This is an introductory course to the US history from 1877 to the present.
Course Description: The course provides the general knowledge of the US history focusing on the political, social, economic and cultural aspects. The course focuses on the specific periods such as the Reconstruction era, Industrial Revolution, the period of the Great Wars, the Cold War era, the Vietnam war era and so on.
Course Objectives:
At the end of the semester, you should be able to recognize the major periods, figures and issues of the US history.
Grading:
Attendance------------------ 5 %
Writing Assignment-------- 25 %
Mid-term Exam------------- 30 %
Final Exam------------------ 40 %
The gradings depend on your attendance, writing assignment, mid-term exam, and final exam. You are required to come to class. Writing assignment and exams are essays.
Writing Assignment:
Watch movies that depicts historical events such as the Grapes of Wrath, Sands of Iwo Jima, Bridge too Far, Patton, Saving Pvt. Ryan, Enemy at the Gate, Dr. Strange Love, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, Black Hawk Down and so on. Write 3 to 5 page review on the movie. Include your opinion on the Hollywood view of the historical events vs. the actual history.
Week 1 Introduction to the class
The Civil War and the Reconstruction
Week 2 the Reconstruction Period and the Question of Slavery
Week 3 The Minorities in the Reconstruction Period
Week 4 The US Isolationism and the Spanish American War
Week 5 The rise of international tension and the Great War and the Rise in the Civil Rights Interests
Week 6 The Great Depression and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Week 7 The beginning of the Second Great War
Mid-Term Exam Week
Week 8 The Second Great War
Week 9 The War termination and the rise in tension between the US and the USSR
Week 10 The Cold War Culture
Week 11 US Vietnam Involvement, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon and Ford
Week 12 The Era of Deterrence, Detente and Isolationism
Week 13 End of the Cold War and the aftermath
Week 14 The Gulf War and the limited military involvements
Week 15 Final Exam Week