HIS 212 - United States History Since the Civil War

3 credit hours - Three hours weekly; one term.
This course meets the Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirement.

Explore American politics, cultures, economics and the interaction of class, race and gender through reading, critical thinking and writing, from the Civil War to the present.

Prerequisite(s): Eligibility for ENG 111 or ENG 115 or ENG 121.

Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Discuss the post-Civil War philosophic underpinnings of the American experience and the interrelationships of ideas and events in shaping American society
- Assess major developments in the arts and sciences
- Assess the impact of the major literary and artistic personalities who helped shape the American experience
Describe the impact on America and the world as the United States became a superpower in the 19th and 20th centuries
- Discuss isolationism, expansionism
- Discuss the impact of the United States on the world
- Discuss the impact of the world on the United States
Analyze major events, concepts, people and developments in U.S. society from 1865 to the contemporary period
- Characterize important events that shaped modern America
- Discuss the nature of historical inquiry
- Discuss the importance of perspective in studying history
Examine primary sources to discuss the concept of causality and the importance of evidence and interpretation in post-Civil War American History
- Examine turning points in American history
- Explain the difference between fact and myth
- Explain the concept of historical evidence and interpretation
Cite issues that impacted the United States after the Civil War based on primary sources evidence
- Characterize what constitutes a thesis
- Explain how to support thesis
- Explain the use of print and electronic research tools
Characterize social diversity in post-Civil War American history and the role of government, major legislation and Supreme Court decisions
- Cite the role of migration in American society
- Explain the struggle of minorities and women to become full members of society

Core Competencies
Core 1 Communication Core 3 Information Literacy Core 5 Self Management Core 7 Quantitative Reasoning Core 8 Social and Civic Responsibility Core 9 Global Perspective Core 10 Innovative and Critical Thinking