HISTORY 202

UNITED STATES HISTORY FROM 1877 TO THE PRESENT

ANDREW P. HALEY, PHD

CLASS: Liberal Arts Building 102

Mo/We/Fr 11:00-11:50pm

OFFICE: 451 Liberal Arts Building (4th Floor, History Department)

Office hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 12 and Wednesdays immediately

after class (2:30-3:30). To arrange a meeting during office hours or to set up an

alternative time to meet, email me at Andrew.Haley@usm.edu a day in advance.

CONTACT: Email: Andrew.Haley@usm.edu

History Department: 601 336 0708

Twitter (musings on culture) http://twitter.com/HistoryCult

DESCRIPTION, OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

United States History from1865 to the Present is a chronicle of the modern United States, its people,

government, and culture. As a survey class, we cannot hope to examine every event which contributed to

the building of America. Instead, we will focus on critical moments, long-term trends, and mass culture in

order to uncover a little of what it has meant to live, work, and play in the United States since the end of the

Civil War.

To help make sense of America's complicated past, we will organize our study around a theme. At each

step in our journey, we will scrutinize the calls for—and protests against—a strong central government.

What role has the federal government played in the lives of American citizens? What do Americans expect

from their government? How has the federal government helped to weld together the nation? How has it

divided us?

When you have completed this course you should have a better knowledge of the history of the United

States from 1877 to the present as well as a improved understanding of how history is made, recorded and

interpreted. You will be better prepared to examine critically the past and the present, searching out the

underlying reasons why Americans do what they do and are who they are. To that end, the lectures,

discussions and assignments test your basic knowledge of key events, prepare you to analyze documents,

and offer an opportunity to do original historical research.

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LECTURES AND CLASS PARTICIPATION

Class meets three days a week. Each week, I will present

a lecture in three parts that provides an overview of a key

historical topic. But while this is primarily a lecture

class, participation is important. All students are

expected to attend class regularly, to have completed the

readings before the start of the week, and to be prepared

to raise questions and offer arguments. Don’t hesitate to

interrupt the instructor with questions or observations,

and be prepared to share your views during discussions.

Don’t be shy. Offer your ideas and let the class build on

your thoughts.

Given the importance of lectures, class discussions, and

student questions, you are encouraged to attend every

class and attendance may be taken. Attendance is not

graded, but students who regularly attend class usually

fare well. In addition, students who do not attend class

may miss quizzes and will not be eligible for

participation bonus points at the end of the semester.

Students must actively involve themselves in class

discussions and activities to receive full credit for

participation.

Arrive on time. Avoid disruptive bathroom breaks in the middle of class. Turn off your cell phones and

pagers. Show respect to your fellow students when they are speaking. Students who disrupt class will be

warned once. If you fail to reform, you will not be allowed to attend class until you have met with the

instructor and the issue has been resolved to the instructor's satisfaction.

Remember, if you are struggling with a reading, finding it hard to prepare for an exam, or just want to

discuss history, don’t hesitate to send me an email or to stop by my office hours.

REQUIRED READING

America: A Concise History, Vol. II

James Henretta & David Brody, 4th

Edition, 2010

ISBN-13: 978-0-312-48543-6

Available at the University of Southern Mississippi Book Center.

e-Book available at

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/newcatalog.aspx?disc=History&i

sbn=0312615310

USII History Readings

Available online at http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w589232. Additional readings may be

provided by the instructor during the course of the semester. Please note that while

efforts have been made to keep the readings short and manageable, some classes require

more time than others.

ASSIGNMENTS

Take-home Exams

Over the course of the semester, students must complete two take-home exams (see the dates listed below).

The take-home exams consist of one short-answer essay. The essay question will be distributed on the day

Figure 1: Millions of Acres: Iowa and Nebraska Lands

for Sale on 10 Years Credit (Library of Congress)

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listed in the syllabus and is due at the start of the next class. The question should be answered with a three

page double-spaced essay which incorporates concrete examples from the textbook, lectures, and other

readings. All essays should be typed with standard one-inch margins and a 10 or 12 point standard font.

Your essay must be submitted to turnitin.com before you come to class on the same day it is

submitted in class.

These short essays are intended to test your understanding of a historical period and to develop your critical

thinking skills. Essays must be based on the assigned readings and lectures; additional research is not

required and is generally discouraged. But the essay should be more than a recitation of facts or a summary

of the readings. The essay should develop an argument based on carefully thinking about the question and

the evidence. Why did the event happen? What changed over time? How did one historical event differ

from another? Answering these questions will require that you form your own assessments based on the

evidence available to you. Make sure your essay incorporates that evidence and cites it.

