HIS204

United States History 2: 1865 to the Present

Surveys United States history from Reconstruction to the present. Focuses on the role of the United States among the community of nations and on the ideas and events that have shaped the development of our culture, government and institutions since 1865. Examines the following themes: Reconstruction, industrialization and its effects on American society, immigration and urbanization, progressivism, World War I, social and cultural changes of the Twenties, the Great Depression and the New Deal, World War II, postwar affluence and social change, the Cold War and its end, the civil rights movement, Watergate, the Reagan Revolution, and the war on terrorism. Introduces techniques of historical research and critical writing about the modern history of the United States.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Discuss various events in modern American history from the end of the Civil War with an emphasis on the historical narrative.
2. Discuss how civic engagement of individuals and groups change over time.
3. Explain how the common institutions in modern American society affected different groups in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
4. Analyze the connections of global forces to local or national developments.
5. Discuss the role that geography played on the development of the United States.
6. Analyze current issues in American society in their historical context.
7. Appraise various pieces of writing about modern American history for bias and viewpoint.
8. Explain the basic forms of historical analysis in American history using primary or secondary evidence.
9. Assess multiple types of historical evidence to formulate an informed response.

Effective Term: Fall 2020

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