HIST:1738 Section 10
Fall 2008
Citizen of a Righteous Cause: William Jennings Bryan and the Era of Reform
Professor Jeffery Winchester
Office: Mackison 125a
Hours: Monday: 10-12, Tuesday: 12-2, Wednesday 10-12, Thursday 12-3, Friday: 10-12 (Available for extra hours on request. Please don’t Ask about Saturdays or Sundays)
Phone: 444-24257 ex: 125
Noteboard-Mail: Jwinchester@PompeyU. sch
**Please Include First Name and Section number in all topic lines for N-Mails for my responses.**
Course Summery: An in-depth study of America’s 25th President, William Jennings Bryan, his unprecedented three terms in office, and the following Presidential Election cycles. The Domestic and International Affairs of the 1896 to 1925 era are covered to understand an important era of change in America and how that change effected the world around us.
Textbooks:
-Gallagher, H. 4th ed. The Great Commoner in the White House: William Jennings Bryan And the Making of 20th Century America. Williams & Morton Press. 2006.
-Saunders, N. 2nd ed. America Facing Empire: Bryan on the World Stage. Finest Ours Publishing. 2008
-Thompson, L. An Era of Radicalism – An Era of Concession: Turn of the Century American Politics. Magnolia Publishing. 2005
**Please Note the Pompey University Bookstore IS issuing Vouchers this year to lower costs for books in classes requiring more then two.**
Grading:
Tests: 30%
Essays: 25%
Class Participation: 20%
Note Evaluation: 10%
Final: 15%
Testing: Tests will be issued at the end of each unit, and be completed in class during the provided time. Multiple Choice, Short Answer, and Essay Questions will all be used. Cheating during the course of any test will result in immediate Failure of the Class.
Essays: All Essays will be issued one week in advance of their due date. No Late papers will be accepted. Standard fonts necessary, spacing will be required to meet all Pompey University standards.
Class Participation: Class Participation in this class is defined as actively partaking in discussions on a regular basis, while thinking outside of the box. Ladies and Gentlemen, you picked this class so you are expected to Partake in this class. Regurgitating answers directly from notes or the textbooks will not be acceptable participation.
Note Evaluation: At the end of each unit, notes will be collected and graded. Grading will be based on the inclusion of all necessary information. You may not like it, but I do it to help you with your Final.
Final: Will be issued at the end of the Semester. More information will be provided then.
Plagiarism: You are all upperclassmen. You know the game by now. Do it, and you better have a new college lined up.
**Please Note, classes Will Be recorded, said recordings are used by myself to improve the curriculum and lesson plan. In the event you feel that a recording of a lecture will be helpful to study, copies will be available at my office, after each unit’s completion.**
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Notes from Recording of Class 1
Students Absent: 0
*Selfless Plug for University Rowing Team. 3 Students Interested (?)*
Prof. Winchester: Now that we’re done with the Syllabus, and Introductions, I’d like to have a quick discussion with the time we have left here. [Clicks Projector ON] This man, right here, is of course Williams Jennings Bryan. I have to assume if you’ve made it this far in a History Major, and of course the fact that you’ve taken this class that, you know who this man is. So, Who is he?
Ms. Paige: Professor, I... He’s the father of the Democratic Party.
Prof: Anything else Ms Paige?
Paige: Well, he was a radical sir, elected on a platform of reform. He pushed for more progressive legislation under his term in office then any President since Lincoln.
Prof: Alright Ms. Anyone Else?
Mr. Webster: I disagree, with Mrs Paige. He was, elected as a radical in 1896, but he was clearly a reactionary in office and later elections. His support of Prohibition, Isolationism, Christian Fundamentalism, and his steering of the Democratic party on the path to Societal Economics clearly shows his Conservative world view.
Paige: What about nationalization? And the founding of the Labor and Trade Department?
Webster: A ploy for the Proletariat.
Mr Cameron & Ms Paige: *Excited Responses*
Prof: Alright settle down, I guess we know your view on him as well Mr Cameron? How about... Mr Troup?
Mr Troup: Well, Professor Winchester...
Prof: Speak up, can’t hear you back there.
Troup: Sir, I’m not sure what to think about Bryan, the man is... a confusing character... shifting... he seems to oppose himself overtime... he’s oxymoronic. A Paradox of a leader.
Prof: Very good Mr Troup. Anyone else? No. Alright, I won’t try to drag it out of everyone on the first day of class. But Lets see *On Board* We have a Progressive, a Reactionary, and an Enigma.... Hmm, Interesting fellow. And that. *Turning to the Class* Is why this is the One class I teach personally these days. We’re going to be trying to figure out what the man really was, and you know what? I’ve been teaching him for 10 years and I learn something new, some new perspective every semester.
*Rustling Movements*
Prof: Are we out of time already [Checks Watch] Oh boy, seems it is. Alright, I expect to see you all next class, On Time this time. We begin with The Panic of 1896 and the Election of that year. I will see you all then.