Catalog Description

Hours: 54 lecture
Description: History of the United States from 1865 to the present. Emphasis on national political, economic, intellectual, and social trends and their impact on constitutional law; industrialization and urbanization; evolution of American ethnic, cultural and racial pluralism; and role of United States in world affairs. Also addresses California state and local issues in a broad, national context. (C-ID HIST 140) (CSU, UC)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Analyze the origins of the American Constitution and its impact on American cultural and political developments with an emphasis on race, class, gender and ethnicity.
  • CSLO #2: Compose coherent, persuasive historical argument using correct academic citation methods.
  • CSLO #3: Differentiate primary and secondary sources and how each are used to make historical claims.
  • CSLO #4: Analyze the role of geography in the economic and political development in America and its place in a global context.
  • CSLO #5: Investigate major political, economic and social change in the United States with emphasis on the role of racial and/or ethnic minority groups.

Effective Term

Fall 2019

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

54

Outside of Class Hours

108

Total Student Learning Hours

162

Course Objectives

1. Demonstrate the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument which uses them, as appropriate, for support.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of U.S. History through multiple analytical categories such as race, class, gender and ethnicity.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of America's growth in a global context.
4. Explain the major economic, technological and scientific developments and their historical significance.
5. Analyze major political trends, attitudes, conflicts and events, including both mainstream and reform efforts, and explain their historical significance.
6. Explain the major social and cultural developments, their causes and effects, and their historical significance.
7. Evaluate California state government within a broad, national context.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • AA/AS - Literature & Language
    • AA/AS - Multicultural Studies
    • AA/AS - Social Sciences
  • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
    • CSU - US1 Hist/Const/Amer Idea
    • CSU - US3 Hist/Const/Amer Idea
    • CSUGE - C2 Humanities
    • CSUGE - D6 History
  • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
    • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)
      • IGETC - 3B Humanities
      • IGETC - 4F History

    Articulation Information

    • CSU Transferable
    • UC Transferable

    Methods of Evaluation

    • Essay Examinations
      • Example: 1. Write a 2-page essay using the following prompt: Complete the following sentence: The most outstanding aspect of Progressivism, among all groups and both political parties, was the acceptance of: a. prejudice; b. a concentration of wealth; c. assaults upon democratic institutions; d. government regulation of the economy. Develop these ideas with concrete examples and supporting evidence, using proper citation methods. 2. At the end of the Civil War the country faced the problem of unifying the country and rebuilding the South. What specific programs were created in an attempt to reincorporate the South into the Union? What were the possible motivations for these programs? How did African-Americans act upon their newly found freedom? Lastly, what brought about the end of Reconstruction and do you think it was successful? Your essay will be graded based upon an established rubric.
    • Reports
      • Example: 1. Based upon reading and class discussion, develop a 1 paragraph answer to the following question: As the Cold War deepened, the U.S. developed what response to Soviet "aggression?" Answer will be graded based upon level of detail and clarity of your written answer.

    Repeatable

    No

    Methods of Instruction

    • Lecture/Discussion
    • Distance Learning

    Lecture:

    1. The instructor will divide students into small groups and have them compare their summary of assigned reading on "The Scopes Trial" and their reactions to important historical developments.

    Distance Learning

    1. The instructor will assign primary source materials on the "Progressive Era" for students to read prior to class. The instructor will use these materials as a starting point to compare and contrast historical points of view in either classroom/web-based discussions or in writing assignments.
    2. The instructor will provide material in lecture format (either oral or written) on the "New South." The instructor will divide students into groups (either in web-based discussions or in classrooms) and have students summarize and analyze the material in a written format. Instructor will monitor and support group discussions as necessary.

    Typical Out of Class Assignments

    Reading Assignments

    1. Based upon reading assignments reflected in the course syllabus, complete reading on "The Great Depression and New Deal" and be prepared to discuss the material in class and as part of written examinations. 2. Complete reading in assigned course reader on the "Vietnam War" and be prepared to summarize both orally and in a carefully written paragraph.

    Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

    1. Based upon reading and class discussions, write a 500-word essay contrasting the positions of the pro-imperialists and anti-imperialists at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. 2. Identify the following and give a one or two paragraph description of their role in the rise of segregation in the late-19th and early-20th centuries: a. Thomas E. Watson and the failure of Populism b. Henry W. Grady and the "New South" c. Plessy v. Ferguson d. Booker T. Washington and the Atlanta Compromise e. W.E.B. Dubois and the Niagara movement

    Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

    In ten pages (typewritten) answer the following question based on your reading in The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction by Linda Gordon: Race and racism have been important aspects of American history, but they have not always been defined or experienced in the same way in all places and in all eras. On the night of October 2, 1904, white vigilantes abducted Catholic orphans just arrived from New York City who were being placed with Mexican families in the Arizona mining communities of Clifton and Morenci. This was an episode about the differing perceptions of race and class in America. Discuss this event by beginning with an analysis of the racial and class lines in New York City and a description of the conditions of the city's orphans. How did the Protestant and Catholic organizations differ in their handling of the orphans? Describe the border culture of the Mexicans living and working in Clifton and Morenci and the lives of their wives. Why did they adopt these children? Then discuss the white community in terms of race and class. Describe how their views of their Mexican neighbors CHANGED throughout this drama. What was the outcome of the struggle? What does this tell us about race and racism in America?

    Required Materials

    • Give Me Liberty! An American History, Volume 2
      • Author: Eric Foner
      • Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
      • Publication Date: 2017
      • Text Edition: 5th
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction
      • Author: Linda Gordon
      • Publisher: Harvard University Press
      • Publication Date: 2001
      • Text Edition:
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • The Scopes Trial: A Brief History with Documents
      • Author: Jeffrey P. Moran
      • Publisher: Bedford/St. Martins
      • Publication Date: 2002
      • Text Edition:
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • Going to the Source, Volume 2
      • Author: Victoria Bissel Brown, editor
      • Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin
      • Publication Date: 2008
      • Text Edition: 2nd
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:
    • California Government and Politics Today
      • Author: Mona Field
      • Publisher: Pearson-Longman
      • Publication Date: 2017
      • Text Edition: 15th
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:

    Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.