You essay should begin with an introduction which unambiguously states what your argument will be and

how it will develop, and should end with a conclusion that discusses the how your insights contribute to our

understanding of history. Avoid repetition, using ―big‖ words for the mere sake of using big words, and

long quotations from the sources. Only summarize what is necessary to make an argument.

Essays are not graded on grammar and spelling but a well-written essay is easier to read and invariably

receives a higher grade. Allow yourself time to revise and proofread your essays. Revising requires that

you reconsider your arguments, eliminate unnecessary material, and reorganize your paper for clarity.

Proofreading requires that you reread the final essay and make stylistic corrections that will make the paper

easier to read. Consider reading your own paper out loud; it makes it easier to notice errors you have made.

(I do not grade papers based on grammar and spelling because I understand it is easy to make mistakes, but

a sloppy paper that has not been proofread and contains errors that were easily avoidable will be penalized

at least a full letter grade. You are expected to be professional.)

Essays are graded holistically. In other words, there is no checklist and you will not lose a set number of

points for each error. Rather, your argument is considered in good faith. If the argument you offer is

reasoned and well-supported, you will receive full credit for the assignment. An engaging essay without

flaws will be given an A. A creative argument that may contain some logical errors or a poor use of

sources will receive a B. An essay that ignores evidence from the readings or fails to make a strong, clear

argument will receive a C. A poorly reasoned argument, an essay that demonstrates a poor understanding

of the readings and lectures, or an essay that consists primarily of summary will receive a D. A slipshod

essay will receive an F.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Ideas that are not your own must be accompanied by a citation with the

source and page number. Direct quotations must be in quotation marks (or, for longer quotations,

indented) and must be accompanied by a formal citation. Paraphrasing is plagiarism. Ignorance is not an

excuse for plagiarism; if you have questions about citing source materials, talk to your instructor or visit

the style guides posted on the library’s home page.

Copying another student or another author’s work is cheating and is a violation the University of

Southern Mississippi’s code of student conduct. Students who cheat will automatically fail the course and

may be reported to the Dean of Students for additional disciplinary action. After an appropriate hearing

before the Dean of Students or the Student Judiciary Council, cheating, including but not limited to

plagiarism, may be grounds for probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Late exams will be accepted if submitted to turnitin.com no later than twenty-four hours after the paper was

due. The turnitin.com timestamp will be used to determine the time the paper was submitted. All late

papers are automatically penalized a full letter grade. After twenty-four hours, the paper will not be

accepted and the grade for the assignment will be a zero. Note that receiving a zero is considerably worse

than receiving an F grade.

No extensions will be granted without prior notice. In other words, if you are unable to complete the work

on time because of a schedule conflict, talk to the instructor before the assignment is handed out. Last

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minute extensions are rarely given. Students who are unable to attend class may submit papers via

turnitin.com. Electronically submitted papers must be submitted before the start of class or they are

considered late and will be penalized. It is the student’s responsibility to verify that the paper has been

correctly submitted to turnitin.com. If you are unable to submit it online, you are required to bring a copy

to class.

Students should keep backup copies of materials submitted. In the unlikely event that the instructor needs a

second copy, you are responsible for producing a copy in a timely manner.

In-Class Exams

There will be two in-class exams (see the schedule below). The first will cover material from the first half

of the class and the second covers material from the second half of the class. Each exam will include a

number of short-answer identifications (in which you have to define a term or identify an image and then

discuss its historical significance) and an essay question, but the exam may include other types of questions

as well. Depending on the content of the exam, you will have roughly an hour to complete the exam.

Reading Reviews

There will be four random reading quizzes during the course of the semester. These will be very short and

very simple. They will be graded A, C, or F.

Final Paper

Students must submit a eight-page (double

spaced, one inch margins, 10 or 12-point font)

research paper and samples of the sources used

to write the paper. These papers will be based

on examining seven consecutive days of a

historical newspaper published prior to 1965. Papers are due by 5pm in the Department of

History on December 6th. Late papers will not

be accepted.

Additional information shall be provided in

class during the week of September 13th. The

final paper must conform to the same ethical

and writing guidelines as the take-home essay

questions.

SCHEDULE AND PERCENT OF GRADE

DUE DATE ASSIGNMENT PERCENT OF GRADE

September 17 Take-home One 10%

October 8 Exam One 20%

November 12 Take-home Two 15%

December 1 Exam Two 20%

December 6 Final Paper 25%

Random Four Reading Reviews 10%

Daily Participation Although this is a lecture class, there will be

opportunities to participate. Earn up to three extra

points on your final grade by actively participating.

