- Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the outlines of the history of America from early settlement to the Civil War, including issues, events, and personalities.
- Students will be able to analyze the sources of history (documents and other primary sources) and understand how historians use these to create a narrative and analysis of the past.
- Students will be able to discuss issues in history from a variety of perspectives and support their arguments from evidence and analysis of sources.
- Students will be able to research a historical topic and use primary and secondary sources to construct effective written presentations of their work.
I reserve the right to make changes in the syllabus when necessary to meet learning objectives, to compensate for missed classes, or to better meet the needs of the class. Attendance is expected. You are responsible for making up all missed work. You are responsible for keeping a copy of all work turned in for a grade, and of all graded work returned to you, until your final grade is recorded by the registrar.
Students with Disabilities: All students with a disability who require special accommodation to participate in and complete this course must contact the Disability Resource Center (852-6938) for verification of eligibility and for determination of specific accommodation.
The class meets twice times weekly. You are responsible for doing the reading each week before or during that week. Generally, classes will be an informal lecture format with class participation. Some classes will focus on discussion of the readings, in-class exercises and projects, or videos.
I am available for brief consultations after each class; if a longer conversation is necessary I will try to schedule another time to meet with you (I do not have regular office hours). Email is the best way to reach me - see address above.
Part of your work for this course is a written research project. This will be discussed in detail later in the course. There will be a midterm and a final exam, and unscheduled (pop) quizzes. DO THE READING. COME TO CLASS.
Grading: You can earn a total of 1000 points as follows:
100 pts. - first writing assignment
200 pts. - midterm exam
300 pts. - final exam
100 pts. - quizzes (2 @ 50 pts.; 3 are given, your top 2 grades will count)
300 pts. - Research Paper
there may be opportunities for extra credit
The letter grade equivalents for your final grade are:
970+ A+
930-969 A
900-929 A-
870-899 B+
830-869 B
800-829 B-
770-799 C+
730-769 C
700-729 C-
670-699 D+
630-669 D
600-629 D-
599 & below F
A student who demonstrates competence in an understanding of the facts through exams, papers, presentations and other course work will earn a "C" grade; a "B" grade requires the ability to analyze and place these facts in a wider context; an "A" grade requires mastery of facts, analysis, and interpretation, as well as superior writing and presentation. Final grades will include + and - grades.
Warning: significant plagiarism (appropriation of the words and ideas of others without citation) will result in zero points on any written assignment. We will discuss in class the appropriate use of sources and how to cite the words of others, and review what does and does not constitute plagiarism.
Reading:
textbook: Gary Nash and Julie Roy Jeffrey, The American People
John Demos, A Little Commonwealth
Edmund Morgan, The Birth of the Republic, 1763-1789
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Your readings may also include individual choices based on your research project
Schedule
| Mon. Aug. 23 | Introduction and Expectations |
| Aug. 25 | The Land before Contact: First Americans
Searching for History: Sources and Interpretations |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 1-30 |
| Mon. Aug. 30 | Why Did They Come? Europe to America |
| Wed. Sept. 1 | First Settlements: Virginia & the Chesapeake region
Research Paper Guidelines |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 32-39;
website: Virtual Jamestown |
| Mon. Sept. 6 | NO CLASS: LABOR DAY |
| Wed. Sept. 8 | First Settlements: Puritan New England) |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 39-48; Demos, A Little Commonwealth, pp. 60-125, website: Plimoth Plantation |
| Mon. Sept. 13 | First Settlements: Spanish, French, Dutch colonies
Discussion: A Little Commonwealth
Expanding the colonies: Chesapeake, Carolinas, Pennsylvania |
| Wed. Sept. 15 | NO CLASS |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 51-59
website: The Dutch in America |
| Mon. Sept. 20 | TBA (Library) |
| Wed. Sept. 22 | Slavery: Africa to America
Economies North and South - 18th Century Life |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 72-124; Morgan, Birth of the Republic, pp. 5-14 "Americans and the Empire"; pp. 15-28 "Sugar and Stamps" |
| Mon. Sept. 27 | Wars for Empire: The colonies in the Trans-Atlantic world
Economies North and South - 18th Century Life
Expansion and Discontent/Conflict |
| Wed. Sept. 29 | American Revolution - Steps to separation
Declaring Independence |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 89-153 (skim); Morgan, Birth of the Republic, pp. 43-60 "Troops and Tea"; pp. 61-76 "Equal Rights"; Declaration of Independence (Morgan, p. 159) |
| Mon. Oct. 4 | The War for Independence
Film excerpts: Liberty |
| Wed. Oct. 6 | Making a Government: States & the Articles of Confederation |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 153-185; Morgan, Birth of the Republic, pp. 77-87 "War and Peace"; pp. 88-100 "Independent States" |
| Mon. Oct. 11 | NO CLASS - Columbus Day
|
| Wed. Oct. 13 | Making a Government: the Constitution & the Bill of Rights
Review for Midterm |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 181-215; Morgan, Birth of the Republic, pp. 129-144 "The Constitutional Convention"; Constitution (Morgan, p. 171); Bill of Rights (Morgan, p. 183)
|
| Mon. Oct. 18 | MIDTERM EXAM |
| Wed. Oct. 20 | The New Nation - Domestic and Foreign Policy & Conflict
Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 216-278 |
| Mon. Oct. 25 | Film: A Midwife's Tale |
| Wed. Oct. 27 | An Urbanizing Nation; Technology and Transport
Into the Backcountry: Exploring and settling the West |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 279-309 |
| Mon. Nov. 1 | Religious Revival and Diversity
Social Reform Movements |
| Wed. Nov. 3 | Developing a Political Culture; Nativism
Film excerpt: Gangs of New York |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 339-373 |
| Mon. Nov. 8 | Jackson and the Indians
California Gold and the Far West
Texas and the Mexican-American War |
| Wed. Nov. 10 | The Slave System and the Plantation South
Film excerpt: Amistad |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 310-336; Douglass, Narrative of the Life (entire) |
| Mon. Nov. 15 | TBA |
| Wed. Nov. 17 | Sectionalism and Conflict
The Union Dissolved |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 376-435 |
| Mon. Nov. 22 | The Civil War begins
Film: The Civil War, ep. 3 |
| Wed. Nov. 24 | NO CLASS - Thanksgiving |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 436-449 |
| Mon. Nov. 29 | The Civil War: North and South
"War is all Hell"
Film excerpts: The Civil War, ep. 5; Cold Mountain |
| Wed. Dec. 1 | Ending Slavery
America in 1865
Review for Final Exam
Film: The Civil War, ep. 9 |
| Reading for this week: Nash and Jeffrey, pp. 454-467; handout: The Gettysburg Address; website: Valley of the Shadow |
| Mon. Dec. 6 | FINAL EXAM |