History 111 - SPRING 2009
Dr. Gayle Olson-Raymer
Founder's Hall 165; Phone: 826-4788
e-mail: go1@humboldt.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:15-1:00; Thursdays, 1-4:00; and
by appointment
**** Please note: I have the right to revise the syllabus at any time during the course of Semester****
REVISED MARCH 2, 2009 - SEE "EXAMS" AND "COURSE OUTLINE" BELOW
Course Description and Major Skills: This course, which meets the institutions requirements in U.S. history established by the California Legislature (CSU Executive Order 405 and Title 5: 40404), focuses on the "significant events covering a minimum time span of approximately 100 years occurring in the entire area now included in the United States of America, including the relationships of regions within that area and with external regions and powers as appropriate to the understanding of those events within the United States during the period under study and the role of major ethnic and social groups in such events and the contexts in which the events have occurred." It also includes a discussion of "events within a framework which illustrates the continuity of the American experience and its derivation from other cultures including consideration of three or more of the following: politics, economics, social movements, and geography." Additionally, this course meets the five major skills that the History Department believes historians need and that history majors should develop as they progress through the major: writing, research, critical thinking, historiography and methodology, and oral presentation.
Course Syllabus: Please consult this course syllabus online for all questions regarding course requirements and assignment due dates - as welld as for any changes in the syllabus and/or assignments. The syllabus is available online at http://www.humboldt.edu/~go1/hist111/outline2009.html. For those of you who wish to have an extended discussion about the syllabus and the course requirements, you may attend the extra credit evening meeting on Wednesday, February 4th from 6-8pm (see "Extra Credit" below for details.) Other online course materials can be accessed at http://www.humboldt.edu/~go1/hist111/index.html where you can review the overheads used for each class. Please note, even though the overheads are included for each class meeting, they are not the equivalent of the lecture notes. In most cases, the overheads will not make sense without attending class; you must attend class!!!
Teaching Assistants. This semester we are fortunate to have Jesse Re as our teaching assistant for the 8:00 am class and Nicole Sinclair for the 9:30 am class. Jesse and Nicole will be available to you in the following capacities: to hold regular office hours (to be announced), to help with various class presentations and lectures, and to help you with anything related to the course. You may reach Jesse via email at jer33@humboldt.edu and Nicole at nes21@humboldt.edu.
Required Reading. You will be required to read three books as well as several articles on the Internet. Because one of the main objectives for this class to critically examine the historical materials presented in class discussions and required in the reading, it is essential that you complete the required reading prior to coming to class.
Required Books for every student:
- Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty, Volume 2. New York. 1st Edition. (W.W. Norton, 2006)
- Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove, Voices of a People's History. (New York: Seventh Story Press, 2004)
Required Book for half of the students in each class. Students will be assigned to read one of the following two books:
Required Internet Readings: You will be required to read several internet articles - each of which is listed below in the course syllabus.
- Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi. (New York: Dell, 1968) Please note that this book will be read only by students whose last name begins with A-L
- Alex Haley, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Any edition is acceptable. Please note that this book will be read only by students whose last name begins with M-Z.
Recommended Reading and Other Work: The syllabus contains suggestions for extra credit Internet reading and film viewing for all class discussions. While none of this is required, it is useful historical information that can add to your understanding of U.S. history and contribute to your grade.
Grading and Requirements. Grades are dependent upon the following three required assessment tools: exams (60%); book analysis and teach-in (10%); and research teach-in (30%). For a list of all assignments and due dates for the entire semester, click here.
1. Exams (60% of total grade.) You will take three exams this semester - one at the end of each of the three course units. Each will be worth 20% of your grade for the course. Exams will be given on Feb. 17, March 24, and May 7th. There will be no make-ups. The first and third exams have a written and an oral component which is explained below:
- Written component. A week before the two scheduled exams, you will receive 5 essay questions. Each will address one or more of the course themes and will require the use of specific examples from classroom discussion notes and required reading materials. You must take notes on each question and turn in your typewritten notes - in any format that helps you study - on the day of the exam.
- Oral component. For the third exam, about 25 students need to volunteer to work in small groups to produce a collective answer to a randomly selected question and then present your answer to the class. The remainder of the class will engage in a dialog with the oral presenters about each of the questions and will complete a required evaluation form for the oral presentations.
- PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO OPTIONAL LEARNING COMPONENT FOR THE THIRD EXAM.
Each exam will be graded as follows:
- For those who are presenting, 10% will be based upon your presentation and responses to collegial questioning and 10% will be based upon your notes and the quality of examples used from the classroom and reading materials.
- For those of you who are not presenting, 15% will be based upon your notes and the quality of examples used from the classroom and reading materials and 5% will be based the question and answer portion of the exam and the evalution form you complete on the oral component.
The second exam, which is due March 24th AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS, will be a take-home exam. The exam questions will be posted online by March 10th. After that date, students may access the questions by clicking here. The written requirements are the same as the other two exams. There will be no oral class discussion of these exam questions.
2. Book Analysis and Teach-In (15% of total grade). Each of you will read one of the two required books - either Coming of Age in Mississippi or The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In addition to completing a book analysis as described below for both books, you will also need to be prepared to teach your book to a classmate who did not read it on the day of the teach-in, Thursday, April 23rd.
Coming of Age in Mississippi (15% of total grade). Please address the following first four questions in 2-3 pages.
- Using specific quotes from each of the four parts of the book to support your answer, explain how Ann Moody's story illustrates at least three of our course themes (you may select your own themes from the list.)
- Do you think Moody may have had more faith in the Civil Rights Movement if John Lewis had been allowed to give his speech? (you can read most of his speech in your book, Voices, pp. 398-400.) Provide some examples from Lewis's speech that may have inspired Moody and explain why you choose them.
- Find and read a speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. (not the "I have a dream speech.") Discuss how and why you think Moody is so critical of King and other African American citizens and ministers with whom she works. Use at least two specific quotes from the speech to explain how and why you think Moody would have supported or would have criticized the speech in general. Be sure to provide a full citation of the speech and where you found it.
- Much of Ann's story is about fighting oppression. How would you define oppression? Explain any incidence in your life in which you experienced oppression. How do you think Ann would define oppression? How does your definition and experience compare and contrast with Ann's.
- On a separate page (an additional page), list the 5-10 most important "big ideas" or themes in the book and in the speech from Martin Luther King, Jr. that you will share with your classmate during the book teach-in on April 23rd. One of these themes or "big ideas" must deal with the issue of oppression as Ann experienced it.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (15% of total grade). Please address the following first four questions in 2-3 pages.
- Using specific quotes from the book, explain how at least one major event that shaped Malcolm X's life during each of his four distinct periods - The Malcolm Little Phase (his childhood), The Detroit Red Phase (his life as a hustler), The Malcolm X Phase (his work with the Nation of Islam), and The El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Phase (his period of "enlightenment".) This will require an explanation of four specific events. Then, explain how each of these events may have been related to a larger historical event.
- How did Malcolm X's attitudes about human rights differ from Martin Luther King, Jr's attitudes about civil rights? Support your answer with evidence from the text . Explain which approach to gaining social, economic, and political equality for African Americans you most support - those of Malcolm X or those of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Watch the film discussed in the book, The Hate that Hate Produced which can be viewed online at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6140647821635049109. Using at least three specific excerpts from the video, explain how the video contributed to your understanding of the Nation of Islam as well as Malcolm X's role within it.
- Much of Malcolm's story is about fighting oppression. How would you define oppression? Explain any incidence in your life in which you experienced oppression. How do you think Malcolm would define oppression? How does your definition and experience compare and contrast with Malcolm's.
- On a separate page (an additional page), list the 5-10 most important "big ideas" or themes in the book and of the video The Hate that Hate Produced that you will share with your classmate during the book teach-in on April 23rd. One of these themes or "big ideas" must deal with the issue of oppression as Malcolm experienced it.
The analysis is due on Thursday, April 23rd - on the same day of the book teach-in. During the book teach-in, each pair which meet for 40 minutes (10-15 minutes per person to teach the book, leaving 10-20 minutes for a compare and contrast discussion) to discuss at least the following three things:
- The 5-10 big ideas or themes of each book.
- The way that Ann and Malcolm experienced oppression and how their experiences compared and contrasted with each other.
- A recommendation for or against reading your book with an explanation supporting your recommendation or lack thereof.
