| Learning Outcomes |
At the end of this course, the students;
- Discuss the events, ideas, institutions, trends, and attitudes that have shaped the history of the United States from the end of the Civil War up to the present day.
- Recognize the cultural concepts involved in the structuring of American national identity.
- Infer the historical significance of the geography of the United States.
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| Course Description | Building up on the Survey of American History 1 course, the aim of this course is to closely analyze the history of the United States of America from the Civil War up to the present day. Topics to be surveyed include World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and American foreign policy. |
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| Course Contents |
| WEEK |
TOPICS |
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1st Week |
A New Birth of Freedom: The Civil War, 1861-1865 (Chapter 14), Reading: Abraham Lincoln, "A House Divided" (1858) |
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2nd Week |
A New Birth of Freedom: The Civil War, 1861-1865 (cont.) In-Class Reading: Abraham Lincoln, "Gettysburg Address" Readings: Rachel Redfern, "Women Soldiers" and Nicole Keller Day, "Death and Dying," both in eds. Maggi M. Morehouse and Zoe Trodd, Civil War America: A Social and Cultural History |
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3rd Week |
"What Is Freedom?" Reconstruction, 1865-1877 (Chapter 15), Excerpts from Black Codes |
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4th Week |
America's Gilded Age, 1870-1890 (Chapter 16, parts from 17), Reading: William Leach, "Introduction," in the Land of Desire. Merchant, Power and the Rise of American Culture. Assignment 1: Response paper/Mini quiz |
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5th Week |
The Progressive Era, 1900-1916 (Chapter 18), Reading: Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives (excerpts). Assignment 2: Response paper/Mini quiz |
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6th Week |
The United States and World War I, 1916-1920 (Chapter 19), In-class activity: Transcription/discussion of a war letter https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-articles/letter-writing-in-america/world-war-i-letters |
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7th Week |
From Business Culture to Great Depression: The Twenties, 1920-1932 (Chapter 20), Reading: "Competition and the Conformity in the Peer Culture," in Paula S. Fass, The Damned and the Beautiful, Assignment 3: Response paper. |
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8th Week |
MIDTERM // EXAM WEEK |
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9th Week |
The New Deal, 1932?1940 (Chapter 21), Reading: Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Fireside Chat (1933) |
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10th Week |
Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II, 1941-1945 (Chapter 22), The United States and the Cold War, 1945-1953 (Chapter 23), Reading: Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Arsenal of Democracy" (1940) |
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11th Week |
An Affluent Society, 1953-1960 (Chapter 24) |
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12th Week |
The Sixties, 1960?1968 (Chapter 25), Reading: Martin Luther King, "I Have a Dream", Assignment 4: Response paper. |
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13th Week |
The Triumph of Conservatism, 1969-1988 (Chapter 26) |
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14th Week |
The End of the Cold War and the 1990s, Assignment 5 (Outside regular class hours). Students are expected to come prepared with short notes on 1990s American culture/history to share and discuss during the event. |
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15th Week |
NO CLASS |
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16th Week |
Review-Make-Up |
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