Faculty Syllabus

HIST 1302-28808-023 SAC MW 11:50 AM-1:20 PM

Room 1316

Brendon Larimore, Adjunct Assistant Professor of History

Master of Arts, History, Texas State University

Spring 2026

January 20th-May 17th

Austin Community College

Contact Information: Brendon.Larimore@austincc.edu

Office Hours: Appointments can be made throughout semester

Also available on Google Classroom

Office Phone: 512-650-8098

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Course Description: This course is a study of the History of the United States from 1865 to present.

Course Rationale: This course provides a basic survey of US History from 1865 to present and satisfies Three Semester Hours of the Legislative Requirement in US History.

Common Course Objectives: http://www.austincc.edu/history

Attendance: Regular attendance is required. Any student with three or more unexcused absences may be dropped by the instructor at his discretion. Missed Exams without an excused absence, with be counted as a ZERO GRADE. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Withdrawing from Course: An instructor may award a grade of "I" (Incomplete) if a student is unable to complete all the requirements for the course. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester. This is only allowed in extreme circumstances. Please see instructor with any and all concerns based on this matter.

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW IS APRIL 27TH

Student Disabilities: Each ACC Campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Student Accessibility Services office. Students are encouraged to do this within three weeks of the start of the semester.

Freedom of Expression: Students are free to express themselves in constructive debate of the material and events with the instructor and the other students in the course. However, at any point if the debate becomes vilified or disruptive or a student feels as if they are being threatened, it is at the instructors discretion to move on with the class.

Scholastic Dishonesty: A student attending ACC assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational institution. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, and falsifying documents. Penalties for scholastic dishonesty include failure of a specific assignment or automatic expulsion from the course. THIS INCLUDES THE USE OF ANY TYPE OF GENERATIVE AI OF ANY KIND.

Student Privacy: Due to FERPA regulations, the Instructor may only communicate with students enrolled in the course. Any other individual attempting contact will be notified of this policy.

ACC Email: Written Communication with Instructor will be used exclusively through ACC’s Email system. Students are expected to read the messages in a timely manner. A link to setup your personal email account is available on austincc.edu

Campus Carry Law: The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy. It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999

Student Support Services: Resources to support you are available at every campus. Food pantries are available at all campus Student Life offices (https://sites.austincc.edu/sl/programs/foodpantry/). Assistance paying for childcare or utility bills is available at any campus Support Center (http://www.austincc.edu/students/support-center). For sudden, unexpected expenses that may cause you to withdraw from one or more of your courses, go to http://www.austincc.edu/SEF to request emergency assistance through the Student Emergency Fund. Help with budgeting for college and family life is available through the Student Money Management Office (http://sites.austincc.edu/money/). Counselors are available at any campus if you experience a personal or mental health concern (http://www.austincc.edu/students/counseling). All services are free and confidential.

Cell Phone Policy: Students are asked to refrain from cell phone use during lecture and class time. A student will be warned if such activities are occurring within class time. Students who continue to ignore and respect this policy will be asked to leave the room as to not distract others. 

Testing Center Policy: Students who have missed an exam will be given an opportunity to take a makeup exam at an ACC Testing Center, if the following criteria has been met:

1. Student has an excused note due to unforeseen circumstances or illness

2. Student has informed the instructor immediately of the circumstance and is aware.

Students will have 5 Days from the testing date to complete the exam within the selected ACC Testing Center.

Exams with unexcused absences with be counted as a Zero grade.

Statement on Academic Integrity

Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. 

Acts of academic dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process,

present a disadvantage to students who earn credit honestly, and subvert the

academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent

credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond

campus who rely on institutions of higher learning to certify students' academic

achievements, and expect to benefit from the claimed knowledge and skills of

their graduates. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or

designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement

assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations.  Actions constituting scholastic

dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication,

collusion, falsifying documents, or the inappropriate use of the college’s

information technology resources.  Further information is available at

https://www.austincc.edu/about-acc/academic-integrity-and-disciplinary-process

Student Rights & Responsibilities

Students at ACC have the same rights and protections under the Constitution of

the United States. These rights include freedom of speech, peaceful assembly,

petition and association. As members of the community, students have the right

to express their own views, but must also take responsibility for according the

same rights to others and not interfere or disrupt the learning environment.

