US History II

Our first unit on post-Civil War America begins with a look at Reconstruction’s mixed legacy and the multiple meanings of freedom in the postwar South (Chapter 14). We will then turn to other regions of the country, including the West (Chapter 15), North (Chapter 16) and MidWest (Chapter 17).

Wed 9/9 Frontier Encounters. Reading: Ch 15

Fri 9/11 Workshop Day. Bring your textbook to class (if you have an e-book, bring your laptop or tablet), we will be working with the Documents in Chapters 14 and 15.
Link: Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool

Mon 9/14 The Age of Organization: Industry. Reading: Ch 16. SkillBuilder #1 due in or before class.

Wed 9/16 The Age of Organization: Farmers, Workers. Reading: Ch 17

Fri 9/18 Workshop Day. Bring your textbook to class (if you have an e-book, bring your laptop or tablet), we will be working with the Documents in Chapters 16 and 17.

Mon 9/21 Cities, Immigrants, Nation. Reading: Ch 18. SkillBuilder #2 due in or before class.

Update: my 11:30 class got me talking about trolleys and cities… here’s the film I mentioned from 1906 showing a trip down Market Street in San Francisco. It’s 11 minutes of the city as it really was, filmed only a few days before the big earthquake. Of course the original is a silent film (so you can watch it with the sound down for historical accuracy), but there are various Youtube versions out there with sound added. So you could take your pick, for example, of HD picture quality with dramatic haunting cinema-type music or full-on realistic (but fake) sound design. Or just watch the raw footage:

Wed 9/23 Discussion Day on the late 19th century, review of Chapters 14-18. Bring your textbook to class.

download the Exam 1 Study Guide

Fri 9/25 Exam #1 in class (Chapters 14-18). Complete the online Constitutions module quiz on Blackboard by this date. Note that the Constitutions unit has two components (both required) an online quiz, and a written learning journal entry on Blackboard.