History of the United States II 4219-AW002
The central theme of this lecture is the rise of big business and its impact on how Americans lived, worked, and played. This development also transformed how Americans thought about the role of government in their society and laid the foundation for America's emergence as a superpower after World War II. To a lesser extent, the topics of religion, sports, and popular culture (film, radio, and TV) will also be addressed.
Topics:
The Social Side of Reconstruction
The Rise of Big Business
Urbanization and Immigration
Reaction and Reform: Populism and Progressivism
The Origins of Mass Culture
Rethinking America's Place in the World
The Roaring 20s
The Depressing 30s
The Rise of a Superpower
The Culture of the Cold War and Countercultures
The Reagan Revolution and Culture Wars
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will:
KNOWLEDGE
- knows and understands selected topics from the history of the USA from the Reconstruction era to the beginning of the 21st century, as well as their legal, social, cultural, and political contexts
- possesses a wide range of facts and data concerning the social, cultural, political, and economic history of the USA over the last 150 years, as well as the relations of the USA with other countries during this time
- understands the historical determinants of the social specificity of the United States, its multiculturalism and multi-nationality in the 19th and 20th centuries
- understands the contexts of the creation of American cultural products and the characteristic political, economic, and social contexts over the last 150 years
- can use the terminology used in historical writing and analysis of the past
SKILLS
- can synthesize material to present arguments indicating understanding of the history of the USA over the last 150 years
- can analyze sources, learning about the era in which they were produced
- can critically evaluate literature on the subject, including textbooks and scholarly books, and critically use historians' publications to understand the history of the USA and formulate own opinions
Assessment criteria
Written exam; 1 hour
Possible types of questions: multiple choice questions with only one good answer; true/false questions; short essays; fill in the blank question; definitions
The exam will address issues covered during the lecture (about 70% of the questions) and the material from the assigned textbook (US History.org) (about 30% of the questions)
Bibliography
Textbook: US History.org
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: