This course introduces the main themes of American history. Because of the vast amount of material to be covered, this course is designed as a series of lectures and discussions, based on, but also supplementing, assigned readings in a standard text, three monographs, and occasional handouts.

Goals: This course will acquaint students with the development of United States history from early exploration attempts by Europeans to the conclusion of the Civil War. Students will gain a substantive understanding of the events and issues that helped create an American culture. They will also be introduced to the methods of research and the materials used by professional historians.

Methods: Students are expected to be familiar with the assigned readings in the text and monographs. Most of the class periods will be devoted to lectures, but several classes will be reserved for student discussion, particularly of the monographs and handouts. Questions, of course, are welcome at any time.

Evaluation: There will be two essay exams and three essay quizzes to test the students= knowledge of the material covered. Study questions will be handed out one week in advance of each quiz/exam.

Course grade: Each essay exam is worth 40% of the final grade. Each quiz is worth 7%. Grades for the course will be: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = 59 and below.

Extra credit: For ten points extra credit on the final grade students may choose to rewrite all three quizzes as formal papers. Instructions for these formal essays will be handed out after the first quiz. The formal essays will be due November 29. The final exam will be December 13.

TEXTS:

David Goldfield et al. The American Journey: A History of the United States. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000).

James Deetz. In Small Things Forgotten: The Archaeology of Early American Life. (New York: Doubleday, rev. and exp. ed. 1996).

Bernard Bailyn. Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, enl. ed. 1992)

David Feller. The Jacksonian Promise: America 1815-1840. (1995).

Occasional handouts.

POLICIES:

All students are expected to attend and participate in every class. If you have to arrive late to class or leave class early, please enter or leave through the rear classroom door and take a seat quietly.

All assignments are due on the specified dates.

A grade of zero (0) will be assigned to any work produced by cheating or plagiarism. To prevent misunderstanding, IUPUI defines cheating and plagiarism as:

Cheating: Cheating is dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession of examinations. It is the responsibility of the student not only to abstain from cheating, but, in addition, to avoid the appearance of cheating and to guard against making it possible for others to cheat. Any student who helps another student to cheat is as guilty of cheating as the student assisted. The student should also do everything possible to induce respect from the examining process and for honesty in the performance of assigned tasks in or out of class.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the offering of the work of someone else as one=s own. Honesty requires that any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged. The language or ideas taken from another may range from isolated formulas, sentences, or paragraphs to entire articles copied from books, periodicals, speeches, or the writings of other students. The offering of materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgement is also considered plagiarism. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas or materials taken from another source is guilty of plagiarism.

A grade of Aincomplete@ will not be assigned except in the event of a catastrophe such as serious personal illness or death of a family member. All incompletes must be arranged in advance of the final day of class. Arrangement for an incomplete will require the instructor=s approval of a signed statement from the student about the reason for requesting the incomplete and a date when all remaining work will be submitted.

ASSIGNMENTS: