Kathleen Addison History 271 F 2021

email kathleen.addison@csun.edu;
OH Zoom link on Canvas, MW 12:30-
1:30
course site: canvas.csun.edu
Free textbook site: americanyawp.com

US History II: Reconstruction to Present (or close to it)

This course is a general political-social survey of the United States. It surveys

issues starting with the difficulty of putting the country back together and healing the
wounds caused by the Civil War in the era of Reconstruction. At the same time, the US
continued on its mission of “Manifest Destiny” through westerward expansion, started at
the beginning of the century and publicly increased to a fervor in the 1840’s. We proceed
to the effects of the second wave of industrialization and the different ways in which
technology at the time transformed the world – not just the US, but its relations with the
rest of the world as well. At the same time, the so-called “Gilded Age” ended the 19 th
century and posed a significant dichotomy in images: The gap between the wealthy and
poor became ever wider and more divisive.

The start of the 20th century introduces us to the US in the Spanish-American War (1898,
actually) and into the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, then into the Progressive Era.
The first World War changed the economic, political, social and cultural perceptions both
within and of the US, and the settlement at Versailles under President Wilson brought a
new era of diplomatic attempts.

The 1920s represented (worldwide) a backlash to the tragedy of the war, and
demonstrated a significant breakout for American culture: movies, music, novels, art,
theatre – contrasted with the sharp decline in 1929 that may seem eerily familiar to us
currently with regard to the economic crises that began the Great Depression. Americans
continued to endure hardship through the economic repercussions of western
expansionism of the 19th century with the Great Dustbowl of the Midwest, and the
attempts by the US government under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to resolve the
socioeconomic crises.

At the end of the decade, beginning in 1939 in the European arena, the start of World
War II presented a new challenge, one that the US would not enter into directly for
several more years. America during World War II again transformed the national agenda
as well as the social strata as women increasingly began to work outside the home.

The postwar boom suggested good times, but transposed against the ongoing Cold War
with the Soviet Union began 40 years of battle of the superpowers that played out in
politics, scientific achievements, military development and the cultural exchange. The
idea of containment of communism brought America into wars in Korea and Vietnam,
and the period deemed the “loss of innocence” (if that was still possible) in the 1960’s.
The stagnant 70s saw several significant crises, and the clothes weren’t the worst of it.
The 1980s and policies of Ronald Reagan ultimately brought an end to the Cold War with
the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, but at what cost? The 1990s was dominated by
US relations and wars with the Middle East, carrying over into the current administration.
We start this class on a Monday before election day, which will, one way or another,
bring a new historical presidency and transform the world yet again.

An Approach to the Class: History, to my way of approach, is about how things change
and why. Within that framework, I emphasize the “big picture” of history – there are
many, many ideas of a competing nature with which we will deal in the coming weeks,
and there are many important figures in the period of history we have to cover. As such,
it is much more important to me that you gain an understanding of the events, actions,
ideas and key figures than it is to memorize dates; that’s why you have a textbook. There
are, on occasion, some dates of importance – 1918 is a major one; rarely, however, will I
ask you an exact date – you should, however, have an approximation of when things were
happening (i.e., World War I, II, the Cuban Missile crisis).

Books: I am participating in a program called OER (online educational resources), an

initiative designed to look at ways to streamline costs to students through Open Access
(free) digital sources. As a result, I have assigned a FREE online textbook for you, here:
http://www.americanyawp.com -- starting on chap 15 with Reconstruction.
If you would prefer a traditional hard copy textbook, I will be happy to recommend some,
there are some in the library, or you may purchase from amazon.com, chegg, etc.

Additionally, you will use Eric Foner’s Voices of Freedom: A documentary History, vol
2, sixth edition, from Norton Publishing (9780393696929), which is available in the
bookstore, online at various outlets, or through www.wwnorton.com

Grades:

There are three exams for this class: 100 points a piece. These are a combination of
multiple choice and essay.

There will be two assignments worth 50 points (100 pts total)

If you submit work from another site as your own, you will receive an F for the
assignment without any further discussion. You are welcome to use outside resources for
your own research and understanding, of course (assuming you use reliable sites, and
Wikipedia is not reliable!) but you may not submit uncited work from other locations.

