H105
American History: Colonial America to 1865
(Section C636) Fall 2000
Tuesday-Thursday 1:00-2:15pm
Cavanaugh Hall – Room 215
(Three Credits)

Professor: Robert T. Grimm Jr.
Office: Cavanaugh Hall, Room 313
Office Hours: You may come to my office for walk-in office hours on
Tuesdays from 11:00am-12:00pm and 2:30-3:30pm; I will gladly meet with you at additional times by appointment.
Office Phone: 317-274-2072
Office Mail: Cavanaugh Hall, Room 504M
E-mail: bgrimm@indiana.edu I (usually) check my e-mail numerous times each day.
Department Website: http://www.iupui.edu/~history/

Course Overview:

This course broadly explores American history from European settlement in North America to the end of the Civil War and the start of Reconstruction. Three major objectives of this course will be to critically examine and interpret 1) primary historical documents (such as autobiographies, letters, and speeches); 2) secondary sources written about historical events, people, or themes (such as biographies and articles written by historians and video documentaries); 3) the development and themes of American history. To achieve these goals, we will read, analyze, and discuss numerous primary and secondary historical sources. Additionally, we will assess the effectiveness of other people’s historical interpretations as a way of learning how to write good history. Subsequently, students will spend the semester writing and rewriting their interpretations of American history. Indeed, one will need to master a body of factual material to make legitimate interpretations but memorization will be de-emphasized and evaluation, synthesis, and analysis skills will be emphasized.

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

General Class Environment Rules: 1) Please turn off cell phones and beepers during class meeting. I will only make exceptions in cases of emergency; 2) I will not allow any student to hurt or hinder another student’s learning; 3) Please do not bring children to class. Of course, I will make exceptions for special circumstances; 4) Please try to arrive at class on time each day and stay until class is over. Students who arrive late or leave class early disturb the entire class.

 

Grading Policy:

Your final grade derives from your achievement of all course expectations. Please feel free to discuss the criteria for any assignment with me before the due date. The Course Expectations section notes the percent of your semester grade allocated to each assignment. Specific criteria, for some assignments, are noted below and others will be discussed during the progression of the course. I will expect all students to demonstrate advanced cognitive skills on each course assignment: application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Other general evaluation criteria include: 1) arguments defined and developed; 2) all assignments typed; 3) no grammar or spelling errors; 4) and all sources cited according to the Chicago Manual of Style. An excellent website that describes this citation style is:

http://department.monm.edu/history/SACordery/HowtoCiteforHistory.htm

I will not accept late work unless you have made prior arrangements with me. All written work is due at the beginning of class on the due date. Please keep an extra copy of all work handed in to me. If you feel that an assigned grade does not fairly represent how well your work met the evaluation criteria, please request that I re-grade your work. Such a request must be accompanied by a written argument as to why you believe you earned a higher mark.

Please be aware that the university policy states that a course grade of an incomplete is only for students who have completed most of the course requirements and have been prevented from finishing the course due to significant or unanticipated circumstances.

Course Expectations (and Grade Breakdown):

25% Participation: Each class meeting centers on discussions of assigned readings (with only a few short lectures by the instructor) and requires active and constructive participation. Furthermore, one must complete readings on time, volunteer insightful and reflective comments during class, and finish non-graded writing assignments on time to achieve a high participation grade. Consequently, attendance at each class session is expected and more than three absences will lower your grade. I will, however, excuse you if you have a legitimate reason for your absence. Although my evaluation of your participation and your completion of non-graded writing assignments will contribute to your final grade, an equal portion of your discussion grade will be determined by a self-evaluation of class participation. This self-evaluation will be completed at the end of each class and ask you to rate yourself according to the scale below. In general, I will rarely--if ever--lower your self-evaluation but I may raise your self-evaluation. We will discuss the self-evaluation tool in detail during the first day of class.

1 Point = I Showed up for class.
2 Points = I showed up for class and did the readings assignment.
3 Points = I showed up for class, did the reading assignment, and spoke up once.
4 Points = I showed up for class, did the reading assignment, and spoke more than once.
5 Points = I showed up for class, did the readings assignment, and made an equitable amount of comments in quality and quantity.

