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HIST 1302, Sec. 002

Spring 2009

US History II
Discussion/Reading Suggestions

 

Week 1 (January 16)
Introductory Session
No Reading Assignment

 

Week 2 (January 23)
 

Binder, Chapter 1

·         What is Mark Huddle’s main thesis/argument about education programs in North Carolina during Reconstruction?  How successful were the programs?  How and why did they start?  Why are they important?

·         What does the reading on Fayetteville reveal about the era of Reconstruction in the south?  How did Fayetteville’s experience compare to the experiences of other southern cities?  What are some specific examples provided in the essay to illustrate this?

·         To what does Huddle attribute the initial success of education programs?  What eventually became of those programs?  What does that reveal about the legacy of Reconstruction?

·         What is the general message and tone of Jourdon Anderson’s letter?  Who was he and why was he writing?  What does his letter reveal about life for former slaves after the Civil War?

·         What is the purpose of the Knights of the White Camelia document?  How did the Knights justify their existence?  What does the document reveal about he emergence of the Knights and other groups like it after the Civil War?

·         What is the purpose of Frederick Douglas’s speech?  What was he demanding and how did he back those demands?  Do you find his speech persuasive?  Why/why not?  Who was likely his intended audience?  How do you imagine they might have reacted to Douglas?  What does his speech illustrate about life for former slaves in 1865? 

 

Binder, Chapter 2

·         What is Jack Chen’s main thesis/argument about the role of Chinese workers in the settling of western lands in the United States?  Why was there so much resistance to using Chinese labor?  What ultimately compelled railroad companies to rely on the Chinese to lay rail lines?

·         How does the chapter describe daily life for Chinese workers?  How do the descriptions in the chapter compare to the romantic notions of the “Wild West” in 19th century America?

·         What themes from lecture and the textbook are evident in the chapter?  How does it illustrate the way westward expansion was closely linked to economic developments in the northeast?  How does it illustrate the importance of new technological developments in the late 19th century?

·         What is the nature of the document entitled “California Must Be All American?”  Who was the author and what does he represent?  How does the author describe Chinese workers? What seems to be his biggest concern? How do his concerns reflect the anxieties associated with westward expansion? 

·         Who is the author of the “Homesteading in South Dakota” document and what is the source of the excerpt?  Why did the author write the document?  How reliable is it as a primary source?  How does the author describe her decision to move the United States?  How does she describe working in agriculture in Illinois?  In South Dakota?  What information can you glean from the document about Americans’ reactions to the Homestead Act?  About tensions with Native Americans in the west?  About daily life for farmers?

·         Who is the author of “A Montana Cowtown” and what do you know about him?  What was his purpose for writing the document?  How does his description of the west compare to the description in the essay?  How does it compare to the homesteading document?  Does it help to illustrate how the romanticized notions of the west developed?

 

Week 3 (January 30)
Due to the ice day on January 28, the course schedule will change in the following ways: Friday, January 30 there will be a quiz over week 3 lecture (from Monday) and the reading assignment (Chapter 5) out of the Binder book.  There will be no in-class discussion.  You will see a video on Indian policy in the late nineteenth century.  Please take good notes.  This information will be on the quiz next week (Feb. 6).  On Monday, Feb. 2 we will have Lecture 4 on Urban Expansion.  We will be back to the lecture schedule as listed on the syllabus on Feb. 2.  We will discuss both week 3 readings and week 4 readings in class on Feb. 6. 

 

Binder, Chapter 5

·         What is John Radzitowski’s main argument about polish immigration in Minnesota at the end of the nineteenth century?  What conditions in Europe compelled Polish immigrants to look to the United States?  How did factors in the United States fuel immigration?  How did recruitment efforts work?

·         How does the author describe the cultural hybridization that took place in rural Minnesota?  What role did organized religion play in the immigrant communities?  How does the author describe notions of national identity in the Polish communities?  Overall, how does the chapter illustrate aspects of the changing demographics and economic expansion discussed in lecture?

·         What is the nature of the Irish Immigrant document?  What kind of document is it?  Who seems to be the author?  What seems to be the purpose of the document?  How does the document describe the Irish immigrant?  Why did he come to the United States?  What kinds of conditions did he encounter?  How do his experiences help you understand the plight of labor and immigrants at the turn of the century?

