Professor Z. I. VanSandt                              Fall  2009

HIST 1302- U. S. History II                                            

Synonym/Sections: 41239/052 Mon & Wed 10:40 - 11:55 a.m.
               43940/014 Mon & Wed 12:15- 1:30 p.m.

Office Hours: (Appointments outside of posted hours are provided as necessary.)

Office Location:    SAC 1313.13 (third floor, southwest corner)

Office Phone:       223-9213

E-Mail:                  vansandt@austincc.edu

Web:                      www.austincc.edu/vansandt

"Reality has always had too many heads."
                   --Bob Dylan

COURSE DESCRIPTION:   History 1302 surveys American history from the late nineteenth century to the present.  For a full catalogue description, go to:   http://www.austincc.edu/history.

COURSE RATIONALE:  For complete information, go to:   http://www.austincc.edu/history.

TEXT:  Roark, James L.. et al.  The American Promise, 4th edition, volume 2,; ISBN: 0-312-45293-4. The publisher provides a helpful online tutorial found at bedfordstmartins.com/roark . Some additional reading will be assigned.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY:  This is a lecture-based course.  There may be occasional group work.  Student questions and class discussion of pertinent topics are always welcome. 

ACADEMIC FREEDOM:  Respectful exchange of ideas promotes learning.  Respect for the opinions of others is expected during any class discussion.

COURSE SCHEDULE:  The course is divided into four units.  The attached outline details your reading assignment schedule, dates of exams, and dates pertinent to the book review.  Use this outline to plan your semester so that you do not fall behind.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: .  Learning objectives for this class in particular are included in this syllabus.   Department –wide course objectives can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/history.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:   Attendance will be taken each class.  Regular attendance is expected and may influence your final grade.  If your final grade is borderline between two letter grades, the higher grade will be assigned if you have no more than two absences.  For example, if your final numerical average is 88.0-89.9 and you have no more than two absences, a grade of A rather than B will be recorded.

DETERMINATION OF GRADE:
1)  TESTS:  Initial tests:  an in-class exam will be administered after each of the four units. The test will have three parts:  multiple choice, identification, and an essay.   Make-up tests:  if you must miss class on the date of an exam, it is your responsibility to get with me to make arrangements for a make-up.  This is an option for the first three units only.  The make-up is the same format as the initial test, but the questions, including the essay question, will be different.  Only ONE test may be made up during the semester.  Retests:  you have the option to retest on any or all of the first three unit exams, provided the in-class test was taken at the scheduled time.  You may not retest after a make-up test.  The retest is ten out of twelve short answer questions.  When a retest is taken, the higher grade will be recorded.   WARNING:  students rarely do as well on make-ups and retests as on the in-class exam.  It is to your advantage to take the in-class exam and do your best at that time. 
      NOTICE:  On test days the following rules are in place:  1) You may work for the entire period; 2) you may leave when finished; 3) you may not leave and re-enter the classroom while testing; 4) cell phones are turned off.        
MAKE-UPS AND RETESTS MUST BE TAKEN BEFORE THE NEXT SCHEDULED TEST.  
They are taken in the SAC Testing Center. The Testing Center requires students to show their ACC ID.  For complete Testing Center rules and regulations, go to http://www.austincc.edu/testctr.

2)  BOOK REVIEW:   This assignment allows you to read a book of your choosing (with instructor approval) and write an analysis of the book.  The book must be a scholarly, secondary source by a single author about a topic relevant to the content of the course.  Do not refer to the book as a novel, because a novel is a work of fiction.   A book review is not a book report.  Your focus should be on evaluating the author, not the subject of the work.  The review should be typewritten, double-spaced.  If you quote directly from the book, follow the direct quote with the page number in parenthesis.  The review should be written in essay form, incorporating answers to ALL the following questions:

• What is the book about?
• What is the author's thesis?
• What are two SPECIFIC examples of how the author supports the thesis?
• What are two SPECIFIC examples of sources used by the author?
• Was the book written so that you could understand it?  Give an example to support your answer.
• Is there a question or subtopic you wish the author had addressed or had addressed in more detail?  What is that question?
• How does this book compare to what the textbook, The American Promise, offers on the topic? 
• Would you recommend the book to another student or a teacher?  Why or  why not?

