Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Description
This is a survey course which provides a general overview of the development of the United States
from the post-Civil-War era of Reconstruction through the election of Barak Obama. We will explore
the impact of American involvement in global issues such as WWI, WWII, the Vietnam War, and
other economic, political, and military interactions. Furthermore, the class will especially highlight
how issues of race, labor, and modern capitalism were integral in the shaping of American identities,
society, and their legacy in America.
Important – Online Environment
This summer course will be taught fully online, so it is crucial students have reliable internet. Texas
Tech University campus operations or policy could at some time require additional changes to course
delivery and modality due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors.
Should that be necessary, students will likely need a webcam and microphone and will be advised of
additional technical and/or equipment requirements, including remote proctoring software.
Due to online delivery, you will take timed assessments via Blackboard. You will need to check your
email daily. Chrome is the recommended browser for this class. Collaborate Ultra (in Blackboard) will
be used for any live meetings or optional presentations. Students should use Microsoft Office or a
Microsoft branded viewer to view PowerPoints. Access to this software for Windows and/or Apple is
provided by the university, information on obtaining it is found at
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/itts/software/ . If you have any technical issues you need to contact your
instructor. (You may need to contact blackboard support in some cases but email me first.)
Expectations and Organization
The class is organized into 4 units. For each unit students are expected to read the assigned readings
and review online video lecture material. Some supplemental readings will be posted on-line for
student access. Students are advised to take notes on lecture material and readings. Most lectures have
been designed to work in concert with the text. However, some material is unique to the text or the
lectures so both should be reviewed. Lectures will be available on blackboard in a pre-recorded format
with closed captioning. PowerPoints that work in tandem with the lectures will also be available on
Blackboard. There will be assignments due at the end of each unit as outlined in the schedule at the end
of this syllabus.
Component Area: American History
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Core Foundational Component Area
Criteria Description:
o Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events relative to the United
States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area.
(1,2,3,4)
o Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and
the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of
the United States and its global role. (1,2,3,4)
1. Exams (2): A timed mid-term and a timed final exam will cover material from the
corresponding previous 2 units. Exams may have a written and non-written component. The
written component of each exam will equal or exceed 60% of the exam’s value. Completion of
both exams is required to pass this class.
2. Book Analysis: This assignment will ask students to utilize critical thinking to analyze a
specified reading and give their analysis in an 850-1250 word essay. Students need to identify
the author’s argument, discuss major points made by the author and support them with detailed
evidence, place the information in proper context, and illustrate knowledge of historical
significance. Completion of this assignment is mandatory to pass the class.
3. Quizzes: 4 timed reading/lecture quizzes (1 per unit) will be utilized to test student knowledge
of key content from lectures, readings, and documents.
4. Discussions: 4 Discussions (1 post and 1 reply per unit) - This assignment will ask students to
write a paragraph or more and engage concepts from specific readings as well as lecture,
textbook, primary sources, and monographs. The student is required to post an answer to a
prompt and respond to a classmate. Completion of the discussions with an average of 60%
(18/30 avg on assignments or 72/120pts total) or better is mandatory to pass the class.
Additional information on assignments will be given on blackboard, students should read all
instructions, prompts, and study guides closely. Warning: on any written assignment, e.g. IDs,
Discussions, or Essays do not plagiarize or use sources outside of the scope of this class, i.e. do
not use Wikipedia, History.com, or other sources unless introduced or approved by the
instructor. Copying, paraphrasing, or cutting and pasting from any source without citation is
considered plagiarism.
Required Course Materials
You must have a reliable internet connection and access to a computer. Let me know if you need
information about computers on campus. You need to check Blackboard and your email daily.
General Textbook (You need to buy or rent this - Rental of the eBook is the cheapest option)
Montoya, Maria, Laura A. Belmonte, Carl J. Guarneri, Ellen Hartigan-O'Connor, Steven Hackel, and
Lon Kurashige. Global Americans, Vol 2., 1st Edition. Boston: Cengage, 2018.
ISBN: 9781337101127
E-books, segments from the books below can be accessed for free via e-book links in Blackboard.
Kelly, Blair L. M. Right to Ride, Streetcar Boycotts and African American Citizenship in the Era of
Plessy V. Ferguson. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2010.
Montejano, David. Quixote's Soldiers: A Local History of the Chicano Movement, 1966-1981. Austin,
TX: The University of Texas Press, 2010.
Theoharis, Jeanne, et. al. Want to Start a Revolution?, Radical Women in the Black Freedom Struggle.
New York: New York University Press, 2009.
Additional readings will be provided via Blackboard.
Evaluation
Letter Grade Distribution based on Percentage:
A+ =100-97 B+=89-87 C+=79-77 D+=69-67
A =96-93 B =86-83 C =76-73 D =66-60
A- =92-90 B-= 82-80 C- =72-70 F <60
Letter Grade Distribution based on total points:
483-500 = A+ 433-447 = B+ 383-397 = C+ 333-347 = D+
463-482 = A 413-432 = B 363-382 = C 300-332 = D
448-462 = A- 398-412 = B- 348-362 = C- 299 or less = F
Graded Components (Total 500 pts)
Quizzes (4-15pts each) 60 pts Exams (2-100pts each) 200 pts
Discussions (4-30pts each) 120 pts Book Analysis 120 pts
Extra Credit
There are no extra credit assignments scheduled for this class.
Make-up Policy
As an online class, make-ups hopefully will not be needed. If circumstances can be documented that
prevent a student from accessing the class or completing an assignment, please email them to me and I
will consider extensions. Yes, I will usually accept late work, but unexcused late work will be penalized,
and you need to communicate with me. Unless approved in advance no late work is accepted more than
24 hours after final exams are due.
