AMERICAN HISTORY, 1865-PRESENT
HISTORY 104-001 at QUEENS COLLEGE
JUNE 2024 SUMMER SESSION

MAIN COURSE PAGE (bookmark)
Schedule, Readings, Homework, etc.

ZOOM LINK FOR HISTORY 104 (click to launch)
Meeting ID 830 4834 0072 – Passcode 787177

HISTORY 104 FORUM (threads)

Instructor: Nicholas Evangelos Levis (NEL)
Online Synchronous – Course # 1899
Class meets every Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu from 9 AM to 11:40AM
15 Sessions, from Mon 3 June to Thu 27 June
Except Wed 19 June (College Closed for Juneteenth)
Office Hours: After class or by appointment

INTRODUCTION

Greetings, students. Our task for the next 24 days is an impossible one. This course counts for 3 college credits and is considered equivalent to the second part of the standard American History Survey (1865-present). History 104 is normally conducted on campus, in person, with two meetings a week over the 15 or 16 weeks of a full semester, and time enough to read entire books written by scholars and memoirists (a necessity of the historical discipline) and to learn how to write short research papers. Since it is impossible to do this in the current format, our goal in this course instead will be to do our best in introducing some main themes of US history. We will practice and get better at reading history at a college level, engage in critical historical thinking, discourse and debate, learn some source analysis, and work together in groups to present particular histories to the class. Consider that a mission statement.

• CLASSES & MINOR HOMEWORK – 50% of course grade
  -> See below, “Rules & Guidelines for Remote Meetings”
• HOMEWORK & TESTS – 30%
  -> 4-6 hours of reading and group work a week, with a test on the reading every Monday (10% each)
• GROUP WORK (starting in Week 2) – 20%

* * *

Rules for Remote Meetings

Online-Synchronous means that all of the course meetings will be held for the entire scheduled time (except maybe the first) and students are expected to attend in full and be active participants. We will do most of the course work in class, including much of the reading.

Please arrive to the remote meeting on time (five minutes early) and be prepared to stay and be active for the entire time between 9am and 11:40 pm on Mondays through Thursdays.

Please have your cameras on throughout! Students who present a blank box will be considered absent. (If you don’t have a camera or it’s broken, please try to fix this soon as possible. It’s an unfortunate course expense. In the meantime, I will call on you frequently.) Please use the name with which you are enrolled as your screen name on. (Remember I will have to attend to 30 students in this course.)

It is best if you have a quiet workspace and can set up on a proper computer, preferably with two screens. You need to pay attention to what is shared on screen and be able to see it in detail. I know this is not always possible for everyone; that much will of course be forgiven. But attending by phone is a very bad idea. Attending while on mass transit or driving (please park at least!) is highly discouraged, as is attending while at work.

If you have a priority that is important enough that it makes it hard to give full attention to the course, like a job or family duties, you have my understanding for that. It’s life. But in that case, your best option may be to drop the course (still possible until tomorrow, 4 June). I would also advise against taking more than two summer courses at the same time. If you are in two courses, that’s already a full-time job. You can save the tuition and headaches of a third course and use it to take this course at a time when you will be able to do the work and maybe even love the history, as is much more likely in a regular semester.

Now let’s set up your account on the Forum!

EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS ARCHIVED FROM PAST COURSES – FEEL FREE TO IGNORE!

Main Pages for the three courses
[102 – EUROPE] – [265 – US 1920-1945] – [284 – NEW YORK]
All courses are in person: attendance is crucial.

–> RULES FOR ALL COURSES <–
–> ZOOM if needed (ID 832 8627 4932 – Pass 124405) <–
–> To register for the Forum, see instructions below <–

Greetings, Queens College students and welcome to HISTORY KITCHEN, the website for the three history courses taught by Nicholas Evangelos Levis (NEL) at QC in Spring 2024, from Mon 29 Jan until the end of the semester in May. No matter which course you are in, please start by reading this post and then follow the instructions to register for the course Forum. Then you should familiarize yourself with the Rules for all Courses. Then, finally, please follow the link to the Main Page for your own course (above) to see what we are doing in the first week.

