American History I: United States History to 1865

H105 Mon and Weds section C642 10-10:50 am LE-100

Description: This course introduces you to major political, economic, and social changes in the United States from the time of European "discovery" to the Civil War. It will help you to develop analytical skills [not just what happened, but some of the reasons why] as well as learning how to articulate your ideas both verbally and in writing. We will look at major events such as the American Revolution, the Market Revolution, and the growth of sectional tensions from the point of view of the ordinary American.

At the end of this course students will be able to:

• Summarize the major events in American history through 1865
• Analyze primary source documents
• Articulate and support (on exams, papers, and in class discussions) a sound position on an historical topic
• Compare historical events from the perspective of different groups and account for any variation

Requirements: You will have 5 assignments on class readings other than the Brinkley text. 3 of these assignments will be short 1 page papers. Some will be done in class, and some will be done at home and turned in at the beginning of the discussion sectionBthey will be based on the Primis readings. The 4^th assignment is a short quiz on Charlotte Temple. The 5^th is paper based on one of the slave narratives, it will be a 2-3 typed pages. These assignments will prepare you for class discussion as well as the exams. You must complete all of these assignments in order to pass the class, however, only the 4 highest will be used to compute your grade.

There will be 2 in-class exams and a final exam.

Readings:

*The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People, Volume I: to 1877 ( by Alan Brinkley,)
*Reader: Primis document collection
*United States History Atlas
*These 3 items should be bundled together

Charlotte Temple (by Susanna Rowson)
Classic Slave Narratives (edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.)

Course Policies: You are expected to attend all lectures and discussion sections (as per new university policy, attendance will be taken) and to complete the readings before the first class meeting each week. Attendance and participation are assigned as a part of your grade. After three absences (3 total, absences in lecture and discussion are combined) you will begin to lose points. If you will be gone for job related requirements, sporting events, doctor=s appointments, illness, etc. use these three Afree@ absences.

Any absences after three will only be excused at the instructor=s discretion and in extreme circumstances (hospitalization, death in the family, etc.) and with appropriate documentation. Please do not e-mail me telling me you will be absentBthat is why you get three freebies. After three absences, if you feel that you have extenuating circumstances warranting an excuse, please come and see me in person during office hours. More than 6 absences, combined between lecture and discussion, will result in an F for this class.

Response papers assigned as homework are due at the beginning class. Late assignments will lose one-third of a grade for each day they are late, including weekends and holidays. Make-ups and late papers are allowed only in exceptional circumstances with appropriate documentation. Students who for extraordinary reasons cannot meet a deadline should discuss their situation with the instructors before the due date.

* In the calculation of the semester grade, improvement over the course of the semester is an important consideration and can raise the final grade above the mathematical average. Every effort will be made to return all work in one week or by the 3rd class meeting after it is collected.

Plagiarism:*

A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:

1. Quotes another person's actual words, either oral or written;
2. Paraphrases another person's words, either oral or written
3. Uses another person's ideas, opinion or theory; or
4. Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the information is common knowledge.

*Quoted from the IUPUI Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, p. 29.

This syllabus and other course materials can be found on the homepage of the Department of History: http://www.iupui.edu/~history/ Then choose the Schedule of Classes option. Then Fall 2000. You can locate this class by section number, meeting time, or my last name (Osborn). I will attempt to place handouts at this site, you may then print them at your own convenience.

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments*

**Reading assignment should be completed BEFORE the first class meeting of the week