**DEADLINES TO KEEP IN MIND:         Book Approval:     Sept. 23                                                                                                   Rough Draft Due:    October 21 
                                                               Final Draft Due:     November 30 

• If the book is presented for approval after the deadline, 5 points will be deducted from the grade.
• If the rough draft is turned in late, 5 points will be deducted from the grade.
• If the final draft is turned in late, 5 points will be deducted from the grade.
• Turn in the rough draft with the final draft.
• No late papers will be accepted after December 7.

A sample book review can be found on my web page.

• Rather than having a cover sheet, use the following format at the top of the first page:

3)  COURSE GRADING CRITERIA:  Each test and the book review counts 20% of the final grade.  The numerical grade is then translated into a letter grade for recording.

                        A = 90-100                  C = 70-79                    F = below 60
                        B = 80-89                    D = 60-69

WITHDRAWING FROM THE COURSE:  It is your responsibility to withdraw from the class if you cannot meet the requirements.  I retain the right to initiate withdrawal in the event of excessive absences, lack of progress, or as a disciplinary measure.   The last day to withdraw is November 23, 2009.

GRANTING OF INCOMPLETES:  An "I" will be given if you have:  1) persuaded me it is absolutely the last course of action available; 2) and you have completed at least 50% of the course work; 3) and your grade average  is a C or higher.  Once an "I" is recorded, it is your responsibility to finish the work within a given amount of time; otherwise, the "I" automatically changes to an "F" on your transcript.  Do not assume an “I” will be recorded if you just stop coming to class.

SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY:  "Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work.  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research or self-expression.  Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework."

• If cheating or plagiarizing occurs, the penalty is an "F" for the course.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES POLICY:  “Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities should apply for services with the Office for Students with Disabilities at the primary campus they expect to attend. Each semester students need to meet with the OSD coordinator at all campuses they are attending in order to discuss accommodation needs. Sample accommodations include, but are not limited to, interpreters, note takers, registration assistance, and testing with accommodations. Students with disabilities are urged to apply for accommodations well ahead of, but no less than three weeks before, the start of a term for the accommodations to be prepared for the first day of classes. ACC works with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services and community service organizations to provide support services to students.”  (ACC Student Handbook)

PRIVACY POLICY: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects confidentiality of your educational records.  Grades cannot be given over the phone, posted, e-mailed, or given to a fellow student.  For full information about FERPA, visit http://www.austincc.edu/visitors/ferpa.php.

CELL PHONES, ELECTRONIC GAMES, AND OTHER POTENTIALLY DISTRACTING GIZMOS ARE TO BE TURNED OFF DURING CLASS TIME.  

• Disciplinary action will be taken if class is disturbed.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS TAKING ANY HISTORY COURSE AT ACC.

The History Department welcomes you to our courses. We have an outstanding faculty and you will find that many of your classmates are also outstanding students. With a collaborative effort on the part of BOTH faculty member and student, your experience with us should be most productive and rewarding.

Students registering for History courses at Austin Community College need to be cognizant of the fact that the requirements and expectations for those courses may be higher than those for some other courses in the College.  Our courses are intellectually challenging and require that the student is both academically and socially prepared for college-level work. Successful completion of our courses requires a student commit a significant amount of time, effort, and personal responsibility.

The following is a summary of some of the requirements that are typical for a History course at Austin Community College. By providing you with this information, we hope you will be better able to assess your readiness to enroll in these courses.

All ACC college-level History courses presume that the student has successfully completed the basic high school U.S.  History, Economics and American Government courses.  All HIST 1301 and 1302 sections are taught moving forward from that base of knowledge.  Thus, students are expected to already have a prior knowledge of the fundamentals of U.S. History, the Constitution, function and structure of the U.S. and state governments, and basic economic concepts including tariffs, the Federal Reserve, inflation, depression, and supply and demand. Students who do not have this prior knowledge and experience may find the courses more difficult.

Each History course includes a substantial reading component of approximately 500 to 700 pages of material. Students will be expected to be familiar with the material covered in each daily assignment and to have read the appropriate sections of the text PRIOR to attending class. The textbooks used in the classes are written at the 14+ grade reading level. Therefore, unless you have reading skills equivalent to these requirements, you may find the courses most demanding.


In all classes, some type of writing assignment is a requirement for successfully completing the course.  Many classes include essay questions on each exam.  In addition, many classes require research papers, analytical book reviews, a family history, film reviews, and/or thought piece assignments as a substantial portion of the final grade.  These assignments will be graded for form (grammar, spelling, and punctuation) as well as content. If you do not possess these necessary writing skills, we recommend you postpone taking History courses until after you have completed ENGL 1301.


