Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.

—Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus” (1883)

[PRINTABLE SYLLABUS]

Required Text

  • H.W. Brands, American Dreams: The United States Since 1945 (New York: Penguin, 2010) [LIBRARY RESERVE]

Additional Readings

First Essay  – Industrial America

On Monday, Feb. 17, students will submit a 3-5 page typed, double-spaced essay on a topic covering how American life changed during industrial revolution of the late nineteenth century.  Questions on that topic will be provided in class on Thursday, Feb. 13. All essays must include material from sources on the syllabus, such as the American Yawp online textbook, properly cited with Chicago-style footnotes. Outside research is allowed but not required. Additional information will be available on the annotated assignment guidelines at the course site. Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, use of evidence, and quality of prose. Late essays will be penalized up to 5 points each day.

Second Essay –Global America

On Monday, March 24, students will submit a 3-5 page typed, double-spaced essay on a topic covering Cold War American life provided to them in class on Thursday, March 20. All essays must include material from H.W. Brands’ American Dreams properly cited with Chicago-style footnotes.  Outside research is allowed but not required. Additional information will be available on the annotated assignment guidelines at the course site. Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, use of evidence, and quality of prose. Late essays will be penalized up to 5 points each day.

Oral History Project

The highlight of this semester will be a multi-media oral history project that students will undertake to illustrate an important episode or trend covered in H.W. Brands’ American Dreams.  By Monday, April 14, students should post an annotated transcript (at least 500 words) from their initial interview(s) at the course website, including a list of a half a dozen other sources for further research.  These transcripts and bibliographies will receive comments but not grades.  By Thursday, May 8, students should post a full oral history essay that successfully incorporates quoted material from their interview(s) while also putting them into thoughtful historical context using not only American Dreams, but also other relevant primary and secondary sources.  Essays should cover about 4-6 pages (1200-1500 words) and should include Chicago-style footnotes.   All essay posts should include at least 3 to 4 images, properly credited and captioned. Students must also embed a short video documentary (about 1 to 2 minutes) incorporating either audio or video clips from (or about) their oral history interviews.  Additional information will be available on the annotated assignment guidelines at the course site. Projects will be graded on depth of analysis, research and design effort, and quality of prose. Late submissions will be penalized 5 points per day.

Grade Distribution

Class Participation                              20 percent

Essay 1 –Industrial America               25 percent

Essay 2 –Global America                   25 percent

Oral history project                             30 percent

Class Schedule

Day Date Discussion Topic Reading Assignment
Tuesday 1/21 Methods & Expectations —
Thursday 1/23 Reconstruction Prince of Emancipation exhibit
Tuesday 1/28 Industrial Capitalism Yawp, chap. 16
Thursday 1/30 American West Yawp, chap. 17
Tuesday 2/4 Cultural Changes Yawp, chap 18
Thursday 2/6 Imperial Era Yawp, chap. 19 + Katz article
Tuesday 2/11 Nationalism and Assimilation Gerstle article
Thursday 2/13 Through a Dickinson Lens Dickinson & Slavery + Baum project
Monday 2/17 Industrial America essay due By 5pm via email
Tuesday 2/18 Progressive Era Yawp, chap. 20
Thursday 2/20 WWI Homefront Yawp, chap. 21
Tuesday 2/25 WWI and Wilsonianism Macmillan essay
Thursday 2/27 1920s Yawp, chap. 22
Tuesday 3/4 Great Depression Yawp, chap 23
Thursday 3/6 WWII Yawp, chap. 24 (Sec. I – VI)
Tuesday 3/11 NO CLASS (Spring Break)
Thursday 3/13 NO CLASS (Spring Break)
 
Tuesday 3/18 Homefront in WWII Yawp, chap. 24 (Sec. VII – XI) + Popel
Thursday 3/20 Birth of Atomic Age Brands, chap. 1 + Marthins
Monday 3/24 Global America essay due By 5pm, via email
Tuesday 3/25 Late 1940s –Toward Cold War Brands, chap. 2 + Forry
Tuesday 3/25 Wert Lecture (required) ATS, 7pm
Thursday 3/27 Early 1950s –McCarthyism Brands, chap. 3 + Herzfeld
Tuesday 4/1 Late 1950s –Suburbs Brands, chap. 4 + Menkes
Thursday 4/3 Early 1960s –Civil Rights Brands, chap. 5 + Ferry
Tuesday 4/8 Late 1960s –Vietnam War Brands, chap. 6 + Bui
Thursday 4/10 Early 1970s –Time of Change Brands, chap. 7 + Cayouette
Monday 4/14 Oral history interviews due By 5pm via post at course site
Tuesday 4/15 Late 1970s –Global Energy Crisis Brands, chap. 8 + Vatanka
Thursday 4/17 Early 1980s –Political realignment Brands, chap. 9 + Blackwell
Tuesday 4/22 Mid 1980s –Return of Cold War Brands, chap. 10 + Krein
Thursday 4/24 Late 1980s – End of Cold War Brands, chap. 11 + Cohane
Tuesday 4/29 1990s –Polarization Brands, chaps, 12-13
Thursday 5/1 2000s –9/11 and beyond Brands, chaps. 14-15
Thursday 5/8 Oral history projects due By 5pm via post at course site