Figure 2: Oyster-shuckers in the Barataria Canning Company in

Biloxi, MS (Lewis Hine, February 1911)

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Schedule Revisions

You are responsible for any and all changes to the syllabus announced in class. If you miss class, contact a

fellow student or check the website for updates.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Library

Assistance accessing and evaluating online sources, as well as help finding the research materials you will

use for your final paper, can be found at the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries. For more

information, see http://www.lib.usm.edu/.

Disability Services

If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires

accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information

on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric,

physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether

a medical condition/disability qualifies.

If a student has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires

accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information

on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric,

physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether

a medical condition/disability qualifies.

The University of Southern Mississippi

Office for Disability Accommodations

118 College Drive # 8586

Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

Voice Telephone: (601) 266-5024 or (228) 214-3232

Fax: (601) 266-6035

Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1-800-582-

2233 (TTY) or email Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@usm.edu.

Email

Email will be used to pass on vital information about quizzes and

writing assignments. All students are required to have an active

Southern Miss email address. (If you use a different account to

check your email, you should contact iTech for help with

forwarding your USM email account to your preferred email

address.)

turnitin.com

The take-home exams and final paper must be submitted to

turnitin.com on the day they are due before the end of class. To

set up an account, you will need the class identity number

(3393363) and the class enrollment password (Levittown). If you

need additional instructions, they are available on the turnitin.com

website.

Figure 3: Blossom Restaurant, 103 Bowery,

New York City. (Bernice Abbott, October 3,

1935)

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WEEKLY OVERVIEW AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

THE GILDED AGE and PROGRESSIVE ERA

Week 1

August 18-20

Introduction to Course/Reconstructing the South

Approximate Time Period: 1865-1877

Readings

Review the syllabus. Familiarize yourself with the course policies and the assignment due

dates.

Suggested: America: A Concise History, review Chapter 15.

Week 2

August 23-27

Industrialization and the Making of the Upper Class

Approximate Time Period: 1870-1900

Music and History: The Evolution of Casey Jones

Readings

Read Andrew Carnegie's "Wealth" from the North American Review, June 1889.

Read excerpts from Ida Tarbell's "The History of Standard Oil."

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 17 (to page 512)

Quotes of the Day

―Everything that can be invented, has been invented.‖

Charles H. Duell, Office of Patents, urging President

McKinley to abolish the Patent Office (1899)

―That a deep-rooted feeling of discontent pervades the masses, none

can deny.‖

Terrence Powderly, North American Review (1885)

Week 3

August 30-September 3

The Working Class and the City

Approximate Time Period: 1870-1900

NOTE: August 31 is the last day to drop classes without financial penalty.

Readings

Ragged Dick is a novel by Horatio Alger, Jr. about a poor street urchin who rises from

poverty through moral behavior, determination, and luck. Ragged Dick was serialized in 1867

and published as a novel in 1868. Read the last three chapters from page 242 to the end.

View three images of Coney Island at the turn of the century.

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 17 (from page 513) and Chapter 18.

Quote of the Day

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―It is with roses and locomotives (not to mention acrobats Spring

electricity Coney Island the 4th of July the eyes of mice and Niagara

Falls) that my ''poems'' are competing.‖

E. E. Cummings (n.d.)

Week 4

September 8-10

Populism

Approximate Time Period: 1880-1896

NOTE: No class on September 6.

Readings

Read the Populist Party Platform from 1892.

Read excerpts from William Jennings Bryan’s

Democratic convention speech and William

McKinley’s Republican convention speech.

What themes do they share? On what issues do

they differ? (Keep in mind that these men were

politicians seeking to convince voters would

represent their interests.)

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 19.

Quote of the Day

―We meet in the midst of a nation brought

to the verge of moral, political and material

ruin. Corruption dominates the ballot box,

the legislatures, the Congress, and touches the ermine of the bench.

The people are demoralized. . . . The newspapers are subsidized or 3;

public opinion silenced; business prostrate, our homes covered with

mortgages, labor impoverished, and the land concentrating in the hands

of capitalists.‖

Ignatius Donnelly, People’s Party Platform (1892)

Week 5

September 13-17

The Middle Class and the Progressive Impulse

Overview of Final Paper

Approximate Time Period: 1890-1924

Assignment: First Take-home Exam Distributed on September 15 and Due on September 17

Readings

Immigration, spurred by America's growing industries, transformed the American city. Read

Chapter 1 from How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis' famous account of tenement life and

immigration in New York first published in 1890.

Read Jane Addams’ "Hull House, Chicago: An Effort toward Social Democracy" first

published in the Forum in October of 1892.