75% Interpretation Papers [Part I Paper (15%), Part II Paper (25%), and Part III Paper (35%)]: Throughout the semester, you shall be asked to write, revise, and revise again a paper that offers a well-argued interpretation of American history. The purpose of the paper is for you to articulate, in a clear and concise way, a major theme (or major themes) that connects a large portion of the course materials. These themes shall be modified as you see how concerns and conditions of the eighteenth century, for example, shifted significantly in the early republic, and again by the end of the Civil War. You shall constantly be reworking this paper in the light of criticisms of your prior drafts, new materials, and even conversations that you have with peers and the professor. It will grow from two to three pages in a first draft to five to six pages in the final draft (note: the final draft should look very different from the first draft). A good share of class discussion will involve this paper and you are always welcome to discuss the paper with your instructor at anytime. Replacing formal exams, your paper can be one of the most rewarding things you do this semester if you put time and effort into it throughout the semester. Certainly, it will leave you with literary and persuasive skills that you can deploy for the balance of your life.

Academic Code of Conduct: The Indiana University Code of Student Ethics defines "academic misconduct" as "any activity which tends to compromise the academic integrity of the institution and undermines the educational process. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to...cheating, fabrication, interference and violation of course rules" (III.A.1-6). A student who chooses to engage in academic misconduct will be subject to university sanctions.

Required Texts:

Roderick Nash and Gregory Graves, eds. From These Beginnings: A Biographical Approach to American History. Volume one, Sixth Edition. (New York: Longman, 2000). [Referred to in the Course Schedule as Beginnings]

Larry Madaras and James M. SoRelle, eds. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in American History. Volume one, Eighth Edition. (Guilford, Connecticut: Duskin/McGraw-Hill, 2000). [Referred in the Course Schedule as Taking Sides]

Primary Sources Reader. History 105. Robert T. Grimm Jr. (McGraw-Hill, 2000). [Referred in the Course Schedule as Primary Sources]

Primary Sources at the course website at www.oncourse.iupui.edu [Referred in the course schedule as Oncourse]. To access Oncourse: 1) Type www.oncourse.iupui.edu in your browser, 2) Click IUPUI, 3) Type your user name and password and click Log in, 4) Under My Courses Fall 2000, Click Hist H105 C636 American History I, 5) Select the Syllabus icon. (Please note: If you do not have Internet access, I will get you a paper copy of the week’s readings).

Optional Text on Library Reserve:

Although an American history textbook is not required for this course, I have put Tindall and Shi’s America: A Narrative History (New York: W.W. Norton, 2000) on reserve at the IUPUI Main Library.

Course Schedule (Please note that the instructor will announce any changes to the syllabus well in advance):

Part I Pre-Interpretation Paper: Roughly four weeks into the semester, you will be asked to write an essay (one and half double-spaced pages) that identifies a theme(s) that integrates much of the material currently covered in the course. You will receive feedback on this paper, which will help with the final draft of your interpretation paper for Part I, but no grade will be assigned. Before and after this paper, we will be doing short practice writing assignments in and outside of class to continually hone and improve your writing skills. (I may also ask a member of the University Writing Center to visit with us as you prepare this essay to talk about the resources of that program).

Writing Assistance: The University Writing Center is located in Cavanaugh Hall, Room 427 and their website is www.iupui.edu/~writectr/home.html The University Writing Center’s office hours are Monday and Thursday (8:30am-6:00pm), Tuesday and Wednesday (8:30am-8pm), Friday (9:00am-2:00pm) and Saturday (10:00am-3:00pm). To schedule an appointment with a tutor, call the University Writing Center at 317-274-2049. I will make sure that the tutors are familiar with the interpretation paper assignment but please remember to bring assignment descriptions, drafts, class notes, and questions and concerns about your writing to your tutoring session. Indeed, you may find that it is very helpful to show a University Writing Center tutor your drafts and to get regular feedback.

Of course, you should always feel free to call on me to look over your progressing paper. I would enjoy that. Please be aware that professors get assistance from others to improve their writing and students should do the same.

Part I Interpretation Paper: This two to three page double-spaced paper is due after the conclusion of this unit. In your opening paragraph, clearly and precisely state a theme or cluster of related themes that you feel unites or integrates much of the material the unit covers. In subsequent paragraphs, you should work closely with course material and explain how these materials support your argument. You will be emphasizing some materials over others but you should explain why you think some assigned materials are not directly germane to your theme(s). In addition to the pre-interpretation paper, we will devote a full class session to the final draft of the paper before it is due. During that session, we will work through and discuss some writing problems and questions as well as a few sample themes. After this draft of the paper is graded, a few exemplary papers (with the author’s name removed) will be placed on library reserve with the student’s consent).

