United States History: Civil War to Present History

Instructor Info Name Email Office Hours & Location

Stephen Logan stephen.logan@my.utsa.edu Location: History Hall, Rm 255
Days: M, W, F
Times: 9:00am-10:00am
If you cannot come during this time, please reach out to
make other arrangements.
Course Info Meeting Times/Format Required Text Communication
May 30-July 5 Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! : an Communication with me occurs via email. I will respond
M-F 10:00am-11:30am American History. Seagull Sixth within 24 hours, but generally much quicker.
Edition. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2019. I highly suggest you join the class GroupMe in order to have
THIS IS AN IN a space to check in about assignments.
PERSON CLASS! VOLUME 2!! Don’t get
There is no “virtual” Volume 1, we don’t need it! All communication both to me and your classmates is
option. expected to have the utmost professional etiquette and
courtesy.

 Course Description: This course has two sets of goals: content and skills. From a content perspective, this course is a survey of the United
States since the Civil War through wide and diverse perspectives. It pays particular attention to the continuous expansion of rights in America
and the elements that have either permitted or hampered access to those rights and privileges. In developing this course, I have made every
effort to elevate the voices of the people from the communities that we will study. From a skills perspective, this course seeks to activate the
thinking skills of historians. These skills, outlined below, have usage well beyond the discipline of history, and the course intends for you to
walk away feeling better prepared to interrogate the world around you. Throughout the course we will ask two essential questions: 1. How do
people, places, and events relate to each other over time? and 2. How do we know if a source is credible, reliable, or valuable?

Course Objectives: By the close of the course, the goal is for students to develop the following skills:
 Articulate the interconnectedness of events over time through the use of historical evidence.
 Synthesize the information learned into concise, rich written or oral responses.
 Evaluate historical sources for their usefulness, credibility, and importance.
Policies:
Late-work: Late work is problematic in the real world, regardless of your profession. However, it does happen. Communicating with a professor or
an employer can often mitigate negative consequences, so let’s practice that skill and reach out to me if you have a legitimate excuse as to why you
cannot complete the work on time. Without a prior excuse, late work will result in a 25% deduction for up to a week. After that, you will receive a
maximum of 50% for the assignment.

Eating/drinking in class: I am not the food police, and you are all adults. If you need to consume food or beverages in class, I ask that you do so in a
way that will not disrupt other students. Having a light snack is far different from consuming the entire meal that you bought on the way in or brought
with you. If you have some kind of schedule issue or medical issue that impacts your ability to meet this request, please reach out to me so that we
can work it out.

Scholastic Dishonesty: All work turned in for evaluation is expected to be the original work of the student and must avoid all forms of scholastic
dishonesty. According to the Student Code of Conduct, Sec. ____, Scholastic Dishonesty “________."

Any act of scholastic dishonesty will result in an automatic “F” for the assignment or evaluation and may also include the initiation of disciplinary
proceedings or other measures deemed appropriate by the instructor.

**Please be advised that I regularly check for content that is not human created**

Language and terminology: In US History we will study a wide range of groups of Americans over time. It is expected that you will treat all study
with professionalism and respect. The people we study should and have the right to navigate the terms the way they wish. For people outside
the communities, we should use terms which are socially acceptable for us. I will give guidance prior to classroom discussions to help ensure we
can all abide by this guideline.
Assignments:
Out-of-class assignments (a.k.a. HOMEWORK! – 80% of total grade):

1. United States History Thought Journal (20% of total grade): This is a weekly assignment that you will complete four (4) times using the
template that is posted on Canvas. You will use the same document for the entire course, that way both you and I can track you progress and
development over time. The US History Thought Journal is both reflective and analytical. It will require you to demonstrate what you learned
from the weekly reading assignments, connect that learning to what you’ve learned previously in this or another history course, and reflect on
how this information relates to the world around you. While this is not an exam, it is expected that you will utilize academic language,
grammar and writing conventions in your responses. This assignment will be graded based upon the rubric in Canvas.

2. Source Interrogation (20% of total grade): You will complete two (2) source interrogation assignments using the template that is posted on
Canvas. Source interrogations require you to critically analyze a source for its meaning, credibility, and importance. The assignment will ask
you to connect the source to the textbook, so keep up with the reading assignments! This assignment will be graded based upon the rubric in
Canvas.

3. ArcGIS StoryMap (40% of total grade): Your final project will be to develop an ArcGIS StoryMap using the free software available
online. I will provide additional resources, but here is a link to a guide for using StoryMaps. For your StoryMap you will select 5 places
within the geographic confines of the United States. You will explain the people and events associated with that place and provide the reader
with a suggested credible source to learn more about it. You will also explain how each place relates to the other by connecting pieces of
history over time. Each place will have a piece of media (photo, audio, video) to enrich the understanding of that place. This assignment will
be graded based upon the rubric in Canvas. We will do one of these places per week, so it will be cumulative, and you will get brief feedback
on your work as needed. We will also have dedicated in class time to try out the software, so it’s a good idea to be present to get that
instructional assistance!

