Spring 2016 - HIST 213 D100
The United States Since 1877 (3)
Class Number: 4191
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 5 – Apr 11, 2016: Mon, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Apr 18, 2016
Mon, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Dale Montgomery
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An analysis of the transformation of American culture from post-Civil War to modern forms. Topics to be discussed will include industrialization, urbanization, foreign policy, cultural and political antagonisms. Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
This course is structured thematically, and seeks to understand the rise of the United States as the preeminent global industrial power. Topics will include the ascendancy of the great industrial magnates; the emergence of the labor movement; the creation of an American Empire; isolationism; American leadership in the Middle East; the Cold War; and American involvement in both World Wars. We will also analyze the impact of predominant political ideologies such as interventionist liberalism, exemplified by Progressivism, the New Deal and the Great Society, and conservatism, exemplified by the Roaring Twenties and Ronald Reagan’s presidency. The recent struggles between President Obama and the Tea Party wing of the Republican party provide students with an excellent coda to comparing these two ideologies.
The two textbooks approach American history from very different political backgrounds, as indicated in their respective titles. By reading both, students will be able to compare and contrast a conservative understanding of American history with a Marxist one, thus understanding and addressing biases in secondary sources.
Grading
- Students’ grades will be based on two mid-term exams, one term paper and the final exam.
- Mid-Term 20%
- Research Paper 40%
- Final Exam 30%
- Tutorial Participation 10%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Larry Schweikart and Michael Patrick Allen, A Patriot’s History of the United States (Selected chapters)
Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (Selected Chapters)
Michael P Johnson, Reading the American Past: Volume II From 1865: Selected Historical Documents
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS