AMERICAN HISTORY
HISTORY 101
COURSE OBJECTIVE: To familiarize the student with the origins of American civilization and to promote the critical assessment of the American past and present. History 101 will explore the origins of America from the colonial beginnings to the traumatic remaking of the country through Civil War and Reconstruction. The focus through the colonial and early national periods will be on the development of a multi-cultural society and the origins and establishment of political traditions. The emphasis of the lectures on 19th century America will be on the dynamic growth and troubling sectionalism that led to Civil War and Reconstruction.
STUDENTS OBJECTIVE: To value learning, critical thinking, and the acquisition of a historical perspective over the quest for a grade. To participate in class discussions, critique lectures and ask questions, improve note taking, test taking, and writing techniques.
REQUIRED READINGS: Text: Boyer, The Enduring Vision, vol. 1
Supplemental: Douglass, Narrative
Life
CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
1. Attendance at all class sessions.
2. Completion of reading assignments, textbook worksheets, and a one-page
reaction paper to the Douglass book, Narrative Life.
3. Completion of three examinations: two midterms and a final.
4. Completion of a history project. This can be a research paper, a review essay or an oral, visual, or musical presentation. See handout.
COURSE GRADING: The tests will include an essay and a number of short answer identifications of people, places, things or events. The essay will come from a series of study questions given out one week prior to the examinations. The tests are graded using a 100 points system resulting in a letter grade. No curve is employed. Each midterm is valued at 20 percent of the course grade and the final exam is 50 percent of the course grade. The final 10 percent of the course grade is made up of worksheets, summary, and the project. [NOTE: Make-up exams will be allowed only for those students contacting me prior to test. The day of the final exam is the last day that any make-up material will be accepted.]
LECTURE TOPIC
READING
Introduction, "Our People." Boyer, chapter: pro., 1
European Discovery. Boyer, chapter 2
Foundations: Virginia and Massachusetts Bay: Boyer, chapter 2.
Rise of Multi-Culture, The Other Colonies. Boyer, chapter 3.
Making Americans: Demographic, Social, and Economic Growth. Boyer, chapters 3-4.
Breaking with Britain. Boyer, chapter 5.
War and Revolution. Boyer, chapter 6.
Creating the American Republic. Boyer, chapters 6-7.
Antebellum America: Demographic and Territorial Growth. Boyer, chapters 7-10.
Antebellum America: Economy. Boyer, chapter 9.
The House Divided: : The North: Thrall of Change. Boyer, chapter 10-11.
The South: Place over Time. Boyer, chapter 12.
The Sectional Crisis. Boyer, chapts. 13-14.
The Civil War. Boyer, chapter 15.
Reconstruction, Review. Boyer, chapter 16.
FIRST MIDTERM EXAMINATION (for MW) (September 25, 27)
SECOND MIDTERM EXAMINATION (October 30, November 1)
History Project Due: November 22.
Narrative Reaction paper due: November 29.
FINAL EXAMINATION:
For 8:45 class: Wednesday, December 13, 9:45 am.
For 11:45 class: Wednesday, December 13, 11:45 am.
FIRST MIDTERM EXAMINATION (for T,TH) (September 26, 28)
SECOND MIDTERM EXAMINATION (October 31, November 2)
History Project Due: November 21.
Narrative Reaction paper due: November 30.
FINAL EXAMINATION:
Tuesday, December 12, 10:00 am.