American History II Syllabus

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GE 215 : American History II

Students will learn about political, cultural, economic, foreign policy, and other changes that have shaped the United States between the early twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Credits 4
Course Objectives

this course will help students improve their reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills by means of historical analysis; understand the importance of studying history in terms of better comprehending the current condition of the United States; and, hopefully, appreciate history as an edifying, enjoyable pursuit.

Instructional Materials

John M. Faragher, et al., Out of Many: A History of the American People, vol. 2, 9th ed. (2020) (see VitalSource Course Materials in the Course Information module). For the other assigned sources, click the hyperlinks in each module.

Course Policies

Students will learn to recognize economic, political, and social factors that significantly influenced each decade of twentieth-century America’s history. They will be able to explain factors leading to American involvement in major wars since the early twentieth century and identify unique aspects of such periods of American history as the Great Depression, the Cold War, and Civil Rights

This course is designed so that students who participate will pass while students who desire an “A” will have to truly challenge themselves and work hard. Students can submit answers to the discussion and multiple-choice questions for each module until the end of the semester, but they will incur a late penalty for each such submission.

Student Evaluations:

 

Assignment

Points

Percentage of Grade

Module 1

multiple choice

5

5

Module 1

discussion

5

4

Module 2

multiple choice

5

5

Module 2

discussion

5

4

Module 3

multiple choice

5

5

Module 3

discussion

5

4

Module 4

multiple choice

5

5

Module 4

discussion

5

4

Module 5

multiple choice

5

5

Module 5

discussion

5

4

Module 6

multiple choice

5

5

Module 6

discussion

5

4

Module 7

multiple choice

5

5

Module 7

discussion

5

4

Module 8

multiple choice

5

5

Module 8

discussion

5

4

Module 9

multiple choice

5

5

Module 9

discussion

5

4

Module 10

multiple choice

5

5

Module 10

discussion

5

4

Module 11

final paper

10

10

Note: each Knowledge Check and Progress Check is worth up to 0.5% of your total grade in bonus points.

Grading Scales

A = 90% - 100%                   

B = 80% -  89%         

C = 70% -  79%           

D = 60% -  69%         

F = below  60%   

Any numerical final grade at or above half-a-percentage point will be rounded up if that will increase the letter grade. For instance, a grade of 79.5% will be a "B."

Course Outline

Module

 

Assignments

Module 1

 

The 1900s to World War 1

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, Chapter 21

-watch W. E. B. Dubois, “Strivings of the Negro People” (1897)

-listen to and read Booker T. Washington, "'Speech to the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition'" (1895)

-Jane Addams, Twenty Years at Hull-House with Autobiographical Notes (1911), 89-113

-watch “There is Power in a Union” (1913)

-see Module 1: Assignments

Module 2

 

World War 1

- Faragher, et al., Out of Many, Chapter 22

-watch “Over There” (1917)

-Woodrow Wilson, "Address to the Senate on the Nineteenth Amendment" (1918)

-W. E. B. Du Bois, "Returning Soldiers," The Crisis (1919), 13-14.

-A. W. Catlin, With the Help of God and a Few Marines (1919), 293-306

-listen to and read Henry Cabot Lodge, "'League of Nations' Speech" (1919)

-see Module 2: Assignments

Module 3

 

The 1920s

- Faragher, et al., Out of Many, Chapter 23

-John F. Carter, Jr., "These Wild Young People: By One of Them" The Atlantic (1920)

-listen to and read Warren G. Harding, "'Readjustment' Speech" (1920)

-Marcus Garvey, "First Message to the Negroes of the World from Atlanta Prison" (1925). Also watch the UNIA anthem

-watch “The Charleston” (1920s)

-see Module 3: Assignments

Module 4

 

The 1930s

- Faragher, et al., Out of Many, Chapter 24

-Donald Davidson, et al., "Introduction: A Statement of Principles," in I'll Take My Stand: The South the and the Agrarian Tradition (1930), xli-lii

-Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Democratic National Convention Speech" (1932). Also watch part of the speech

-Huey Long, "'Every Man a King' Speech" (1934). Also watch part of another Long speech

-Alfred M. Landon, "'Acceptance Speech'" (1936)

-see Module 4: Assignments

Module 5

 

World War 2

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, Chapter 25

-listen to and read Franklin D. Roosevelt, "'Arsenal of Democracy' Speech" (1940)

-listen to and read Charles Lindbergh, "Des Moines Speech" (1941)

-watch The Andrews Sisters, “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (1941)

-Langston Hughes, "Beaumont to Detroit: 1943," in The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, ed. Arnold Rampersad and David Roessel (1995), 281

-Harry S. Truman to Richard Russell, August 9, 1945

-watch a scene from “Truman” (1995)

-see Module 5: Assignments

Module 6

 

The mid-to-late 1940s and the 1950s

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, chapters 26 and 27

-read George Kennan, "'Long Telegram'" (1946)

-watch “How to Spot a Communist” (1950)

-listen to “McCarthy on Trumanism” (1953)

-listen to Jack Kerouac, "The San Francisco Scene" (1959)

-watch Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Farewell Address" (1961). Here is a transcript.