Part I: Colonial America and the American Revolution
August 24 Welcome and Introductions
August 29 New England: A City on a Hill? (Read Primary Sources pages 1-10; Beginnings-John Winthrop pages 23-51; and The Examination and Confession of Ann Foster at Salem Village at Oncourse).
August 31 Were The English Colonists Guilty of Genocide? (Read pages 24-44 on Library Reserve).
September 5 The Chesapeake: The Genteel Virginians? (Read Primary Sources pages 11-28; and 1) John Smith, 2) Instructions for the Virginia Colony (1806), 3) The Laws of Virginia (1610-1611), 4) Gottlieb Mittelberger, "The Passage of Indentured Servants," 5) Governor William Berkley on Bacon’s Rebellion (1676), 6) Bacon’s Rebellion: The Declaration, 7) Robert Beverly on Bacon’s Rebellion (1704), 8) The Laws of Virginia (1662, 1691, 1705), 9) Elizabeth Sprigs, Letter to Her Father, 10) Olaudah Equiano, "The Middle Passage," and 11) William Byrd II, Diary on Oncourse).
September 7 Did Racism Cause the Enslavement of Africans in America? (Read Taking Sides, pages 64-85).
September 12 Pennsylvania (and New York): Land of Tolerance? (Read "William Penn, From Model of Government" on Oncourse; Primary Sources 29-39 and 58-61; and Beginnings-Ben Franklin, pages 55-83).
September 14 An Empire Under Strain? (Read Primary Sources pages 62-68 and 40-57; 1) Ben Franklin, Testimony Against the Stamp Act, 2) John Dickinson, from Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, 3) Address of the Inhabitants of Anson County to Governor Martin, 4) Daniel Leonard’s Letter of January 9, 1775, 5) John Adams, Novanglus, February 6, 1775, 6) Edmund Burke, Speech on Conciliation (1775), and 7) Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" on Oncourse.
September 19 The American Revolution: How Radical? (Read Primary Sources pages 69-80; Beginnings-Abigail Adams pages 87-110; and 1) Jefferson’s Draft of the Declaration of Independence, 2) Abigail Adams and John Adams Letters; Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren, and 3) George Washington Letter to John Hancock (1776) on Oncourse).

Pre-Interpretation Papers Due
September 21 Discuss Interpretation Papers
Pre-Interpretation Papers Returned
September 26 Was the Colonial Period a "Golden Age" for Women in America?                                                      (Read Taking Sides pages 44-61).                                                                                                         Was The American Revolution Primarily a Struggle for Power? (Read pages 118-138 on Library Reserve).

Part II Interpretation Paper: In three to four double-spaced pages, write a paper delineating a theme, or group of related themes, that you feel unifies Part I and II of the course. In doing so, you will need to entirely rewrite your previous paper so that it connects viably to the material in Part II. Consequently, you will be writing a whole new paper that may draw upon your Part I paper but does not simply revise that paper. Indeed, it is very unlikely that you will have exactly the same theme(s) as you had for your first paper because you will be dealing with profound change over time, such as the passing of colonial America and growth of the American Republic. The paper is due after the conclusion of Part II and late papers will not be accepted. Since good writing is developed through constant writing, one good way to evolve from the first to second interpretation paper is to continually rework the first draft throughout Part II of the course (keep, for example, a draft on your hard drive or disk and do a bit of modification from time to time). Please feel free to print out a draft and bring it to me for a look whenever you would like. Indeed, I encourage you to visit my office hours on a regular basis.

As with part I, you will be asked to write an earlier essay (two double-spaced pages) that identifies a theme(s) that integrates much of the material currently covered in the course (Part II Pre-Interpretation Paper). You will again receive feedback on this paper but no grade will be assigned. Prior and after this paper, we will continue to do short practice writing assignments in and outside of class to continually hone and improve your writing skills.

Part II: The New American Republic
September 28 Developing a New American Republic? (Read Primary Sources pages 84-89, 81-83, and 90-119).
October 3 The New American Republic: How Radical? (Read Primary Sources pages 129-147; and 1) Jefferson’s Notes on Slavery and 2) Benjamin Banneker, Letter to Thomas Jefferson on Oncourse).
Were the Founding Fathers Democratic Reformers? (Read Taking Sides pages 114-134).

