Spring 2024
History 1302
SR 117
Prof. Buzzanco
This class will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, either from 2:30-3:45 or 4:00-5:15.
The 2:30 class is History 1302-55, section 23304/ and the 4:00 class is History 1302-56, section 23305.
Attending class is the most important thing you can do if you want to do well in this class. If you attend class and do all the readings, you should do well. We will also make extra credit available from time to time, and it will be based on the readings in the Texts and Interpretations books (below).
Most questions can be answered by referring to the syllabus or to Blackboard. If not, contact your TA or contact me. But please check the syllabus or Blackboard first.
I’ve also set up a Facebook page for the class where I can also put up information re the class itself or the materials we’re covering, which you can join–it’s voluntary, not required– at https://www.facebook.com/groups/953860084692994
Required Books
America: From 1865 to COVID-19 is a package from Nunn-McGinty publishers which
consists of 4 books. You need only purchase the package–all 4 books are included in it.
Many/most of you may be enrolled in the Cougar Textbook Access Program, which will provide
(CTAP) the required class materials to you. If you have questions about CTAP, contact the CTAP FAQ
page or email us at, ctapuh@central.uh.edu
If you’re not part of the CTAP program, you can purchase the book package at the bookstore or online
at https://www.nunnmcginty.com/ If you have an issues or questions about downloading or
otherwise getting access to the books, contact documents@nunnmcginty.com
The book package has 4 books included in it.
- From Reconstruction to Rebellion (listed as “RR” below)
- Readings in U.S. History (Listed as “Readings” below)
- Documents in U.S. History (Listed as “Documents” below)
- Supplemental 1378 Readings, Fall 2022 (Listed as “Supplemental” below).
Teaching Assistants
Section 1302-55:
Dmitrii Blyshko (dblyshko@cougarnet.uh.edu)
Maya Bouchebl (mwbouche@cougarnet.uh.edu)
Alex Sauceda (asauced7@cougarnet.uh.edu)
Section 1302-56:
Seth Uzman (ssuzman@cougarnet.uh.edu)
Grading:
Your grade in this course will be based on your scores on three exams [which may include
essays and IDs], two during the semester, at dates announced on Blackboard, worth 100
points each, and a final exam, worth 150 points. The tests will be given in class during the regular class times and we will provide blue books. There will also be extra credit questions
available based on the readers. Practice questions will be given out before the tests and
review sessions with TAs can be scheduled online.
In-class makeup policy: We do not want to get flooded with requests for makeups. Do
everything in your power to be here on test dates. If you miss an exam due to verifiable
emergency conditions, with proper documentation, there will be makeup tests given on a
case-by-case basis, at the discretion of the professor/TAs. On the day of your scheduled
make-up, you will be required to make up all missing tests. The only excuses for missing
that day will also be medical or other emergencies [not travel plans], for which you must
provide written documentation. If you miss the makeup test, you will receive zeroes for
those tests. Additionally, it is your responsibility to notify your TA that you have missed an
exam and to schedule a make-up as soon as possible.
Make sure you attend class regularly and keep up with the assigned readings. If at any time
you are unsure of the material we are covering, please ask the T.A. or me.
For information on Incompletes or other UH policies and requirements, consult the UH
Student Handbook.
Questioning a grade: If you have questions or other issues with the grade you received on a
test, this is the procedure to follow.
First, the TAs will not discuss your tests right after we turn them back to you (other than to
correct a math error in the grading). Please look at your exam and wait a day before
contacting your TA. Make an appointment with him/her and come to that meeting with
specific questions and concerns and be prepared to specifically explain why you deserved a
higher grade (do not simply say “I studied and thought I should have done better”). If the
TA and you do not reach an agreement, the TA will re-grade the entire test and the score
be increased, decreased, or stay the same.
