- Course Type CLEP
- Subject History and Social Sciences
- Level Introductory
- Length 6 Weeks
- Effort 4/Week
- Institution Modern States
ABOUT THIS COURSE
It reviews all of the substantive material that is usually taught in the second semester of the two-semester course in the United States history. Our goal as creators of this course is to prepare you to pass the College Board’s CLEP examination and obtain college credit for free.
Through the guidance of Dr. Stephen Sullivan, this course will cover the period of United States history from the end of the Civil War to the present, with the majority of the questions being on the twentieth century.
“History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present” is a completely self-paced course. It has no prerequisites and it is offered entirely for free.
Instructors
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Stephen Sullivan, Ph.D.Dr. Stephen Sullivan is a historian of the United States. A protege of noted Columbia historians Eric Foner and Kenneth Jackson, Sullivan's research interests include women's history, labor history and urban history, especially as they relate to New York City and Brooklyn; as well as immigration and ethnicity, with a sub-specialty in Irish-America. However, his interests are rather eclectic.
Current projects include revising his dissertation into a book manuscript for Catholic University of America Press (Social & Spatial History of Irish-Americans in The City of Homes from the Great Hunger through the Great War), a journal article examining the development of nineteenth century labor cooperatives in New York City; and a coauthored children's book (Table Talk: How Family Dinners Can Help Stop Unhealthy Eating Patterns) for the APA's Magination Press about the positive impact of tweens sharing family meals. Dr. Sullivan has taught at several universities, most notably his alma mater, Columbia University (The History of the City of New York).
He has also taught at Barnard College (Immigrant Women in the Empire City), Adelphi University (The History of the City of New York; American Civilization to 1877; Civil War & Reconstruction), CUNY-Hunter College (United States History I & II) and Nassau Community College (Introduction to American Government). The veteran educator has taught Advanced Placement American History and Behavioral Science Research at Lawrence High School in Cedarhurst, NY for three decades.
A long list of organizations have honored Dr. Sullivan for instructional or mentoring excellence - the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Society, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Association of Geographers, the American Psychological Association, the Walt Disney American Teachers Awards Committee, the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the New York State Union of Teachers, the Long Island Council of Social Studies and the U.S. Department of Education. "A social history of the Brooklyn Irish, 1850-1900" was honored as a finalist in the Urban History Association's "Best Dissertation of 2013" competition.
However, Dr. Sullivan is most proud of his work mentoring over one hundred award-winning and/or published undergraduate and precollegiate research projects in history, psychology, economics, geography and anthropology.
Course Overview
History of the United States II Course Overview - Modern States
| Module | Topic | Video Length | Total pages of required reading |
| Module 1: Reconstruction and the West 01:55:35 total video length 60 total reading pages |
1.0 Introduction | 0:00:52 | – |
| 1.1 Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1865-1877 | 0:02:55 | 28 | |
| 1.1.1 Wartime Reconstruction | 0:06:42 | – | |
| 1.1.2 Presidential Reconstruction | 0:10:32 | – | |
