HIST C1002 - United States History since 1865

Transfer Status

CSU/UC

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
• Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course is a historical survey of the United States from the end of the Civil War to the present. The course also introduces students to historical reasoning skills. The course encompasses important economic, political, cultural and social developments. (C-ID HIST 140).

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of U.S. History through analytical categories such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity.
2. Demonstrate the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument which uses supportive evidence.
3. Analyze economic, political, and cultural developments as well as social movements and assess their historical significance.
4. Analyze the relevance of Modern American History to the present day.
5. Employ knowledge of the past and ability to analyze information to think critically about self, society, and the world.
6. Discuss America’s growth in a global context.
7. Explain historical events and developments in chronological and contextual relation to one another.
8. Recognize the diversity of historical experiences and the contributions of major social and ethnic groups.
9. Examine how American institutions and culture have changed over time and how they have remained the same.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

1. Class Activities
2. Collaborative Group Work
3. Guest Speakers
4. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
5. Lecture
6. Homework: A major part of that time will be spent reading both primary and secondary sources, including but not limited to monographs, articles, course readers, textbooks, literature and/or websites.

1. Methods of formative and summative evaluation used to observe or measure students’ achievement of course outcomes and objectives must include academic writing and research.
   
   Additional methods of evaluation are encouraged and at the discretion of local faculty and may incorporate assessments and exercises such as journals, quizzes, discussions, group work, and presentations.

Reading Assignments

1. Read the essay, "Why Study History," by Peter Stearns. Rank the six reasons that he provides, with the reason you find most convincing first and descending to the reason you find least compelling. Arrive in class prepared to discuss the reading and your thoughts.
2. Read Chapter 5 in Going to the Source. As you read, make a list of both the advantages and disadvantages of using advertisements as evidence of the past. Arrive in class ready to hand in your list, and to participate in an activity analyzing historical advertisements.

Writing Assignments

1. Compose a 750-1000 word essay in response to the question:  Was the decision to use atomic bombs against Japan the right one? Or, should the U. S. have pursued some other course of action to end the war? The essay should include specific references to primary sources. It should also reflect accurate knowledge of the issues/circumstances surrounding the bombings.
2. The article, "The Bakke Case” asks, "Is Affirmative Action Necessary and Legal, or does it violate the U. S. Constitution?” Write a 750-1000 word essay on the article in which you summarize key arguments presented by supporters of affirmative action and key arguments presented by critics of affirmative action. This should be an informative/descriptive history essay written in a scholarly tone. The overarching question will then be considered in classroom discussion.

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. Go to the "How to Use Primary Sources" page of the Primary Source Village website. Read through each page of the tutorial, examining the examples as you read. Then search online for a primary source on something specific that you encountered in this week's assigned reading. Write a full description of your primary source, following the steps outlined in the tutorial. Briefly describe how the primary source adds to your understanding of the topic. Provide a source citation for where you found the primary source, as well as citations for any other materials used to complete the assignment.
2. From the History Skills website, study the tutorial on "The Difference Between Opinion and Perspective." Then, read the Newsweek opinion piece, "Why the Supreme Court Has Nine Judges." In a 500-word essay, identify the author and his perspective, and explain his key ideas regarding the number of Supreme Court justices.

Gonzales, Manuel G. (2019). Mexicanos, Third Edition: A History of Mexicans in the United States. Indiana University Press, 3rd. 978-0253041722.

Ling, H. (2023). Asian American History. Rutgers University Press, 1st. 978-1978826236.

Choy, C., et al. (2023). Asian American Histories of the United States. Beacon Press, 1st. 978-0807012710.

Kendi, I., et al. (2017). Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Bold Type Books, 1st. 978-1568584645.

White, D., et al. (2020). Freedom on My Mind: A History of African Americans, with Documents. Macmillan, 3rd. 9781319210151.

DuBois, E., & Lynn D. (2024). Through Women’s Eyes, Combined Volume: An American History with Documents. Macmillan, 6th. 9781319244569.

Brown, L., et al. (2017). U.S. Women’s History: Untangling the Threads of Sisterhood. Rutgers University Press, 1st. 978-0813575841.

Calloway, C. (2024). First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of Native American History. Macmillan, 6th. 9781319244576.

Shi, D. (2022). America: A Narrative History. W. W. Norton & Company, 13th. 9781324084280.

Roark, J., et al. (2022). The American Promise. Macmillan, 1st. 9781319329914.

Nash, G., et al. (2019). The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society. Pearson, 8th. 9780135571019.

Murrin, J., et al. (2020). Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People. Cengage, 7th. 9781305492899.

Kennedy, D., et al. (2025). The American Pageant. Cengage, 18th. 9780357898864.

Kamensky, Jane., et al. (2019). A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. Cengage, 11th. 9781337402712.

Goldfield, D., et al. (2019). The American Journey: A History of the United States. Pearson, 8th. 9780135496794.

Foner, E., et al. (2025). Give Me Liberty!. W. W. Norton Company, 8th. 9781324103943.

Faragher, J., et al. (2021). Out of Many: A History of the American People. Pearson, 9th. 9780135179550.

Carnes, M. C. and Garraty, J. A. (2021). The American Nation. Pearson, 15th. 9780135570791.

Zero Cost Textbook

Corbett, P., et al. (2025). U.S. History. (OER). https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history

Locke, J. and Wright, B. (2019). American Yawp. Stanford University Press, 1st ed. https://www.americanyawp.com/text/wp-content/uploads/Locke_American-Yawp_V1.pdf

Other Learning Materials

Instructor discretion to choose scholarly and primary sources that enable an academic interrogation of history. Types of Course Materials: textbook; classics; document reader; scholarly articles; and/or monograph

History (Masters Required)