Part I Interpretation Papers Due
October 5 A New Republic: Under Strain or Coming Together? (Part I) (Read Primary Sources 148-169; Shay’s Rebellion at Oncourse; and Beginnings-Thomas Jefferson pages 113-146.
October 10 A New Republic: Under Strain or Coming Together? (Part II) (Read Primary Sources 170-197).
Did Thomas Jefferson Abandon His Political Ideals in Purchasing the Louisiana Territory? (Read Taking Sides pages 136-158).
October 12 Antebellum America: An Industrial and Political Revolution? (Read Primary Sources pages 198-215 and 222-224; and 1) The Harbinger, Female Workers of Lowell, and 2) Joshua and Sally Wilson on Oncourse).
October 17 Westward Expansion: A Different Kind of American? (Read Beginnings-Jim Bridger pages 177-203; Elizabeth Dixon Smith Greer on Oncourse; and Primary Sources pages 231-236).
October 19 Westward Expansion: Voices of Protest and Acceptance? (Read Beginnings-Tecumseh pages 151-174; Primary Sources pages 225-236; and Memorial of the Cherokee Nation on Oncourse).
October 24 Was Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Policy Motivated by Humanitarian Impulses? (Read Taking Sides pages 160-179; and Andrew Jackson, First Annual Message to Congress on Oncourse).
Did the Westward Movement Transform the Traditional Roles of Women in the Mid-Nineteenth Century? (Read Taking Sides pages 260-282).
Part II Pre-Interpretation Papers Due
October 26 Discuss Interpretation Papers
Part II Pre-Interpretation Papers Returned
October 31 A Rising Tide for Racial Equality? (Read Primary Sources and 254-277; Beginnings-Frederick Douglas pages 207-234; and 1) Benjamin Drew, Narrative of Escaped Slaves and 2) Nat Turner, Confession (1831) on Oncourse).
November 2 A Benevolent Empire? (Read Primary Sources pages 237-244)
Was Antebellum Reforms Motivated by Humanitarian Goals? (Read pages 204-221 on Library Reserve).
Were the Abolitionists "Unrestrained Fanatics?" (Read Taking Sides pages 184-206).

Part III Interpretation Paper: Prepare a five to six page double spaced paper with a theme(s) that unites the entire course and much of the course material. You should largely rewrite your prior papers because your new theme(s) will likely differ significantly from past themes. After all, you will be tracing the patterns of historical change from the early 1600s to the 1860s. This paper is due at the time and place designated for the final examination and shall take the place of that examination. Late papers are unacceptable.

As with the first two parts of the course, you will be asked to submit an earlier essay (three to six double-spaced pages) that identifies a theme(s) that integrates much of the material currently covered in the course. You will again receive feedback on this paper but no grade will be assigned.

Part III: Civil War and Reconstruction
November 7 The Old South: Center of Tradition and a National Crisis? (Read State v. Boon (1801) on Oncourse and Primary Sources pages 278-300).
Did Slaves Exercise Religious Autonomy? (Read Taking Sides pages 208-231).
November 9 The American Civil War: What were the Major Causes? (Read Primary Sources pages 301-322 and Abraham Lincoln, "A House Divided" (1858)" on Oncourse).
Have Historians Overemphasized the Slavery Issue as a Cause of the Civil War? (Read Taking Sides pages 286-303).
Part II Interpretation Papers Due
November 14 The Old South, Sectional Crisis, and American Civil War: One Southerner’s Perspective (Read Beginnings-Robert E. Lee pages 239-269).
November 16 Exploring A Northern and Southern Community During and After the American Civil War (Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County, Pennsylvania). Located at http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vshadow2/choosepart.html
November 21 Was the North’s Victory over the South Inevitable? (Read Taking Sides pages 306-326; Primary Sources pages 326-329; and Clara Barton, Medical Life at the Battlefield (1862) on Oncourse).
November 23 No Class – Thanksgiving Holiday
November 28 Did Abraham Lincoln Free the Slaves? (Read Primary Sources pages 323-325 and Taking Sides pages 328-348.).
November 30 Restoring the Union: Divergent Voices (Read Primary Sources pages 330-332 and 1) Thaddeus Stevens speech on December 18, 1865, 2) Address of a Convention of Negroes held in Alexandria, Virginia, August 1865, and 3) Report of the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, June 20, 1866 on Oncourse.
Was It Wrong to Impeach Andrew Johnson? (Read Taking Sides pages 350-370).
Part III Pre-Interpretation Papers Due
December 5 Discussion of Part III Papers
Part III Pre-Interpretation Papers Returned
December 7 Was Reconstruction a Success? (Read pages 2-21 on Library Reserve).
How Do We Characterize Nineteenth Century America? (Read Primary Sources pages 245-253).
December 12 Part III Interpretation Papers Due at Final Exam