During Lecture Section)

Oct. 4 CIVIL WAR ON TV: Ken Burns, The Civil War
Oct. 6 Discussion Section
 Paper One Presentations
Oct. 6 Last day to drop course without “W”; and to change a Pass/No Pass to letter grade

SECTION 3: FROM UNION TO NATION, 1787-1877

Oct. 9 CRITIQUE OF BURN’s CIVIL WAR: Foner, Ch. 9
Oct. 11 NADIR OF RACE RELATIONS: Loewen, Ch. 5
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Oct. 13 Discussion Section

 Paper Two Preparation (meet with librarian)--Locating Primary Sources

Oct. 16 RECONSTRUCTION: GA, Ch. 14

Oct. 18 MYTH OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Loewen, Ch. 7
Oct. 20 Discussion Section
 Paper Two Preparation
 Due: Assignment 3: Conventional Wisdom about a Key Event in US History
from 1877-1965
SECTION 4: WAR AND THE MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA, 1877-1965
Oct. 23 MAKING OF INDUSTRIAL AMERICA: GA, Ch. 16
Oct. 25 AMERICAN EMPIRE: GA, Ch. 18
Oct. 27 Discussion Section
 Paper Two Preparation
 Due: Assignment 4--Analyzing a Primary Source

Oct. 30 MANAGING MODERNITY: GA, Ch. 19

Nov. 1 WORLD WAR TWO: GA, Ch. 21
Nov. 3 Discussion Section
 Paper Two -- editing drafts
Nov. 5 (Sun.) Due: Paper Two (by 10 pm)

Nov. 6 HOLOCAUST IN AMERICAN LIFE: Novick, Chs. 1 and 3

Nov. 8 COLD WAR: GA, Ch. 22
Nov. 10 Discussion Section
 Paper Two—Presentations
Nov. 10 Last day to drop the course with a mark of “W”

SECTION 5: THE ORIGINS OF TODAY, 1965-2010

Nov. 13 THE MAKING OF THE WAR ON TERROR: Film -- House of Saud
Nov. 15 CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: GA, Ch. 24
Nov. 17 Discussion Section
 Paper Two—Presentations

Nov. 20 Worster; WAR AND YOUTH PROTEST: GA, Ch. 25; Film – Berkeley in the Sixties
Nov. 22 No Class – Thanksgiving break
Nov. 24 No Discussion – Thanksgiving break

Nov. 27 POST-COLD WAR GLOBALIZATION: GA, Ch. 28; Tom Friedman Lecture
 Watch: http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/266
April 29 IMMIGRATION AND DIVERSITY: Gerstle, House Testimony
Dec. 1 Discussion Section: Exam 2 Review

Dec. 8, Friday, 11:00-1:00 Final Exam (in class)

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Paper Grading Criteria for History 100gm

Papers for this course will be graded according to the following criteria:

Thesis 30%
Concepts and Evidence 50%
Writing, Organization, & Citation 20%

Description of Grading Criteria

I. Thesis—Your thesis should be stated in the introduction, proven throughout the body of the paper, and
returned to in the conclusion. In other words, the entire paper should center on the thesis. The thesis must
answer ALL the major question(s) asked in the assignment, as well as any related questions and issues attached
to it in the assignment prompt. Make sure you know the difference between a thesis statement and a general
comment that does not directly answer the assignment prompt. Don’t waste time with long introductions that are
not directly connected to your thesis statement. It is perfectly fine to start your essay with the thesis.

Strengths Weaknesses
Fresh understanding of course material Repeats points from readings without elaboration
Addresses prompt fully Does not address prompt fully
Balanced and nuanced-- Simplistic—one-sided
Considers alternative views
Significant Insignificant
Descriptive AND analytical Descriptive without being analytical

II. Key Concepts and Evidence—One of the main purposes of the paper assignments is to test understanding
of course readings. It is expected that you will discuss key concepts and examples from the readings. Another
way to show your understanding of key concepts and examples is by APPLYING these in your analysis of
outside content. In Paper One the outside content is your high school history class. For Paper Two it will be a
new reading (California history standards). In Paper Three it will be primary sources, and in Paper Four it will
be a historical text of your own choosing.

Strengths Weaknesses
Solid grasp of key concepts Weak grasp of key concepts
Applies key concepts well Does not apply key concepts well
Sufficient/relevant evidence Insufficient/irrelevant evidence

III. Writing, Organization, and Citation—The papers are chances to communicate your understanding of the
readings. Bad writing and organization acts like radio static that mars communication. Your paper will be
downgraded if the writing and organization prevents understanding of your points. Part of your writing grade
will depend upon citation of referenced readings. Make sure to cite the author and pages used when referring to a
particular idea or example. For course readings, use a simplified form embedded in your paper—e.g., (Loewen,
111). Readings found on your own need to be given a footnote/endnote in which you provide the complete
citation either at the bottom on the page or at the end of the essay. Here’s an example of a full citation for a
book: Lon Kurashige, Japanese American Celebration and Conflict: A History of an Ethnic Festival in Los
Angeles, 1934-1990 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002), 123-127. See Chicago Manual of Style for
examples of footnoting various kinds of publications:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Strengths Weaknesses
Clear writing Unintelligible writing
Succinct Wordy
Precise Vague and overly general
Active voice Passive voice
Grammatically correct Grammatical errors
Sufficient/relevant citations Insufficient/irrelevant citations
Points are well organized/easy follow Points are scattered/hard to follow