I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Honors U.S. History Since 1865

2. Course Prefix & Number:
HIST 1475

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This course will survey the history of the American people since 1865.  Social, political, economic and cultural developments will be covered.  A multi-cultural perspective will be incorporated into the course; taking into account those Americans denied access to positions of political and economic power in the past. Analytical skills focusing on reading, writing and use of primary documents will be emphasized. This honors course will feature an expanded reading load, seminar-style class discussions, and in depth writing assignments. Courses in the Honors Program emphasize independent inquiry, informed discourse, and direct application within small, transformative, and seminar-style classes that embrace detailed examinations of the material and feature close working relationships with instructors. In addition, students learn to leverage course materials so that they can affect the world around them in positive ways.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Writing Honors College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

7. Other Prerequisites
One of the following: ACT English score 24, ACT Reading score 24, Accuplacer Reading Comprehension score 78, Accuplacer NextGen Reading score 250, High School GPA 3.0, Or permission from the instructor or Honors Coordinator

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

St. Cloud State University, HIST 141: US HIstory since 1865, 3 credits
Bemidji State University, HST 1115: US History since 1877, 3 credits
University of Minnesota, HIST 1302: US History since 1877, 3 credits

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

History Transfer Pathway AA
Honors Certificate

III. Course Purpose

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Goal 7A - Human Diversity

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Successfully complete written assignments and exam essay questions.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Lead small group discussions and class presentations based on historical topics from the Civil War era through the present.
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Demonstrate an understanding of multi-cultural perspective of U.S. history, including the experience and perspectives of African- Americans, American Indians, women, immigrants and other groups typically excluded from power.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate a broad understanding of U.S. History from the Civil War Era through the present MnTC Goal 5;
• Apply historical thinking using independent inquiry MnTC Goal 5;
• Analyze historical sources, distinguishing primary from secondary sources MnTC Goal 5;
• Model excellent communication using historical evidence and methods MnTC Goal 5;
• Understand the development of and the changing meanings of group identities in the United States' history and culture MnTC Goal 7A;
• Describe and discuss the experience and contributions (political, social, economic, etc.) of the many groups that shape American society and culture, in particular those groups that have suffered discrimination and exclusion MnTC Goal 7A;
• Demonstrate an awareness of the individual and institutional dynamics of unequal power relations between groups in contemporary society MnTC Goal 7A;
• Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition MnTC Goal 5;
• Develop historical explanations for contemporary social issues and explore innovative solutions MnTC Goal 5; and
• Lead group activities that enhance understanding of U.S. History from the Civil War era through the present.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. The Era of Reconstruction, 1865–1877
2. Go West Young Man! Westward Expansion, 1840-1900
3. Industrialization and the Rise of Big Business, 1870-1900
4. The Growing Pains of Urbanization, 1870-1900
5. Politics in the Gilded Age, 1870-1900
6. Leading the Way: The Progressive Movement, 1890-1920
7. Age of Empire: American Foreign Policy, 1890-1914
8. Americans and the Great War, 1914-1919
9. The Jazz Age: Redefining the Nation, 1919-1929
10. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? The Great Depression, 1929-1932
11. Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1941
12. Fighting the Good Fight in World War II, 1941-1945
13. Post-War Prosperity and Cold War Fears, 1945-1960
14. Contesting Futures: America in the 1960s
15. Political Storms at Home and Abroad, 1968-1980
16. From Cold War to Culture Wars, 1980-2000