Students are entitled to fair treatment, are expected to act consistently with the

values of the college, and obey local, state and federal laws.

www.austincc.edu/srr

As a student of Austin Community College you are expected to abide by the

Student Standards of Conduct. https://www.austincc.edu/students/students-

rights-and-responsibilities/student-standards-of-conduct 

Senate Bill 212 and Title IX Reporting Requirements 

Under Senate Bill 212 (SB 212), the faculty and all College employees are

required to report any information concerning incidents of sexual harassment,

sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking committed by or against an ACC

student or employee. Federal Title IX law and College policy also require

reporting incidents of sex- and gender-based discrimination and sexual

misconduct. This means faculty and non-clinical counseling staff cannot

keep confidential information about any such incidents that you share with

them.

If you would like to talk with someone confidentiality, please contact the District

Clinical Counseling Team who can connect you with a clinical counselor on any

ACC campus:  (512) 223-2616, or to schedule online:

 https://www.austincc.edu/students/counseling . 

While students are not required to report, they are encouraged to contact the

Compliance Office for resources and options:  Charlene Buckley, District Title IX

Officer, (512) 223-7964;  compliance@austincc.edu .

If a student makes a report to a faculty member, the faculty member will contact

the District Title IX Officer for follow-up.

Recording Policy

To ensure compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA), student recording of class lectures or other activities is generally

prohibited without the explicit written permission of the instructor and notification

of other students enrolled in the class section.  Exceptions are made for

approved accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Recording of lectures and other class activities may be made by faculty to

facilitate instruction, especially for classes taught remotely through BlackBoard

Collaborate or another platform.  Participation in such activities implies consent

for the student to be recorded during the instructional activity.  Such recordings

are intended for educational and academic purposes only.

Grading System: 

Exams: The four exams including a Non-Cumulative Final Exam, will be conducted in two parts. The first is a multiple-choice portion which highlights specific events, individuals and locations mentioned in readings and discussed during lectures in class. The second is a short answer portion in which the students will use the individuals, events and locales mentioned above to fully display their knowledge of the material studied. These responses should be no longer than a page.

Term Paper: The student will analyze Woodrow Wilson’s Why we are at War and other selected Primary Documents. The student will use the secondary source, supplemented by primary sources to develop a thesis and quantify the impact Wilson and World War I had on the course of American and Global History. This paper will be followed closely throughout the semester with a rough draft due 3-4 weeks before the final product is to be completed. An approved bibliography is part of the overall grade. The student should use one or more primary sources and supplemented by two or more secondary sources.

Writing Assignments: Students will complete a short writing assignment per week, consisting of the current topic in class. Students will be graded on the Content Analysis of Primary Documents. Students will be evaluated by their arguments and reasoning as well use of evidence to support claims. 

Testing: Testing will occur IN PERSON, It will consist of Multiple Choice as well as an open-ended essay portion. Please contact instructor with any questions. Students with SAS needs, must inform the instructor as soon as possible when beginning the course to make arrangements. Adjustments will be made as necessary.

NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE NEXT CLASS PERIOD (FOLLOWING MONDAY) 

(SUBJECT TO A 15% REDUCTION)

EXAM SCHEDULE

Map Test-on Feb 16th

Exam 1 (1865-1900)-on Feb 18th

Exam 2 (1900-1920)-on March 11th

Exam 3 (1920-1950)-on April 6th

Final Exam (1950-1970)-on May 13th

Required Materials:

Woodrow Wilson-Why We are at War: Messages to the Congress, January to April, 1917-Provided by Instructor on Blackboard

Selected Documents Provided by Instructor

American Promise, Value Edition, Volume 9, Included on Blackboard

The Course will be conducted through lectures and readings as assigned throughout the course. Class Participation will be vital for comprehension and understanding of the material.

HIST 1302 Learning Objectives

Unit 1

Civil War and Reconstruction Era (1865-1880 approx.)

