HIS 120 U.S. History 1865 to 1945

Course Description

This course recounts the story of our country by looking at the experiences of the many diverse races and nationalities that, woven together, have created the United States of America. Students will learn to appreciate the contributions various peoples have made to the American culture. Emphasis will be placed on how both compromise and conflict have played major parts in American history.

Topics and Objectives

The Study of History

· Review the varying approaches to the study of history.

· Recognize the philosophical problems of documenting history, such as objectivity, choice of sources, and bias.

· Identify problems unique to the study of our past.

The Legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction

· Describe the legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

The Industrialization of America and the Rise of Big Business

· List the factors that led to the rise of American industry, big business and urbanization.

· Describe the economic, social, and political impact that the rise of big business had on America.

· Explain the impact that new inventions, westward expansion, and federal laws had on making the United States "The World's Breadbasket."

From Commonwealth to Empire: The Rise of the United States as a World Power

· List the forces that transformed the United States from an isolationist nation into a world power.

The Urbanization of America and the Origins and Significance of the Progressive Movement

· Describe the social, economic, and political consequences of urbanization in the United States and the significance of the Progressive Era.

World War I and the Entrance of the United States onto the World Stage

· Explain America's entry into World War I and the significance this war had on the United States.

· Describe World War I's foreign policy legacy.

Mass Media, the 1920s, the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the Beginnings of the Welfare State

· Explore the culture of the "Roaring Twenties."

· Describe how new goods, such as automobiles, washing machines, telephones, and radios changed America.

· Describe how advertising and the modern film industry created and influenced the new mass culture.

· Describe the causes of the Great Depression and the significance of President Roosevelt's New Deal on American politics and society.

The Death of Isolationism: The Origins and Significance of World War II

· Explain America's entry into World War II and the significance this war had on the United States.

· Recognize World War II's foreign policy legacy.