The normal mode of instruction is by the lecture method, supplemented in many cases by PowerPoint, video, and internet clips.   The student has a responsibility to come to class prepared and able to take notes based on the reading assignment, class presentation, or lecture.

All History courses use behavioral learning objectives to assist the student in identifying the most important aspects of the material. These learning objectives are usually contained in the course syllabus or in a separate “Study Guide.”  They are not word-for-word identical to the test questions nor do they by themselves give the answers to test questions in advance. Rather, they highlight the salient topics and point the student to the relevant material that may appear on the test from both the lecture and the textbook.


Each instructor has attendance policies and class behavior policies to which the student must adhere.  These include attending class regularly, arriving on time and staying for the entire class, regardless of other school activities and responsibilities, preparing for class by doing the required reading and assignments, and being respectful of fellow classmates and the faculty member. Any computers or electronic devices used during class time are to be used for class purposes in accordance with the instructor’s directions. All cell phones are to be turned off prior to class beginning and are not to be used during class time.

Since most college courses usually meet only two times per week (in some cases only once each week), the pace of each class may be more intense than what students experienced in high school where classes met five times a week. Students should be especially careful not to overload themselves by enrolling in more classes than they have the time in which to adequately study for the
courses.

These are college courses and all students enrolled in such courses will be treated as college students regardless of the location at which the class meets.
All students are protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act  of 1974.  In compliance with this Act, instructors will not discuss student grades, academic progress, or class attendance and participation with a student’s parents, spouse, or significant other, unless the student is present.

Students enrolling in Distance Learning courses will need maturity, ability, and self-discipline to successfully complete the requirements. The student will be required to do the same amount of work and the same quality of work as students enrolling in the in-class sections. Distance Learning courses are designed for mature and capable students endowed with a great degree of self-discipline and responsibility. There are many very fine students who find that their preferred learning style is classroom lecture and participation and that pedagogy better prepares them for exams. If you learn better via visual and audio means, then a classroom section will better fit your needs. Also, Distance Learning courses rely very heavily on multiple-choice tests. If you feel you are more skilled at taking essay exams, you might well consider enrolling in an in-class section.

In conclusion, we hope that sharing these expectations will result in a very successful and satisfying experience in your ACC History courses. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

PROPOSED COURSE SCHEDULE

Aug.   24   -    Introduction to course
Aug.   26   -    Chapter 17
Aug.   31   -    Chapters 17, 18
Sep.     2   -    Chapter 18
Sep.     7   -    LABOR DAY HOLIDAY – COLLEGE CLOSED
Sep.     9   -    Chapter 19
Sep.   14   -   Chapters 19, 20
Sep.   16   -    Chapter 20
Sep.   21   -   UNIT ONE EXAM                                                                  
Sep.   23   -   Chapter  21                           BOOK APPROVAL                                                
Sep.   28   -    Chapter 21                                       
Sep.   30   -    Chapter 22                           
Oct.      5   -    Chapter 22                           
Oct.      7   -    Chapter 23               
Oct.    12   -    Chapter 23
Oct.    14   -    UNIT TWO EXAM
Oct.    19   -    Chapter 24                                       
Oct.    21   -    Chapter 24                            DRAFT BOOK REVIEW DUE
Oct.    26   -    Chapter 25                           
Oct.    28   -    Chapter 25                                                   
Nov.     2   -    Chapter 26                           
Nov.     4   -    Chapter 26                           
Nov.     9   -    UNIT THREE EXAM
Nov.   11   -    Chapter 27
Nov.   16   -    Chapter 27

Nov.   18   -    Chapter 28               

Nov.   23   -    Chapter 28                                       
Nov.   25   -    Chapter 29                                       
Nov.   30   -    Chapters 29, 30                   FINAL BOOK REVIEW DUE
Dec.     2   -    Chapter 30                           
Dec.     7   -   UNIT FOUR EXAM
Dec.     9   -    Conference Day

UNIT OBJECTIVES
(reading and lecture)

UNIT ONE:  CHAPTERS 17-20   This unit begins with a consideration of post-Reconstruction expansion via the settlement of the Far West and the rise of industrialism.  We will consider the conflict between Native Americans and western settlers, struggles between capital and labor, and finish the unit with an investigation of early American imperialism.

