NC 214A: United States History A

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2021
Credits: 0
Total Contact Hours: 60
Lecture Hours : 60
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 120
Prerequisite: Placement by a high school counselor.
Transferable to CSU: No
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Non-Credit Course

Catalog Course Description

The content will focus on the development of the United States during the 20th century. This course will enable students to understand the chronological flow of events, the dynamics of change, and the critical links between the past and the present in the United States. This course format will include activity-based investigations with hands-on activities and concepts and applications compliant with the adopted California State History Standards to meet the minimum course requirements for high school graduation. 60 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the rise of Industrial America (1877-1914).
  • Identify the conditions which enabled the Progressive Era to develop.
  • Examine U.S. involvement in World War I, its consequences both domestically and internationally.
  • Identify the characteristics of the Jazz Era.
  • Compare and contrast the administrations Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover.
  • Develop an understanding of the influence of the Harlem Renaissance.
  • Identify the characteristics of the twenties that led up to the Great Depression.
  • Analyze the economic impact of the stock market crash upon ordinary people and its overall effect upon the United States.
  • Read sample literature such as Steinbeck to develop an understanding of the changes occurring in the lives of Americans during the Great Depression.
  • Compare the programs of Roosevelt with those of Hoover and define New Deal Programs set up by government agencies to provide relief to the nation.
  • Identify the expansion in the power of the presidency during this period.
  • Analyze the rise of dictatorships in Europe and Germany during the 1930’s.
  • Compare and contrast the position of the isolationists with those of the interventionists.
  • List the events that led up to U.S. involvement in WWII.
  • Discuss the impact of the war effort upon the economy and the role of women in society.
  • Analyze the effects of Japanese interment, in the short run and the long run for America.
  • Analyze President Truman’s decision to use atomic weapons to end the war with Japan.
  • Develop an understanding of Hitler’s atrocities in Europe and the impact upon U.S. post-war policies.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the rise of communism, its impact upon society, and government policy in the U.S. and Europe.
  • Identify the immediate consequences of the Yalta Conference upon the U.S. and its geopolitical consequences in Europe.
  • Describe the women’s rights movement examining its impact on society and history.
  • Examine the growth of racial “hate” groups and the impact of these groups upon minorities and society.

Major Course Content

  1. The rise of industrialization, rural-to-urban migration, and immigration
    1. The effects of industrialization on living and working conditions
    2. Political and economic developments during the Industrial Age
    3. Populism and Progressivism
  2. The rise of the United States to a world power
    1. The Spanish American War
    2. Open Door, Dollar, and Big Stick Diplomacy
    3. World War I and its effects
  3. The 1920s
    1. Important technological, economic, and cultural developments during the 1920s
    2. Challenges to civil liberties and the experiences of various Americans
    3. The Harlem Renaissance
  4. The Great Depression and the New Deal
    1. Economic factors and effects of the Great Depression
    2. President Hoover and Hoover Administration policies
    3. President Franklin Roosevelt and the First and Second New Deals
    4. The effects of New Deal policies on the U.S. economy, politics, and society
  5. World War II
    1. The U.S. and its involvement with a focus on the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. military during the war.
    2. Social and economic change on the American home front and the experiences of different groups within American society.
    3. The development of the atom bomb, its use, and implications.

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Instructor supplied material

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Essays and short response writings

Examples of Outside Assignments

Daily homework and answer review questions

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture