CONCORDIA COLLEGE: Spring 2016

History 112HU: United States in Perspective from 1865

CRN 26879 (4 credits)
Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30-9:40 am
Fridays 8:00-9:10 am
Old Main 331

Instructor: Stacy M. Reikowsky, ABD Office Hours: M/W: 9:50-

11:00 am
Office: Old Main 405 F: 9:30-
10:30 am
Contact: sreikows@cord.edu
and by appointment

History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme

--Mark Twain
We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces; nor are we victims of the
past. We can shape and direct history.
--Daisaku Ikeda
If you think you have it tough, read history books.

--Bill Maher
Course Description

Welcome to History 112, The United States in Perspective from 1865, where we will
begin our journey at the close of the American Civil War. The history of the United
States embodies a complex series of fluid events, ideas, responses, and scholarly
materials. It is our goal, as a class, to sort through the historical implications
through a chronological study of pertinent readings, primary sources, films,
photographs, and audio recordings ranging from the humorous to the more
poignant, defining social, cultural, political, and economic moments within the
historical context of the American experience. I encourage every student to sharpen
their senses to the roles of agency, empathy, and historical memory when analyzing
and responding to the materials presented in this course. As a result, students will
likewise gain a better understanding of the HUMAN experience regardless of race,
color, class, or creed and better connect with the people and time period under
review.

Few students and scholars can accurately describe the study of history as neat,
easy, or readily understandable. Therefore, I invite everyone to pay careful
attention to notions like freedom, democracy, liberty, and citizenship to see
how such ideas and institutional practices transform across our landscapes of
American accounts of the past. We will be exploring the watershed moments and a
larger narrative that spans numerous decades including Reconstruction and
interstate migration, the Gilded Age and Progressive Eras, World Wars, depression,
rebellion, and changing notions of human and civil rights at home and abroad. We
will consider a number of historical facets of investigation, including portrayals of
American life in film and the primary documents that stem from specific people and
events, and current academic scholarship to better inform our ideas and
understanding of the debate that surround our field of inquiry for the course.

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It is my desire for all students to feel welcome to speak their minds as honestly, yet
thoughtfully as possible. Most importantly, my goal is not to tell you what to think
about the course materials or historical elements as a whole, but to help you come
to your own informed conclusions. At the end of the course students should be able
to recognize a historical argument when they see one, be familiar with the most
important people, ideas, and events of the American experience, and understand
their significance for today. Students in this course will participate actively in their
education. They will engage the instructor and each other in classroom discussion
and write regularly about what they are studying and thinking.

Please note: This syllabus is your contract with me, the instructor, for the
semester. By enrolling in this class you agree to the policies and requirements set
out below. These terms are non-negotiable and will remain in effect for the duration
of the semester. If you have any questions about anything in this syllabus, please
ask.

Required Textbooks

o Roark, James L., Johnson, Michael P., Cohen, Patricia Cline, Stage, Sarah,
Hartmann, Susan M. The American Promise Value Edition, Volume II: From 1865: A
History of the United States Fifth Edition. Boston and New York: Bedford/St.
Martins. 2012

o Foner, Eric. Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History Fourth Edition, Volume II.
New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company. 2013

o Additional materials will be available on Moodle as necessary

Learning Objectives

The objectives of this course include:

o To gain factual knowledge about the period under discussion
o To develop the specific skills and points of view needed by historians
o To improve skills needed for evaluating primary source materials
o To learn to recognize, analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments,
and points of view, including changing notions of the human
experience of the past and flashpoints of contention
o To generate, both written and oral, historical narratives, fact-based
arguments, and historical interpretations
o To communicate historical understandings as an individual and within a
group setting
o To facilitate sustained dialog based on the materials used to inform our
understanding of the United States past

Classroom Policies

All students are expected to observe basic tenets of common decency and
acceptable behavior conducive to a positive leaning environment. During class time,
I expect your undivided attention. This means turning off cell phone and other

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devices, and putting away newspapers and other forms of distraction, for the
duration of the class period. Laptops, cellphones, and tablets may be used only for
taking notes or in-class assignments; if electronic devices are seen being used for
anything else, you may be asked to leave the class and points will be deducted from
your attendance grade.

