About the Course
This course will present an overview of U.S. history since the Civil War era. The class will explore general trends in political and social history, such as immigration, civil rights, and industrialization, as well as specific watershed events such as the Haymarket bombing, the Dust Bowl, and the Watergate scandal. Students will examine these events through secondary literature and a variety of online primary sources, including newspaper articles, films, music recordings, radio programs, photographs, advertisements, and posters.
Texts
Recommended:
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Volume 2, Seagull Edition (New York: W.W. Norton, 2009), at the University bookstore at the Sir George Williams (downtown) campus and on reserve at the library.
Primary documents, all available online.
Use textbook chapters as background reading for each week. All assigned readings are available online. You are expected to print out the item so that you will have it with you in class.
Assessment
Successful completion of the course depends on regular attendance in class, evidence of preparation and application, active participation in class discussions based on close readings of the required texts, and completion of all assignments on time.
Wikipedia Assignment (due Jan. 31) – 10%
Pop Quizzes (best 5) – 25%
Midterm (Feb. 28 in class) – 20%
Research Paper (due at different times depending the chosen topic) – 25%
Final Exam (TBA) – 20%
Participation
Attendance at lectures is essential-to complete all written assignments you will need information provided during lectures.
Deadlines
The penalty for late papers and projects will be 5% of the grade per day. No extensions will be granted except in cases of a DOCUMENTED emergency.
Policies
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is an affront to me and to your peers. Plagiarism is submitting work that is not your own as if it were yours. This includes copying material, even a few sentences, from published or unpublished sources, from the internet, or from another student without citing the source. It also includes presenting another person’s ideas or paraphrasing the work of another person without citing the source. Plagiarism also includes handing in bought papers, papers obtained from free essay websites, or having another person write your paper for you. Anyone suspected of copying other people’s work without clear acknowledgement, or of any comparable act, will be reported to the Faculty of Arts and Science for plagiarism.
Syllabus: I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus during the year if/as necessary. Please check the online syllabus before every class.
SHAC Announcement
Students of History at Concordia (SHAC) is a member association of the Arts and Science Faculty devoted to the social and academic life of students in the history department. SHAC represents all history majors, minors, specializations and students taking a history class as an elective. We organize social and academic events and publish the undergraduate journal Historiae. For information on getting help, getting published or upcoming events check out our webpage http://www.shaconline.wordpress.com, join the Facebook group or stop by during our office hours to say hi and get some free coffee in LB 620-2 (in order to be sustainable please bring your own mug). If you have any questions we can be reached by email at SHAC@asfa.ca. Have a great semester.