This course portrays America's development from the period of Reconstruction 1865 through the present examining the significant ideals, decisions, forces, institutions, individuals, events, and processes that affected continuity and change during this time. Coverage also includes California state and local government 

This class explores primary and secondary sources from the textbook, handouts, and various media sources while taking a critical look at the credibility of sources as we piece together the past. You will also be required to find and examine your own sources during the semester. The ability to read for comprehension is essential for success.

In addition, this course emphasizes strong writing and analytical skills. To succeed, you will need to clearly demonstrate understanding of course material in writing and be able to draw your own connections between historical problems, make evidence-based historical arguments, and draw connections between historical events and the present. Even more importantly, students must be able to articulate their thoughts, questions, and conclusions through class participation, as this course is heavily reliant upon interaction of the class. These skills are imperative and we will be developing them throughout the semester.

Completion of College Composition is STRONGLY recommended for this course.

✅ Demonstrate information literacy skills necessary to conduct basic research of historical documents, publications, and references. 

✅ Compose historical writing assignments reflecting written expression competency at the college composition level. 

✅ Critically analyze the chronology of events that make up our country’s past to understand change and/or continuity and cause and/or effect in history. 

✅ Embody historical empathy by judging the past on its own terms and use that knowledge to understand contemporary issues. 

✅ Demonstrate an understanding of U.S. history through multiple analytical categories such as race, class, gender, and ethnicity. 

✅ Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical reasoning, the federal concept, and the democratic ideology in the development of the Constitution. 

This class is 3 units and fulfills part of the social science CSU GE and IGETC requirements. Refer to the current college catalog for specific transfer and graduation requirements. It will also make you a more informed citizen and better human.