History 434- the United States As a Global Power

History 434- The United States as a Global Power: American Empire

MW 9:30-10:45 Dr. Rachel Ida Buff Spring, 2017 Holton 313 HLT 190 T 11-1 & by appointment [email protected]

Course Description: This course covers the rise of the United States as a global power beyond the boundaries of the North American continent. As will be seen, the habit of empire precedes the U.S. acquisition of colonial possessions in the Caribbean and Pacific. The rise of the U.S. as a “global power” begins with the process of settler colonialism and the resulting dispossession of indigenous American nations. This course endeavors to move from this originary colonialism through twentieth and twenty-first century imperial engagements. As distinct from previous versions of this course, which focused primarily on political history, this course adds cultural and social history perspectives to the study of what used to be called Foreign or International relations. Social history is the attempt to look at history “from the bottom up”; to understand the experiences and perspectives of the non- famous and less powerful. A social history approach means that we will be centrally concerned with the histories of working people, of people of color, of women and of GLBT communities. Cultural history combines traditional historical approaches with some methods gleaned from anthropology to look at the ways popular discourses and practices shape history. A cultural history approach draws on popular culture or popular narratives to amplify the voices of those often left out of the historical record.

Class Policies:

1. What I expect of you: This is a smaller class, and will combine lecture and discussion. Student participation is a crucial aspect of the class. I expect students to come to class prepared, and to participate. Participation means: • Coming to class on time • Coming to class (missing more than two classes will result in a loss of 5 points to your final grade) • completing each week’s reading by Wednesday’s class • staying current with your email- if you use a non-uwm account, have your uwm email forwarded to it • checking D2L for assignments and readings and announcements • bringing books to class, as appropriate • putting cell phones on “mute” • using laptops only to take or review notes, or check on on-line readings • missing class only when absolutely unavoidable. You get one free miss, no questions asked: after that it will affect your grade without the appropriate documentation. • Handing in written work on time. I can deduct 5 points for every 24 hours a paper or worksheet is late. • Showing up for appointments scheduled with me.

2. What you may expect of me: • I will answer email within 24 hours of receiving it. I do not, however, read email from sundown on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday, so my response time during this period will be slower. • I will be in my office during scheduled office hours and appointments. • I will return written work and exams within a 10 day window. • I will almost always remember to silence my cell phone during class

Course Work

Written Work 1. Primary source project: Each student will be assigned one of the primary sources in American Empire at the Turn of the Twentieth Century to present in class. Students will write individual papers using multiple primary documents. 2. Take home midterm: essay and short answer. 3. US as a Global Power Literature project: Students will sign up to read one of four novels and memoirs. Each student will read the entire book. Working with other students, you will design an educational and entertaining class presentation giving some background on the book, its author, and its historical context. Each student will also write a paper on the book, analyzing it and placing it in terms of its historical significance. 4. Cold War Coups: Students will sign up to research one of four Cold War coups. Your group will design a short (15-20 min) presentation. Each student will write a paper on the coup in question. 5. Take home final. Longer essay.

Grading

 In order to receive a passing grade in this course, students must complete ALL assigned work, including group projects. No incompletes will be given.

Participation: 10% Primary source project: 10% Presentation (5 %) Paper (5%) US in the world literature project: 20% Group presentation (10%) Paper (15%) Cold War Coups project: 20% Group presentation (10%) Paper (10%) Midterm: 20% Final: 20%

Readings Books are available through the UWM Virtual Bookstore. You can more than likely find them much cheaper by looking at sources for used books.

Required books: Kristen Hoganson: American Empire at the Turn of the Twentieth Century (AE) Andrew Friedman: Covert Capital: Landscapes of Denial and the Making of U.S. Empire in the Suburbs of Northern Virginia (CC) Greg Grandin: Empire’s Workshop: Latin America, the United States and the Rise of the New Imperialism (EW)

Choose One: Each student will sign up for one of the following books: Carlos Bulosan, America is in the Heart Claude McKay, Banjo Rigoberto Menchu, I, Rigoberto Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad Junot Diaz, The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Other readings will be available on D2L under the weeks they are required.

Course Schedule:

Jan 23-25 Introduction Readings @ d2l for Weds

Jan 31-Feb 2 Empire at the turn of the 19th & 20th centuries Read: “Introduction” AE

Feb 6-8 Primary source presentations: AE Primary source papers due Sunday, 2/12 by midnight

Feb 13-15 Readings available @ D2L

Feb 20-23 Readings available @ d2l

Feb 27-Mar 1 Readings available @ d2l Literature in the World Presentations #1: Bulosan

March 6-8 Readings available @ d2l Literature in the World Presentations #2: McKay

March 13-15 Readings available @ d2l Take-home midterm due Sunday, March 19 by midnight

SPRING BREAK March 27-29 Cold War Coups: intro CC p. 3-83

April 3-5 Cold War Coup of the week: Iran EW p. 1-87

April 10-12 Cold War Coup of the week: Guatemala EW, p. 87-159 Literature in the World #3: Menchu

April 17-19 Cold War Coup of the week: Congo CC 83-163

April 24-26 Cold War Coup of the week: Vietnam CC 163-207 Literature in the World: Diaz

May 1-3 Cold War Coup of the week: Chile EW 159-223

May 8-10 reading on D2L Literature in the World: Ega Take Home Final distributed in class, due by midnight May 17