The last component is your active participation in your team assignment on selected dates
through Zoom (please see on Canvas for Discussion Schedules to find your assigned
Team as well as the dates and corresponding readings).

Exams: All exams must be taken on their scheduled dates; no make up exams will be
given without verifiable medical or legal documentation. The final exam cannot be given
on any day other than that for which it is scheduled, regardless of personal, family, work,
travel, etc obligations.

The exams will be open book essay format within the prescribed time of our class. All
work must be your own and conform to university standards of academic honesty.

Grades: There is no curve. Ever. It’s a standard 93% and above A, 90-92.99 A-,
87.00-89.99 B+, etc. The minimum to pass this class is 370 points for a C. I will issue
an Incomplete only in the most extreme and dire circumstances, for which you will need
to provide extensive legal/medical documentation. Deadlines are firm, as I am a student
as well as an instructor – my own time requirements are such that I cannot accommodate
late papers or exams.

You are starting off at 0 points and will accumulate them through your work and your
mastery of the material. You must EARN THE GRADE YOU NEED through your
efforts. I only calculate them based on what you submit, so when the final grade comes
out, it is a calculation, not a negotiating point. If you need a certain grade to maintain
your GPA, have access to financial aid, athletic standing, etc, that is your responsibility
and you will have to come up to those numbers. I have no category or way to calculate
your intentions, your personal circumstances, how hard you tried, etc. I assume you’re
trying to do your best at all times. While this course may not be relevant to your major,
or your life’s plans, etc, it IS a requirement for graduating/transferring and completing
your college degree, therefore it counts just as much in your cumulative GPA as a course
for your major. I can honestly say, I have NEVER used calculus in my daily life! But I
devoted myself to studying for it while I was in it, and made it a priority. (then I hit the
mental delete button as soon as I was finished, and you are welcome to do so on February
2 if you so wish).

Lastly: It is up to you to maintain track of your grades and calculate them according to
the scale: I will not prognosticate your outcome, and I do not maintain grades on Canvas.
Please hold on to all returned materials until after your grade is posted.

Grade disputes: I request that you wait 24 hours to present your dispute of a grade, and
that in the 24 hours between receiving the grade and presenting your case to me, that you
compose a written paragraph outlining why you believe the grade is in error. Your
reason must stem from either a calculation error, or a point of dispute subject to
misinterpretation, and you must show exactly how and why the point is in error. I will
then re-evaluate the work in question, and my final decision will be made at that point.
Any disputes of the total course grade must be made within ten days of my turning in the
grades –after that point grade disputes will not be considered. You accept these terms
by remaining in the class after the first week.

Policy on cheating and plagiarism: Don't. I will show no mercy. Plagiarism constitutes
the presentation of work that is not an original creation derived from your own mental
processes. This means anything from buying papers, copying or sharing work from
friends, using Cliff's notes, or "borrowing" the words of others without citation or full and
complete attribution. Cheating means you have augmented work other than your own in
a testing situation: examples include outside reference sources, looking at another
person's test with or without their consent; or leaving the room during the exam to consult
with any possible material or source. Please be very clear on this and ask any questions
that you might have concerning these boundaries or definitions. After the fact
proclamations of uncertainty are not valid.

Time Management:
You should plan your time as follows:
1) Do the reading as assigned in this syllabus.
2) Make an outline of your reading notes
3) Watch lectures or ppt slides per the Canvas section;
4) Take careful notes during lecture and discussions and coordinate those with your
reading notes.
5) Participate in discussion groups on your assigned days, generating a shared google doc
outcome.
6)
As with any course, the material is built upon bit by bit. Once you have built a
familiarity with the material and mastered each section, give yourself a chance to test
your abilities in the non-graded components, get feedback, and then take the weighted
components of the class.

