420: Introduction
United States, 1861-1941, Winter 2024-25
Course Introduction
For specifics on class participation, grading, etc., go to Course Requirements.
READINGS :
American Yawp: Available in the Bookstore.
HIS420 reader: Provided by the History Department at no charge (Referred to on the syllabus as DOCS).
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS. Grade will be based on class participation, plus the following:
1. Formal essays.
2. A research paper.
3. Occasional quizzes or in-class writing assignments or whatever.
Website: You will notice in the navigation bar at the top of this and every page that there are a number of pages offering guidance for students in my courses. The Paper-Writing Guide covers what I consider to be the fundamentals of writing a history paper. Everyone should read the History Department statement on plagiarism on the Writing History page. We will go over this in class.
Course description: This course covers the history of the United States 1861-1941, from the beginning of the Civil War to America's entry into World War II. We begin with a close examination of how the Civil War led to the end of slavery, then follow the postwar transformation of American society, with special emphasis on race relations, industrialization, and the emergence of a vigorous liberal reform movement that has given rise to political ideologies that shaped political conflicts of the 20th century and beyond.