Stevens Institute of Technology
College of Arts & Letters

SPRING 2010
Section 126A: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 am - 12.15 pm
Section 126B: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30 - 3:45 pm

Classroom: Pierce 218

Link to Schedule, Reading List, and Assignments

Course Description and Goals:  

This course is a survey of important themes, people, and events in American history since 1865. During the semester we will consider changes in American race relations, civil liberties, corporate capitalism, technology, and American power in a global context.

This course seeks to advance the mission of the College of Arts & Letters in the following ways:

• Increase awareness of cultures and societies other than one’s own.
• Improve writing and/or public speaking skills.
• Increase one’s love of learning for its own sake.

HHS 126 has the following course goals:

• To deepen your understanding of the core themes and tensions in American history.
• To appreciate differences in historical methods used to interpret the past.
• To understand the foundations of America's emergence as a world power.

Textbooks to purchase (available in the campus store):

John Hope Franklin
Reconstruction after the Civil War
University of Chicago Press (2nd edition, 1994)
ISBN-10: 0226260798

Eric Foner
The Story of American Freedom
W.W Norton & Co. (1999)
ISBN-10: 0393319628

Alfred E. Eckes, Jr. & Thomas W. Zeiler
Globalization and the American Century
Cambridge University Press (2003)
ISBN-10: 0521009065

Ellen Schrecker
The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History With Documents
Bedford/St, Martin's (2nd edition, 2001)
ISBN-10: 0312393199

The remainder of the course readings will be available from the course website or on eLearn. I will also maintain a list of links to related course content, such as primary and secondary sources online as well as video and other material discussed in class.

Writing and Communications Center:

If you want assistance writing your papers, you should ask for help well ahead of the paper's due date. For more information, get in touch with me and/or visit the Writing & Communications Center at Stevens in Morton 210 (Office Hours Mon-Fri 1-5 pm).

Honor Board Policies:

You should by now be familiar with The Honor System at the Stevens Institute of Technology. It is your responsibility to uphold the ideals set forth in the Honor System Constitution. Specific student responsibilities include:

• Maintaining honesty and fair play in all aspects of academic life at Stevens;
• Writing and signing the pledge, in full, on all submitted academic work;
• Reporting any suspected violations to an Honor Board member or to the Dean of Student Development;
• Cooperating with the Honor Board during investigations and hearings.

If you ever have questions about how to interpret this honor system in relation to your work in this class, please get in touch with me.

Students with disabilities:

If you require special accommodations due to a disability, or if you need individual arrangements should the building be evacuated, you must inform the office of Student Counseling and Psychological Services, Dr. Terence Hannigan, Director, in the Howe Center, 7th floor (x5177), and complete the Faculty Contact Form. Once you have done so, you should ask to meet with me so that we can work out any special arrangements that may be necessary.

Grades and Course Policies:  

Attendance is mandatory. Any absences must be accounted for by notifying me before the start of class. Otherwise I will need verification from an outside authority (i.e., doctor, coach, another professor) explaining why it was necessary for you to miss class. Students who have over 3 unexcused absences should expect to get a proportionately lower grade.

I have the following expectations for students in my classroom:

• Cell phones should either be turned off or silenced. Any student texting will be marked as absent.
• Computer use should be related to what we are doing in class. Any student who is obviously doing something else will be marked as absent.
• If you are so tired or bored that you need to fall asleep or lay your head on the desk, you will be marked as absent. Frankly, we're all better off if you stay at home.

Grades will be based on the following criteria:

• class participation (including attendance, activity in discussions, and one in-class oral report (30%)
• essay assignments (30%)
• mid-term exam (20%)
• final exam (20%)

Citations should adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide. Students also should consult my list of tips for writing papers.

Percentages are approximate. I will determine final weights at the end of the course. I reserve the right to give pop quizzes.

Link to Schedule, Reading List, and Assignments