HIS-114 is Southern New Hampshire University's second US history survey, covering the period after the Civil War.
The catalog says the economic, political and ideological developments that allowed the United States to attain a position of world leadership are closely examined. It is required for history majors and social studies education majors with a history concentration.
With so much recent history to cover, the challenge is connecting developments across domestic and international spheres.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) |
| Course code | HIS-114 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Credits | 3 |
| Period | 1865 to the present |
| Subject area | Modern American history |
| Typical work | Essays, source analyses and discussions |
What HIS-114 Covers
| Strand | Themes you can expect to explore |
|---|---|
| Economic | Industrialization, labor, consumer society, depression and recovery |
| Political | Reconstruction, reform movements, the role of government |
| Ideological | Competing ideas about liberty, equality and America's role abroad |
| International | Wars, alliances and rising global influence |
The economic, political and ideological strands come from the catalog; your syllabus sets the specific events and readings.
Key Concepts Explained
Economic, Political and Ideological Developments
The catalog names three kinds of change. A strong essay uses all three: for example, how industrial growth (economic) led to regulation debates (political) fueled by arguments about the proper role of government (ideological).
Worked example: "Explain how the United States became a global leader." Organize by strand. Economic: industrial capacity and finance. Political: federal power expanding in wartime and after. Ideological: changing views of America's responsibility abroad. Then argue which strand mattered most and why, with a named event for each.
Continuity and Rupture
Ask whether a development broke from the past or extended it. Reconstruction and the civil rights era are often discussed together to show long struggles over the same questions.
Multiple Voices
Workers, immigrants, women, African Americans and Native peoples experienced the same decades differently. Citing a range of sources makes an argument more convincing.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | Synthesis across decades | Pick a theme and trace it through at least two eras |
| Source analysis | Interpreting speeches, images, documents | Identify audience and purpose before reading for content |
| Discussion | Interpretation and debate | Support a view with a named source |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Too many events. Choose evidence that supports your claim.
- Treating strands separately. Show how they interact.
- Hindsight bias. Remember people did not know how events would end.
- Thin sourcing. Back claims with primary and scholarly sources.
Study Plan Across the Period
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Eras | Divide the period into four or five eras with a label each |
| 2. Grid | Fill a grid of economic, political and ideological changes per era |
| 3. Voices | Add one underrepresented viewpoint per era |
| 4. Practice | Answer a sample question in one paragraph |
| 5. Revise | Check every claim has a specific example |
What a Strong Essay Looks Like
With a long period, selection is the central skill. The table shows how weaker and stronger essays usually compare.
| Weaker response | Stronger response |
|---|---|
| Covers every decade | Chooses a theme and follows it through selected eras |
| Treats politics and economy separately | Shows how they influenced each other |
| Describes outcomes | Explains how and why they came about |
| Writes from today's viewpoint | Explains how people at the time saw their choices |
A Second Illustration
Invented prompt: "How did the role of government change between Reconstruction and the mid-twentieth century?" A strong essay picks three moments, shows what government did in each, links them to economic change and argument about its proper role, and concludes which change was most significant.
Before You Submit
With such a long period, a final check helps ensure your essay stays focused.
- Is the argument stated within the first paragraph?
- Have you used economic, political and ideological evidence where relevant?
- Does each example support the thesis rather than just illustrate the era?
- Are quotations short and explained?
If a paragraph could be moved to another essay unchanged, it is probably too general and needs a link to your argument.
Where HIS-114 Fits in the Program
HIS-114 follows HIS-113 and completes the US history survey. The catalog says it is required for history majors and social studies education majors with a history concentration.
Students who have just completed the first half may find the shift in scale demanding: more documents, more voices and a faster pace. Building a short era-by-era grid from the first week keeps the material organized.
Look back at feedback from HIS-113 if you have it; the same structural comments often apply.
Study Tips for HIS-114
- Use the three-strand grid as a revision aid for every era.
- Read speeches and documents aloud to catch tone.
- Connect each era back to what HIS-113 covered, if you took it.
- Keep quotations short and explained.
How We Help with HIS-114
Send the prompt, readings, rubric and any draft. We can explain historical context, help shape a thesis, prepare a custom essay for study, or review your draft for structure, evidence and citation style.
Work you submit must be your own under SNHU's academic integrity policy. GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with Southern New Hampshire University.
Make Sense of HIS-114
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Frequently Asked Questions
From 1865, after the Civil War, to the present.
The catalog says the economic, political and ideological developments that allowed the US to attain world leadership.
SNHU's catalog lists 3.
Yes, it follows HIS-113, which covers 1607 to 1865.
Majors in history and social studies education with a history concentration, per the catalog.
Yes. We can help you build the argument and review your draft.