Syllabus—Modern America
Instructor infoDr. Michael J. Kramer, Department of History, SUNY Brockport, mkramer@brockport.edu
Who is your instructor?Michael J. Kramer specializes in modern US cultural and intellectual history, transnational history, public history, digital humanities, and cultural criticism. He is an associate professor of history at the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport, the author of The Republic of Rock: Music and Citizenship in the Sixties Counterculture (Oxford University Press, 2013), and the director of the Berkeley Folk Music Festival Project. He is currently working on a history of the 1976 United States bicentennial celebration and a study of folk music, technology, and cultural democracy in the United States. He edits The Carryall, an online journal of US cultural and intellectual history and maintains a blog of cultural criticism, Culture Rover. His website, with additional information about publications, projects, courses, talks, and more can be found at michaeljkramer.net.
What are we up to?This course offers you the opportunity to understand the basics of US history from 1865, when the Civil War ended, to the present. We pursue reading, online interactive asynchronous lectures, and in-class worksheets, source analyses, and discussion. As you acquire a better grasp of the particular history of the US since 1865, we also explore historical method, or how history functions as a mode of inquiry by way of evidence-based assessment and interpretation. History turns out not merely to be one person’s opinion, but instead a collective, fact-based mode of investigation that turns to sources (words, numbers, images, sounds, events, biographies, built environments, and more) to ask questions, offer claims based on the evidence, and engage in civil debate with others about competing interpretations of what happened and how to understand it. As we study the US since the Civil War, we will begin to address the key role of argumentation, or how close, careful “readings” of different types of evidence can undergird fact-based arguments about the past. We will also explore six crucial aspects of historical study: (1) change over time (what is the narrative of how people got from one moment to another?); (2) context (how is one source embedded in a particular place and time and setting?); (3) causality (what caused what to happen?); (4) contingency (how do we account for the unexpected and the unanticipated in history?—the past is not about reproducible results, but rather surprises and new forces and forms); (5) complexity (how do we not simplify the thick textures of the past?); and (6) continuity (what particular questions, themes, issues, forces recur even as they take on new forms?). Students are expected to attend class, complete all assignments, and participate in discussions. If they do so, they will leave the class with a better sense of the history of the United States; what it means to study history; and how doing so feeds the development of crucial professional and personal skills of critical thinking and effective communication.
Things you are expected to do this termBy taking this course you are agreeing to do the following:
Purchase the online textbook.Register for the WW Norton student set so that your work gets recorded in gradebook.Complete the readings.Complete the assignments.Come to class prepared.Participate in discussions in class through comments, completing worksheets, and listening and responding to others thoughtfully.Be respectful to yourself, your instructor, and your fellow students.Required booksFoner, Eric, et. al. Illumine EBook Give Me Liberty! Volume II Brief 7th Edition. New York: WW Norton, 2023. Be sure to purchase the proper edition of the book: the online “Illumine” version of Volume II Brief 7th Edition and register for the student set.Additional assigned documents and resources on Brightspace course website.ScheduleRaising the Flag: IntroductionMonday, August 25
Did the Civil War Ever End? The Reconstruction EraWednesday, August 27
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Monday, September 01 No Class—Labor Day
Wednesday, September 03
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Monday, September 08
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Wednesday, September 10
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Monday, September 15
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Wednesday, September 17
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Monday, September 22
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Wednesday, September 24
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Monday, September 29
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Wednesday, October 01
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Monday, October 06
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Wednesday, October 08
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Monday, October 13 No Class—Fall Break
A Crisis of Industrial Capitalism: The Great Depression and the New DealWednesday, October 15
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Monday, October 20
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Wednesday, October 22
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Monday, October 27
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Wednesday, October 29
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Monday, November 03
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Wednesday, November 05
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Monday, November 10
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Wednesday, November 12
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Monday, November 17
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Wednesday, November 19
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No Class—Thanksgiving Break
The Great Recession and Occupy Wall StreetMonday, December 01
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Wednesday, December 03
Complete Foner, Chapter 28 “Check Your Understanding” QuestionsComplete Foner, Chapter 28 InquizitiveWatch Making America Great Again? VoiceThread lecture and answer questionRead Barack Obama, State of the Union Address (2016) and, optional, watch itRead Donald Trump, Inaugural Address (2017) and, optional, watch itFinalMonday, December 15
Any late “Check Your Understanding” Questions and Inquizitives due (lateness penalty may apply)Any late VoiceThread lecture questions due (lateness penalty may apply)Assignments and evaluationsStudent Introduction Info Sheet = 5%Illumine Ebook “Check Your Understanding” Questions = 15%Inquizitives = 25%Voicethread Quizzes = 15%In-Class Worksheets and Participation (at least 75% must be completed in-class to qualify for credit) = 40%RubricYes! = A-level work.
