This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Beginning in the ashes of the Civil War, this course takes students through the industrial revolution and into modern America, helping them understand complex events as the rise of American industrialism, the Great Depression, the Cold War, Vietnam War, cultural revolution of the 1960’s, America’s involvement in the Middle East and much more, highlighting issues of particular interest to Catholics.
Total classes: 12
Prerequisite: None. However, a background in early American History will be helpful, but not required. Mr. Campbell’s short course on the Great Depression is also helpful (available through Single Access or Unlimited Access).
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Suggested credit: One full semester History, Modern History, or American History (add Honor’s designation if your student chooses the Honor’s Track)
Honor’s Course: This class comes with an optional Honor’s Course track. For instructions on what to do if you want to take the Honor’s Course track, please watch the video below:
Description
Beginning in the ashes of the Civil War, this course takes students through the industrial revolution and into modern America, helping them understand complex events as the rise of American industrialism, the Great Depression, the Cold War, Vietnam War, cultural revolution of the 1960’s, America’s involvement in the Middle East and much more, highlighting issues of particular interest to Catholics. Optional Honor’s Track is available. For details and instructions, see the video below.
Outline
Week 1: The Reconstruction Era
Week 2: Age of the Robber Barons
Week 3: Closing of the West
Week 4: American Imperialism
Week 5: The Wilson Years
Week 6: The Roaring Twenties
Week 7: The Age of FDR
Week 8: The American Dream
Week 9: The Cultural Revolution
Week 10: The Stagnant 70’s
Week 11: Morning in America
Week 12: Toward the New Millennium
Materials and Homework
Course Materials. This course requires two items (three for the Optional Honor’s Track):
The Textbook(s): A People and A Nation Vol. II, 6th edition, by Norton, Katzman, et al (ISBN-13: 978-0618005529 or ISBN-10: 0618005528). Please make sure you get the inexpensive 6th edition with the 1920’s woman on the cover at https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618005528) — don’t buy the grossly expensive 7th edition.
NOTE: This is a secular textbook. The instructor chose it because it goes into a level of depth beyond many other textbooks and it explains that there are more than just one narrative of how America’s history has unfolded, something which Catholics (as a historically persecuted minority in this country) ought to understand. The instructor will have student skip readings if he feels they are unfriendly to Catholic sensibilities.
The Sourcebook: In addition to the textbook, students will complete primary source readings out of a Sourcebook (70 pages). The Sourcebook can be purchased at this link for $12. You will be directed to a PayPal page; click “Pay with debit or credit card’ and continue. The file will be emailed to you within three business days in the form of a PDF file.
If you are taking the Optional Honor’s Track, you will also need this booklet, The Significance of the Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner found at https://www.amazon.com/Significance-Frontier-American-Frederick-2014-02-13/dp/B01FGOQDN2.
Homework: Homework consists of approximately 20-30 pages of textbook reading per week, plus brief readings from primary sources that are found in the Sourcebook. Students are expected to complete 2 to 3 short essays weekly. Essays can be graded using the answer key (below)