Please come to class on time and plan to stay for the entire period. Coming late
and/or disrupting the learning environment shows disrespect for your instructors,
your colleagues, and the educational endeavor in which you are engaged. If you
must leave early, please let me know at the beginning of class. I can be very
understanding of problems that might arise over the course of the semester, but
only if I know what is going on with you. I encourage you to stop by during office
hours, to get to know me, and to keep me informed of any issues you might have
that would affect your performance in this class.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Concordia College and your
instructor are committed to making reasonable accommodations to assist
individuals with documented disabilities to reach their academic potential. Such
disabilities include, but are not limited to, learning or psychological disabilities, or
impairments to health, hearing, sight, or mobility. If you believe you require
accommodations for a disability that may impact your performance in this course,
you must schedule an appointment with Disability Services to determine eligibility.
Students are then responsible for giving instructors a letter from Disability Services
indicating the type of accommodation to be provided; please note that
accommodations will not be retroactive. The Disability Services office is in Academy
106, phone 218-299-3514 and additional information is available at:
https://www.concordiacollege.edu/directories/offices-services/counseling-center-and-
disability-services/disability/

Students with disabilities or other special needs who require accommodation in this
course are encouraged to speak with me as soon as possible to make appropriate
arrangements for these accommodations.

Academic Honesty

All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with the 2015-
2016 Concordia College Catalog and the Colleges Handbook on Academic Integrity,
Dishonest, and Plagiarism available online at:
https://www.concordiacollege.edu/handbook/student-handbook/academic-policies/.

In all courses, I expect that all work that you do and turn in is your own. No form of
plagiarism, cheating, collusion or any other form of academic dishonesty will be
tolerated. Plagiarism is defined as deliberately taking the words or ideas of
someone else and passing them off as your own. Cheating is obtaining
unauthorized assistance on any assignment. Collusion is the selling of academic
products with the intention that they be submitted to satisfy an academic
requirement. Students are expected to uphold and support the highest academic
standards at all times. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will fail the

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assignment in question, may fail the entire course, and may be subject to
disciplinary action by the University. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in a
failing grade for this course and may be subject to disciplinary action by the
University. If you are ever unclear about what constitutes plagiarism or academic
dishonesty, please ask; I want to ensure that students are clear and comfortable
when navigating the requirements and standards set in the course and the
institution as a whole.

Course Requirements and Assignments

Attendance
o Attendance at each class meeting is both required and expected.
Attendance will count toward 10% (100 points) of your final grade. You
will be allowed up to four (4) unexcused absences without penalty,
whereupon the fifth unexcused absence will result in a retroactive
deduction (15 points) and 4 points per absence thereafter.
o In the case of illness, the student should notify his/her
instructor. In the event of serious or extended illness, or family
emergency, the Student Affairs Office should also be notified.
Makeup work may be required for any absence.

Your participation (including in discussion daysmore information below), an

additional component to your attendance grade, will be guided by the following
rubric:

o A = Always prepared, frequently participates, rarely absent

o B = Always prepared, participates only when called on, rarely absent
o C = Usually prepared, rarely speaks, rarely absent
o D = Often unprepared, several absences

The instructor reserves the right to adjust attendance points according to

participation during class and discussion days. Students should note that their
grade in a course may be negatively affected by excessive absences or
lack of contribution to classroom dialog.

You are responsible for all material covered in our class meetings, regardless of your
physical presence in the room. Students are expected to come prepared to engage
with and discuss the assigned material. This means preparing the assignment
before class and bringing the reading material with you to class. Only the course
instructor can excuse a student from course responsibilities. I expect all students to
participate in our class discussions and to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and
questions to our collective exploration. I especially encourage you to bring your
questions to class. I will create, and expect you to uphold, an intellectual
environment in the classroom where we can listen to and consider others
arguments and opinions with an open mind and where we respect viewpoints other
than our own.

Assignments

Primary Source Analyses

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o Students will complete three (3) analysis worksheets on primary

sources that correlate to the time period being studied. Acceptable
sources will be provided by the instructor and available in the course
site on Moodle as will the worksheet itself. Each analysis will be due in
class as hard copies on the dates listed in the course calendar and can
be used to contribute to the classroom dialog, especially during
discussion days. These primary source worksheets will be worth 15%
(3@50 points each; 150 points total) of your final grade. Additional
instructions on how to successfully fulfill this requirement will be
forthcoming.

Essay Papers
o Students will complete two 500-600 word essay papers. These papers
are worth 25% (250 points) of the final grade. The essays will be
submitted via Moodle. Due dates will be spread over the course of the
semester at corresponding parts of the course. Additional information
about papers will be forthcoming, but please note we will conduct our
first paper in a deconstructed, step-by-step workshop style, including
a peer review component, to ensure each student has adequate
opportunity to understand what is expected, garner feedback, and
execute a sound piece of scholarship. Additional instructions and
details will be forth coming.

