W.R. Miller                                                                                              MWF 9:25-10:40 am
History 122                                                                                        MWF 11:35 am-12:00 noon
Strong Hall 419                                                                                      
and by appointment
Phone: 836-4141                                                                                                     Email:  BobMiller@MissouriState.edu

Fall, 2011

Required Books

Robert Divine, et.al., The American Story (Vol. 2 - Second Edition)
Larry Madaras and James M. SoRelle, Taking Sides: Clashing Views in United States History (Vol. 2 - Fourteenth Edition)

Internet

The syllabus, lecture outlines, maps, and other images used in this course may be found at http://clio.missouristate.edu/wrmiller.

Grades

There will be three hourly exams.  Each hourly exam will consist of an essay from Taking Sides (25%), an essay over the lecture materials (25%), objective questions from the lectures (30%), and objective questions from The American Story (20%).  The instructor will use the standard grading format.  The grading scale will be: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = <60.

Bluebooks

Students will use bluebooks for essays.  Each student will deliver three blue books to the instructor at the next class.  Put your name on the back, not on the front.  You will not get the same bluebook on exam day.

Attendance

Attendance for this class is mandatory.  The instructor will hand out a roll sheet at the beginning of each class.  It is the student's responsibility to sign the roll sheet.  If a student fails to sign the roll sheet, the student will be counted absent (no exceptions -- I do not want to see you notes!).  Students will be allowed only five unexcused absences for the semester.  A student's course grade will be reduced by a letter grade on the sixth unexcused absence, and by another letter grade for every subsequent unexcused absence.  An absence will be counted as excused only if the student has an acceptable documented excuse (letter from a doctor, towing bill, bail ticket, etc.).

Tardiness

The instructor hates tardiness. Tardiness disrupts class and is a sign of disrespect for classmates and the instructor.  Get to class early.  Get to your seat early.  Be prepared when class begins.  Leaving class early (unless deathly ill) will count as three unexcused absences.  Even the most senile professors have a good memory for those who aggravate them.

English as a Second Language

If English is not your native language, please see the instructor immediately after class.

Cheating

Anyone caught cheating will receive an F on the work involved.

Makeup Exams

A students who misses an exam must bring an acceptable, documented excuse (letter from a doctor, towing bill, bail ticket, etc.) to the instructor's office immediately upon returning to class in order to be authorized to receive a makeup.  No student who has an "F" average because of the attendance policy will be allowed to take a makeup.  Makeups will be taken at 10:00 am, Friday, December 10 (Study Day) in Strong Hall 401 (no exceptions).  Do not arrive late to makeups.  If another student sees the exam you are scheduled to take, and leaves the room before you arrive, you lose the opportunity to take the makeup. Makeups will be all essay.

Dropping a Class

Those who drop a course during the first week of classes will receive no grade.  Those who drop a course between weeks 2 and 12, will automatically receive a W.  November 11, 2011 is the last day to drop a course this semester.  Faculty may assign a grade of “I” in the case of someone who could not complete a course due to an injury or illness that occurs late in the semester.  If the student otherwise fails to complete the course, the student will receive a grade of "F."
 

Lecture Subjects and Exam Dates

 

 

 

           Monday

 

            Wednesday

 

                  Friday

 1. Aug.

22 - Industrialization1

24 - Industrialization 2

26 - Political Economy

 2. Aug / Sept

29 - Andrew Carnegie


31 - Mark Twain
 

  2 - Gilded Age Politics 1

 3. Sept.

  5 - Labor Day (No Class)

  7 - Gilded Age Politics 2

  9 - New Immigrants

 4. Sept.

 12 - Nativism

 14 - Labor 1

 16 - Labor 2

 5. Sept.

 19 - Last West

21 - New South

23 - Exam 1

 6. Sept / Oct.

26 - Populism 1

28 - Populism 2

30 - No Class

 7. Oct.

  3 - Spanish-Am. War

  5 - Imperialism

  7 - Origins of Progressivism

 8. Oct.

10 - TR & Monopoly

12 - Woodrow Wilson

14 - Fall Holiday (No Class)

 9. Oct.

17 - World War I

19 - World War I

21 - 1919

 10. Oct.

24 - Red Summer

26 - 1920s Political/Social

28 - Exam 2

 11. Nov.

31 - Great Depression

  2 -  1st New Deal

  4 - 2nd New Deal

 12. Nov.

  7 - World War II

  9 - World War II

11 - Origins of Cold War

 13. Nov.

14 - Cold War

16 -  McCarthyism

18 - Economy 1940-1973

 14. Nov.

21.- MLK & Civil Rights

23 - Thanksgiving (No Class)

25 - Thanksgiving (No Class)

 15. Nov / Dec

28 - MLK & Civil Rights

 
 30 - Vietnam 1

 

  2 - Vietnam 2

 16. Dec.

  5 - Nixon

  7 - Watergate

  9 - Study Day  (Makeups)

 
 17. Dec.

 
12-

14 - Exam 3 - 8:45 am


16-

Reading Assignments 

Date

Devine,
 American Story
Madaras & SoRelle,
 Taking Sides
Aug. 26 Chapter 18 Issue 3
Sept. 2 Chapter 20 Issue 5
Sept. 9 Chapter 19 Issue 4
Sept. 19 Chapter 17 Issue 2
September 23 - Exam 1

Chapters 17-20

Issues 2-5
 Oct. 3 Chapter 21 Issue 6
Oct. 7 Chapter 22 Issue 10
Oct. 10 Chapter 23 Issue 8
 Oct. 17 Chapter 24 Issue 9
 Oct. 26 Chapter 25 Issue 7
October 28 - Exam 2

Chapters 21-25

Issues 6-10
Oct. 31 Chapter 26 Issue 11
 Nov. 7 Chapter 27 Issue 12
 Nov. 11 Chapter 28 Issue 13
 Nov. 18 Chapter 29 Issue 14
 Nov. 30 Chapter 30 Issue 15 & 16
 Dec. 5 Chapter 31 Issue 17 & 18
December 14 - Exam 3

Chapters 26-31

Issues 11-18

General Education Goals

U.S. History to 1877 is a freshman course which partially satisfies requirements of the Public Affairs section of the General Education Program. The History department’s goal in offering American history is to teach: 

1. Students to think critically about diverse interpretations of historical developments;

2. The diversity and appreciation of native and immigrant cultural values, gender, race and class differences as the foundation for advancing the University’s Public Affairs mission;

3.How present-day situations have grown out of past events, such as the American Revolution, which is essential for participation in America’s democratic experiment;

4. The evolution of political, constitutional, and social systems in the United States and in the State of Missouri as required by Missouri Senate Bill No. 262;How past events shape current possibilities for the individual in American society.   

Public Affairs

This course addresses the public affairs mission of MSU by examining the political, intellectual, economic, and social development of the United States to 1877.  Each exam will have materials that address public affairs.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, each student will:

1. Have learned to write clearly, concisely and critically.  This will be assessed on the essay portions of exams.

2. Have demonstrated the ability to think critically and to analyze historical developments and interpretations.  This will be assessed on essays questions over the required readings.

3. Have demonstrated the ability to take historical facts and make a general conclusion from those facts.  This will be assessed on the essay portions to exams.

4. Have demonstrated an understanding of how present-day situations have grown out of past events, which is essential to popular participation in America's democratic experiment.  This will be assessed on the essay and objective portions of exams, and attendance in class.

5. Have demonstrated a comprehensive content knowledge of the general development of United States history since 1877.  This will be assessed on the essay and objective portions of exams, and by the student's attendance in class.

MOSTEP and NCSS Accreditation

This syllabus demonstrates History competencies across all objectives, including: MOSTEP 1.2.1.1, CF 2, SA 1.1, SA 1.2 b.
This course addresses the following accreditation requirements:  M- 1.2.1.1; SA- 1.1, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 7.2, 7.4, 8.4; CF- 2, 4, 9; NCSS- 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9
     Note:  M = MOSTEP; SA = Specialty Area; CF = Conceptual Framework; NCSS = National Council for the Social Studies
 

University Policies

The instructor adopts all of the university's "suggested" wording.

go to http://www.missouristate.edu/provost/syllabi.htm for University policies