Please read the university policy below. If at any time during this session you feel ill, in the interest of
your own health and safety as well as the health and safety of your instructors and classmates, you are
encouraged not to attend face-to-face class meetings or events.
Please review the steps outlined below that you should follow to ensure your absence for illness will be
excused. These steps also apply to not participating in synchronous online class meetings if you feel too
ill to do so and missing specified assignment due dates in asynchronous online classes due to illness.
2. If you are ill and can attribute your symptoms to something other than COVID-19:
A. If your illness renders you unable to attend face-to-face classes, participate in synchronous online
classes, or miss specified assignment due dates in asynchronous online classes, you are encouraged to
visit with either Student Health Services at 806.743.2848 or your health care provider. Note that
Student Health Services and your own and other health care providers may arrange virtual visits.
B. During the health provider visit, request a “return to school” note;
C. E-mail the instructor a picture of that note;
D. Return to class by the next class period after the date indicated on your note.
Following the steps outlined above helps to keep your instructors informed about your absences and
ensures your absence or missing an assignment due date because of illness will be marked excused. You
will still be responsible to complete within a week of returning to class any assignments, quizzes, or
exams you miss because of illness.
LGBTQIA Support:
Office of LGBTQIA, Student Union Building Room 201, www.lgbtqia.ttu.edu, 806.742.5433. Within
the Center for Campus Life, the Office serves the Texas Tech community through facilitation and
leadership of programming and advocacy efforts. This work is aimed at strengthening the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) community and sustaining an inclusive
campus that welcomes people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.
Writing Tools
The Undergraduate Writing Center provides individual, professional advice on all aspects of writing
to TTU undergraduates on a drop-in basis or by appointment. http://english.ttu.edu/uwc01/ ,
Location: ENGL/PHIL Building, Rm. 175
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL), https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Course Schedule
(This schedule is organic; instructor reserves the right to make reasonable changes as needed)
“Textbook” refers to Global Americans, “Reader” refers to the text Reading the American Past.
“PP” = PowerPoint, “Lecture” = Video Lecture
UNIT 1 – Introduction, End of Reconstruction, the West, Industrial America, Populism and
Progressivism.
Weekly Readings:
Global Americans (Textbook): review Chapter 14-17. Also see Textbook 18-5b on the 19th
Amendment.
From Reading the American Past (Reader): “Introduction for Students” and Doc 17-5 “In-mut-too-
yah-lat-lat Describes White Encroachment,” Doc 20-4 “Conflicting Views about Labor Unions,”
Doc 20-1 “Mary Elizabeth Lease Reports on Women in the Farmers’ Alliance”
Begin reading Right to Ride by Blair Kelley for your Book Response assignment.
(Note: For Discussions I advise you do the 1st post between Wed and Friday to allow others to reply.)
Discussion 1 due Sunday 7/11 @ 11:59pm
Quiz 1 due Monday 7/12 @ 11:59pm
UNIT 2 –Empire, The Great War, the Great Migration, the Roaring 20s, and the Great Depression
Weekly Readings:
From Textbook: Ch. 18, 19, 20
From Reader: Doc 21-6 “W. E. B. Du Bois on Racial Equality,” Doc 23-5 “Marcus Garvey
Explains the Goals of the Universal Negro Improvement Association,” Doc 23-1 “Demonstrating
the Need for a Federal Highway System,” and Doc 23-3 “The Ku Klux Klan Defends
Americanism,” Doc 24-2 “Working People’s Letters to New Dealers.”
Finish reading Right to Ride by Blair Kelley
UNIT 4 – Vietnam, Black and Brown Power, Cold War’s end, War on Drugs, War on Terror, and the
election of Barak Obama
Weekly Readings:
Textbook Ch 25-28.
Read from Quixote's Soldiers: A Local History of the Chicano Movement, 1966-1981 by David
Montejano, pages 1-29, 43-45, 54, 55-76. This is a free eBook - linked under supplemental readings
for Unit 4.
From Reader: 28-5 “Students Protest the Vietnam War”, 30-2 “Norma McCorvey Explains How
She Became ‘Roe’ of Roe v. Wade.”
Video Source – Watch Reagan Speech “A Time for Choosing” https://youtu.be/qXBswFfh6AY and
the short Reagan vs Bush debate clip https://youtu.be/YsmgPp_nlok .
Lectures:
Lecture 21: Vietnam and Nixon’s trouble (PP & Lec 21)
Lecture 22: Black Power, Brown Power, and Counterculture (PP & Lec 22).
Lecture 23: Religious and Economic Impact (PP & Lec. 23)
Lecture 24: Reagan (PP & Lec 24)
Lecture 25: Cold War’s End, George H.W. Bush (PP & Lec 25)
Lecture 26: Clinton and George W. Bush (PP & Lec 26)
Lecture 27: The Great Recession and the Election of Obama (PP & Lec 27)
7/10: Practice Discussion post due @ 11:59pm (doing this will add 3pts to your Mid-Term)
7/11: Unit 1: Discussion 1 due by 11:59pm. (I suggest doing your first post between Wed and Fri) –
Remember there needs to be an initial post AND a reply to another student to receive a full grade.
7/12: Unit 1: Reading/Lecture Quiz 1 due by 11:59pm
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7/18: Unit 2: Discussion 2 due by 11:59pm
7/19: Unit 2: Reading/Lecture Quiz 2 due by 11:59pm
7/19: Mid-Term Exam due by 11:59pm (Exam will cover Units 1 & 2)
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7/25: Unit 3: Discussion 3 due by 11:59pm
7/26: Unit 3: Reading/Lecture Quiz 3 due by 11:59pm
• If you are a Graduating Senior, please email me as you may need to turn in your final exam and
all late work a few days earlier.