If at that point you still are not satisfied, make an appointment with me and bring your
specific concerns and questions and I will go over the exam and, as above, possibly re-grade
it and give a new score accordingly. At all times be respectful and courteous toward the
TAs , and the same is expected of their interactions with you. At the end of the semester,
please do not send me an email asking for your grade to be raised because you need extra
points to maintain your GPA or to graduate or for other such reasons. Again, any
questioning of your grade must include specific questions or comments regarding the
specific questions on the test
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UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYLLABUS LANGUAGE: SPRING 2023
Required Language for All Courses
COVID-19 Information
Students are encouraged to visit the University’s COVID-19 website for important information including diagnosis and symptom protocols, testing, vaccine information, and post-exposure guidance. Please check the website throughout the semester for updates. Consult the (select: Undergraduate Excused Absence Policy or Graduate Excused Absence Policy) for information regarding excused absences due to medical reasons.
Reasonable Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids
The University of Houston complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for disabled students. In accordance with Section 504 and ADA guidelines, UH strives to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an academic adjustments/auxiliary aid, please contact the Justin Dart Jr. Student Accessibility Center (formerly the Justin Dart, Jr. Center for Students with DisABILITIES).
Excused Absence Policy
Regular class attendance, participation, and engagement in coursework are important contributors to student success. Absences may be excused as provided in the University of Houston Undergraduate Excused Absence Policy and Graduate Excused Absence Policy for reasons including: medical illness of student or close relative, death of a close family member, legal or government proceeding that a student is obligated to attend, recognized professional and educational activities where the student is presenting, and University-sponsored activity or athletic competition. Under these policies, students with excused absences will be provided with an opportunity to make up any quiz, exam or other work that contributes to the course grade or a satisfactory alternative. Please read the full policy for details regarding reasons for excused absences, the approval process, and extended absences. Additional policies address absences related to military service, religious holy days, pregnancy and related conditions, and disability.
Recording of Class
Students may not record all or part of class, livestream all or part of class, or make/distribute screen captures, without advanced written consent of the instructor. If you have or think you may have a disability such that you need to record class-related activities, please contact the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center. If you have an accommodation to record class-related activities, those recordings may not be shared with any other student, whether in this course or not, or with any other person or on any other platform. Classes may be recorded by the instructor. Students may use instructor’s recordings for their own studying and notetaking. Instructor’s recordings are not authorized to be shared with anyone without the prior written approval of the instructor. Failure to comply with requirements regarding recordings will result in a disciplinary referral to the Dean of Students Office and may result in disciplinary action.
Recommended Language
Resources for Online Learning
The University of Houston is committed to student success, and provides information to optimize the online learning experience through our Power-On website. Please visit this website for a comprehensive set of resources, tools, and tips including: obtaining access to the internet, AccessUH, Blackboard, and Canvas; using your smartphone as a webcam; and downloading Microsoft Office 365 at no cost. For questions or assistance contact UHOnline@uh.edu.
UH Email
Please check and use your Cougarnet email for communications related to this course. To access this email, login to your Microsoft 365 account with your Cougarnet credentials.
Webcams
Access to a webcam is required for students participating remotely in this course. Webcams must be turned on (state when webcams are required to be on and the academic basis for requiring them to be on). (Example: Webcams must be turned on during exams to ensure the academic integrity of exam administration.)
Academic Honesty Policy
High ethical standards are critical to the integrity of any institution, and bear directly on the ultimate value of conferred degrees. All UH community members are expected to contribute to an atmosphere of the highest possible ethical standards. Maintaining such an atmosphere requires that any instances of academic dishonesty be recognized and addressed. The UH Academic Honesty Policy is designed to handle those instances with fairness to all parties involved: the students, the instructors, and the University itself. All students and faculty of the University of Houston are responsible for being familiar with this policy.
