Robbers, Radicals, and Reformers: 1880-1920 |
Marilyn Julius, Instructor
f-julius@mail.vjc.edu
Homepage: http://www3.vjc.edu/academics/faculty/julius_marilyn
Office: LRC #114; Phone: (443) 334-2289
Course Description
This course examines political, social, economic, and cultural life in the US from 1877 to 1919, the decades in which the country grew from a mostly rural, agrarian society into an urban, industrialized world power. The course will explore themes such as "big business," immigration, labor strife, segregation, progressive reform, and imperialism and their impact on the lives of ordinary Americans.
Here’s what’s in store for the semester:
- Quest at Your Desk: Our classroom meetings on Mondays and Wednesday will contain all the usual suspects: discussion, lectures, debates, films, tests, daydreaming, clock watching, learning.
- Chair in the Air:Your third class meeting will be held in your room, at the coffee shop, wherever you can find wi fi. Here you will spend about an hour on Blackboard posting and discussion as a follow-up to the week's topics.
- Feet on the Street: On Saturday, November 8, we will join Joe McGraw's class on the 1920s and 1930s (Boom to Bust!) for a trip to New York City. There we will explore the world of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era: Immigrant life in the Lower East Side; the life of the "robber barons": and
the built environment.
- And Homework: Then of course you’ll have homework that will help you learn some history by reading, writing, thinking about the subject matter. You’ll have a quiz on the week’s reading each Thursday, write a couple of short papers, and take two tests and a final exam.
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Learning Objectives:
Upon completing this course, you will be able to
- Demonstrate your knowledge of historical periods, persons, events, ideas, and themes in U.S. history from 1877 to 1920.
- Read, interpret, verify, use, and document primary and secondary sources.
- Articulate an understanding of the concepts of historical causation, conflict, and change over time.
- Analyze and synthesize the changing interpretations of freedom, equality, and justice during this period as they relate to various groups of Americans.
- Evaluate opposing arguments and challenges to the traditional view of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and comprehend how these various historical interpretations fit into a larger context of historical inquires.
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Readings:
Required:
- FOR STUDENTS NOT GOING ON THE NY TRIP!
Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America by Eric Rauchway
Requirements:
Quizzes & discussion
Friday Online "Class" |
15% |
Weekly Quiz; substantive discussion;
Online postings due on Fridays |
Test 1: Take home essay
Test 2: In-class Test |
15%
15% |
Industrialization, Immigration
Short answer and essay |
New York Trip & Report
or McKinley book & paper |
15% |
NY Trip, Nov. 8. Paper on connections between seat and street |
Paper: Maggie: Girl of the Streets and Progressive Reform
|
20% |
5-7 page paper based on Crane's novel and primary sources |
Final Exam |
20% |
Comprehensive exam |
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Please. . .
Be prepared. Some days you may be asked to write about the reading at the beginning of class or to read your reading response aloud. Some days you may have a quiz. You should always be prepared to discuss readings and topics aloud.
Be prompt. Turn in all work on time. Grades on late assignments will disappoint you (papers are devalued one letter grade per class period except in the case of documented absences for illness requiring a doctor's visit, a court appearance, a death in the family).
But wait! You do have one safety valve. One assignment may be turned in one week late.
Tests may be made up only with a documented excuse: from a physician, hospital, court, or other verifiable source.
Be honest with yourself and with me about your attendance, class preparation, and assignments. Document your papers correctly (plagiarism or cheating will result in failure of the course). Also, be candid. Honest feedback will help me fit the course to your needs and desires.
Be open-minded. Expect a lot. Get involved. Be curious. Have fun, too!
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