• Describe and understand the role of the U.S. government in promoting settlement of the Far West.
• Understand farmers’ problems in terms of natural resources and the growth of agribusiness.
• Trace the development and significance of cattle drives.
• Analyze the significance of the mining industry in promoting settlement of the Far West.
• Analyze some of the significant confrontations between western Indian tribes and the U.S. government/army during the Plains Indians Wars.
• Analyze the factors that led to the reservation system and the effect it had on Indians.
• Understand the mystique of wild women and outlaws in the Far West.
• Understand the main tenets of Frederick Jackson Turner’s “Frontier Thesis.”
• Understand the metaphorical significance of Mark Twain’s phrase “the Gilded Age.”
• Describe and understand the rise of robber barons and the new corporate state, especially with regard to railroads, oil, steel, banking, and electricity.
• Understand the role of the federal government in supporting business during the Gilded Age.
• Trace the significance of chain stores, mail order, and RFD in creating a new consumer society.
• Understand the influence of Social Darwinism in shaping public policy.
• Describe and understand the role of muckraker journalism.
• Analyze political party fluctuation and the effect it had on the significant issues of the day, such as civil service reform, tariff reform, trusts, and monetary policy.
• Describe and understand the “new city” of the Gilded Age.
• Describe and understand the challenges faced by new immigrants in the eastern cities.
• Analyze the political exploitation of immigrants by city “political machines.”
• Describe and understand challenges faced by industrial workers, including issues unique to women and children workers.
• Describe and understand early labor unions and the significance of early strikes, especially the Great Railway Strike and Haymarket.
• Describe working class entertainment during the Gilded Age.
• Understand the significance of the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
• Analyze the farmers’ alliance and populist movements and analyze the influence of the Populist Party in the 1892 and 1896 presidential elections.
• Describe and understand issues raised by the 1893 depression.
• Understand the rationale of Coxey’s Army.
• Analyze the significance of late 1890s labor strikes, especially Homestead, Cripple Creek, and Pullman.
• Describe and understand issues connected to Gilded Age reform movements.
• Analyze America’s move into imperialism, including the acquisition of South Pacific Islands and the Spanish-American War.
• Analyze Christian missionary work in the context of 1890s imperialism.
• Understand the Open Door Policy with regard to China.
• Understand some of the arguments for and against imperialism.

UNIT TWO: CHAPTERS 21-23   We now turn our attention to the dynamic Progressive Era.  After a thorough investigation of Progressivism, we will consider the first world war and then turn our attention to the 1920s.

• Describe and understand Progressive assumptions about human nature and the efficacy of social reform.
• Analyze the goals and the achievements of settlement houses.
• Identify changes in industrial labor due to scientific management.
• Describe and understand achievements made in civil rights during the Progressive Era.
• Describe and understand women’s activism in the Progressive Era.
• Analyze the political goals of the Progressive Era.
• Analyze President Theodore Roosevelt’s “bully pulpit” approach to the presidency.
• Analyze the presidency of William Howard Taft from a Progressive perspective.
• Describe and understand domestic achievements/setbacks of the Woodrow Wilson presidency.
• Identify and explain the four Progressive Era constitutional amendments.
• Understand the foreign policy issues of TR’s and Taft’s administrations.
• Analyze the foreign policy of President Wilson viz.  Mexico.
• Describe and understand the dynamics leading to World War I and U. S. participation in that war.
• Explain domestic issues during WWI, especially with regard to censorship, propaganda, and opposition to the war.
• Understand the effect of the 1918 flu pandemic.
• Describe and understand the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
• Analyze Wilson’s support of the League of Nations.
• Analyze opposition to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.
• Describe and understand post-war economic and social instability, especially in connection to the fear of communism and/or anarchy.
• Identify and analyze issues raised by the Industrial Workers of the World.
• Analyze changes in popular and consumer culture during the 1920s.
•  Identify and explain the significance of literature and music in the 1920s.
•  Understand the effects of religious revivalism in the 1920s.
• Analyze the effects of Prohibition on American life in the 1920s.
•  Describe and understand the issues raised by the John Scopes trial.
•  Describe and understand the “Red Scare” of the 20s, culminating in the Sacco and Vanzetti trial.
•  Understand how the presidential administrations of Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover helped define the Roaring Twenties.
• Analyze some of the reasons for the stock market crash of 1929.
• Describe and understand the response of the Hoover administration to the Great Depression.

UNIT THREE:  CHAPTERS 24-26    We begin the unit with an examination of the Great Depression and the New Deal.  That will be followed by a consideration of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War.