MAIN PAGE. The Main Page for your course is where you can access all course resources. Please bookmark it. It provides the schedule of classes and assignments, the syllabus, links to readings and online assignments on the course Forum, regular updates, and all other information you will need. On your Main Page, the topmost link jumps to the “Current Week” for the course. If you’re looking for anything or wondering what’s next, always check there. Updates and breaking news will also be announced by e-mail and in class. (Note: This course does not use Blackboard, Canvas, or other outside Learning Management Sites.)

FORUM & E-MAIL. Make sure I have a working e-mail for you that you check regularly. Course communications are by e-mail, in class or office hours, and through our online discussion board, The Forum (see below for instructions on how to register). All written assignments will be submitted as posts on the Forum, except for formal course papers requested in print. If at any point during the semester you need help or feel lost, confused, or overwhelmed: Contact me! I am very responsive to e-mails, unless I am also having an emergency.

OFFICE HOURS & ZOOM. Regular drop-in office hours will be held after each class. We will meet in the classroom if available, otherwise we will go the teachers’ lounge in Kiely Hall 209A or the cafeteria. You can contact me by e-mail to schedule individual appointments at other times. There is one Zoom link for all remote meetings as needed, group or individual. (The Zoom link is good for only one month at a time, so I will have to be changing it at the start of each month.)

READING. Reading is the most basic element in the study of history. For all of your subjects, you should reserve a few hours daily for quiet study time. (It is recommended you read one text at a time, and take notes by hand.) For each week in any course, plan for the full class sessions and at least 3-4 hours of reading outside class, in addition to enough time for written assignments.  Ideally you should treat your four or five courses in a semester as though they are a full-time job of about 40 hours a week. At the same time, we (the instructors) are aware that many people do not enjoy ideal circumstances in their lives. Please contact me if you run into problems.

ELECTRONICS. During class, phones must always be turned off and kept out of sight. If you must use your phone for an emergency, please do so outside the classroom. If you have a portable computer, you are asked to bring it to class during the first week only. After that, all electronics are banned from class (except for the classroom projector). Use of AI is strictly prohibited in this course. (See the Course Rules, items #4 and #11,  for a complete run-down.)

• If you have your own reasons to take notes on a portable machine during classes (or accommodations from the College to allow this), contact me by e-mail and we will make an arrangement. You will be expected to post electronic notes taken in class afterward on The Forum. (There will be an “e-notes” subforum for this purpose.)

GENERAL RULES. All students are responsible for reading and following the general Course Rules & Guidelines on Course Engagement.

THANK YOU! NOW PLEASE REGISTER FOR THE FORUM:

• 1. Click FORUM on the navigation menu above, or go here.
• 2. On that page, click on Register (upper right).
• 3. Agree to the terms (it’s the usual nonsense and comes with the software).
• 4. Fill out the form and the Captcha (sorry).
• 5. IMPORTANT: For your username, PLEASE use the first and last name under which you are enrolled for the course, for example: Taylor Swift. (Sorry, I have to keep track of many students!)
• 6. Choose your own password.
• 7. Submit.
• 8. Now you can log in. Do so, to check.
• 9. ALSO IMPORTANT: After you register, you still won’t see The Forum. I have to activate your membership first. I will be activating registrations every morning and announcing it until everyone’s account is active. (This is a necessary anti-spam measure.)

We will talk about more at the first class. Looking forward to meeting you.

Thanks and all the best,
Nicholas Evangelos Levis (NEL)
Instructor in History, Queens College
MPhil, PhD Candidate in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY

HISTORY KITCHEN is the website for the 265-771, the dual course taught by Nicholas Levis (NEL) at Queens College in the June 2023 Summer Session, from Mon 5 June to Thu 29 June. All classes meet in person at Queens College, MoTuWeTh, 2:00PM-4:40PM, in person at Powdermaker Hall, Room 115. Attendance is crucial.

SCHEDULE FOR JUNE 2023
Click on the above to see the “Master Page” for this course. It has the schedule of assignments and classes, the syllabus, and all other information and links you will need. Any course assignment or reading material that has been posted will be linked there. There is no need to look for links elsewhere. Examine the main page for your course carefully and bookmark it. If you’re looking for anything or wondering what’s next, always look there first. There will be updates and breaking news.