·         When and where was the Italian Bootblack’s Story published?  How does the author describe the experiences of those particular immigrants?  Who was Bartolo and what role did he play?  How does the Italians’ story compare to that of the miner?  To what do you attribute their success?  How does their story help us to understand why so many immigrants continued to come to the United States despite the difficult conditions most were forced to endure?

Week 4 (February 6)
 

Binder, Chapter 3

·         What is Robert Trennert’s main thesis/argument about Indian schools in the late 19th century?  What was the purpose of the schools?  How successful were they?  How does Trennert seem to be defining success? 

·         Why was there such an emphasis on education of Indians in the late 19th century?  Why does Trennert focus his study on Indian girls?  How and why did the girls’ experiences differ from those of Indian boys?  How and why did approaches to Indian education change over time?  Does this reflect anything that we have learned about the broader context of the time period?

·         How did Indians themselves react to the attempts of whites to impose new ideas and cultures on them?  How does Trennert treat this issue?  How does he deal with a “lack of sources?”

·         Overall, how would you assess Trennert’s essay?  Do you agree with his basic conclusions?  Does his essay support or refute any information presented in lectures or the text?  Does is provide meaningful analysis?  Why/why not?

·         What is the nature of the “Rules for Indian Schools” document?  What is the source?  How would you describe the schools’ rules?  Did any of the guidelines surprise you?  Why/why not?  How does the document help you to understand the time period?  Can you offer any alternatives to the rules and guidelines for Indian education?

·         What is the nature of the document on Indian Race and Culture?  Who wrote the document and why?  How does the author describe Indian culture?  What is the author’s idea of “race evolution?”  What is your reaction to his arguments?

·         What is the nature of the document: “The Cutting of My Long Hair?”  How does this document differ from the other documents in the chapter?  Does is support/refute any arguments made in the essay?  Do you sympathize with the author of the document?  How do you imagine people might have reacted to the document when it was written?

 

 

Week 5 (February 13)
 

NO DISCUSSION – EXAM 1 – BRING BLUE BOOK AND COMET CARD

 

Week 6 (February 20)

Binder Chapter 4

·         What is Bonnie Mittelman’s main thesis/argument about the Triangle Factory fire of 1911? Who was Rose Schneiderman and what role did she play?  What role did the WTUL play?  What sources does Mittelman use?  Does she use them effectively?

·         How does Mittelman’s narrative of the tragedy compare to the video shown in class?  How are they similar and how are they different?  To what do you attribute the differences?  Does this comparison reveal anything about the role of new technologies (such as still and moving pictures) in American media and communications?  How do you imagine Americans might have reacted to a narrative of the events?  How do you imagine they might have reacted to pictures?

·         What role did the fire play in bringing labor reform in American industries?  How does Mittelman explain the push for reform?  Do you agree with her argument?  Why/why not?

·         Who was Horace Mann and what was the nature of his document?  To what did he attribute the rising numbers of women teachers?  What is your reaction to his argument?  How do you imagine 19th century Americans might have reacted to his argument?  To what extent does his document represent a step forward for women’s rights?  To what extent does it represent backward notions of a male-dominated society? 

·         Who was Anna Manning Comfort and what is the purpose of her document? Where and when was it published?  Is the date significant?  What is her overall message?  How does she describe the challenges she faced as a woman doctor in the mid-late 19th century?  Do you think her account is exaggerated?  Why/why not?  How much had the medical field changed by 1916?  Why is this important?

·         What ruling is represented in Supreme Court Justice Bradley’s decision?  How did he defend his ruling?  How did women attempt to use the newly-ratified 14th amendment to defend their position?  What was Bradley’s response?   How did he view the function of marriage in American society?  What does this illustrate about the prevailing attitudes toward women in the context of Civil Rights in the era of Reconstruction?  What is your reaction to his ruling?  How do you image 19th century Americans might have reacted to his ruling? 

 

 

Week 7 (February 24)

 

Binder, Chapter 6

 

·         What is Keith Medley’smain thesis/argument about events leading up to the Plessy v. Ferguson case in New Orleans in the 1890s?  Why does Medley consider the racial environment in New Orleans to be unique?  Why did black activists choose New Orleans as the venue to challenge southern moves toward segregation?  Why was their attempt ineffective?

