Time Schedule:
Margaret Pugh O'Mara
HSTAA 303
Seattle Campus
Emergence of modern America, after the Civil War; interrelationships of economic, social, political, and intellectual developments.
Class description
This is a survey course of the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the present, focusing on the relationship between state and society, economic and technological change, and struggles for civil and economic rights. The course covers pivotal events, transformative public figures, and social and cultural forces shaping the modern U.S., its relationship with its own citizens, and its changing role in the world.
The class meets three times per week for a 50-70 minute lecture followed by discussion, small group activities, multimedia presentations, and in-class assignments.
Student learning goals
refined understanding of how governments, markets, and individuals and groups have functioned as agents of historical change; the contingencies and complexities shaping America’s transition from an agrarian nation to an industrial and post-industrial superpower; sharpened critical thinking and writing about history; and the historical roots of present-day political, economic, and social structures.
General method of instruction
The class meets three times per week for a 50-70 minute lecture followed by discussion, small group activities, multimedia presentations, and in-class assignments.
Recommended preparation
Some previous exposure to college-level history is recommended.
Class assignments and grading
The grade for the class will be based on four elements: a midterm (25%); a final (30%); a 5-7 page research paper (25%); three in-class timed writing assignments (15%); and two in-class pop quizzes (5%). All of these assignments will draw upon both the class lectures and the required reading material.
midterm (25%); final (30%); 5-7 page research paper (25%); three in-class timed writing assignments (15% total, or 5% each); and two in-class pop quizzes (5% total, or 2.5% each).