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 20.

Quotes of the Day

Figure 4: Fourth of July, North Danville, Vermont

(Verner Reed, 1955)

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Greasiness in various degrees distinguishes the German dishes. Dirt in

all degrees is present at the German restaurants. Plates and cups with

pieces chipped out . . . and knives which know no cleaning, are always

found. When the grease, which is so freely used, takes fire in the

kitchen below, or in the rear of the dining-room, there is a suffocating

odor which attends the decomposition of animal fat dispersed through

the room.

C. Gesner, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, 1866

―To keep the world clean -- this is one great task for women.‖

Helen Campbell, Household Economics (1897)

Week 6

September 20-24

From Sea to Shining Sea and Beyond

Approximate Time Period: 1870-1900

Readings

The Anti-Imperialist League opposed the acquisition of the Philippines. In May of 1899, the

League published a pamphlet consisting of letters written home by disgruntled soldiers.

Selected letters have been assigned for this course.

In 1899, Andrew S. Draper, the President of the University of Illinois, published The Rescue

of Cuba: an Episode in the Growth of Free Government. Draper wrote the book for "young

Americans" in order to celebrate "the steady progress of the world towards universal liberty"

and "the heroism and manly quality of the American soldiers and sailors who gave their lives

for the rescue of their oppressed neighbors." Read Chapter XII: "Results."

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 21.

Quote of the Day

―Only Anglo-Saxons can govern themselves.‖

William Allen White, journalist and editor (1899)

THE TRIUMPH OF LIBERALISM

Week 7

September 27-October 1

World War I/Mass Culture in the 1920s

Approximate Time Period: 1917-1929

NOTE: September 29 is the last day to drop classes without

academic penalty.

Readings

In the 1920s, as today, people worried about the

impact of mass media on the youth of America.

Published in 1933, Herbert Blummer's survey of

movie-goers offers us a glimpse at how the growing

popularity of movies changed people’s lives. Read

the following four accounts: How the Movies

Made Some People Restless (this is a summary

from the final report); A College Student's Motion

Picture Autobiography; A High-School Student Describes Movie Going in the 1920s; and A

Black High-School Student Tells What 1920s Movies Meant to Him.

Figure 5: Rudolph Valentino (Son of the

Sheik, United Artists, 1926)

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Read page 2 and 3 of the KKK newspaper The Imperial Nighthawk from August 29, 1923.

America: A Concise History, briefly skim read Chapter 22 and read Chapter 23.

Quotes of the Day

―The restlessness approached hysteria. The parties were bigger. The

shows were bigger. The pace was faster, . . . the buildings higher, the

morals looser.‖

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1926)

―I say it’s spinach and I say the hell with it.‖

New Yorker cartoon of a child refusing to eat the

―new‖ Italian vegetable, broccoli. (1928)

Week 8

October 4-8

The Great Depression

Approximate Time Period: 1929-1941

Assignment: First in-class exam will be held on October 8

Music and History: Music and Dance as Escape and Protest

Readings

Read letters sent to Mississippi Congressman William Colmer during the Great Depression.

Read letters sent by children to Eleanor Roosevelt during the Great Depression.

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 24.

Quote of the Day

Federal relief aid to end the Depression would cause ―degeneration of

that independence and initiation which are the very foundation of

democracy.‖

President Herbert Hoover (1931)

Week 9

October 11-13

The Real New Deal

Approximate Time Period: 1929-1941

NOTE: There is no class on October 15.

Readings

Read FDR’s radio address concerning the second phase of the New Deal.

Read and listen to Father Coughlin's critique of the New Deal.

Read and listen to Huey Long's argument for his "Share our Wealth" program.

View post office murals created during the Great Depression [Mural 1, Mural 2, Mural 3,

Mural 4, Mural 5, Mural 6, Mural 7]

Review: America: A Concise History, Chapter 24.

Quote of the Day

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―I will say one thing for this administration. It is the only time when

the fellow with money is worrying more than the one without it.‖

Will Rogers on Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933)

Week 10

October 18-22

World War II and the Cold War

Approximate Time Period: 1927-1965

Readings

View 10 to 15 World War II posters. Who were these intended

for? What claims are the government making (time, sacrifice)

on its citizens?

Read George Kennan’s "The Sources of Soviet Conduct"

written in 1947. Kennan’s assessment of the Soviet threat

served as the basis for America’s early Cold War policies.

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 25 and 26.

Quote of the Day

―I know how easy it is . . . for a girl to be tempted to forsake her

chastity . . . especially in these times when human life is uncertain, . . .

especially still if the boy is in uniform. Out salvation . . . lies within us,

in a hard-boiled code of wartime morals.‖

Actress Bonita Granville (1943)

Week 11

October 25-29

White America/Fear and Loathing in Postwar America

Approximate Time Period: 1945-1965

Readings

View images from Levittown.

From the Educational Forum in 1949, read "Communists Should Not Teach in American

Colleges" by Raymond B. Allen, the president of the University of Washington, Seattle.

Higher Education's Appalling Responsibilities. Read Jazzes H. Halsey's defense of academic

freedom.

Communists on campus? Read E. Merrill Root's warnings about communist indoctrination on

college campuses (from Collectivism on the Campus, 1955).

Review: America: A Concise History, Chapter 26 & 27.

Quotes of the Day

―The smart woman will keep herself desirable. It is her duty to be

feminine and desirable at all times in the eyes of the opposite sex.‖

Leland Kirdel, Coronet (1953)

―When you find an intellectual, you will probably find a Red.‖

Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer in their best-selling

book, Washington Confidential (1951)

LIBERALISM CHALLENGED

Figure 6: Camp Shelby,

Hattiesburg (William Perlitch,

1941)

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Week 12

November 1-5

Black America

Approximate Time Period: 1945-1970

Music and History: The Sound of Protest in Mississippi

Readings

Watch two clips from CBS Reports: Who Speaks for Birmingham?

Explore the Mississippi Civil Rights History timeline. Audio files may take a while to load,

but the transcripts are also available. Most excerpts are very short, so take your time and

explore a number of different topics. Bring your questions to class.

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 28.

Quotes of the Day

"There are those who say to you –we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say we are

172 years late."

Hubert H. Humphrey (1948)

Week 13

November 8-12

The Great Society and Fragmentation/Vietnam

Approximate Time Period: 1963-1968

Assignment: Second Take-home Exam Distributed on November

10 and Due on November 12

Readings

View a newsreel from the 1964 Miss America contest

and then read the 1968 press release ("No More Miss

America!") announcing that the pageant will be

boycotted. What is the basis for the protest?

Visit an online exhibit examining anti-gay rights

activism in Florida in 1977.

Read poetry written by Vietnam veterans. How do

these poems cut across political and class lines? [The

poems have been selected from From Both Sides Now

edited by Phillip Mahony (New York: Scribner Poetry,

1998). The selections reflect only the American

viewpoint.]

Review: America: A Concise History, read Chapter 28.

Quotes of the Day

―A spirit of national masochism prevails encouraged by an effete core

of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals . . .

[Americans want] a cry of alarm to penetrate the cacophony of

seditious drivel.‖

Vice President Spiro Agnew (1969)

Figure 7: The Great Society Comic

Book (Parallax, 1966)

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―Slave catchers, slave owners, murderers, butchers, oppressors -- the

white heroes have acquired new names.‖

Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice (1968)

Week 14

November 15-19

Watergate, Oil and Stagnation

Approximate Time Period: 1968-1980

Readings

View one of the following three movies: Taxi Driver [1976],

Five Easy Pieces [1970] and/or Network [1976] . All three

are on reserve at Cook Library. Treat these as if they were

texts: view them carefully, take notes, and ask yourself what

they say about American’s view of themselves in the 1970s.

Recommended: Jacob Holdt visited the United States in the 1970s. With little money, he

traveled the South living with and documenting social conditions. View the photo gallery

documenting the rural South. Warning. These images are graphic, disturbing, and include

some nudity. How does Holdt’s photographs compare with the picture of the seventies

depicted in the film you watched?

America: A Concise History, read Chapter 29.

Quotes of the Day

"In your heart you know he's right."

1964 Goldwater slogan, countered by Democrats with: "In your guts,

you know he's nuts." (1964)

―For some reason, self-doubt appears to thrive in our Bicentennial

year.‖

Historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. (1976)

THE CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH

Week 15

November 22

November 29-December 1

The Reagan Revolution and the Challenges of the 21st Century

Approximate Time Period: 1980-Present

Assignment: Final In-class Exam on December 1

Music and History: Rap and Reagan

Readings

Read Barry Goldwater's 1964 convention speech.

Read Ronald Reagan's 1964 speech for Barry Goldwater.

Watch Johnson's 1964 television advertisements.

Review: America: A Concise History, Chapters 30 and 31.

Quotes of the Day

"I'm not the expert on how the Iraqi people think, because I live in America, where it's

nice and safe and secure."

Figure 8: New York Post (1973)

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George W. Bush (Sept. 23, 2004)

"It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of

gravity."

Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary-General

Week 16

December 6

Exam Period

Assignment: Final Paper is due by 5pm on December 6