• Analyze the causes and effects of the 1932 Bonus Army March.
• Describe and understand the ideology behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal.”
• Compare and contrast New Deal relief programs with New Deal reform programs.
• Understand the effect of the New Deal on minorities in the U.S.
• Analyze the significance of Eleanor Roosevelt’s work while she was First Lady.
• Analyze some of the arguments against the New Deal.
• Analyze the role of Hollywood in “selling” the New Deal.
• Describe and understand the economic and psychological impact of the Dust Bowl on Depression-era America.
• Understand international dynamics of the 1930s that led to WWII.
• Analyze the U. S. attempt to remain neutral during the 1930s.
• Understand the significance of Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939.
• Understand the significance of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.
• Describe and understand the wartime alliance between the U.S. and the USSR.
• Describe and understand how the war was fought on the home front, especially in terms of rationing, censorship, and propaganda.
• Analyze the contributions women made to the war effort.
• Analyze the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
• Describe the end of the war in Europe.
• Describe the end of the Pacific theater of war viz. the use of the atomic bomb.
• Understand the ideology of President Harry Truman’s “Fair Deal” domestic policy.
• Analyze the “Dixiecrat Revolt” of 1948.
• Identify and analyze the beginnings of the Cold War and the symbolic importance of the “iron curtain.”
• Understand the three parts of the Containment Policy, and how and why it was first implemented.
• Analyze the U.S. response to the Berlin Blockade.
• Identify and analyze the 1947 National Security Act.
• Describe and understand the U.S. response to turmoil in China and Korea.
• Describe and understand the effects of the Cold War on the domestic front.

UNIT FOUR:  CHAPTERS 27-30    We now turn to more recent history, focusing on the events of the 1950s through the 1980s (or at least through the 1970s!). 

• Describe and understand Dwight Eisenhower’s “middle way” approach to the presidency.
• Identify and describe significant programs that aided World War II veterans.
• Understand the impact of the 1956 Highway Act.
• Analyze changes in Native American policy during Eisenhower’s administration.
• Analyze significant civil rights achievements of the 1950s.
• Describe and understand how the Containment Policy was implemented during the Eisenhower administration.
• Analyze the impact of Sputnik on Cold War politics.
• Describe and understand post-war suburban life in terms of planned communities.
• Describe and understand the impact of television and automobiles on 1950s American culture.
• Understand the psychological impact of “living with the bomb.”
• Analyze the impact of nonconformists such as the Beats and the purveyors of rock’n’roll.
• Describe and understand the personal appeal of John F. Kennedy and his New Frontier.
• Evaluate civil rights achievements during the Kennedy years.
• Identify significant civil rights leaders.
• Compare and contrast the ideologies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.
• Compare and contrast the leadership styles of JKF and Lyndon Johnson.
• Describe and understand significant aspects of LBJ’s “Great Society” programs.
• Describe and understand civil rights issues and achievements during the Johnson administration.
• Describe and understand the significance of the 1960s youth counterculture.
• Explain the significance of social challenges during the 1970s as represented by the women’s movement, the American Indian Movement, and environmentalist movement, among others.
• Analyze demographic changes that occurred during the 1970s.
• Describe and understand how popular culture—such as TV and music—began to reflect diversity during the 1970s.
• Describe and understand the causes of the energy crisis of 1973 and explain the Nixon administration’s response to the OPEC embargo.
• Analyze Kennedy’s foreign policy viz. the Cold War.
• Describe LBJ’s handling of the Vietnam conflict.
• Analyze the dynamics of the 1968 presidential election in the context of Vietnam.
• Analyze Nixon’s foreign policy, especially with regard to Vietnam, the development of détente, and intervention in Latin America.
• Describe the effect of the publication of the Pentagon Papers.
• Understand the ramifications of the Kent State killings on U.S. support of the war and on Nixon’s presidency.
• Describe the dynamics of the 1972 presidential race and election.
• Describe and understand the issues of the Watergate scandal and the dynamics that led to Nixon’s resignation.
• Explain the impact of the Watergate scandal on American culture and politics.
• Understand President Gerald Ford’s domestic policies, including his response to the ongoing energy crisis.
• Analyze some of the domestic issues of Carter’s presidency, such as the on-going energy crisis, inflation, and other economic problems.
• Analyze Cold War foreign policy during the Carter administration.
• Explain the significance of the Camp David Accords.
• Understand the appeal of Ronald Reagan in 1980.
• Analyze the political shift to the right during the 1980s.
• Analyze the impact of conservatism on race, gender, and class issues.
• Analyze foreign policy during Reagan’s first term.