·         How does the essay illustrate the changing nature of the reconstruction period?  How does it illustrate the ambiguities of race?  Why did some blacks support racial separation?

·         How does the episode in New Orleans reflect the so-called “Guilded Age” at the end of the 19th century?  How does it help you understand the emergence of progressive reform?  How can theories of social mobility that arose around urban expansion in the northeast also help to explain racist attitudes in other regions of the country?  What parallels can you identify between Americans’ justifications for imperial expansion and the growing racial tensions in the south?  Overall, how would you describe American society (and social attitudes) in the late 19th century?

·         Who is the author of the “Lynching” document and what do you know about him?  Where is he from?  What is his justification for lynchings?  How does he try to persuade his audience to support his point of view?  Is this an effective strategy?  What kind of language does he use to describe blacks?  To describe white women?  How reliable do you consider his perspective of the situation in the south?

·         Who is the author of the “A Call for Equality” document and where was it published?  What is he demanding?  How does this document compare to the speech by Frederick Douglas in Chapter 1?  How have the issues changed and/or remained the same?  How does this document define equality?  How does this document fit within the context of the era of progressive reform?

·         Who is the author of the “I Want to Come North” document and where did this excerpt appear?  What is the purpose for writing the document and who is the intended audience?  How does he describe the plight of blacks in the south as they try to migrate north?  How does this letter compare to the letter written by Jourdan Anderson in chapter 1?  When was the letter written and what do you know about that time period in history?  Can your knowledge of the date help to explain the nature of the document?

 

 

Week 8 (March 6)
 

Binder Chapter 7

·         What is Meirion and Susie Harries main thesis/argument about the U.S. military during World War I?  Generally, how do they describe the military at the time?  How does the military reflect other trends being discussed in class? 

·         How did the military treat non-white and immigrant enlistees?  What types of training challenges did the military face?  What types of bureaucratic challenges did the military face?  How did many enlistees resist the military and the war?  Why was there such resistance during WWI?  How did the military deal with objectors?

·         How do the Harries describe life in military camps?  How does this compare to life in tenements and other urban housing areas at the time?  Is it surprising that living conditions were so poor?  Why/why not?  Why do the author’s include a section on vice in the military?  Overall, how does the military experience reflect broad trends in the Progressive era in America?

·         When and where was the document on German-American loyalty published?  What does it reflect?  What were the possible motives of the author?  What were the possible motives of the CPI?  What can this document tell us about the attitudes of immigrants in American during the war?  Do you think these sentiments were typical?  Why/why not?

·         What does the Mennonite Draftee letter describe?  How does this document fit in the context of information presented in the essay?  What does it reveal about ethnic tensions in America during the war?

·         What is the nature of the French Military Mission document?  How wrote it and why?  How does it describe Americans’ attitudes toward blacks?  Why are the French concerned with this?  Overall, how do these documents and essays illustrate broader trends being presented in class?

 

Binder, Chapter 9

·         What is John D’Emilio and Estelle Friedman’s main argument/thesis about changing social attitudes in the United States in the 1920s?  Why is their essay titled “The Sexual Revolution?”  Do you agree with the label?  Why/why not?  What types of sources do they use?  How effective are those sources?

·         How did sexual behaviors become more open in the 1920s?  Why did these changes occur when they did?  What role did the middle class play?  What role did other classes play? 

·         How did the birth control debate fit into the sexual revolution?  How did it fit in the context of the Progressive movement?  How widespread was this “revolution?”  Why did occur more in some areas than in others?

·         Who was Margaret Sanger and what is the nature of her document on marriage?  What seems to be her objective?  How reliable does she seem as an authority on childbirth and marriage?  What is your reaction to her argument?  How do you imagine Americans might have reacted to her arguments in the 1920s?

·         Why did Senator Henry Myers write the report on moving pictures?  What is his overall argument?  What seems to be his objective?  Does his argument make sense or does it seem to be an overreaction?  How does this document compare to arguments made today about the influence of movies and other media?

·          What is the purpose of the prohibition document?  Who wrote it and why?  Which Americans seemed to be breaking prohibition laws?  Why?  Overall, how do these documents and essay reflect the growing influence of popular culture in the lives of Americans in the 20th century?  Overall, do you think this influence was positive or negative?