3. Research Teach-In (25% of total grade.) You will each research any topic that we will not discuss in class and that relates to any any historical issue, incident, trend, or topic that occurred or person that lived in the United States between 1970 and the present. There are four steps to this assignment: picking a topic and completing the preliminary research assignment; conducting your research; writing your paper; and giving an oral presentation to a small group of your classmates.
- Picking a topic and completing the preliminary research assignment. It is important that you begin thinking about a possible research topic early in the semester. To assist you with this process and to help you find resources to help you with your research, you are required to complete a primary research assignment that can be accessed by clicking here. This assignment must be completed and turned in at the beginning of class on Tuesday, February 24th and is worth 5% of the grade for this project . YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT IN ORDER TO GET CREDIT FOR THE ENTIRE RESEARCH PROJECT. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR TOPIC LATER IN THE SEMESTER, YOU MUST CLEAR IT WITH THE PROFESSOR.
- Conducting your Research. The research phase requires you to do the following: locate and read two primary documents and two secondary documents; and prepare for and conduct one oral interview with someone who can provide useful information about your topic. To prepare for the interview, read the guidelines that are posted by clicking here.
- Writing the Paper. After conducting your research , you are then required to write a paper that is a maximum of four double-spaced, typewritten, grammatically correct pages. The paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, April 16th and must include the following four components:
- a brief explanation of your topic and why you chose it;
- a summary of what you expected to find about your topic when you began your research compared with what you actually discovered after you completed your research.
- a discussion of your sources, emphasizing which sources - primary, secondary, and oral interview - you found to be most helpful in the course of your research and why;
- a discussion of how your research findings illustrated at least two of the overall course themes; and
- a conclusion emphasizing how your research contributed to a better understanding late 20th century history.
You must also attach the following three extra pages to your paper (these do not count as part of the four page paper requirement):
Giving an Oral Presentation. This is where your interest in and passion for the topic you select will really shine. On Thursday, April 16th you will share the results of your research in informal, small groups. Do not read your paper, but rather describe what you learned about the topic and what you think might interest your colleagues about your findings. This is a good time to use any audio, visual, poetic, literary, photographic, or artistic primary documents that you used in your research project. Please note that you must be in class to present your research. If you are not present, you will not receive credit for the research paper.
- a bibliography in the appropriate format (check by clicking here) of all references - including the name of your interviewee, time and place of the interview;
- a one-page typed outline of your oral presentation that summarizes what you will say - how you will introduce, support, and conclude your story, and what props you will use to tell it; and
- a list of questions you asked your interviewee and a summary of their responses.
Extra Credit: Extra credit will not replace any required assignments; rather, it will help out with a "fence sitter" grade. Once you complete any extra credit assignment, please come talk directly to me about it during my office hours. Following are extra credit options:
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HISTORY 111 COURSE OUTLINE - SPRING 2009
Unit I: Closing and Opening New Frontiers, 1877 - 1916
1/20 - Introductory Discussion of Course Syllabus and The Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States
1/29 - 2/3 Discussion: Industrialization and Urbanization in the Gilded Age. Required Reading for 1/29: Chapter 16 in Foner and Chapter 11 in Voices. Required Reading for 2/3: Foner, Chapter 17, pp. 546-571.
Extra Credit:
- See the films Gangs of New York, Molly Mcguires
- History of the Molly Maguires http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/paw/paw-history.htm
- Analysis of Gangs of New York http://www.backintime.com/moviereviews/gangsofny/
- Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum http://www.cprr.org/Museum/Maps
- The Gilded Age and the Titans of Industry http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/gildedage.html
- Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor http://www.history.umd.edu/Gompers/index.htm
- History of the Stock Market by Bernard McMahon at http://www.stockinformation.com/history.htm
2/5-2/10 Discussion: The American Quest for Empire. Required reading for 2/5: pp. 572-581 in Chapter 17 in Foner, pp. 622-627 in Chapter 19 in Foner, and Chapter 12 in Voices.
Extra Credit:
- See the film Citizen Kane
- The Battle over Citizen Kane http://www.socialistdemocracy.org/Reviews/ReviewTheBattleOverCitizenKane.html
- The Hawaiian Kingdom Website - see especially "Political History" and "U.S. Annexation" http://www.hawaiiankingdom.org/index.shtml
- Early discovery and exploration in the Pacific
http://www.common-place.org/vol-05/no-02/intro/index.shtml- Early Pacific Travelers: The Islanders who voyaged with Captain Cook
http://www.common-place.org/vol-05/no-02/newell/index.shtml- Hawaii's official protest to Annexation
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hawaii-petition/- The Philippine-American War - from the Filipino Perspective http://www.filipino-americans.com/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?url=filamwar.html
- The Spanish American War Homepage http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/
2/10 - PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT DUE . Click here to access the form.
