Module HGH-2118:
The United States, 1877-1945
The United States, 1877-1945 2024-25
HGH-2118
2024-25
School Of History, Law And Social Sciences
Module - Semester 1
20 credits
Module Organiser:
Alexander Sedlmaier
Overview
This module is designed to provide a general but comprehensive introduction to the major themes and events of United States History from 1877-1945. Topics covered include: Progressivism; the 'Incorporation' of the U.S. and the rise of big business; immigration and migration; the 'birth' of U.S. foreign policy; the First World War; the U.S. in the 1920s; the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression; Pearl Harbour and the Second World War.
Assessment Strategy
Threshold students (40% to D+) will have done only a minimum of reading, and their work will often be based partly on lecture notes and/or basic textbooks. They will demonstrate in their written assessments some knowledge of at least parts of the relevant field, and will make at least partially-successful attempts to frame an argument which engages with historical controversies, but they will fail to discuss some large and vital aspects of a topic; and/or deploy only some relevant material but partly fail to combine it into a coherent whole; and/or deploy some evidence to support individual points but often fail to do so and/or show difficulty weighing evidence (thereby relying on unsuitable or irrelevant evidence when making a point). Alternatively, or additionally, the presentation of the work might also be poor, with bad grammar and/or punctuation, careless typos and spelling errors, and a lack of effective and correct referencing.
Students in this band (C- to C+) will demonstrate a satisfactory range of achievement or depth of knowledge of most parts of the module, and will make successful, if occasionally inconsistent, attempts to develop those skills appropriate to the study of History at undergraduate level. In the case of the written assessments, the answers will attempt to focus on the question, although might drift into narrative, and will show some evidence of solid reading and research. The argument might lose direction and might not be adequately clear at the bottom of this category. Written work will be presented reasonably well with only limited errors in grammar, punctuation, and referencing, and not to the extent that they obscure meaning.
Good students (B- to B+) will demonstrate a solid level of achievement and depth of knowledge in all the criteria in the C- to C+ range and will in addition exhibit constructive engagement with different types of historical writing and historiographical interpretation. Ideas will be communicated effectively, and written work will include a good range of sources/reading and demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues and of the existing interpretations expressed in a well-structured, relevant, and focused argument. Students at the top end of this band will engage with and critique the ideas that they come across and synthesise the various interpretations they find to reach their own considered conclusions. Written work will be correctly presented with references and bibliography where appropriate.
Excellent students (A- and above) will show strong achievement across all the criteria combined with particularly impressive depths of knowledge and/or subtlety of analysis. In written work, they will support their arguments with a wealth of relevant detail/examples. They will also demonstrate an acute awareness of the relevant historiography and give an account of why the conclusions reached are important within a particular historical debate. They may show a particularly subtle approach to possible objections, nuancing their argument in the light of counter-examples, or producing an interesting synthesis of various contrasting positions. Overall, the standards of content, argument, and analysis expected will be consistently superior to top upper-second work. Standards of presentation will also be high.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a wide-ranging knowledge of the overall development of the USA in the period 1877-1945.
- Employ evidence from secondary reading as an integral part of historical argument.
- Illustrate a detailed knowledge of specific aspects of the period.
- Judge between alternative historical interpretations of the period, including current historiographical positions.
- Synthesize historical arguments about broader developments in the United States, and present detailed historical arguments about specific issues.
Assessment method
Essay
Assessment type
Crynodol
Weighting
60%
Due date
14/01/2025
Assessment method
Oral Test
Assessment type
Crynodol
Description
Questions in the oral examination will test knowledge and understanding of a specific theme of the period 1877-1945 in American history (previously chosen from a list of possible topics). Performance will be graded by considering scope of reading, content, focus, and clarity of argument. Answers will be expected to show a detailed knowledge reflecting extensive reading, an ability to engage in a dialogue about a chosen topic, and a willingness to engage with historiographical issues
Weighting
40%