-see Module 6: Assignments

Module 7

 

The 1960s

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, chapters 28 and 29

-watch and read John F. Kennedy, "'Civil Rights Speech'" (1963)

-listen to and read Malcolm X, "The Ballot or the Bullet" (1964). Also watch this clip from “Malcolm X” (1992)

-listen to Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964)

-listen to Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beyond Vietnam” (1967)

-listen to The Fugs, “War Song” (1967)

-see Module 7: Assignments

Module 8

 

The 1970s

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, chapter 30 until part 30.2.4 (pg. 756)

-Carl Wittman, A Gay Manifesto (1970)

-Richard Nixon and Mao Zedong, "Memorandum of Conversation" (1972)

-Zbigniew Brzezinski to Jimmy Carter, December 2, 1978

-listen to and read Jimmy Carter, "'Crisis of Confidence' Speech" (1979)

-see Module 8: Assignments

Module 9

 

The 1980s

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, chapter 30, from part 30.2.4 (pg. 756) to 30.4.2 (pg. 766)

-watch and read Ronald Reagan, "'Evil Empire' Speech" (1983)

-listen to Cesar Chavez, "'Commonwealth Club Address'" (1984). Also watch this clip from “Cesar Chavez” (2014)

-see Module 9: Assignments

Module 10

 

The 1990s to 2000

-Faragher, et al., Out of Many, chapter 30, from part 30.4.2 (pg. 766)

-watch Social Distortion, “Story of My Life” (1990)

-watch and read George Bush, "'New World Order' Speech" (1991)

-Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man (1992), xi-xxiii (ignore the footnotes).

-Project for a New American Century, "Statement of Principles" (1997)

-watch and read Bill Clinton, "Statement on Kosovo" (1999)

-John Burgess, "Violence Breaks Out at Seattle WTO Meeting," Washington Post (1999)

-see Module 10: Assignments

Module 11

 

Final Paper

-see Module 11: Assignment
Communication

Emails will be responded to no later than 48 hours or by the end of business on Monday for mail received over the weekend.

College Policies

Academic Honesty Policy
The college has a firm policy against academic dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism. Students guilty of academic dishonesty will be administratively dropped from the course with a grade of ‘F’ and subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension and dismissal. 

Please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy for detailed information.

Late Assignment Policy

Meeting deadlines, being dependable, and applying appropriate time management are all foundational elements of professional behavior. These same attributes are also required while participating in college courses because the skills, knowledge, and student learning outcomes must be obtained in a specific order and within a certain amount of time.

We at HJC understand that sometimes students encounter circumstances that make it difficult to always meet the required course deadlines. This Late Work Policy is in place to accommodate that. In all circumstances, whenever possible, contact your instructor when you anticipate that you will be submitting work late.

The deadlines for most courses typically follow the pattern below, but it is your responsibility to confirm this and be aware if there are any assignments that may have different deadlines for one reason or another.

The first post in each Discussion Board is usually due on the Wednesday night of each module/week.

Most other assignments are due by 11:59 pm on Sunday evening of each module/week.

  • All assignments must be submitted by the required due date.
  • Missing assignments due to absence must be submitted within 1 week of return.
  • Late submissions of assignments will result in a reduction of 10% of the total points possible per day (e.g., 1 day late = -10%, 2 days late = 20%, etc.) up to one week. Anything over 1 week late will result in a grade of 0.
  • To receive full credit for late work, students must provide documentation for an excused absence, or it will be subject to the same treatment as any other late work. Documentation examples include court documents, hospitalization, etc.

Instructors may also choose to deduct less points at their discretion.

If for some reason a student temporarily loses the ability to connect to Canvas due to technical issues it is the student’s obligation to submit assignments by the original due dates. Temporary remedies can be connecting via a public WiFi spot, using school facilities to connect, or use of private networks through friends and family.

In extreme cases, when none of these solutions are available, the student may contact their instructors through other means and ask permission to submit their work directly, in a method that can be received by the instructor. Under no circumstances can methods of delivery outside of Canvas be used without explicit instructor permission. (If this ever happens the instructor should somehow note it).

Minimum Technology Requirements

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Online video conferences and calls are often the best way for instructors to assist students in many situations. A web camera and microphone are necessary for successful online conferences. 

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Some courses may have additional technology requirements beyond those listed here. Additional requirements will be listed in your Canvas course room.

Basic Office 365 apps are free and available to students with their HJC Outlook account. For additional questions and help with the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Minimum Technical Skills Requirements

 To complete online courses successfully, you must be able to perform the following basic technical skills before starting the class

  • Use the learning management system, Canvas
  • Use HJC email with attachments
  • Download, save, and upload files in Canvas

For additional questions regarding the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Technology Support
To be a successful online learner, certain technologies are necessary.  Please keep in mind that certain classes may have additional technical requirements. You should be able to find additional technical requirements in your syllabus or your canvas course room. If you have any questions about the technology requirement, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or support@hjc.edu

Accessibility Information
Huntington Junior College is committed to full compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For additional information, please access accessibility policy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or pjustice@hjc.edu if you have any additional questions.

Copyright Policy
As an institution of higher education, Huntington Junior College strongly believes in intellectual property. As such, Huntington Junior College respects intellectual property and has made it a priority to ensure all employees and students respect the copyrights of others. If you have any questions about our copyright policy, please access the copyright policy. 

Privacy Policy
The college understands the importance of protecting your information and privacy. Our Privacy Policy provides additional information on the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

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Please access Student Success page for other student success services information, such as financial aid, lab hours, parking, library, transcripts, and career services on the college

If you need to speak with a person regarding any college policies and guidelines, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the college at 304-697-7550 

This information is standard for each course but specifics may vary based on the delivery method of the course you are taking. Please follow the information provided by your instructor.

This syllabus is subject to change.