HIST 128
United States Since 1865
Harry Watson
THEMES. This course is an introduction to U.S. history from the end of the Civil War to the present. We will deal with the issues of Reconstruction, the nation’s ongoing racial, gender, and ethnic differences, the industrialization of America, changes in U.S. government and culture in response to industrialization, America’s rise to world power, the Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union, the changing status of women and racial minorities, and the modern transformation of the American economy. We will also be looking at the ways historians examine evidence, form conclusions, and put their thoughts into writing.
CLASS FORMAT. There will usually be two lectures and one discussion section every week. Lecture classes will set out the main themes of the course, explain particular episodes in detail, and provide course continuity. You will be able to follow the lecture material much more effectively if you have already read the relevant textbook assignment. Students frequently ask, “What will be on the test?” The answer begins in the lectures, so regular attendance is very important.
Discussion sections will consist of about fifteen students each and will be led by graduate teaching assistants. These classes will go over the reading, review lecture material, go over tests and papers, and answer questions. The central activity every week will be analyzing the given reading assignment. Discussions are designed to teach you how to extract evidence from original historical materials and analyze their meaning. You will use these same skills in writing course papers and answering essay questions on tests, so treat every discussion section as an important coaching opportunity for the tests and papers that will be coming up. Thorough reading and mastery of the relevant assignment before your section meets is crucial to your section’s success. Teaching assistants will grade the students in their own discussion sections, and all questions about grades should first be taken up with your T.A.
REQUIREMENTS. Written work will include two midterm tests, a final exam, and two short papers (4-5 pages), based on the reading assignments. You will receive three paper prompts. Everyone must write on the first one. You may choose to write on either the second or the third, but if you write all three papers we will count the two highest grades. In averaging the final grades, each midterm and each paper will count 15 percent and the final exam will count 30 percent. Ten percent of the final grade will be based on your contribution to your discussion sections, including attendance, performance on in-class exercises, and quality of class participation. Students are expected to adhere to the Honor Code in all their written work.