Term: Spring 2011
Course No. & Section History 162, Section 5
Course Title: Contemporary America
Section Time: MWF 12-12:50pm
Instructor: Dr. Carla Bittel
Course Description:
This course serves as an introduction to the history of the United States from the end of
the nineteenth century to the present. We will examine the major changes and
developments that shaped a very complex American social, cultural, political and
economic landscape. Students will be learning American history through interpreting the
words and images of diverse social groups from the American past. Students will also
evaluate historical arguments and debates, reading works by historians and a textbook to
provide background. We will also look at a variety of images and films, and listen to the
sounds of the past, including speeches and music.
Learning Outcomes:
An understanding of modern American history and the defining historical themes of the
late nineteenth and twentieth centuries; to gain knowledge of the diverse experiences of
the past; to analyze and interpret primary source materials; to think critically about
images and texts; to write analytical essays.
Prerequisites/Recommended Background:
None
Required Texts/References:
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! An American History Volume II, Second Seagull Edition
(New York: W.W. Norton, 2009).
Jacob A. Riis, How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York
Richard D. Polenberg, ed. The Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi
Course Work/Expectations:
Students will be evaluated through a combination of exams, writing assignments, and
class participation.