History 105 - American
History Dr.
David G. Vanderstel
Cavanaugh 217 May
10 – June 19, 2001
Required Text George Tindall, America,
Vol. 1.
Required Readings Robert Gross, The Minutemen and Their World
Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Office Hours Mon., Tues., Thurs.
5:00-6:00 pm and by appointment.
Office Location My
office is located in Cavanaugh 327
(National Council on Public History). I
am there most of the time and may be contacted in person, by telephone, or by
email. If I am not there, you may leave
messages on the door.
Telephone & E-mail You may call me
at 317-274-2718. I have voice mail so you may leave messages if
I'm not present. My email address is: dvanders@iupui.edu
Course
Requirements
and
Expectations History l05 covers the period from the
pre-discovery era through the American Civil War. It is intended to introduce you--through lectures, class discussions,
and readings--to the themes and topics pertaining to the colonization of
America and the development of this nation through the mid 19th century. In order for you to understand the lectures
and contribute to class discussions, you should complete the assigned readings before
each class. It will also help you
adjust to the very rapid and intense nature of the summer schedule. Although I enjoy lecturing, I encourage you
to participate in the class through questions and comments that may lead to
further discussions and deeper examination of the issues at hand.
Grades Course grades will be based upon the
following:
l) midterm examination -- 25%
2)
final examination -- 25%
3)
two written assignments (25% each) -- 50%
Grading is
on a straight scale--90 & above, A; 80-89, B; etc. with pluses/minuses 3 points
above/below the grade cutoff. There is
NO extra credit.
Exams Exams
consist of essays and identification questions. Given our intense schedule, exams
must be taken on the assigned day, unless other arrangements have been made
at least three (3) days in advance.
I will distribute study questions approximately one week before the
exams. Exams will draw heavily upon the
content of my lectures, supplemented by the readings.
Papers
Written assignments must be
submitted on the assigned day. Those
submitted after the due date will be subject to a full grade reduction for each week or portion thereof late. Papers must utilize proper spelling and
grammar. Any paper filled with what I
consider to be excessive mistakes will be returned ungraded for corrections and
resubmission. The last paper must be
submitted no later than the last regular day of class.
Attendance Just as I am expected to
be here to teach, I expect you to attend class regularly. I do not make notes available, so it is YOUR
responsibility to obtain notes and assignments if you miss class. Your presence and participation in class can
affect borderline grades at semester’s end.
Ethics The University has guidelines for proper
academic behavior. Cheating,
plagiarism, and other forms of intellectual dishonesty will not be tolerated,
will be handled in the manner prescribed by the University (see IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2000-2002,
p. 36), and, depending upon the extent of the incident(s), may result in a
failing grade for the work and/or the course.
“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.” (IU Bulletin, 1998-2000,
p. 20)
“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. . . . Any student who fails to give credit for ideas or
materials taken from another source is guilty of plagiarism.” (IU Bulletin, 1998-2000, p. 20)
Lecture Schedule This is a proposed outline of lecture
topics and discussions. We have about
17 days to cover an entire semester’s work.
So, to stay ahead, I suggest that you follow the schedule by reading
through the text. My lectures generally
follow the chronological and thematic outline of the book, but will not always
adhere to a specific chapter. If we
need to devote more time on a given subject, we will do so.
l.
Course Introduction: What is
History and Why Study It?
Collision of the Worlds in the Age
of Exploration
Tindall,
Ch. 1
2.
Colonizing the New World: Transplantation of Europe
Tindall,
Ch. 2
3.
Mastering the Land and Maturing of Colonial Society
Tindall, Ch. 3
4.
Bursting Colonial Bonds: Road to Revolution
Tindall,
Ch. 4
5.
Years of Revolution and Independence
Tindall,
Chs. 5-6
6.
Towards a New Nation: Confederation and Constitution
Tindall,
Ch. 7
7.
Launching the National Republic: The Federalists
Tindall,
Ch. 8
MIDTERM
8. The “Jeffersonian Revolution”: Political
Parties and the “Empire of Liberty”
Tindall, Ch. 9
9. The “Age of the Common Man”: Politics and
Andrew Jackson
Tindall, Ch. 10-11
10. Reforming the American Experiment
Tindall, Chs. 12-13
11. The South and Slavery in America
Tindall, Ch. 15
12. Upheaval in the Nation: Territorial
Controversies, Sectionalism, and
the
Road to Disunion
Tindall, Chs. 14, 16
13. The War of the Union
Tindall, Ch. 17
IMPORTANT
DATES: No
Class -- Monday May 28--Memorial Day
Midterm
– probably Thursday May 31
Final
Exam – Tuesday June 19