on-time submission of assignmentsfor class meetings, regular attendance and timely preparation overall, plus insightful, constructive, respectful, and regular participation in class discussionsa thorough understanding of required course materials as expressed in seminar meeting participationFor writing assignments:accurate, clear, well-written responses to prompts when relevanta credible, persuasive argument of originalityargument persuasively supported by relevant, accurate, and clearly explicated evidencepersuasive integration of argument and evidence in an insightful overall analysisexcellent organization: introduction, topic sentences, coherent paragraphs, use of evidence, contextualization, analysis, smooth transitions, conclusiongraceful, clear, logical prose style with effective word choice, avoidance of clichés, and free of spelling and grammatical errorscorrect page formatting when relevant, with regular margins, double spaced, and 12-point fontaccurate formatting of footnotes and, when required, bibliography with required citation and documentation using Chicago Manual of Style guidelines
Getting Closer = B-level work, It is good, but with minor problems in one or more areas that need improvement.
Needs Work = C-level work is acceptable, but with major problems in several areas or a major problem in one area.
Needs A Lot of Work = D-level work. It shows major problems in multiple areas, including missing or late assignments, missed class meetings, and other shortcomings.
Nope = E-level work is unacceptable. It fails to meet basic course requirements and/or standards of academic integrity/honesty.
Citation and style guide: Using Chicago Manual of StyleHistorians generally use Chicago Manual of Style for citation, bibliography, and formatting. Please familiarize yourself with Chicago Manual of Style.
There is a nice overview of citation at the Chicago Manual of Style websiteFor additional, helpful guidelines, visit the Drake Memorial Library’s Chicago Manual of Style pageYou can always go right to the source: the Chicago Manual of Style is available for reference at the Drake Memorial Library Reserve DeskWriting consultationWriting Tutoring is available through the Academic Success Center. It will help at any stage of writing. Be sure to show your tutor the assignment prompt and syllabus guidelines to help them help you.
Research consultationThe librarians at Drake Memorial Library are an incredible resource. You can consult with them remotely or in person. To schedule a meeting, go to the front desk at Drake Library or visit the library website’s Consultation page.
Attendance policyYou will certainly do better with evaluation in the course, learn more, and get more out of the class the more you attend meetings, participate in discussions, complete readings, and finish assignments. That said, lives get complicated. Therefore, you may miss up to six class meetings, with or without a justified reason, with no penalty. You do not need a note from a doctor, but feel free to notify the instructor of your absence. If you are ill, please stay home and take precautions if you have any covid or flu symptoms. Masks are welcome in class if you are still recovering from illness or feel sick. After six absences, subsequent absences will result in reduction of final course grade at the discretion of the instructor. Please note: the instructor does not offer extra credit in this course.
Disabilities and accommodationsIn accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Brockport Faculty Senate legislation, students with documented disabilities may be entitled to specific accommodations. SUNY Brockport is committed to fostering an optimal learning environment by applying current principles and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion. If you are a student with a disability and want to utilize academic accommodations, you must register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to obtain an official accommodation letter which must be submitted to faculty for accommodation implementation. If you think you have a disability, you may want to meet with SAS to learn about related resources. You can find out more about Student Accessibility Services or by contacting SAS via the email address sasoffice@brockport.edu or phone number (585) 395-5409. Students, faculty, staff, and SAS work together to create an inclusive learning environment. Feel free to contact the instructor with any questions.
Discrimination and harassment policiesSex and Gender discrimination, including sexual harassment, are prohibited in educational programs and activities, including classes. Title IX legislation and College policy require the College to provide sex and gender equity in all areas of campus life. If you or someone you know has experienced sex or gender discrimination (including gender identity or non-conformity), discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking, we encourage you to seek assistance and to report the incident through these resources. Confidential assistance is available on campus at Hazen Center for Integrated Care. Another resource is RESTORE. Note that by law faculty are mandatory reporters and cannot maintain confidentiality under Title IX; they will need to share information with the Title IX & College Compliance Officer.
Statement of equity and open communicationWe recognize that each class we teach is composed of diverse populations and are aware of and attentive to inequities of experience based on social identities including but not limited to race, class, assigned gender, gender identity, sexuality, geographical background, language background, religion, disability, age, and nationality. This classroom operates on a model of equity and partnership, in which we expect and appreciate diverse perspectives and ideas and encourage spirited but respectful debate and dialogue. If anyone is experiencing exclusion, intentional or unintentional aggression, silencing, or any other form of oppression, please communicate with me and we will work with each other and with SUNY Brockport resources to address these serious problems.
Disruptive student behaviorsPlease see SUNY Brockport’s procedures for dealing with students who are disruptive in class.
Emergency alert systemIn case of emergency, the Emergency Alert System at The College at Brockport will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the College’s Emergency Information website.