Unit Exams
o There are two unit examinations in this course. The each unit exam is
worth 10% (100 points) of the final grade. Neither exam is cumulative.
The first will evaluate students understanding of course materials from
the beginning of the class up to the date of the exam (the Spanish-
American War). The second will test students knowledge of the
material covered after the first midterm exam. The exams will consist
of matching, sequencing, fill-in the blank, map labeling, essay and
multiple choice questions. Although these exams are closed-book,
students will be allowed to bring one small note card (no bigger than
3x5) with any information you may find helpful. Make-ups must be
arranged with the instructor. All make-ups need to be completed
within a week of the exam and may be a different version than one
from the original test date.

Discussion Leading and Contribution

o With the exception of two days (Wednesday, 2/3 and Wednesday,
3/16), Fridays class periods will be devoted to the discussion of the
corresponding documents from Eric Foners Voices of Freedom or
other assigned readings available in class or on Moodle. As part of
your grade component, each student will formally lead and engage
the class in discussion of the documents under examination one
time. I will send a sign-up sheet around at the end of the second
week of class to determine who is responsible for leading the
discussion on specified days; the list will be posted on Moodle for
reference as well.

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o In order to satisfy the requirements for a superior grade, leaders will

be expected to provide contextual information for the period under
examination, formulate open-ended questions aimed at guiding the
class through an analysis of the materials. Students not heading
the discussion are each expected to help facilitate the
conversation and support the dialog generated by leaders.
Students can approach discussion leading from a variety of ways,
including debate questions, reaction solicitation, and individual
interpretation. I will make additional information available regarding
some ideas on how to lead and contribute on assigned discussion
days as they consist of 10% (100 points) of your final grade.
Additional information will be forthcoming.
o Please note: This exercise is intended to take the place of
reading quizzes and foster critical thinking, dialog, and
scholarly conversation among your peers. However, the
instructor reserves the right to administer pop quizzes or
other assignments should students not come prepared to
engage in the conversation and support their peers. Lack of
participation or absences on discussion days could
negatively affect both your attendance and discussion
grades.
Final Exam
o There will be one cumulative final exam in this course. The final exam
will consist of written identification items, map labeling, fill-in-the-blank
charts, and a choice of short and long essay questions. Students will be
given a copy of the final exam in advance and will be allowed to
consult both the course textbook and document reader during the
exam. The final exam constitutes 20% (200 points) of the final grade.
The final exam will focus primarily upon the final third of the class, but
will include questions from the entire course. The Final Exam will be on
Thursday, April 28, 2016 from 8:30-10:30 AM in Old Main 331.

Grade Breakdown: Your grade for the class will be composed of the above
elements, broken down as follows:

Attendance and
Participation.10% (100
points)
Primary Source Analyses (3@50 points each).
15% (150 points)
Written Papers (2@125 each)
.25% (250 points)
Discussion Leadings and
Contribution..10% (100 points)
Unit Exam
I10%
(100 points)

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Unit Exam
II..10%
(100 points)
Final Exam..
..20% (200 points)

Your final grades for all work and participation will be determined based on the
following rubric:
o A = (900-1000 points) Mastery of reading and class material; factual
accuracy; thoughtful, historical argumentation demonstrating ability to
synthesize and/or some originality of thought; technically clean
o B = (800-899 points) Good to excellent command of most reading and class
material; accuracy; good level of historical argumentation; reasonable thesis
statement and engagement
o C =(700-799 points) Good command of class material; accuracy; ability to
articulate a historical point of view, even if it is not compelling or is poorly
reasoned
o D = (600-699 points) Poor command of required assignments; errors;
ahistorical or narrow reasoning

Extra Credit
Extra credit may be available at various points throughout the semester, but is not
guaranteed. Any opportunities may be announced either in class or on Moodle.

Please note: To pass this class, all assignments must be turned in. Failure to turn
in any assignment listed above by the end of the semester will result in a failing
grade on that assignment. All assignments are due on the date listed in the Course
Schedule below. Late assignments may be accepted only with the advance
approval of the instructors and will be assessed a penalty of 5 points for the first
late day and 10 points per additional business day for up to one (1) week; after that,
no work will be accepted without prior approval from the instructor. If you have a
problem with a due date because of a specific emergency, please notify me in
advance or plan to turn it in early. I can be very understanding and flexible with
you, but only if you come to talk to me in advance.