In-class assignments (20% of total grade):

Each day in class we will have a similar structure consisting of a short lecture and a skill building activity. Skill building activities will be submitted
via Canvas for participation points. Additionally, these activities will assist you in working towards the objectives in the class, and they will often
include specific items that assist in completing the out of class assignments. These assignments are graded primarily for completion; however, failure
to put in effort on the assignment may result in a deduction of points.
Grading Schema:
A+ (97–100), A (93–96), A- (90–92),
B+ (87–89), B (83–86), B- (80–82),
C+ (77–79), C (73–76), C- (70–72),
D+ (67–69), D (65–66), D- (below 65)

Course Outline by Unit

UNIT # Topic Essential Questions In Class Readings & Activities Textbook Assignments Due
Chapters
1 Reconstruction & How did Reconstruction create Black Reconstruction in America: 693-701 Chapter 15
Retraction new opportunities for Black US History Thought Journal
(Week 1, Americans, and how did they take Entry #1 due by midnight June
Part 1) advantage of those opportunities? 4th on Canvas.

What could’ve happened without

the compromise of 1876?

2 Immigration and Who came to America during the Selected readings by Zitkala-Sa Chapter 16
imperialism Gilded Age, why did they come? Chapter 17
(Week 1, during The Gilded How were they received? The Cutting of My Long Hair:
Part 2) Age
Where else did America look to A Trip Westward:
expand during the Gilded Age
and why? Retrospection:

How did America finish the

3 Racism &
Progressivism in
(Week 2, the Early 1900s
Part 1)
4 The Great
Migration, The
Great Depression
conquest over the Native
Americans living in the land to
the west of the Mississippi?
How was America a different
place depending on who you were
in the early 1900s?
How did the Progressive Era
change America?
How did the systems of the south
lead Black Americans to leave for
the north?
The Color of Law Pg 48-57 Chapter 18
The Warmth of Other Suns 31-35 Chapter 19 US History Thought Journal
The Warmth of Other Suns 37-42 Entry #2 due by 11:59pm June
11th on Canvas.
Source Interrogation #1 due
A Different Mirror - Pg 332-335 Chapter 20 by 11:59pm June 11th on
The Color of Law Pg 63-67 Chapter 21 Canvas.
Autobiography of La Causa - The Power of Agribusiness
(Week 2, and the New Deal
Part 2) What caused the Great
Depression and how did America
initially respond?
How did the policies of the New
Deal attempt to change America?
5 WWII Through How did Americans of diverse
Diverse Eyes backgrounds experience WWII?
(Week 3,
Part 1) How did the war and the post-war
economic and social policies
relate to the injustices occurring
here in the United States?
6 The Cold War Why did we “fight” the Cold
War?
(Week 3,
Part 2) How did the Cold War impact
domestic and foreign policy
decisions?
Who felt the impact of those
decisions outside of the US?
7 Hope at Home How has the fight for rights been
a continuous battle since the
(Week 4, arrival in America to today?
Part 1)
How have the leaders in the
movements for rights sought to
elicit change?
8 The shift of the How did Americans respond to
American the changes of the 1960s and
(Week 4, landscape 1970s?
Part 2)
How did economic, social, and
political policy shift in the 1980s-
1990s?
9 Current Events At the end, we will spend time
diving into current events and
seek to connect them to our
Suggested that you start your
ArcGIS StoryMaps
assignment
Autobiography of La Causa - Pachuco Days Chapter 22
Filipino American Lives - Introduction US History Thought Journal
The Lavender Scare - Chapter 2: “This Used to Be a Very Entry #3 due by 11:59pm June
Gay City” 18th on Canvas.
When Can We Go Back to America? - Chapter 1: Day of
Infamy Work on ArcGIS StoryMap
Inevitable Revolutions: Guatemala - Replacing Chapter 23
Revolution with Militarism
The Lavender Scare: Chapter 6: “Let’s Clean House”
Filipino American Lives - Dario Villa Chapter 24 US History Thought Journal
Filipino American Lives - Connie Tirona Chapter 25 Entry #4 due by 11:59pm June
Black Power - Mississippi Freedom Democrats 25th on Canvas.
Black Power - Black Belt Election
Autobiography of La Causa - Where Harassment
Backfires Source Interrogation #2 due
Autobiography of La Causa - Recruiting Volunteers by 11:59pm June 25th on
Lavender Scare - Mattachine Society Canvas.
For this section, we will view various speeches from Chapter 26
political leaders across the spectrum on a wide diversity Chapter 27
of issues. Work on ArcGIS StoryMaps
assignment
Self-directed reading to be assigned in class. Chapter 28
ArcGIS StoryMap due on
Canvas by 11:59PM on July
 study of history. 5th

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