 

Week 9 (March 13)
 

Binder, Chapter 10

·         What is the main argument by Timothy Egan in the essay “The Worst Hard Time?” How did the people of Dalhart react to the closing of the First National Bank?  How does the author describe the impact of the economic crisis in the town?  How did climate and other acts of nature make the suffering worse?

·         Whom did the people of Dalhart (and across the United States) blame for their misfortune?  What was the logic in assigning blame?  How did the economic problems of Dalhart exacerbate racial tensions?

·         What happened when agricultural output actually increased in Dalhart?  Why did greater agricultural production fail to help the struggling town?  How was the town’s judicial system affected by the economic decline?  How can the essay help you understand the impact of the Great Depression in small towns and on ordinary people?

·         Who were the “Okies in California?”  What is the nature of the document describing them?  What does the document reveal about how people who relocated to California lived during this time?  With such meager conditions, why do you imagine people continued to go?  Overall, how could you use this document as a source?

·         What is the nature of the document "Homeless Women Sleep in Chicago Parks?”  Who wrote the article and where did it originally appear?  How was the story reported?  What were the concerns of public officials?

·         What is the nature of the “Vagrant Civil Engineer” document?  What was the original source of the document?  Why does the author of the document find Langlan Heinz’s story so compelling?  How does it help to illustrate the nuances of the era of the Great Depression?  How do the last two documents help to illustrate who was affected by the Great Depression?

 

Week 11 (March 30) **Monday Discussion
 

Binder, Chapter 11

·         What is William O’Neill’s main argument/thesis about the home front in the United States during World War II?  How did Americans respond to the crisis of war?  How effective were their efforts? 

·         How would you compare the home front in World War II to the portrayal of World War I in Chapter 7?  To what would you attribute the differences in WWII?  To what would you attribute the similarities?  How do both periods compare to America at war today?

·         Overall, how does the essay describe the home front in World War II?  Did any aspects of the essay surprise you?  What role did propaganda play on the home front?  Which aspects of the propaganda campaign seem negative?  Do any seem positive?  How effective was WWII propaganda? 

·         What were the circumstances under which John Zimola joined the Navy?  What is the general tone of the document?  When did he join?  Why is that important?  How typical do you think his experience was?  Why?

·         What is the nature of the shipyard diary document?  When and why was the document written?  What kind of information does the document reveal about the attitudes and roles of women on the home front during World War II? 

·         How does the “Conditions in the Camps” document describe the Japanese internment camps?  What does the document reveal about life in the United States during the war?  What does it reveal about the plight of Japanese-Americans during the war?

 

 

Week 12 (April 10)
 

Binder, Chapter 12

·         What is Kenneth Jackson’s main argument/thesis about the emergence of suburbia in post-WWII America?  Why did the housing issue become so important in the decades following the war?  How did American industry deal with housing demands? 

·         Who was William Levitt and what did he represent in postwar America?  How did Levitt build homes so quickly and so inexpensively?  How did this fit in the broader context of American industry, economic expansion, and prosperity?  Why did Levitt and others like him fall prey to critics?  Was there any merit to the criticisms?

·         Does suburbia accurately represent larger trends in American development in the decades following the war?  Why/why not?  How do issues such as the Cold War and race in the 1950s and 1960s?

·         What is the nature of the “Suburban Blend” document?  When and where was the document originally published?  What does the author mean by “black flight?”  Why are African Americans leaving traditionally black neighborhoods in Memphis?  How does the document describe the positive and negative aspects of this trend?  Why do white residents seem to be moving out of the suburbs?  How are the trends discussed in the document similar and/or different from the demographic and housing trends after World War II (from the essay)?

·         What is the general message in the Melting Pot document?  What does the author mean by “melting pot?”  Do you agree?  Does the document describe a steady integration of suburban areas?  Or does it describe a continued segregation?  According to the document, what kind of challenges do communities face when integration takes place?  Would you characterize the trends described in the document as positive or negative?

 

Week 13 (April 17)

Binder, Chapter 13

·         What is William Doyle’s  main thesis/argument about the attempt to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas?  How does his style of writing differ from the other essays assigned from this book?  Is it effective?  Why/why not?  According to Doyle, why was this such a powerful moment in the Civil Rights Movement?

