Abnormal Psychology

Course Description:
This course is designed as a survey of American history from the end of the Civil War to the present. The social, cultural, political, economic, and diplomatic development of the U.S. will be analyzed. Topics include the Reconstruction, expansion in the West and overseas, industrialization and the labor movement, the Depression, involvement in two World Wars, the Cold War, Civil Rights and Vietnam, and polities and culture from the 1970s to the present.

Course Objectives:
1.      To explain the major social, cultural, political, and economic events in the U.S. from the Civil War to the present.
2.      To discuss the persons, movements, events, and ideas, which shaped recent U.S. history.
3.      To demonstrate relationships between historical phenomenon and group them into movements or patterns.
4.      To analyze and judge historical materials.
5.      To demonstrate historical analysis, critical thinking, and writing skills.
6.      To analyze and evaluate the events of today in light of the country’s history.
7.      To prepare and analyze a topic through an in-depth inquiry of the topic. (Independent Study Component)

Guidelines for the Independent Study Component:
The Independent Study Component will provide 25% of the overall course grade and will represent at least 16-hours of additional work over and above the assignments required for this course. Each student will write a 12-page research paper that will deal with an aspect of U.S. history since the Civil War. The topic will be approved prior to beginning the project. Students are encouraged to pick a topic that either has applicability to their professional work or personal life.

Required Text:
· Divine, America: Past and Present, vol. 2, 6^th edition, Longman, 2002.

Course Content:
January 6^th America: Past and Present, pages 454-487
The Agony of Reconstruction

January 13^th America: Past and Present, pages 488-517
The West: Exploiting an Empire

January 27^th America: Past and Present, pages 518-581
The Industrial Society/Toward an Urban Society 1877-1900

February 3^rd America: Past and Present, pages 582-609
Political Realignments in the 1890s

February 10^th America: Past and Present, pages 610-665
Toward Empire/The Progressive Era

February 17^th America: Past and Present, pages 666-733
From Roosevelt to Wilson in the Age of Progressivism/The Nation at War

February 24^th                                                  MIDTERM
                                    America: Past and Present, pages 734-759
                                                Transition to Modern America

March 3^rd America: Past and Present, pages 760-819
Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal/America and the World, 1921-1945

March 10^th America: Past and Present, pages 820-849
The Onset of the Cold War

March 17^th America: Past and Present, pages 850-907
Affluence and Anxiety/The Turbulent Sixties

March 24^th America: Past and Present, pages 908-941
A Crisis in Confidence, 1969-1980

March 31^st America: Past and Present, pages 942-979
The Republican Resurgence, 1980-1992

April 3^rd America: Past and Present, pages 980-1013
America in Flux: The Anxious Nineties

Grading:
Midterm Exam                        25 %
ISC                                         25 %
Final Exam                               50 %

Expectations:
I look forward to this semester and expect that you will do your part to make this a rewarding experience for you and the rest of your class. Together, we will have a fruitful journey to better understanding American history since the Civil War.

Statement of Academic Integrity:
Students in this course will be expected to comply with the USF guidelines regarding academic integrity that appear in the university catalog (2000-2002 catalog, p.62). Honesty in all academic work is expected of every student. This means giving one's own answers in all class work, quizzes, and examinations without help from any source not approved by the instructor. Written material is to be the student's original composition. Appropriate credit must be given for outside sources from which ideas, language, or quotations are derived. You are expected to do your own work in this course.

ADA Statement:
All students with disabilities who need accommodations should alert your instructor within the first week of school and contact the Disabilities Coordinator, Dr. MeShelda Jackson in the Office of Disability Services. She can be reached by email (mjackson@stfrancis.edu) or phone (815) 740-3461.

Accessibility:
I look forward to teaching this class. If you need anything or have any problem, the following information will provide you with access to assistance. Please feel free to contact me whenever necessary.

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