SYLLABUS FOR HISTORY 265-771
This course combines two course listings:

• HIST 265 – 001 — The United States, 1920-1945: Prosperity and Depression, New Deal, and World War II. “The effects of World War I, the political and social developments of the 1920s, the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II.” (#1677, Undergraduate)

• HIST 771 – 001 The Depression and the New Deal. “Political, social, and economic changes in the United States from 1929 to the outbreak of World War II.” (#1679, Graduate)
  
  These are both full academic courses for 3 college credits on a standard grade basis. That means you are expected to do the same amount of work as in a full-semester course in just four weeks.

GETTING STARTED

• FORUM & E-MAIL. Make sure I have a working e-mail for you that you check daily. Course communications are by e-mail and through our online discussion board on this site, The Forum. Most of your assignments will be submitted as posts on The Forum. Materials such as readings and video will be made available via this site at no cost. Courses managed through this site do not use Blackboard, Canvas, or other outside Learning Management Sites.
  
• ZOOM & OFFICE HOURS. Drop-in Office Hours will be daily in the hour before class, and as needed for the 30 minutes after class. You may contact me to guarantee appointments at these or to schedule remote meetings at other times. The Zoom link for the month is
  Summer 2023 Zoom
  –> Meeting ID 844 3765 6481, Passcode312897
  
• READING. Reading is the most basic thing in these courses, as in the study of history generally. You should reserve a few hours daily for quiet study time for all your subjects. You should read one text or do one assignment at a time, and take notes. Ideally you should be treating this course almost like a full-time job: 3 hours in class, 3 hours of study outside class. At the same time, we (the instructors) are aware that many people do not enjoy ideal circumstances. Please contact me if you run into problems.
  
• ELECTRONICS. If you have a portable computer, bring it to the first class. After that, however, electronics are not encouraged in class. Phones must always be turned off. If you have your own reasons to take notes on a portable machine during classes, this will be allowed — under the condition that you post your notes after class on The Forum. The course has an “e-notes” subforum for this purpose.
  
• GENERAL RULES. All students are responsible for reading and following the General Course Rules & Guidelines on Course Engagement.

Register now for The Forum:

• 1. Click FORUM on the navigation menu above, or go here. (Bookmark it.)
• 2. On that page, click on Register (upper right).
• 3. Agree to the terms (it’s the usual nonsense).
• 4. Fill out the form and the Captcha.
• 5. IMPORTANT: For your username, PLEASE use the name under which you are enrolled for the course: Firstname Lastname. (Sorry, I have to keep track of many students!)
• 6. Choose your own password.
• 7. Submit.
• 8. Now you can log in. Do so, to check. But you still won’t see The Forum. I have to approve your membership first. (This is a necessary anti-spam measure.)

We will talk about more at the first class. Looking forward to meeting you.

Thanks and all the best,
Nicholas Evangelos Levis (NEL)
Instructor in History, Queens College
MPhil, PhD Candidate in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY

*

Here are some resources for students writing research papers.

*** Writing History Papers ***

A POCKET GUIDE TO WRITING IN HISTORY
By Mary Lynn Rampolla. Fifth Edition, Chapters 1-3. Excellent short introduction that experienced scholars also find useful.

PRESENTATION on Writing In History
A more visual version of the first three chapters of Rampolla’s guide, by a former student of mine.

TIPS: Often the best way to plan a research paper is to model it on a published scholarly article that you admire. How is your favorite paper structured? How does it place borders around its subject? What does its introduction do? What is accomplished in the title, subtitle and section headings? How does it treat prior literature on the subject? How does it contextualize? Periodize? Define a thesis? Deploy primary and other sources? Present evidence and build an argument? Does it give fair treatment to contrary evidence and counter-arguments? Who or what is the “foil,” meaning the antagonist, the argument or writer(s) to whom it responds critically? What are the devices used in disagreeing with prior works? To whom is it speaking? How does it enlist its intended readership in the argument? Does it employ a particular set of terms or jargon, and what does it do to make sure these are clearly defined? How does it do citations? (In this class, any standard citation style — MLA, APA, Chicago — is acceptable, if consistently applied.) It is worthwhile to break down a number of articles in this way so as to familiarize yourself with forms and techniques you can then use and adapt for yourself.

*** Academic Search Resources ***

First log in to your QC library account for access!

CLICS – Inter-campus lending
Delivers books from any other CUNY library if available.