• Students will learn about the issues which were important to the Reconstruction Era
• Students will learn about the Reconstruction Amendments and its impact on the US Cons.
• Students will examine the differences between Lincoln and Andrew Johnson as President.
• Students will learn about the Freedman’s Bureau, and its affect on American society
• Students will examine the Black Codes and their affect on the American Population
• Students will examine the Elections of 1868 and 1872 on its affect on American Politics
• Students will learn about the Slaughterhouse Cases in the US Supreme Court
• Students will examine the Election of 1876 and Compromise of 1877
• Students will examine the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant post Civil War
• Students will examine the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes

Manifest Destiny Era (1865-1900)

• Students will examine the concept of Manifest Destiny, using Primary & Sec. Sources
• Students will learn about Frederick Jackson Turner and his Frontier Thesis
• Students will discuss American Progress by John Gast as a Study Print for class discussion
• Students will be able to recognize the Frontier Boundaries of the United States
• Students will learn about learn about the Battle of Little Big Horn and its impact on the nation
• Students will examine the concept of American Imperialism as it relates to Manifest Destiny
• Students will analyze the effectiveness of the Carlisle Indian School and the theory of assimilation
• Students will examine the Dawes and Indian Allotment Act
• Students will examine the affect of the Railroad system on the US in the late 1880s-1890s

American Industrialization and Gilded Age (1880-1920)

• Students will examine the affect of American Industrialization of American Society
• Students will examine the Transcontinental Road and its affect on the American Economy
• Students will study Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan, John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt’s impact on  the American Economy
• Students will examine the affect of the Telegraph and Western Union on communication within the West
• Students will examine the difference between Main Street and Wall Street and its evolution through history
• Students will recognize Corporations and their grown within the nation and throughout history
• Students will learn about the Politics of the Gilded Age, specifically Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the fight for Women’s Suffrage. 
• Students will learn about the Food and Drug Administration and the safety of workers and the public
• Students will examine the affect of Global Migration into the United States, specifically, European and Asian populations into the East Coast and West Coast
• Students will examine the Labor Strikes and Labor Rights issues and its subsequent events such as the Haymarket Bombing in Chicago and the Great Railroad Strike of 1877
• Students will learn about the Forgotten Presidents of the 1880s and 1890s
• Students will examine the Urban Political System, specifically Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed
• Students will examine the Election of 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892 and 1896 and the Divide between Democrats and Republicans following Lincoln and Grant

Unit 2

Progressive Era, Wilsonianism and World War I (1900-1920)

• Students will examine the concept of Progressivism as it relates to American Politics, both Republicans and Democrats alike.
• Students will examine the presidencies of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson and their impact on American Politics
• Students will examine the concept of Crony Capitalism and its impact on the nations economy
• Students will examine Roosevelt’s impact on the Spanish American War
• Students will examine Roosevelt’s impact on the natural conservation of the country, in the West
• Students will examine the Elections of 1908 and 1912 and its impact on party politics in the 20th Century
• Students will examine the Presidency of Woodrow Wilson in-depth
• These include both his foreign and domestic politics as it relates to the United States
• Students will examine the United States’ involvement with World War I and the events which led to the involvement by both US and the Triple Alliance against the Triple Entente
• Students will examine the International Diplomacy of Woodrow Wilson as a resolution to the First World War.
• Students will read Wilson’s Fourteen points, Wilson’s declaration of War against Germany
• Students will examine the US Involvement within the Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles and the installation of the Mandate System within the Middle East and Africa

Unit 3

Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression (1920-1933)

• Students will examine the fall of Progressivism which leads to the Republican Decade of the 1920s
• Students will examine the presidencies of Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover
• Students will examine social aspects of the Roaring 20s including consumerism, the flapper girl, entertainment (radio and movies), improved economy, prohibition etc. 
• Students will learn about the Five Powers Treaty as an alternative to the League of Nations
• Students will examine the growing divide between Urban and Rural communities which led to the Great Depression
• Students will learn about the Scopes Trial as it relates to American Society in the 1920s
• Students will learn about the Election of 1928 and its reasonings
• Students will learn about the Stock Market Crash of 1929
• Students will examine the actions taken by Herbert Hoover to react to the Depression
• Students will learn about Hoovervilles, Hoover flags etc
• Students will examine the Election of 1932 as a rejection of Hoover

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal Era (1933-1945)

• Students will examine FDR’s Inaugural Address and his New Deal impacts on the US
• Students will examine Social Security as a construct that exists today
• Students will learn about FDR’s shift from Economic Policies to defense and the oncoming war
• Students will examine the US’s involvement within World War II and how it influenced the economy
• Students will examine the outcome of World War II and its last impact on the world

Truman, Eisenhower and the Cold War (1945-1960)

