HIS 153 - U.S. History Since 1877

1. Evaluate the causes and effects of industrialization after the Civil War
   1. Explain the influence of the railroads, steel manufacturing, oil and other components of the industrial economy
   2. Evaluate the response of the government, including the courts, and the political system to the effects of industrialization
   3. Assess the social, cultural, and intellectual consequences of industrialization, especially the concentration of wealth and power and its impact on working men, women, and children
   4. Chronicle the rise of the labor movement in the post-Civil War years
   5. Interpret the changing role of agriculture in industrializing America
2. Analyze the political climate in the United States in the post-Civil War years
   1. Examine the issues that were involved in significant national elections
   2. Evaluate the stances of the major political parties on the issues of the day
   3. Describe the extent of political corruption during this period
   4. Illustrate the impact of the women’s suffrage movement
   5. Reframe the role that the controversy surrounding currency played in this period
3. Assess America’s changing role in the world during the late-1800s
   1. Appraise the specific foreign policy issues that presented themselves during the post-Civil War years
   2. Evaluate the overall impact of the Spanish-American War
   3. Contrast the circumstances relating to increased American influence in Hawaii and the American takeover of the Philippines focusing on the imperialist and anti-imperialist arguments
   4. Record the American issuance of the Open Door policy in China within the overall world foreign policy context and its significance in Asia generally
4. Synthesize the various forces, issues, and personalities involved in the progressive movement in the early 1900s
   1. Summarize the writings, ideas, and influence of the muckrakers
   2. Explain the impact of the progressive movement on local, state, and national politics
   3. Discuss the late-nineteenth-century women’s movement and its relationship to the progressive movement
   4. Evaluate the impact of progressive legislation through Wilson’s administration
   5. Explain the significance of the Niagara movement and the birth of the NAACP in terms of minority involvement in American culture
   6. Analyze the policies of the Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson administration policies so as to measure each in terms of its support for progressivism
   7. Summarize key foreign policy issues during the progressive period, such as the construction of the Panama Canal
5. Explain the causes, the circumstances leading to, the course of, and the consequences of World War I
   1. Examine the circumstances leading to World War I in Europe, American efforts to remain neutral in its early days, and eventual U.S. involvement in the war
   2. Summarize what American did to mobilize for the war, emphasizing the role of the national government and the role of women
   3. Trace the major strategies and battles of the war emphasizing American involvement
   4. Examine the various major provisions and shortcomings of the Treaty of Versailles
   5. Analyze as a political and a foreign policy issue Wilson’s efforts to create the League of Nations including the consequence of its rejection by the United States
6. Discuss the political, cultural and social situation of the country during the 1920s
   1. Demonstrate changes and continuities in the manner in which political issues were dealt during the 1920s
   2. Assess the growth of consumerism during the 1920s
   3. Analyze the changing role of women during the 1920s
7. Summarize the various causes and consequences of the Great Depression
   1. Compare the various historical arguments as to who or what “caused” it to happen
   2. Describe the Depression’s severity in economic and personal terms
   3. Assess the Depression’s impact in political terms culminating in the election of Franklin Roosevelt
   4. Contrast the various New Deal programs in terms of their goals and their successes and failures
   5. Discuss political debate and action concerning the New Deal
   6. Estimate the impact of the Depression and the New Deal on organized labor in America, minorities, and women
8. Analyze the various foreign policy issues facing the United States during the 1930s leading to World War II
   1. Discuss the role that isolationism policy and sentiment played in the U.S. during this period
   2. Analyze the reasons for the rise of totalitarianism during the 1920s and 1930s
   3. Trace the specific circumstances which led to war between the United States and both Germany and Japan
   4. Summarize the American mobilization for World War II, including the roles of women and minorities
   5. Identify, briefly, the strategies and major battles of World War II, in the various theaters emphasizing the differences of opinion among the Allies over strategy
   6. Compare the various conferences during World War II in terms of their goals and short-and long-term consequences
   7. Describe the political, military, diplomatic, economic, and human costs and consequences of World War II
9. Evaluate the political and military circumstances leading to the Cold War and its consequences
   1. Consider the various causes of the Cold War with regard to various parts of the world
   2. Explain the various specific crises and issues through which the Cold War evolved, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the Berlin crisis
   3. Compare the role of the political and economic organizations set up at the end of and after World War II
   4. Interpret the causes and consequences of the Korean War
   5. Consider the early and later development of the Vietnam War as an example of Cold War conflict
   6. Assess the conflict in the Middle East (1948-present) in terms of its relevance to the Cold War conflict
   7. Judge as to the long-term consequences of the Cold War in terms of U.S.-Soviet relations
10. Appraise American domestic policy during the post-World War years
    1. Classify post-war presidential policies in the areas of economic, social welfare, civil rights, women’s and civil liberties and labor policies
    2. Compare and contrast the relative strengths of the Republicans and the Democrats during the 1950s
    3. Summarize the evolution of the Civil Rights Movement from the late-1940s through the 1960s, focusing on such things as the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the integration of the Little Rock schools
    4. Illustrate the protest movements of the 1960s and their impact on U.S. culture and policy
    5. Measure the role of the Supreme Court in the 1960s and 1970s, mentioning specific court decisions, such as Miranda v. Arizona and Baker v. Carr, and their consequences
11. Determine the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in terms of foreign and domestic policy
    1. Examine Nixon presidency, including its shifts in foreign and domestic policy, its relationship to the Cold War, and its involvement in political corruption, especially the Watergate scandal
    2. Evaluate the progression of social movements during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, including Civil Rights, women’s rights, and LGBT rights
    3. Discuss the energy crisis of the 1970s and evaluate its main consequences, including the rise of the environmental movement
    4. Examine the rise of the New Right in the 1980s
    5. Discuss developments in the Cold War during this period, especially US involvement in the Vietnam War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War
12. Establish the main issues facing the United States in the 21^st century
    1. Show the current state of US domestic policy
    2. Review the current state of US foreign policy
    3. Assess the social movements of the 21^st century and their connection to the social movements of the latter half of the 20^th century
    4. Discuss major shifts in US politics, economics, and society in the 21^st century to date.
13. Demonstrate effective communication and critical thinking skills through writing
    1. Define and interpret primary sources
    2. Create a formal research paper with a coherent argument