| 1.1.3 Radical Reconstruction | 0:16:11 | – | |
| 1.1.4 The Grant Administration | 0:08:37 | – | |
| 1.1.5 Black Lives in the Postbellum South | 0:19:45 | – | |
| 1.1.6 Retreat from Reconstruction | 0:10:48 | – | |
| 1.2 Go West, Young Man!: 1865-1900 | 0:01:22 | 32 | |
| 1.2.1 Native American Cultures and Policies | 0:08:48 | – | |
| 1.2.2 The Wild West? | 0:03:07 | – | |
| 1.2.3 How the West Was Really Won | 0:11:00 | – | |
| 1.2.4 The Legend(s) of the West | 0:14:56 | – | |
| Module 2: Industrialization and Urbanization 02:08:39 total video length 62 total reading pages |
2.0 Introduction | 0:01:02 | – |
| 2.1 The Industrial Age, 1877-1920 | 0:02:18 | 30 | |
| 2.1.1 Dreamers | 0:06:45 | – | |
| 2.1.2 Workers | 0:07:15 | – | |
| 2.1.3 Corporations | 0:09:31 | – | |
| 2.1.4 Government | 0:09:12 | – | |
| 2.1.5 Emergence of Labor Unions | 0:20:43 | – | |
| 2.2 Immigration and Urban Life, 1880-1920 | 0:02:44 | 32 | |
| 2.2.1 The Modern City | 0:06:17 | – | |
| 2.2.2 Urban Sprawl | 0:04:48 | – | |
| 2.2.3 From New Immigration to Immigration Restriction | 0:16:23 | – | |
| 2.2.4 Housing and Housing Reform | 0:11:37 | – | |
| 2.2.5 Quality of Life | 0:06:55 | – | |
| 2.2.6 Bosses of Courses | 0:13:48 | – | |
| 2.2.7 Newspapers and Other Media | 0:09:21 | – | |
| Module 3: The Gilded Age and the Progressive Movement 02:04:28 total video length 32 total reading pages |
3.0 Introduction | 0:00:33 | – |
| 3.1 The Gilded Age | 0:02:34 | 30 | |
| 3.1.1 Who’s Who in the Cast? | 0:06:55 | – | |
| 3.1.2 Civil Service Reform | 0:06:27 | – | |
| 3.1.3 Railroad Regulation | 0:07:27 | – | |
| 3.1.4 Tariff Policy | 0:03:35 | – | |
| 3.1.5 Monetary Policy | 0:05:53 | – | |
| 3.1.6 Forgettable Presidents | 0:13:05 | – | |
| 3.1.7 Black Lives (Don’t) Matter… | 0:09:14 | – | |
| 3.1.8 The Farmers Crusade: Radical or Reactionary? | 0:10:56 | – | |
| 3.2 The Progressive Movement | 0:02:42 | 32 | |
| 3.2.1 Upper-Class Reformers | 0:05:19 | – | |
| 3.2.2 Working Class Reform | 0:16:42 | – | |
| 3.2.3 Government Reform | 0:07:15 | – | |
| 3.2.4 Theodore Roosevelt’s Bully Pulpit | 0:07:01 | – | |
| 3.2.5 High Point for Conservation | 0:03:51 | – | |
| 3.2.6 Was Taft a True Progressive? | 0:07:18 | – | |
| 3.2.7 Wilson’s New Freedom | 0:07:41 | – | |
| Module 4: American Imperialism and World War I 02:09:34 total video length 60 total reading pages |
4.0 Introduction | 0:01:24 | – |
| 4.1 The Age of Empire | 0:01:55 | 28 | |
| 4.1.1 The New Imperialism | 0:04:55 | – | |
| 4.1.2 The Lure of Empire | 0:06:47 | – | |
| 4.1.3 A Splendid Little War | 0:16:20 | – | |
| 4.1.4 U.S. Imperial Expansion, 1857-1917 | 0:13:44 | – | |
| 4.1.5 The Philippines | 0:04:26 | – | |
| 4.1.6 Imperialists vs. Anti-Imperialists | 0:05:38 | – | |
| 4.1.7 Open Door and Big Stick | 0:07:53 | – | |
| 4.2 Americans in the Great War | 0:02:34 | 32 | |
| 4.2.1 Over There | 0:07:40 | – | |
| 4.2.2 The Yanks Are Coming | 0:10:12 | – | |
| 4.2.3 Winning the War at Home | 0:11:59 | – | |
| 4.2.4 Winning at What Cost? | 0:09:28 | – | |
| 4.2.5 Blacks in the Military | 0:04:49 | – | |
| 4.2.6 Women & the War | 0:04:20 | – | |
| 4.2.7 Winning the Great War | 0:06:11 | – | |
| 4.2.8 Losing the Peace | 0:09:19 | – | |
| Module 5: From Jazz Age to Depression: The Tragedy of the 1920’s 01:27:08 total video length 62 total reading pages |
5.0 Introduction | 0:01:01 | – |
| 5.1 The Age of Wonderful Nonsense | 0:03:03 | 29 | |
| 5.1.1 The Business of America Is Business | 0:06:08 | – | |
| 5.1.2 A Return to Normalcy | 0:05:37 | – | |
| 5.1.3 Silent Cal | 0:04:53 | – | |
| 5.1.4 Consumer Age | 0:06:08 | – | |
| 5.1.5 Demographic Trends | 0:06:35 | – | |
| 5.1.6 Age of Wonderful Nonsense | 0:04:37 | – | |
| 5.1.7 America in Transition | 0:01:13 | – | |
| 5.1.8 Age of Intolerance | 0:09:36 | – | |
