Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Open Examination 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Open Examination 2000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Express an understanding of the key historical developments in the United States of America during the Reconstruction Era and its consequences for the nation.
Research and engage with the many historiographical debates relating to the Reconstruction Era and its impact on American history.
Demonstrate an understanding of the range of sources available for historians working in this period, as well as their limitations, and analyse them effectively.
Write effectively on particular aspects of the Reconstruction Era in American history using a varied range of secondary and primary sources.
Brief description
This module examines the history of the United States in the aftermath of the Civil War, analysing how Americans fought in the decades after to rebuild, expand, and forever transform their nation. This module will begin with the Emancipation Proclamation that freed enslaved peoples in the states in rebellion and conclude with the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson decision that affirmed segregation. Beyond the struggles of Black Americans to liberate themselves, the module will look at the history of the United States during the Reconstruction Era expansively to understand the interplay of multiple key developments. These include Western settlement and the conflict with American Indian nations; the growing industrialization, urbanization, and commercialization of American society; the struggles of American women in the economic, political, social and cultural arenas; the changing ethnic makeup of American society and its impacts on the nation; and the evolution of the country’s political and electoral systems.
Content
Lectures:
Introduction
The Civil War and Emancipation, 1861-65
Wartime Reconstruction, 1863-65
Presidential Reconstruction, 1865-66
Radical Reconstruction, 1866-68
Freedmen and Black Politics
Southern White Resistance, 1866-1872
Urban Northern Environments and Politics
Immigrants and the American Melting Pot
Industrialization and Commercial Expansion
Westward Expansion and Settlement
The American Indian Experience and Wars with the United States
Women’s History and Suffrage during Reconstruction
The Grant Administration and the election of 1872
Southern Redemption and White Terrorism.
The Emergence of the Jim Crow South, 1877-1896.
The Lost Cause and the Memorialization of Reconstruction
Conclusion
Seminars:
Voices from Emancipation
Rewriting the Constitution
Black Constitional Conventions and Politics
Tammany Hall and American Machine Politics
Reconstruction America and the World
Indigenous Perspectives
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Co-ordinating with others | Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. discussions in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities |
| Creative Problem Solving | Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays. |
| Critical and analytical thinking | Students will develop the ability to analyse relevant sources and critically discuss the secondary material. |
| Digital capability | Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard |
| Professional communication | Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5