·         How does this chapter compare to the portrayal of white, middle-class Americans moving to the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s?  Taking a broad view of American society, it is accurate to describe this period as a era of prosperity and progress?    

·         How is President Eisenhower portrayed in the essay?  How does this image of him compare to the “Straight and Narrow” personality presented in lecture and in the textbook?  What did Eisenhower’s position on civil rights seem to be?  Why did he eventually send American troops into Little Rock?

·         What is the nature of the “Growing Up Black in the South” document?  Who wrote it and what kind of information does it provide?  How does it compare to other information about racism provided in class?  How does this document help you understand why many blacks became involved in pushing for their rights in the last half of the 20th century?

·         What is the nature of the “Southern Manifesto?”  Who wrote it and where did it first appear?  How do they authors of the manifesto defend segregation?  Are their arguments compelling (or would they have been compelling at the time?)  How does this document help to illustrate the resistance to integration in the 1950s?

·         What is the nature of the document on “Wealth and Income Inequality?”  When and where was it first published?  Who appears to be the author?  What evidence does the author cite to argue that racial inequality still exists?  How do the racial issues described in this document compare to the issues described in the documents and essays from earlier decades?

 

Week 14 (April 23)
 

Binder, Chapter 14

·         What is Terry Anderson’s main argument/thesis about the development and activities of the student movements in the 1960s?  What led to growing student activism and what impact did the student movements have at the time?  How does the author tie this activism to broad trends of the previous decade, such as the development of the Cold War, the rise of the red scare, the growing civil rights movement, and the trend to conformity?  How do you tie these issues based on your knowledge?

·         What was your impression of the student movements prior to reading this essay?  How does the essay’s portrayal of the movements compare?  What were the students fighting for?  What tactics did they use?  How might you explain the reaction of administrators? 

·         Since the student movements originated prior to the Vietnam War, how would you explain the fact that they are so closely associated today?  Does the essay give you an idea of how widespread the movements were?  How do you explain the “Flaming Moderates?”  How do the 1960s student movements compare to youth activism today?

·         Who is the author of “Vietnam Veterans Against the War?  What do you know about the author?  Does your knowledge of the author influence the way you read the document?  What is his overall point?  Based on your knowledge, how accurate was his statement?  What impact, if any, should the document have on politics today?

·         What is the nature of the "Native American Protest” document?  What are the Native Americans trying to purchase in the document?  How do they determine proper compensation?  Why are they targeting Alcatraz Island?  What kind of statement are they making with this offer?  How do these documents and essay help you understand the overall climate of protest that was so important in the 1960s and early 1970s?

 

Week 15 (May 1)
 

Binder, Chapter 15

·         What is Flora Davis’s main argument/thesis about the development of feminism—especially in the airline industry?  Why does she argue that between 1960 and 1990 women achieved half a revolution?  What general gender biases did the Airlines practice with respect to flight attendants?  Why were those gender biases acceptable?

·         In your experience, how has the airline industry changed since the 1960s and 1970s?  In your opinion, to what extent were gender biases in the airline industries a result of sexism versus business decisions?  For example, compare the customer base in the 1960s to the customer base today in the airline industry.  What benefits existed—from a business perspective—to have only young, single, female flight attendants?

·         How did women try to remedy their problems in the airline industry?  How does this compare to the growing student movements from the previous chapter in the 1960s?  What do these types of movements reveal about the way Americans were interacting with their government in these decades?  How does feminism in the 1970s compare to the movement today?

·         What is the source for the document, “A Woman’s Right to Abortion?”  Who wrote it and why?  What legal justification is presented in support of a woman’s right to abortion?  How does this fit in the context of the social atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s?  Has the argument over abortion changed since 1973?  If so, how?  Why is it important to understand the beginnings of Roe v. Wade in today’s world?

·         What is the nature of George H. W. Bush’s address on abortion?  Who was his audience?  How does he defend the pro-life movement?  How does his address compare to the previous document?  Comparing the two documents, how do they illustrate the nature of the abortion debate?  Do they represent a “culture war” that is ongoing today?

·         What is the nature of the "Working It Out” document?  When and where did the document originally appear?  What arguments does the author make about highly educated women?