HIST 251 - United States History Since 1865

3 Credit: (3 lecture, 0 lab, 0 clinical) 3 Contact Hours:

This introductory survey course examines the history of the United States from the end of the Civil War to present. The course critically reviews the growth of the United States and its changing role in the community of nations. Domestic and international issues will be addressed, particularly as they relate and influence one another. This course will provide a chronological outline of post-Civil War history while identifying the major issues and themes that influenced development and decision-making over the period.
Semesters Offered: spring and odd-year summer semesters

Course Goals/ Objectives/ Competencies:
Goal 1: Explore significant events in the United States since the end of the Civil War.

Analyze the Age of Reconstruction in the American South, with a particular focus on the economic, political, and social structures that precipitated its end and determined future events.
Examine the industrial revolution in the United States and its effects on the economic, political, and social standing of communities throughout the country.
Review the progressive era while identifying its continuing effects on modern society.
Review and evaluate America’s entry into armed conflict over the period.
Apprise the rise of the United States to a position of world power and influence.
Explore key aspects of the Cold War and how it shaped American foreign policy.
Describe how American culture, norms, and democratic values transitioned over the period.

Goal 2: Identify and evaluate the effects of ethnocentrism, nationalism, and sectionalism on the continued development of the United States and its position in the world.

Analyze the effects of cultural diversity and/or homogeneity on ethnocentrism, nationalism, and sectionalism over the period.
Examine the sectional interests of Reconstruction America while analyzing whether the resulting economic, political, and social structures exert influence today.
Develop an understanding of how American international diplomacy progressed over the period and contributes to international relations today.

Goal 3: Assess the interactions of American groups and peoples to identify the contributions, struggles, and conflicts of each, particularly in relation to one another.

Examine the role of group identities and interactions to assess the political, economic, and social structures resulting from these experiences.
Evaluate how group orientations contributed to rising tensions and conflict during Reconstruction.
Explore the Civil Rights Movement and Women’s Suffrage.
Identify cultural norms and expectations which undergird interactions between majority and minority groups in American history.
Compare and contrast the role of group identities and interactions from earlier periods to present-day to identify how economic, political, and social structures can exacerbate or diminish group tensions.