This course examines United States history from 1865 until the present. The emphasis is on the social, political and economic development of the country. Attention is also given to the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world. Topics studied include Reconstruction, westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, immigration, the Great Depression and the ramifications of the Cold War.
Required Text
- “America: A Narrative History (Sixth Edition) Volume 1” by George Brown Tindall and David E. Shi
Required Supplies
- Pen and paper
Course Format and Procedures
The course meetings three hours per week. Students must read chapters listed for the week assigned. Students will be responsible for a research paper and PowerPoint presentation on their research paper, in addition to four examinations.
Grading Procedures
Four tests will be given over the course of the semester. Each test will cover the chapters explained in the course outline. The final exam will be cumulative and cover all the material of the semester.
- Tests: 80%
A research paper will be required of all students. The due date will be given in the first two weeks of the semester, as well as the detailed requirements of the paper.
Student and Parent Resources
- Fulton-Montgomery Community College Writing Center: A drop-in tutoring center where students can develop their college writing skills. Students may work with peer and professional tutors on any phase of the writing process: brainstorming a topic, preparing an outline, drafting and revising and using specific documentation styles, such as MLA, APA and the Chicago Manual of Style. Center is staffed 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.
- www.etutoring.org: Students have online access to tutorial support in writing, math, statistics, accounting, information literacy, chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology:
- E-chat: Virtually interact with an e-tutor in real time
- E-questions: Submit a question and get a response within 48 hours
- E-writing lab: Submit a draft and receive in-text comments and a written response (within 48 hours) about submitted work
Course Outline
Week 1: Chapter 20 — Big Business And Organized Labor
Week 2: Chapter 21—The Emergence Of Urban America
Week 3: Chapter 22 —The Gilded Age
Week 4: Chapter 23 — An American Empire
- Test #1: Chapters 20-23
Week 5: Chapter 24 — The Progressive Era
Week 6: Chapter 25 — America And The Great War
Weeks 7: Chapter 26 — The Modern Temper
Week 8: Chapter 27 — Republican Resurgence And Decline
Week 9: Chapter 28 — The New Deal
Week 10: Chapter 29 — From Isolation To Global War
- Test #2: Chapters 24-29
Week 11: Chapter 30 — The Second World War
Week 12: Chapter 31 — The Fair Deal And Containment
Week 13: Chapter 32 — Through The Picture Window: 1945-1960
Week 14: Chapter 33 — Conflict And Deadlock: The Eisenhower Years
Week 15: Chapter 34 — New Frontiers: Politics And Social Change
- Paper Due
Week 16: Chapter 35 — Rebellion And Reaction In The 1960’s And 1970’s
Week 17: Chapter 36 — A Conservative Insurgency
- Test #3: Chapters 30-36
Weeks 18-20: Review For Comprehensive Exam
- Test #4: Final Exam