• Students will examine the presidencies of Truman and Eisenhower and the impact of the Cold War on the relations between the United States and the Soviet Union
• Students will learn about the Korean War and US Involvement
• Students will learn about a return to Isolationism following World War II

Unit 4

John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson and the tumult of the 1960s (1960-1969)

• Students will examine the Space Race as a case study for the Cold War
• Students will examine social issues of the 1960s including Civil Rights
• Students will examine the Cuban Missile Crisis as a case study for the Cold War
• Students will compare the Presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson following JFK assassination
• Students will learn about the beginnings of the Vietnam War, and the steps taken within it

1970s and the Presidencies of Nixon, Ford, Carter (1969-1979) 

• Students will compare the Presidencies mentioned above in both foreign and domestic policies of each
• Students will examine the resolution of the Vietnam War
• Students will examine the Soviet Union compared to the United States and the inklings of failure within the Soviet Union

1980s and Reaganomics, fall of the Soviet Union (1981-1989)

• Students will examine the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, both his foreign and domestic politics, specifically the increase of economic prosperity and military action against the Soviet Union
• Students will examine the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism as a result of Reagan’s economic policies globally. 

1990s and 2000s, The Clinton and Bush Legacies of American Politics (1989-2008)

• Students will examine the Presidencies of George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and their legacies on modern history
• Students will learn about the International peacekeeping efforts in the Middle East in the 1990s
• Students will examine September 11th, 2001 and Terror Attacks in the 1990s and 2000s
• Students will examine the reaction to terror and call to war in Afghanistan and Iraq

Obama and Trump and the new political age (2008-present)

• Students will examine the great recession of 2008
• Students will examine the new political age of the 21st Century
• Students will examine the impact of non-stop news on society

Woodrow Wilson’s Why We are At War and other selected Primary Documents

Reaction and Analysis Final Term Paper Rubric (15% of Overall Grade)

The Maximum is 8 Pages of Content (10 Pages Total Including Title and Bibliography)

Technical Requirements:25% of Term Paper Grade

12 Pt Font, Times New Roman

1 Inch margins on all sides

Double Spaced

Title Page including your name, HIST 1302, Spring 2026 , Professor Larimore. This page should be centered and be a third of the way down the page.

Header with your Last name and page number inserted through Header/Footer Tool.

Academic Purpose and Guiding Questions: To help the student quantify the impact of Big Four and Wilsonianism on the Early 20th Century. Students will read Selected Primary Documents and Wilson’s “Why we are at War” and answer these questions:25% of Term Paper Grade

1. What is the reasoning that President Wilson and the Big Four use for the creation of the League of Nations?
2. What do historians believe are the consequences of the actions taken at the Paris Peace Conference?
3. What impact does Wilson’s presidency have on the war effort, and the international diplomacy post war?

Material Requirements: 25% of Overall Grade

Thesis stating your argument and what you have researched and how you are going to argue your position.
Example: Topic World War I: “Throughout History, many believe that Kaiser Wilhelm was the single most antagonistic figure within the conflict, however, after researching the evidence, I believe that it is possible Woodrow Wilson was the most antagonistic figure within the conflict” 

Consulting your thesis, after completing your argument/discussion/research, What are your overall impressions of the text?

Resource Management: 25% of Term Paper Grade 

Bibliography, alphabetized. Separate Primary and Secondary Sources FOR ROUGH DRAFT ONLY.

Sources: One to Two Primary Sources as a basis for your paper. Two to Three Secondary Sources.  

All sources should be historically vetted. Focus on getting information from available databases and NOT WIKIPEDIA. You can start there, BUT DO NOT CITE WIKIPEDIA. 

Footnotes correctly annotated. Using Chicago/Turabian Format.

***FAILURE TO PROPERLY CITE RESOURCES, WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATIC 50 ON PAPER***.

GENERAL QUESTIONS AND FAQ:

ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO ME, EMAIL ME (brendon.larimore@austincc.edu) OR CALL ME (512-650-8098)

DRAFT DUE BY 5:00 PM April 14TH NO EXCEPTIONS.

FINAL TERM PAPER DUE BY END OF CLASS ON May 14th AT 5:00 PM, NO EXCEPTIONS. IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND, YOU ARE STILL REQUIRED TO EMAIL ME A HARD COPY IN YOUR ABSENCE.

Grading Rubric for each section: 25 POINTS EACH