Title IX/Sexual Misconduct
Per the UHS Sexual Misconduct Policy, your instructor is a “responsible employee” for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and state law and must report incidents of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, non-consensual sexual contact, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual intimidation, intimate partner violence, or stalking) about which they become aware to the Title IX office. Please know there are places on campus where you can make a report in confidence. You can find more information about resources on the Title IX website at https://uh.edu/equal-opportunity/title-ix-sexual-misconduct/resources/.
Security Escorts and Cougar Ride
UHPD continually works with the University community to make the campus a safe place to learn, work, and live. Our Security escort service is designed for the community members who have safety concerns and would like to have a Security Officer walk with them, for their safety, as they make their way across campus. Based on availability either a UHPD Security Officer or Police Officer will escort students, faculty, and staff to locations beginning and ending on campus. If you feel that you need a Security Officer to walk with you for your safety please call 713-743-3333. Arrangements may be made for special needs.
Parking and Transportation Services also offers a late-night, on-demand shuttle service called Cougar Ride that provides rides to and from all on-campus shuttle stops, as well as the MD Anderson Library, Cougar Village/Moody Towers and the UH Technology Bridge. Rides can be requested through the UH Go app. Days and hours of operation can be found at https://uh.edu/af-university-services/parking/cougar-ride/.
Syllabus Changes
Please note that the instructor may need to make modifications to the course syllabus. Notice of such changes will be announced as quickly as possible through (specify how students will be notified of changes).
Helpful Information
Coogs Care: https://uh.edu/dsa/coogscare/
Student Health Center: https://www.uh.edu/healthcenter/
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Topics and Reading Assignments
(Extra Credit opportunities will be posted on Blackboard throughout the semester)
The books will be listed as RR, Documents, Readings, and Supplemental
Week 1
Background: Reconstruction, Capitalism, Labor Wars, Empire
RR, chapter 1
Documents, chapter 1
Suggested: Interview with Richard Wolff on the economy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o778RuarDo
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Week 2
Imperialism, Markets, the Great War
RR, chapter 2
Documents, chapter 2
Readings, chapter 1
Supplemental, “Donald Trump’s American History, and the Politics of Race”
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Week 3
The Aftermath of War Abroad and at Home
RR, chapter 2
Documents, chapter 3
Supplemental, “Huddled Masses, Keep Out!”
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Week 4
The 1920s
RR, chapter 3
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Week 5
FDR and the New Deal
RR, chapter 4
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Week 6
The Onset of War
RR, chapter 5
Readings, chapter 3
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Week 7
War, the Bomb, and Cold War
RR, chapter 6
Readings, chapter 4
Podcast on Atomic Bomb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tdLz16ljiM&t=1013s
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Week 8
The War at Home: Domestic Containment (Conformity and Counterculture)
RR, chapter 7
Documents, chapter 4
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Week 9
Taking the Third World, Origins of Vietnam
Documents, chapter 5
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Week 10
The Modern Civil Rights Era
RR, chapter 8
Documents, chapter 7
Readings, chapter 5
Supplemental, “The Sit-Ins and Militant Non-Violence”
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Week 11
Questioning Authority: The 1960s
Documents, chapter 6
Readings, chapter 6
Supplemental, “MLK for Sale: How to Package a Radical”
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Week 12
Backlash and the Rise of the Conservative
RR, chapter 10Readings, chapter 7
Supplemental, “Jimmy Carter is a Saint Now, Was a War Criminal Then”
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Week 13
Globalization and Militarism from Reagan to Clinton
Readings, chapter 8
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Week 14
Economic Crash and Background to 9/11
RR, chapter 11
Documents, chapter 8
Readings, chapter 9
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Week 15
The U.S., Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Middle East
RR, Conclusion
Supplemental, “Does Russia Matter”; “Blame China, Not Capitalism”; “Cracks in the Empire”; “Is Trump a Fascist, Will There Be a Coup?”; “Impeachment: The Democrats Botch it Again”; “The Limits of Power and Donald J. Trump”
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Final Exam
Afflict The Comfortable (The Mind of Bob Buzzanco) 