| 5.1.9 From Lost Generation to Harlem Renaissance | 0:08:52 | – | |
| 5.2 Brother Can You Spare a Dime? | 0:01:16 | 33 | |
| 5.2.1 The Election of 1928 | 0:06:49 | – | |
| 5.2.2 The Great Crash | 0:04:48 | – | |
| 5.2.3 From Hero to Goat | 0:08:46 | – | |
| 5.2.4 The Depression in a Nutshell | 0:07:46 | – | |
| Module 6: Happy Days Are Here Again: FDR and the New Deal 00:41:26 total video length 29 total reading pages |
6.0 Introduction | 0:02:14 | 29 |
| 6.1 FDR and the New Deal | 0:02:22 | – | |
| 6.2 A New Deal | 0:05:23 | – | |
| 6.3 The First New Deal | 0:11:37 | – | |
| 6.4 The Second New Deal | 0:07:02 | – | |
| 6.5 Controversies and Critics | 0:06:15 | – | |
| 6.6 The New Deal’s Legacy | 0:06:33 | – | |
| Module 7: Winning the War & Fighting the Peace: WWII and the Cold War 03:12:46 total video length 99 total reading pages |
7.0 Introduction | 0:00:47 | – |
| 7.1 Mobilizing for War | 0:01:36 | 33 | |
| 7.1.1 The Road to War | 0:05:20 | – | |
| 7.1.2 Overall Strategy | 0:06:59 | – | |
| 7.1.3 The Home Front | 0:13:35 | – | |
| 7.1.4 Women and the War | 0:06:41 | – | |
| 7.1.5 Everyday Life at Home | 0:08:22 | – | |
| 7.1.6 The Constitution and the War | 0:05:23 | – | |
| 7.1.7 Life (and Death) in the Military | 0:03:52 | – | |
| 7.1.8 The European Theater | 0:15:22 | – | |
| 7.1.9 The Pacific Theater | 0:15:06 | – | |
| 7.2 A Troubled Feast | 0:02:20 | 33 | |
| 7.2.1 Justice and Peace for All | 0:04:46 | – | |
| 7.2.2 Two Superpowers | 0:14:58 | – | |
| 7.2.3 Containment and Conflict | 0:07:36 | – | |
| 7.2.4 Germany: The New Powderkeg? | 0:08:06 | – | |
| 7.2.5 Cold War in Asia | 0:03:14 | – | |
| 7.2.6 The Korean War | 0:07:40 | – | |
| 7.2.7 The General Is Now President | 0:03:04 | – | |
| 7.2.8 Covert Operations | 0:04:36 | – | |
| 7.2.9 The Space Race | 0:03:25 | – | |
| 7.2.10 The Friendship Race: A Struggle for Third World Allies | 0:09:59 | – | |
| 7.3 America at Midcentury, 1945-1960 | 0:01:27 | 33 | |
| 7.3.1 From Wartime to Peacetime Economy | 0:07:14 | – | |
| 7.3.2 Social Change in Postwar America | 0:08:28 | – | |
| 7.3.3 Domestic Anticommunism: From Concern to Hysteria | 0:07:30 | – | |
| 7.3.4 We Like Ike | 0:01:49 | – | |
| 7.3.5 Civil Rights Movement | 0:08:27 | – | |
| 7.3.6 Roll over, Beethoven: Music & Literature | 0:02:47 | – | |
| 7.3.7 Gimme Shelter | 0:02:17 | – | |
| Module 8: From Camelot to Obama 02:34:22 total video length 160 total reading pages |
8.0 Introduction | 0:01:05 | |
| 8.1 The Triumphs and Turmoil of the 1960’s | 0:01:33 | – | |
| 8.1.1 JFK and Civil Rights | 0:07:13 | ||
| 8.1.2 Nonviolent Radicals and Violent Conservatives | 0:09:45 | ||
| 8.1.3 New Frontiers & Old Rivals | 0:08:37 | ||
| 8.1.4 Reaching for the Stars | 0:01:53 | ||
| 8.1.5 President Kennedy Has Been Shot | 0:02:40 | ||
| 8.1.6 The Great Society | 0:06:45 | ||
| 8.1.7 The Longest War | 0:09:34 | ||
| 8.1.8 The Culture of Protest | 0:06:55 | ||
|
8.2 Post Industrial America: From Watergate to the Iran Hostage Crisis
|
0:00:59 | – | |
| 8.2.1 The Fight for Justice Expands | 0:07:30 | ||
| 8.2.2 Farewell, Vietnam | 0:03:14 | ||
| 8.2.3 Richard Nixon and the World | 0:07:44 | ||
| 8.2.4 Nixon & the Nation | 0:04:04 | ||
| 8.2.5 Watergate | 0:05:22 | ||
| 8.2.6 An Unelected President | 0:04:45 | ||
| 8.2.7 Call Me Jimmy | 0:06:58 | ||
| 8.3 Conservatism Revived, 1980-1992 | 0:00:32 | – | |
| 8.3.1 Ronald Reagan’s America | 0:13:47 | ||
| 8.3.2 The Reagan Doctrine | 0:06:32 | ||
| 8.3.3 Bush’s New World Order | 0:06:00 | ||
| 8.4 New Millennium, 1992-Present | 0:01:05 | – | |
| 8.4.1 A New Democrat | 0:11:51 | ||
| 8.4.2 The Election of 2000 | 0:03:36 | ||
| 8.4.3 September 11 and the War on Terror | 0:06:12 | ||
| 8.4.4 The Winds of Change | 0:08:11 |
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