HIST 102 Online: US History Since 1877 — Professor Steven Austin

Schedule & Format

Section: V1 (Online)
Format: Fully asynchronous / Canvas
Prerequisites: Eligibility for ENGL 101

Credits & Textbook

Credit Hours: 4
IAI Number: S2 901
Textbook: Give Me Liberty! — Foner (Brief Edition)

Instructor

Professor: Steven Austin
Email: [email protected]
Office: S226 · 875-7211 x6392

Syllabus

The complete syllabus — including course policies, schedule, and requirements — is available inside the course on Canvas.

Course Materials

Textbook Reading Guides

Guided reading worksheets for each chapter of Give Me Liberty! by Eric Foner. Complete each guide before the corresponding quiz. Your answers auto-save in your browser.

Chapters 15–17 Reconstruction, Gilded Age & Empire

Chapter 15 1865–1877 "What Is Freedom?" Reconstruction — the promise and betrayal of Black freedom after the Civil War. Open Guide Chapter 16 1870–1890 America's Gilded Age Industrialization, railroads, the rise of big business, and the labor movement. Open Guide Chapter 17 1890–1900 Freedom's Boundaries, at Home and Abroad Jim Crow, Populism, and U.S. imperial expansion into the Pacific and Caribbean. Open Guide

Chapters 18–20 Progressive Era, War & the Twenties

Chapter 18 1900–1916 The Progressive Era Reform movements, muckrakers, TR and Wilson, and the limits of Progressive democracy. Open Guide Chapter 19 1916–1920 Safe for Democracy: The United States and World War I Wilson's crusade, civil liberties under siege, and the failed peace at Versailles. Open Guide Chapter 20 1920–1932 From Business Culture to Great Depression The Roaring Twenties, the Harlem Renaissance, and the crash that ended the decade. Open Guide

Chapters 21–22 New Deal & World War II

Chapter 21 1932–1940 The New Deal FDR's response to the Depression — relief, reform, recovery, and a new role for government. Open Guide Chapter 22 1940–1945 Fighting for the Four Freedoms: World War II Global war, the home front, internment, and America's emergence as a superpower. Open Guide

Chapters 23–25 Cold War, Affluence & Civil Rights

Chapter 23 1945–1953 The United States and the Cold War Containment, the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and the domestic politics of anti-communism. Open Guide Chapter 24 1953–1960 An Affluent Society Postwar prosperity, suburbanization, the early civil rights movement, and cultural conformity. Open Guide Chapter 25 1960–1968 The Sixties Civil rights, Vietnam, Great Society liberalism, and the fracturing of the Democratic coalition. Open Guide

Chapter 26 The Conservative Turn

Chapter 26 1969–1988 The Triumph of Conservatism Nixon, the culture wars, Reagan's revolution, and the reshaping of American political life. Open Guide

Course Description

About This Course

This course covers the development of the United States from the end of Reconstruction through the late twentieth century. Particular attention is given to industrialization and the Gilded Age, Progressive reform, World War I and its aftermath, the Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, the Cold War and McCarthyism, the civil rights movement, the upheavals of the 1960s, and the rise of the New Right.

Through primary source analysis, documentary film, and guided reading, students develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped modern American society. Special attention is given to the experiences of African Americans, women, immigrants, workers, and other groups whose struggles define the contested meaning of American freedom.

Learning Objectives

What You Will Learn

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

Historical Concepts

Demonstrate a firm grasp of fundamental American historical concepts and developments from 1877 to the present.
Document Analysis

Critically analyze primary source documents and apply historical methods to develop analytical and interpretive skills.
Historical Context

Understand, analyze, and compare relationships between historical events, issues, values, and conflicting ideals — and their relevance to the present.
Multicultural Perspectives

Appreciate the contributions — and recognize the struggles — of African Americans, women, immigrants, and workers in shaping modern America.
Historical Perspectives

Critique and analyze differing historical interpretations and schools of thought in U.S. history since 1877.
The Meaning of Freedom

Trace how the concept of freedom — its promises and its contradictions — was defined, contested, and transformed across modern American history.

Major Topics Covered

What We Study

Industrialization & the Gilded Age

Railroads, big business, the labor movement, and the rise of corporate capitalism.

Progressive Era & Reform

Muckrakers, trust-busting, suffrage, and the expansion of federal power.

World Wars & Foreign Policy

U.S. entry into WWI and WWII, Wilson's idealism, and the origins of American global power.

Depression & New Deal

The Great Crash, FDR's programs, and the transformation of American liberalism.

Cold War & McCarthyism

Containment, the Red Scare, the nuclear age, and the politics of loyalty.

Civil Rights & Social Movements

The long civil rights movement, feminism, Vietnam, and the fractures of the 1960s.

Documentary: Shell Shock — WWI & Democracy

The Century: America's Time, 1914–1919. What does a democracy sacrifice when it wages total war? Pre-screening worksheet, viewing notes, and follow-up discussion.

Open Assignment Hub →

Capstone: "Witches Everywhere" — McCarthy & the Red Scare

A document-based research capstone using Venona decrypts and KGB archive sources to investigate the McCarthy era and the real history of American espionage.

Open Capstone Hub →

Required Materials

What You Need

📖 Required Textbook

Give Me Liberty! An American History
Author: Eric Foner
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Edition: Brief Edition (any recent edition acceptable)
eBook available through the bookstore

📄 Additional Resources

Primary source documents (provided on Canvas)
Video documentaries (available through Canvas)
Chapter reading guides (linked above — no printing required)

🖥️ Technology Requirements

Access to Canvas Learning Management System
Word processing software (Microsoft Word recommended)
Reliable internet connection for async course activities

Grading & Assessment

How You Are Graded

This course follows a straight points-based system. Your final grade is determined by total points earned across all graded activities.

Assignment Type	Count	Points Each	Total
Textbook Guided Reading Quizzes	12	25	300
Primary Source Analysis	7	50	350
Video Documentary Discussions	6	50	300
Capstone Project ("Witches Everywhere")	1	100	100
Course Total			1,050

Grading Scale

A: 90–100% B: 80–89% C: 70–79% D: 60–69% F: 0–59%

Note: Late work accepted up to 48 hours after the deadline with a 10% penalty per day. Extensions may be granted for documented emergencies — contact the instructor before the deadline.

Course Policies

Expectations & Policies

📧 Participation

Regular engagement with all course materials is essential. Students are expected to complete all readings, view assigned documentaries, and submit work on time. Asynchronous participation counts toward your grade.

⏰ Late Work

Assignments are due on the specified Canvas deadline. Late submissions are accepted up to 48 hours after the deadline with a 10% penalty per day. Contact the instructor before the deadline to request an extension.

🎓 Academic Integrity

All students must adhere to Richland Community College's academic integrity policy. Plagiarism, cheating, or unauthorized use of AI tools on assessed work will result in disciplinary action including possible course failure.

♿ Accessibility

Students with disabilities who need accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services and inform the instructor as soon as possible to arrange appropriate support.

HIST 102 — Online