ILL – Interlibrary loan
Delivers books from libraries around the U.S. and the world.

ALL DATABASES, A-Z, Queens College Libraries
Scroll through the 285 databases to familiarize yourself, if you have not done so already. Most scholarly articles can be downloaded via Academic One Search, JSTOR, the various EBSCO databases and others. LexisNexis and New York Times searches can help with finding newspaper articles about past events. There are many history, art, literature, social science and biography databases, and much more. Examples of the rich (but not all-encompassing) archives include a Nineteenth Century Collections database for U.S. archives online and several collections on slavery, including a New York Slavery Records Index.

SEARCHING BASICS
Short guide by Prof. Daisy Dominguez, History Librarian at City College of New York.

WORLD CAT
A catalogue of (theoretically) all of the world’s books and their library locations, advanced search feature.

GOOGLE SCHOLAR
Easiest and most comprehensive search engine for scholarly articles and books using author or subject, allows Boolean phrases (like use of quotes, etc.). While many books and journal items cannot be downloaded through Google searches, if you use a QC proxy as your URL, it will provide links back to the QC library and databases!

GOOGLE BOOKS – Advanced Search
Several million scanned books, with a limit on how many pages you can view of each. But the search does locate if given words are present in a book. (Of interest is the related Google Ngram viewer, which allows you to see the frequency of words occurring in these books over a period of 200+ years, set start and end dates, and compare different words and phrases. See, for example, this revealing comparison of the words consumer and citizen. Also, are the Beatles really bigger than Jesus? Remember that most such searches should be seen as fun indicators or supporting evidence, rather than proof of something.)

Do you have an NYPL library card? You should! Log in using the Classic Catalog search.

KANOPY
Once logged in at NYPL, check out this amazing archive streaming many thousands of U.S. and international documentaries and feature films. Countless items relevant to our subjects. Of course you may cite film works in papers, but do so in conjunction with print scholarship and be mindful of the particular limits of film as imposed by time and, almost always, the standard story-telling forms. Beware of emotional music and happy endings. Images have immediacy and speak the proverbial thousand words, but editing is often more about impact than clarity.

WIKIPEDIA?!
With caveats, this is an acceptable reference source for introductions to specific subjects you may run across in your scholarly readings. Read it critically (as you should read anything else). Use it as one might use a dictionary, or have in the past used Britannica. Do not cite Wikipedia. Follow its citations. Think of it as an annotated search engine. The image resources on Wikimedia are an excellent archive. Among its weaknesses, Wikipedia’s collective authorship tends to favor consensus analysis and (in English) can be very U.S.-centric. The more controversial a subject, the less trustworthy it may be. On general U.S. history, prefer whatever is available on American Yawp, which is also a wiki project but open only to history graduate students and professors, and edited with greater expertise. But Wikipedia is obviously more comprehensive. It is highly preferable to junk dot-com sites, like history.com. Avoid those. Remember that the primary aim of commercial sites is not to teach but to sell, and they will usually just try to keep you running around links on their own site. Look for dot-edu instead.

HISTORY KITCHEN is the website for the three courses taught by Nicholas Levis (NEL) at Queens College in the Fall 2022 semester, from Thu 25 Aug to Wed 21 Dec. All classes meet in person at QC. Attendance is crucial.

• Europe since 1815
  History 102-004 (27672), Mon & Wed 10:45AM-12:00PM
  First class: Mon 29 Aug at 10:45AM in Kiely Hall Rm. 417
• American History, 1492-1877
  History 103-005 (27659), Mon & Wed 1:40PM-2:55PM
  First class: Mon 29 Aug at 1:40PM in Kiely Hall Rm. 312
• American Empire & U.S. Society since 1941
  History 163-002 (35313), Wednesdays 4:30PM-7:20PM
  First class: Wed 31 Aug at 4:30PM in Kiely Hall Rm. 312

MAIN PAGE. Each link above leads to a “master page” for that course. This has the schedule of assignments and classes, the syllabus, and all other information and links you will need. Examine the main page for your course carefully and bookmark it. If you’re looking for anything or wondering what’s next, always look there first. There will be updates and breaking news. (Note that there are assignments due for Week 1, including the syllabus. Please do these before the first class.)