Please email me at ANY time if you are feeling confused, lost, need help. If you get
confused and don’t ask for help early, it is very easy to become overwhelmed and lose
focus. Note: If you have not had a response from me within 48 hours (more likely 12),
your email has probably been sent to my spam filter. Please try again. However, please
realize that this is a job for me; I am not on call 24-7and I am not actually sitting at my
computer at 3 am on a Sunday when you have a crisis. In other words, please use good
judgment about what constitutes an emergency. I will get to you as soon as I can. I
answer emails on M-F for a total of 3 hours per week in accordance with the pay
requirements. Anything extra on the weekend is a bonus, so DO NOT COUNT ON
REACHING ME THEN. (unless you win the lottery and want to buy me a large property
to do my animal rescue; in that case, please call immediately with the good news).

“Attendance”: I will not drop anyone who has enrolled in the class. If you plan to drop
the class after the census date, the paperwork is up to you. However, if you are not
present on the days you are scheduled to be in discussion, you will not receive your
points.

Lecture Schedule: (reading; lectures are posted in Canvas)

Week 1: Read Chaps 15. Intro to class. Zoom

8/31, 9/2 Reconstruction
Read: AY chap 15, Foner chap 15
Discussion Group: Blue, Indigo, Teal, 9/2
Week 2: Capital and Labor, AKA Gilded Age. (chap 16 AY, Foner)
9/7, 9/9 Discussion Groups Grey, Rose Gold, Magenta 9/7
Green, Yellow, Violet 9/9

week 3: Westernization
9/14, 16 Continue second half of Capital and Labor chapter 16, above; and
Read Conquering the West Chap 17 and Primary Docs at end of AY
Discussion Group: Orange, Red, Silver 9/14
Discussion Groups Blue, Indigo, Teal 9/16

Week 4 Industrialization and Urbanization, Chap 18 and Primary Docs at end of

9/21, 23 chapter.
DISCUSSION GROUPS:
Grey, Rosegold, Magenta 9/21 (no discussion Thursday)

Week 5: Growth of Empire and Social Change: Read AY chap 19 and Foner,
9/28, 30 Chap 17
Discussion Groups: Green, Yellow, Violet 9/28
Orange, Red, Silver 9/30

Week 6; REVIEW 10/5, EXAM #1 10/7 COVERS CHAPS 15-19

Week 7: Progressivism: AY chap 20, Foner Chap 18

10/12, 14 Discussion Groups: Blue, Indigo, Teal 10/12
 Grey, Rosegold, Magenta 10/14

Week 8 Wilson and WW I Chap 21, AY, chap 19 Foner

10/19, 21 Discussion Groups: Orange, Red Silver 10/19
Green, Yellow, Violet 10/21

Week 9: The Roaring 20s: The New Era (chap 22, AY, 20 Foner)
10/26, 28 The Great Depression (chap 23 AY, 21 Foner)
Discussion Groups: Blue, Indigo, Teal 10/26
Grey, Rosegold, Magenta 10/28

Week 10: WW 2 (1941-45); read AY Chap 24, Foner 22

11/2, 4 Discussion Groups: Green Yellow Violet 11/2
Orange, Red, Silver 11/4

Week 11: Cold War AY Chap 25, Foner 23

11/9, 11 Discussion Group: Blue, Indigo, Teal 11/2
No class November 11, Veteran’s Day

WEEK 12 Review for exam 2 11/16

11/16, 18 Exam 2 Thursday 11/18 covers chaps 20-25

Week 13 Affluent Society Chap 26 AY, Foner 24

11/23 The 1960s, Part 1: Camelot and Great Society
Read AY chap 27, Foner 25
No Discussion Groups, worksheet
THURSDAY 11/25 THANKSGIVIN

Week 14: The Unraveling (1968-1970s): Chap 28 AY, Foner 26

11/30, 12/2 The rise of Neoconservativism (Chap 29, Docs in AY)
MAKE UP DISCUSSION DAY FOR ANY MISSED.

Week 15: The Recent Past: AY chap 30, Foner 28

12/7, 9 Assignment 2 due Friday, Dec 3, 11:59 pm, via Canvas.
REVIEW FOR FINAL 12/9

FINAL EXAM IS Tuesday DECEMBER 14 at 8:00 am, PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT

SCHEDULE.