Course Schedule

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Week Topic Readings Assignment Due

Dates
Week 1 Reconstruction The American
(M) Jan. 4 (M) Course Introduction Promise: Chapter
(W) Jan. 6 (W) Lecture 16
(F) Jan. 8 (F) Class Discussion
Discussion Day:
Voices of Freedom:
Chapter 15
Week 2 The Contested West The American
(M) Jan. 11 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter
(W) Jan. 13 (W) Lecture 17
(F) Jan. 15 (F) Class Discussion
Discussion Day:
Available on
Moodle
Week 3 The Gilded Age The American Primary Source
(M) Jan. 18 (M) MLK Day Promise: Chapter Analysis #1 due in
(W) Jan. 20 (W) Lecture 18 class on Friday, 1/22
(F) Jan. 22 (F) Student-led
Discussion Discussion Day:
Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 16
Week 4 The City and Its Workers The American Essay Paper #1
(M) Jan. 25 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter Thesis/Outline due in
(W) Jan. 27 (W) Lecture 19 class on Wednesday,
(F) Jan. 29 (F) Student-led 1/27
Discussion Discussion Day:
Available on
Moodle
Week 5 Dissent, Depression, War The American Exam I in class on
(M) Feb. 1 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter Friday, 2/5
(W) Feb. 3 (W) Student-led 20
(F) Feb. 5 Discussion
(F) Exam I Discussion Day:
Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 17
Week 6 Progressivism The American Essay Paper #1 First
(M) Feb. 8 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter Draft (bring two
(W) Feb. 10 (W) Lecture 21 copies) due in-class
(F) Feb. 12 (F) Student-led on Friday, 2/12
Discussion Discussion Day:
Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 18
Week 7 World War I The American Essay Paper #1 Peer
(M) Feb. 15 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter Review (bring two
(W) Feb. 17 (W)Lecture 22 copies) due in-class
(F) Feb. 19 (F) Student-led on Friday, 2/19
Discussion Discussion Day:

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Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 19
Week 8 Midsemester Break
(M) Feb. 22 (M) No Class
(W) Feb. 24 (W) No Class
(F) Feb. 26 (F) No Class

Week 9 The Great Depression The American Essay Paper #1 due

(M) Feb. 29 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter on Moodle, Sunday
(W) March 2 (W) Lecture 23 3/6 by midnight
(F) March 4 (F) Student-led
Discussion Discussion Day:
Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 20
Week 10 The New Deal The American
(M) March 7 Experiment Promise: Chapter
(W) March 9 (M) Lecture 24
(F) March 11 (W) Lecture
(F) Student-led Discussion Day:
Discussion Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 21
Week 11 World War II The American Exam II in class on
(M) March 14 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter Friday, 3/18
(W) March 16 (W) Student-led 25
(F) March 18 Discussion
(F) Exam II Discussion Day:
Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 22
Week 12 The Cold War The American
(M) March 21 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter
(W) March 23 (W) Student-led 26
(F) March 25 Discussion
(F) Easter Recess, No Discussion Day:
Class Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 23
Week 13 Politics and Culture of The American Primary Source
(M) March 28 Abundance Promise: Chapter Analysis #2 due in
(W) March 30 (M) Easter Recess, No 27 class on Friday, 4/1
(F) April 1 Class
(W) Lecture Discussion Day:
(F) Student-led Voices of Freedom
Discussion Chapter: 24

Week 14 Reform, Rebellion, and The American Essay Paper #2 due

(M) April 4 Reaction Promise: Chapter on Moodle Sunday,
(W) April 6 (M) Lecture 28 April 10 by midnight
(F) April 8 (W) Lecture

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(F) Student-led Discussion Day:

Discussion Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 25
Week 15 Vietnam The American
(M) April 11 (M) Lecture Promise: Chapter
(W) April 13 (W)COSS 29
(F) April 15 (F) Student-led
Discussion Discussion Day:
Available on
Moodle
Week 16 America Moves to the The American Primary Source
(M) April 18 Right Promise: Chapter Analysis #3 due in
(W) April 20 (M) Lecture 30 class on Friday, 4/22
(F) April 22 (W) Lecture
(F) Student-led Discussion Day:
Discussion Voices of Freedom
Chapter: 26
Week 17 Open Forum Receive copy of Final
(M) April 25 (M) Last Day of Class Exam

Final Exam Exam III

Thursday, April 8:30-10:30 am, Old Main 331
28
Notes:

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