FORUM & E-MAIL. Make sure I have a working e-mail for you that you check often. Course communications are by e-mail and through our online discussion board, The Forum. Most of your assignments will be submitted as posts on The Forum. Materials such as readings and video will be made available via this site at no cost. These courses do not use Blackboard.

ZOOM & OFFICE HOURS. There is a Zoom link for remote meetings as needed, group or individual. It is good for the whole semester. Regular office hours will be held in the hour before the first class of each week. Contact me to schedule appointments at other times.

READING. Reading is the most important thing in these courses, as in the study of history generally. You should reserve a few hours daily for quiet study time for all your subjects. You should read one text or do one assignment at a time, and take notes. If you are taking four courses, ideally you should be treating it as a full-time job. At the same time, we (the instructors) are aware that many people do not enjoy ideal circumstances. Please contact us if you run into problems.

ELECTRONICS. If you have a portable computer, bring it to the first class. After that, however, electronics are not encouraged in class. Phones must always be turned off. If you have your own reasons to take notes on a portable machine during classes, this will be allowed — under the condition that you post your notes after class on The Forum. Each course has an “e-notes” subforum for this purpose.

Register now for The Forum:
1. Click FORUM on the navigation menu above, or go here. (Bookmark it.)
2. On that page, click on Register (upper right).
3. Agree to the terms (it’s the usual nonsense).
4. Fill out the form and the Captcha.
5. IMPORTANT: For your username, PLEASE use the name under which you are enrolled for the course: Firstname Lastname. (Sorry, I have to keep track of many students!)
6. Choose your own password.
7. Submit.
8. Now you can log in. Do so, to check. But you still won’t see The Forum. I have to approve your membership first. (This is a necessary anti-spam measure.)

We will talk about more at the first class. Looking forward to meeting you.

Thanks and all the best,
Nicholas Evangelos Levis (NEL)
Instructor in History, Queens College
MPhil, PhD Candidate in History, The Graduate Center, CUNY

*

This site is launching as the online resource for the two Queens College courses, HIST 265-771 & 284-799 in Summer Session 2, 2 July to 13 August 2018. Watch this space but make sure to register for the forum right away if you have not.

Friday, May 11, 2 pm
LAST CLASS
Special topic and reading/video: U.S. and Middle East.
(This topic was chosen by student vote.)
Class begins with GAME SHOW. Don’t miss it!

Monday, May 14, 2 pm
STUDY SESSION FOR FINAL
This will be in the usual room, but we may be forced to move next door.
(Time was chosen by Doodle poll.)

Friday, May 18, 1 pm
FINAL EXAM
(Click for study guide.)
Note Earlier Time! Usual Room.

=============================================

EXTRA CREDIT BOARD
Closes day before test!
Read the rules.

=============================================

1890s-1950s.

The American Yawp

DOWNLOAD visuals used in class lectures (except 1890s-1950s).

200 YEARS OF IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES

HISTORICAL MAPS

US CENSUS: Largest Ancestry by U.S. County, 2000

Notes of the Secret Debates of the Federal Convention of 1787.

Article by James Oakes on anti-slavery as a cause of the Civil War.

Note: Quizzes are always possible.

Today, Friday, April 27, 2pm
CLASS: 1898-1950, PART 1
Reading.

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 28, 10:30 am
TRIP TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND & UNITED NATIONS
Meet at Roosevelt Island subway stop exit (F train).
Details & post your reports.

Sunday, April 29, 12:30 pm
TRIP TO ELLIS ISLAND
Meet at Castle Clinton in Battery Park.
Details & post your reports.

Friday, May 4, 2 pm
CLASS 13: 1898-1950, PART 2
ESSAY DUE – See here for some options.
Continuing with the reading.
Required film: The Life & Times of Rosie the Riveter.

Friday, May 11, 2 pm
FINAL CLASS
Reading to be announced.
State your preference for optional discussion: Middle East policy or Hollywood and Politics?

Week Before the Final
STUDY SESSION
Vote in the Doodle Poll for your preferred times between Monday 5/14 and Wed 5/16.

Friday, May 18, 1 pm
Note Earlier Time! Usual Room:
FINAL TEST
You were sent the document: Final Test from Fall 2017
The short answers will be different, but see the Essay Questions on p. 8. These will be among your options both for the final and for your class essay due May 4.