2//12 Discussion: Politics and the Impulse to Reform. Required reading: Chapter 18 in Foner and Chapter 13 in Voices.
Extra Credit:
- See the film Ragtime
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1900-1909 http://images.google.com/images?q=1900s+select+source:life
- The History of Central Park at http://www.ny.com/articles/centralpark.html Conservation Movement http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amrvhtml/conshome.html
The Dramas of Haymarket http://www.chicagohistory.org/dramas/overview/main.htm2/17 - UNIT I ORAL EXAM
2/19 - OPTIONAL LEARNING FROM UNIT I EXAM DUE
Unit II: Responding to International and Domestic Crises, 1917 - 1945
2/19- 2/24 Discussion: Causes and Consequences of World War I, Required reading for 2/19: Chapter 19 in Foner and Chapter 14 in Voices.
Extra Credit:
- See the films Reds, All Quiet on the Western Front
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1910-1919 http://images.google.com/images?q=1910s+World+War+I+source:life
- Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library http://www.woodrowwilson.org/
- Historical analysis of Reds http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/31404.html
- World War I Document Archive http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/
- The Red Scare http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/SaccoV/redscare.html
2/26-3/5 Discussion: The Not-So-Roaring Twenties, The Depression, and "A New Deal" for Americans. Required reading for 2/26: Ch. 20 in Foner and Ch. 15 in Voices
Required reading for 3/3: Chapter 21 in Foner.
Extra Credit:
- See the films The Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath, Cinderella Man, The Color Purple, Bonnie and Clyde, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Matewan, Inherit the Wind, The Untouchable, Lady Sings the Blues, Rosewood, Ken Burn's Jazz (a multi-part PBS series).
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1920-1929 http://images.google.com/images?q=1920s+Charles+Lindbergh+source:life
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1930-1939 http://images.google.com/images?q=1930s+poverty+source:life
- Herbert Hoover's Audio Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=31
- FDRs Audio and Video Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=32
- Fireside Chats of Franklin D. Roosevelt http://www.mhric.org/fdr/fdr.htm
- Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/harlem/index.html
- The Scopes Trial http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm
3/10-3/12 Discussion: Causes and Consequences of World War II. Required reading for 3/10: Chapter 22 in Foner and Chapter 16 in Voices. Required reading for 3/12: browse through and read some of the articles in the Fly Girls web site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/flygirls/ (or check out a copy of the Fly Girls CD from the teaching assistant.)
Extra Credit:
- See the films, Saving Private Ryan, The Best Years of Our Lives, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1940-1949 http://images.google.com/images?q=1940s+Hawaii+source:life
- WWII Propaganda, Posters, Film, and Art http://www.teacheroz.com/WWIIpropaganda.htm
- Map of Europe on the Eve of WWII http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/resource/wwii.htm
- Japanese Expansion before and during WWII http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/331
- A complete listing of WWII web sites at http://www.teacheroz.com/WWIImaps.html
- Japanese Internment Information http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/camp.html
- Children of the Japanese Relocation Camps http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/documentary/index.html
- Japanese Relocation Camp Map http://www.foitimes.com/internment/USA5.jpg
- Enemy Alien Files: Hidden Stories of World War II http://www.enemyalienfiles.org
- Harry Truman Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=33
- Hiroshima: The Lost Photographs http://www.designobserver.com/archives/entry.html?id=38841
3/24 - SECOND EXAM (WRITTEN) IS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS.
