HIS131:
United States History since 1865
Dr. Nick Maher
Fall 2007
Time: MWF
9:30-10:20
Room: Hearst 101
Course Description
This course is a
survey of
Required
The following books can be
purchased in the bookstore:
Ø Edward
Bellamy, Looking Backward, 2000-1887
(New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994).
Ø T. H.
Breen, The Power of Words: Documents in
American History from 1865: Vol. II, from 1865 (New York: Talman
Publishing, 1996).
Ø Faragher, et al (eds.), Out of Many: A History of the American People: vol II
(Prentice Hall, 2006).
In
addition, a number of handouts will be distributed in class.
Course Requirements
Test #1 20%
Essay
#1 20%
Essay
#2 20%
Presentation 10%
Final
Test 20%
Participation 10%
Tests will be designed to give you
an opportunity to demonstrate that you have been reading the assignments and
thinking about the material presented in class.
Essays will be a short (5 page)
synthetic discussions of several of the readings. Late papers will be graded down one full
grade for the first 24 hours late and a second full grade for up to one week
late. No papers will be accepted beyond
that.
Group Presentations will
be 35 minute presentations on a topic of your choice (within the general period
discussed during that week).
Class Participation means actively speaking up in class
discussions. Your comments should be
thoughtful considerations of the readings and the comments of your classmates
(especially in response to their presentations). Participation may include group activities
and formal presentations on assigned reading material. All reading must be done prior to class; it
will be impossible to participate without having done the reading.
Attendance is, of course, mandatory. The first unexcused absence will be politely
ignored. Every unexcused absence beyond
that will be noted and your final grade will be multiplied by the percentage of
classes that you attend.
Honor Code: “Because Oglethorpe students and faculty
expect each other to be truthful in the intellectual endeavour they share,
academic work at the University is done under the provisions of an Honour Code.
Oglethorpe students affirm their commitment to the Honour Code with a written
pledge on each piece of graded work, as requested by the instructor. Both
students and faculty have the responsibility of reporting suspected violations”
(The O Book).
Cheating includes (a) the
unauthorized possession or use of notes, texts, or other such materials during
an examination. (b) Copying another
person’s work or participation in such an effort. (c) An attempt or participation in an attempt
to fulfill
the requirements of a course with work other than one’s original work for that
course.
Plagiarism includes
representing someone else’s words, ideas, data, or original research as one’s
own, and in general failing to footnote or otherwise acknowledge the source of
such work. One has the responsibility of avoiding plagiarism by taking adequate
notes on reference materials, including material taken off the internet or
other electronic sources, used in the preparation of reports, papers, and other
coursework.
University Policy
on Course Withdrawal: Students withdrawing from a course may do so
through the 9th week, or two weeks after the published mid-semester
date with a “W”. For two weeks between the 9th and 11th
weeks the grade “W” or WF” may be given at the discretion of the instructor.
Students withdrawing after the Friday that falls on the 11th week
will receive a grade of “WF”. Only in the event of medical emergency or
hardship may students appeal a grade of “WF” to the Provost.
University Policy
on Incompletes: If a student is unable to complete the work
for a course on time for reasons of health, family tragedy, or other
circumstances the instructor deems appropriate, the grade “I” may be
assigned. If the student completes the
work within thirty days of the last day of
exams of the semester in question, the instructor will evaluate the work
and turn in a revised grade. Any “I” not
changed by the professor within forty five days of the last day of exams will
automatically be changed to a grade of “F”.
Schedule &
Reading
Week 1
W
8/29 Introduction
F 8/31 Current Events & Historical
Antecedents
Week 2
M 9/3 No Class: Labor Day
W 9/5 Out of Many (OM)
F 9/7 Power of Words (POW)
Week 3
M 9/10 OM
W 9/12 POW,
F 9/14 Reserve #1
Week 4
M 9/17 OM,
W 9/19 POW,
F 9/21 Bellamy, Looking Backward, (first half)
Week 5
M 9/24 OM,
W 9/26 Bellamy, Looking Backward (finish) & POW,
F 9/28 ¸ Film: Birth
of a Nation
Week 6
M
10/1 OM,
W 10/3 POW,
F 10/5 Presentation Group 1 & Essay #1 Due
Week 7
M 10/8 No Class: Columbus Day
W
10/10 OM,
F 10/12 Presentation Group 2 & POW,
Week 8
M 10/15 Midterm Exam
W
10/17 OM,
F 10/19 POW,
Week 9
M
10/22 OM,
W 10/24 POW,
F 10/26 Presentation Group 3
Week 10
M
10/29 OM,
W 10/31 POW,
F 11/2 Presentation
Group 4
Week 11
M 11/5 OM,
W 11/7 POW,
F 11/9 Handout
#2
Week 12
M
11/12 OM,
W 11/14 POW,
F 11/16 Presentation Group 5
Week 13
M 11/19 POW,
W Thanksgiving
F Thanksgiving
Week 14
M
11/26 OM,
W 11/28 POW,
F 11/30 Presentation
Group 6
Week 15
M
12/3 OM,
W 12/5 POW,
F 12/7 POW,
Chs. 15-16.
Week 16
M
12/10 OM,
W 12/12 Final
Exam (11:15)