History 6926                                                                                          University of Colorado—Denver
Spring 2007                                                                                           Pamela W. Laird, Ph. D.

Readings in the Gilded Age & Early Twentieth-Century U.S. History:
Social Order & Disorder between 1865 & 1932

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

            Between the Civil War and the New Deal, people living in and coming to the United States experienced unparalleled disruptions in their lives.  How they perceived those disruptions--as progress or decline, as mutually or differentially beneficial--depended on where they ranked socio-economically, where they lived, and how they made their livelihoods. People also had different degrees of choice about how they participated in those changes, and both their ranges and types of options reflected their positions in the social order.  This readings course will examine the historical literature to explore what people experienced, how they reacted to it, and what historians and others have written about it, looking at these questions through the lens of class.  Students will write short response papers to their individual readings; they will also write an historiographical essay on a topic of their choice and give a short in-class presentation on it.

OFFICE HOURS AND CONSULTATION OPTIONS

            Mondays 4:00-5:00, in Room KC 554.  I am also available by appointment, telephone (303/556-4497), and e-mail <pamela.laird@cudenver.edu>. 

            I strongly urge everyone to make at least one appointment with me to discuss term projects on an individual basis.  Individualized discussions can be especially beneficial for framing analytical questions and directing research strategies.  I will be glad to discuss other matters, as well.

READINGS: 

The following book is required and available at the Auraria Bookstore.

• Sanders, M. Elizabeth. Roots of Reform : Farmers, Workers, and the American State, 1877-1917. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999.

In addition, everyone will find a basic textbook useful for background and reference. 

Another possibility for background includes:
• Painter, Nell Irvin. Standing at Armageddon : The United States, 1877-1919. New York: W.W. Norton.  [any edition]

OUTLINE AND READINGS SCHEDULE (see hard copy for scheduling)

REQUIREMENTS:

(1) Class attendance and punctuality, as well as thoughtful participation in discussions. Because of the importance of participaton, more than one absence will lower course grade.

            As with any adult learning situation, cooperation and participation are prerequisites.  Students must absorb and process the reading material before class and, therefore, be able to contribute to the collective experience of discussions.  Optimal class participation contributes thoughtfully and pertinently to the class discussions; students should gauge the frequency of their contributions according to that guideline. 

            Out of consideration for your colleagues, please turn off cell phones before class begins and do not bring meals into the classroom.

            All assignments must be turned in on time unless I have received prior notice of serious illness, disability, or bereavement.

(2)   Three response papers based on readings in your chosen specialty.  These are to be analyses, not summaries. They should explain how your readings fit within the literature, why the authors took on these projects, how they approached their topics, what sort of research they did, how they reached their conclusions, and how effectively they supported their conclusions.

Response papers must be no more than three pages, double spaced, 12 point type, and with margins that are one inch all around.  These papers are due as specified on the syllabus outline.  Each student will provide copies of these papers to all members of the seminar and come prepared to summarize and analyze the readings during discussion.

The amount of readings per meeting will vary, with a minimum of one book and two scholarly articles or a second book per paper.

(3) A major historiographical project that presents an analysis and argument regarding the literature on some topic that pertains to the course theme.  There is a list of possible topics below, but students may feel free to explore alternatives.  Papers must follow departmental guidelines for format; any paper not doing so will lose a full letter grade, for instance, from A- to B-.  See below for details on this project.

(4) Following UCD History Department style and plagiarism guidelines (see below).

TERM PROJECT

            The term project will be an historiographical analytical paper that applies a set of questions to a single topic on which you will read extensively throughout the course.  Narratives or summaries that do not pose questions and address analytical problems will not be acceptable.  A good analysis contains careful explanations to questions that begin with “why” and “how.”  Whatever the topic, a good analysis asks stimulating questions of its evidence and seeks out additional evidence when the questions exceed the scope of the evidence at hand.  In the case of these historiographical analyses, all or most of your evidence will come from secondary sources in your chosen area, both books and scholarly articles. 

            An abstract of your thesis and an annotated bibliography for the historiographical project will be due by April 2.  This bibliography should include most of the items your final project will cover.  Papers will be due within a week of each person’s individual in-class presentation.  Both the first and final versions of papers will be graded.  See Outline and Readings Schedule for all due dates.

            Length:  Twenty to thirty pages, following the same standards as for the response papers.

POSSIBLE READINGS TOPICS

You may select one of the following topics as the focus for your readings, taking care that your work builds an understanding of how some literature addresses socio-economic class during the period 1865-1932.  You may also select a different or narrower topic, with permission.

GRADING AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS:

(1)            Grade evaluations will include class participation and deportment as well as attendance and punctuality.  Tardiness or leaving early by more than five minutes will also be noted as they substantially disrupt the class as a whole.  Assignments must be turned in to me personally and on time in order to guarantee full credit.  Maintain at least two electronic copies of all work.

(2)            Evidence that you have thought about the assignments and class discussions will provide a major criterion for grading.  Show in your papers and in-class contributions that the readings and discussions have made a difference in your understandings of American history and its dynamics.  Apply thoughtful analysis to the questions the course raises.  Be prepared to ask and answer questions during each class.

            See the next page for Guidelines for Assessing Assignments.  These are the criteria by which I will evaluate your papers.

(3)            Neither medical appointments nor minor difficulties will be acceptable reasons for  turning in assignments late or missing classes. 

(4)            Observe the UCD History Department’s style and plagiarism guidelines.  CLAS policies on incompletes and scheduling are on the last pages of this syllabus.

(5)             The proportions for grading are as follows:

            • In-class discussions                                                                          20%
            • Response papers on readings                                                           25%
            • Oral presentation of project                                                              10%
            • First version of research analysis paper                                            20%
            • Final version of research analysis paper                                           25%
           
            Grades of B+ are the norm for graduates.

            For grading guidelines see (PDF)