U.S. History 2

U.S. History 2 guides students to utilize historical thinking skills using a wealth of primary sources, readings, and videos aligned to learning objectives. U.S. History 2 in Lumen One will help students build critical thinking skills by describing, comparing, contextualizing, and constructing historical arguments about major events in American history from 1877 to the present.

Students will engage with strategies to:

  • Describe key historical trends, events, and figures in early American history
  • Examine historical figures and events from diverse perspectives
  • Recognize how to think critically like a historian
  • Make historical connections to the present day by analyzing historical narratives, documents, and arguments
  • Synthesize information about historical events by evaluating cause and effect

Key topics include westward expansion, industrialization and urbanization, imperialism, progressivism, WWI, the Jazz Age, the Great Depression, WWII, the Cold War, political storms, civil rights movements, culture wars, immigration, and much more. The course utilizes interactive content and practice with immediate feedback to maximize student understanding and retention. The instructor resources package is robust and includes easy-to-use, engaging slide decks and in-class activities, with suggested modifications based on the modality of the course.

U.S. History 2: Topic List by Module

Westward Expansion (1840-1900)

  • “The Westward Spirit”
  • Opportunities and Challenges of the West
  • The Indian Wars
  • Indian Relations in the West
  • The Cultural Impact of Westward Expansion
  • Historical Hack: Analyzing Primary Sources

Industrialization and Urbanization (1870-1900)

  • Invention, Industry, and a New Industrial Order
  • Urbanization and Immigration
  • Life and Labor in Working-Class America
  • Cultural Change and Consumer Culture
  • Historical Hack: Examining Historical Arguments

The Gilded Age (1870-1900)

  • Corruption in the Gilded Age
  • Unrest in the Gilded Age
  • Migration and Change During the Gilded Age
  • Historical Hack: Understanding Racism as a System

Age of Empire—American Foreign Policy (1890-1914)

  • American Foreign Policy After the Civil War
  • The Spanish-American War and Overseas Empire
  • American Imperialism in Asia and Panama
  • Historical Hack: Social Darwinism Past and Present

The Progressive Movement (1890-1920)

  • The Origins of the Progressive Spirit in America
  • Movements for Women and African Americans
  • Progressive Era Presidents
  • Historical Hack: Bias & Sensationalism in Primary Media Sources

America in World War I (1914-1919)

  • American Isolationism and the European Origins of War
  • Economic and Social Change During World War I
  • The End of World War I
  • Historical Hack: Complex Historical Events

The Jazz Age (1919-1929)

  • Changes in Popular Culture in the Jazz Age
  • Societal and Political Tensions in the 1920s
  • A New Generation
  • Presidents of the 1920s
  • Historical Hack: The Research Process

The Great Depression (1929-1932)

  • The Stock Market Crash of 1929
  • Hoover’s Handling of the Great Depression
  • Life in the Great Depression
  • Historical Hack: Historical Cause and Effect

The New Deal (1932-1941)

  • The Rise of Franklin Roosevelt
  • The First New Deal
  • The Second New Deal
  • Historical Hack: Crafting Historical Arguments

World War II (1941-1945)

  • The Beginning of World War II
  • WWII on the Home Front
  • The End of World War II
  • The Pacific Theater and the Atomic Bomb
  • Historical Hack: Interpreting and Comparing Primary Sources

Post-War Prosperity and the Cold War (1945-1960)

  • The Beginning of the Cold War
  • Communism and McCarthyism
  • Affluent Society of the 1950s
  • The African American Struggle for Civil Rights
  • Historical Hack: Rhetorical Analysis and McCarthyism

America in the 1960s (1960-1970)

  • The Kennedy Promise
  • Milestones of the Civil Rights Movement
  • Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society
  • Social Changes in the Sixties
  • Historical Hack: Understanding Historical Significance

Political Storms at Home and Abroad (1968-1980)

  • Identity Politics in a Fractured Society
  • Nixon’s Presidency
  • The End of the Vietnam War
  • Watergate and Its Fallout
  • Historical Hack: Interpreting History

From Cold War to Culture Wars (1980-2000)

  • The Reagan Revolution
  • Cultural Wars of the 1980s
  • A New World Order
  • Bill Clinton and the New Economy
  • Historical Hack: Understanding Historical Context

The Twenty-First Century (2000-present day)

  • The War on Terror
  • The Changing Early 21st Century
  • Hope and Change
  • Historical Hack: Civil Discourse

Teaching with Lumen Course Materials

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  • Replace expensive textbooks | Ready-to-adopt open educational resources (OER) include text, videos, simulations, self-checks, and other interactives.
  • Choose affordability | Low cost to students.
  • Use better content | Continuous, data-driven improvements make OER content more effective at supporting learning.
  • Simplify access | Easy access to course materials in your LMS (Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, and Moodle) plus automatic grade return.
  • Improve student outcomes | Research shows Lumen course materials can improve academic performance, passing rates, and course completion.

FOR INSTRUCTORS

  • Connect with students | Instructor and student tools designed to help strengthen communication.
  • Save time | Start with curated, outcome-aligned OER and supplemental instructor resources like quiz banks, assignments, slide decks, etc. 
  • Customize your course | Freedom to tailor course content to fit your learning outcomes and instructional approach.
  • Enjoy awesome support | Faculty-friendly onboarding, training, and support. 
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FOR STUDENTS

  • Learn by doing | Online homework, self-check activities, and other interactive tools strengthen learning.
  • Engage from day one | Avoid falling behind with access to course materials from the first day of class.
  • Retain materials | Download a digital copy of course content to keep forever.
  • Become a better learner | Real-time feedback guides students on where to focus and how to improve.

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