HIS 121 - American History to 1865

Course Document (Fall 2004)

Instructor: David H. McGee Office: Amherst 2105 Office Phone: 832-7782

Office Hours:

E-Mail Address: mcgeed@cvcc.vccs.edu (office) or dhmcgee@adelphia.net (home)

Webpage for the course: http://courses.cvcc.vccs.edu/history_mcgee

PURPOSE: HIS 121 introduces students to the diverse peoples that shaped American life from first settlement through the end of the Civil War. Students will study the formation of American colonies, the path to nationhood, the early republic, the beginning of industrialism, slavery and the sectional crisis, and the Civil War. Emphasis will be placed on the social and cultural life of the people as well as their political, economic, and diplomatic activities. To make the course more comprehensible, we will focus on several key themes. These include: 1) the uncertainty of everyday life in the early colonies as different groups of people vied for power, 2) how the everyday living experiences of different communities of people changed, and 3) the development of separate societies and cultures in the North and South. One of these themes will show up in most of everything we do this term.

In addition, this course seeks to help students develop skills that will help you better understand history and that will also be useful to you throughout college and in the "real" world. These skills include: 1) learning to interpret historical evidence from a variety of forms, 2) evaluating different, and sometimes conflicting, interpretations of the past and using them to form judgments on your own, and 3) effectively conveying your own understanding of the past in writing and orally.

READINGS:

Required Texts:

Hoffer, The Salem Witch Trials

Franklin, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Gates, ed., The Classic Slave Narratives

Stampp, ed., Causes of the Civil War

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

GRADING SCALE: A 90-100 Excellent

B 80-89 Very good/Above average

C 70-79 Average

D 60-69 Below Average

F Below 60 Failing

CLASS PARTICIPATION: Students are expected to participate in class discussion on a regular basis. You may expect to be called upon to answer questions relevant to the lecture or discussion. To fully participate in class discussion, you must complete the reading assignments in a timely manner. Pop quizzes on the reading material may count as part of your discussion grade if your instructor deems it necessary. Your informed discussions will count as 10% of your grade.

ATTENDANCE: Class attendance is expected of all students. The college policy on attendance (p. of the college catalog) is in effect in this class.

EXAMS: There will be two tests and a cumulative final exam in this course. These exams will consist of a combination of short answer and essay questions. The exams will cover both material discussed in the classroom and the assigned readings. You may make up a missed exam, but only if you notify me before the scheduled time for the exam that you have a valid reason for being absent. It is your responsibility to schedule a time for a makeup immediately after returning to class--otherwise no makeup.

QUIZZES: You will have two short map quizzes during the quarter. Each quiz will consist of matching questions. The questions will be drawn from map assignments. You must take a quiz at the time it is scheduled (or before). No makeup quizzes will be given.

THOUGHT PIECE ESSAYS: Each student will be write a 3-4 page essay (750-1000 words) on one of the four books you will be reading during the semester. Further information (topic, format, style, etc.) about these essays will be provided later in the semester.

EXTRA CREDIT – There will be two extra credit assignments posted during the semester. Completing the assignments properly can earn you up to 5 points extra credit on each of the two tests. There may be other outside of class extra credit opportunities during the semester that will be offered to everyone in the class. No extra credit will be given on an individual basis.

SOME BASIC CLASS RULES:

1) No cell phones/pagers to be on during class. If you must have one (potential emergency, etc.—let me know about it), you need to set it to vibrate/buzz and leave the classroom to answer a call.
2) No food in the classroom. Drinks are okay, just don’t spill them.
3) Keep the private conversations outside the classroom
4) Stay seated during the class unless you absolutely have to leave.

Course Outline

1. Introduction/Three Worlds Meet

Nash and Jeffrey, Ch. 1

Articles 1- 4 in handout

Topics

- Introduction

- Native American peoples and cultures

- Europeans and Africans

- First explorations

- European colonization

Online lecture outlines 1 & 2

2. The Growth of Colonization

Nash and Jeffrey, Chs. 2 & 3

Hoffer, The Salem Witch Trials

Articles 5 – 13 in handout

Topics

- Expansion of the British colonies

- Growth of slavery

- French and Spanish settlements

- The red, white, and black

- Salem Witchcraft: Case study of tensions in frontier life

Online lecture outlines 3 & 4

-- Quiz 1 --

3. The Maturing of the American Colonies

Nash and Jeffrey, Chs. 4 & 5

Franklin, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Articles 14-15 in handout

Topics

- Everyday life in the colonies

- The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening

- The Seven-Years War

- Seeds of Revolt

Online lecture outlines 5 & 6

4. War for Independence or Revolution?

Nash and Jeffrey, Ch. 6

Article 16 in handout

Topics

- Organized resistance to the crown

- The colonists are revolting

Online lecture outline 7

------ First Test ------

5. A New Nation

Nash and Jeffrey, Chs. 7 & 8

Articles 17-20 in handout

Topics

- Early frameworks for governing

- Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation

- Creating a constitution

- Early debates about slavery

- A new republic

- The "Era of Good Feelings"

Online lecture outlines 8 & 9

6. Transforming American Society

Nash and Jeffrey, Chs. 9 & 10

Articles 21-24 in handout

Topics

- Growth of the market economy

- Rise of industrialized cities

- Changing gender roles in society

- Ways of living in a rapidly changing world

Online lecture outlines 10 & 11

7. The Old South and Slavery

Nash and Jeffrey, Ch. 11

Gates, ed., The Classic Slave Narratives

Articles 25 – 26 in handout

Topics

- King Cotton and growth of slavery

- Planters and Yeomen--society and culture

- Institution of slavery

- Living under slavery

Online lecture outlines 12

------ Second Test ------

8. The American Empire

Nash and Jeffrey, Chs. 12 & 13

Topics

- Rise of the Second Party System

- Reform movements

- Jacksonian America

- Immigration

- Manifest Destiny and westward expansion

Online lecture outlines 13 & 14

-- Quiz 2 --

9. A H ouse Divided

Nash and Jeffrey, Ch. 14

Topics

- Compromises

- Fall of two party system, rise of sectional politics

- Election of 1860

- Secession and its causes

Online lecture outline 15

10. Civil War

Nash and Jeffrey, Ch. 15

Stampp, ed., Causes of the Civil War

Topics

- Civilians go to war

- Revolution in government and society

- Emancipation

- The Union victorious

- What is the meaning of the Civil War in American history?

Online lecture outlines 16 - 18

----- Final Exam ----- (Remember, the Final Exam is cumulative)

9:00 MWF class Wednesday, December 15^th, 8:00 a.m.

11:00 MWF class Wednesday, December 15^th, 11:00 a.m.

READING PRIMARY SOURCES

A primary source is a document (letter, diary entry, journal entry, or book) from the time period being studied (as opposed to one written at a later date by a historian—such as your textbook). Primary sources are valuable in that they allow us to see how the people of a period viewed themselves and the world around them.

Many of you will have had limited exposure to using primary sources in a history class. Below are a few guidelines to help you make more sense of these sources.

1. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a brief introduction to the period from which the sources are drawn. Read this first to get a good background.

2. Next, read the introduction to the assigned selection. This will tell you a little about the person(s) who created the document.

3. Read the review questions at the end of the assigned document. This will help you focus on what information you should be getting out of the reading.

4. Read the document itself. It often helps to take notes or write down answers to the review questions as you go along. You may also want to write down any other questions you may have about the document as you go along.

5. Keep in mind that some of these documents may have to be read more than once to get a full understanding of them. Many are in styles that are unfamiliar to people accustomed to reading modern writings.