Unit III: Fermenting International and Domestic Turmoil, 1946-1987
3/26 Discussion: The Cold War in the Domestic Arena. Required reading: Chapter 24 in Foner. Extra Credit:
- See the films The Front, Manchurian Candidate (1962 version only), On the Waterfront, Salt of the Earth
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1950-1959 http://images.google.com/images?q=1950s+Walt+Disney+source:life
- On the Waterfront historical analysis http://www.americansc.org.uk/online/OTW.htm
- Salt of the Earth historical analysis https://eee.uci.edu/programs/humcore/students/kumarpaper.htm
- The Red Scare Goes Hollywood http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/culture/film.essay/index.html
- HUAC and Censorship Changes http://www.moderntimes.com/palace/huac.htm
- Brief Biography of Joseph McCarthy http://www.apl.org/history/mccarthy/biography.html
- Dwight Eisenhower Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=34
4/2-4/7 Discussion: The Cold War in the International Arena. Required reading for 4/7: Chapter 23 in Foner.
Extra Credit:
- See the films Atomic Cafe, Dr. Strangelove, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 version only). MASH
- The Korean War - History http://www.koreanwar.com/
- John F. Kennedy Audio and Visual Archive http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=35
- Interactive Map and Korean War http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/05/maps/
- Cold War Policies http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/20th/coldwar0.html
- Cold War Interactive maps http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/maps/
4/9 - 4/14 Discussion: Vietnam and the Anti-War Movement. Required reading for 4/9: Chapter 25 in Foner and Chapter 18 in Voices. Required Viewing for 4/14: See the movie, The Fog of War (available at local video stores in either VHS or DVD).
Extra Credit:
- See the films Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Hearts and Minds, The Killing Fields, Berkeley in the Sixties
- Lyndon Johnson Audio and Video Archive http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=36
- Nixon's "Silent Majority"Speech on Vietnam in 1969
http://www.watergate.info/nixon/silent-majority-speech-1969.shtml- A detailed history and good map on Vietnam http://www.vietnamwar.com/
- CNN's interactive web site on cold war maps at http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/maps/
Click on the Vietnam map.4/16 - RESEARCH TEACH-IN
4/21-4/23 - Discussion 4: The War Within and the Struggle for Civil Rights. Required Reading for 4/21: Chapters 17 in Foner and 19 in Voices. Required Reading for 4/23: Coming of Age in Mississippi or The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Extra Credit:
- See the films Malcolm X, Four Little Girls, Mississippi Burning, Ghosts of Mississippi, Separate But Equal, Get on the Bus, Eyes on the Prize (any part of the PBS series), WeatherUnderground, Incident at Oglala, Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement
- Civil Rights Movement - background and history http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/
- Public Broadcasting System: Support for Eyes on the Prize http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/
- Brown v. Board of Education at 50 http://www.brownat50.org/
- John Lewis brief biography http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/printmember/lew0bio-1
- A Brief History of the American Indian Movement http://www.aimovement.org/ggc/history.html
- Brief Background on Incident at Oglala http://www.thelastoutpost.com/site/1524/default.aspx
- Commentary on Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement http://www.albany.edu/jmmh/vol3/chicano/chicano.html
4/23 - BOOK ANALYSIS AND TEACH-IN DUE
4/28- Discussion: The Seventies. Required Reading: Chapter 26 in Foner, pp. 886-916 ONLY; Chapter 20 in Voices. Required Viewing: Nixon-Frost.
Extra Credit:
- See the films All the President's Men, Nixon, The Chicago 10
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1960-1969http://images.google.com/images?q=1960s+Apollo+space+source:life
- Life Magazine photo archives from 1970-1979 http://images.google.com/images?q=1970s+boxer+source:life
- Richard Nixon Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=37
- Gerald Ford Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=38
- Jimmy Carter Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=39
- The Chicago Seven Trial http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Chicago7/chicago7.html
- The Sixties, War and Peace, Newsmakers, The Chicago 7 http://www.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/topics/war/newsmakers_2.html
4/30-5/5 Discussion: The Triumph of Conservatism. Required Reading for 4/30: Chapter 26 in Foner, pp. 917-926 ONLY; and Chapter 21 in Voices.
Extra Credit:
- See the films Salvadore, Romero
- Ronald Reagan Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=40
- George H. Bush Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=41
- William Clinton Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=42
- George W. Bush Audio and Visual Archives http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/medialist.php?presid=43
- The Origins of the Modern American Conservative Movement http://www.heritage.org/Research/PoliticalPhilosophy/HL811.cfm
- Chapters 27 and 28 in Foner; Chapters 22-24 in Voices.
- "Isn't It Time We Rejoined the World Court?" http://hnn.us/articles/1465.html
5/7 - UNIT III ORAL EXAM