History 105 - American
History I Dr. David G. Vanderstel
Required Text George Tindall & David Shi, America, Vol. 1.
Required Readings Paul Boyer
& Stephen Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed
Harriet Jacobs, Incidents
in the Life of a Slave Girl
Another reading assignment will be
distributed later
Office Hours Wednesday
4:30-5:30 pm and by appointment.
I welcome opportunities to meet with you and encourage you to take advantage of my office hours. Feel free to make an appointment to discuss your work or the class, or simply stop by to chat.
Office Location My office is located in Cavanaugh 327 (National Council on
Public History). I am there usually on
Mondays and Wednesdays and may be contacted in person, by telephone, or by
email. If I am not there, you may leave
messages on the door or with the NCPH staff or by email.
Telephone & E-mail You are invited to call me at 317-274-2718. I have voice mail so you may leave messages if I am not
present. You may also correspond with
me by email at: dvanders@iupui.edu
Course
Requirements
and
Expectations
History l05 covers the
period from pre-discovery through the American Civil War. It is intended to introduce you—through
lectures, class discussions, and readings—to the themes, topics, events, and
personalities of the colonies and the emerging American nation. In order for you to understand the lectures
and to participate in class discussions, you should complete the assigned
readings before each class.
While 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.
[Please note that I do NOT lecture from the book. Lectures and readings complement each other,
so it is essential to rely upon both for content.]
Course Objectives The study of history is often
misunderstood. People generally believe
that history involves only the memorization of names, dates, and important
events. This course is designed to
expose students to the usefulness of historical studies by helping them learn
to (1) examine, assess, and understand the past and its relevance for
contemporary society; (2) understand the role of historians and history in
society; (3) analyze information and ideas that represent multiple
perspectives; (4) assess and critique historical writings; (5) develop
well-reasoned and well-supported positions on historical questions; and (6)
express one’s opinions in a logical and factually supported manner. The course will emphasize the richness and
complexity, the good points as well as the bad, of the human experience in the
emergence and maturation of the United States.
These objectives relate to the History Department’s
“Principles of Undergraduate Learning,” which may be found at www.iupui.edu/~history/principlesundergradlearning.htm.
These abilities will help the
student to understand and appreciate American history more fully and to improve
critical thinking and communication skills, which are essential to one’s
academic studies and future career, as well as for personal growth and
development.
Grades Course
grades will be based upon the following:
l) midterm examination -- 25%
2) final
examination -- 25%
3) three
written assignments (16.6% 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.
It is important to complete all work for this
course. Failure to submit an assignment
or exam will result in a “zero,” which will affect your overall course
grade.
NOTE: I do
not give “incompletes” unless the student has completed 75% of the course
requirements and has experienced “extreme situations” that prevent him/her from
completing course requirements within the expected time period. Any “incomplete” will require an agreement
to finish course work within a certain period of time. Failure to comply with that agreement will
result in a grade of “F” for the course.
Oncourse The syllabus is posted on Oncourse. All assignments will also be posted there as
well. You may visit the site at: http://oncourse.indiana.edu and by clicking on IUPUI and going to the
appropriate H105 section.
Exams Exams consist of essays and
identification questions. I will distribute study questions one week before the
exams. Exams will draw upon the content
of lectures, class discussions, and course readings. Exams must be taken on the
assigned day, unless other arrangements have been made at least three
(3) days in advance. In other
words, plan your schedules accordingly; there will be no last minute
reprieves.
Papers Written
assignments must be submitted on the assigned day. Those submitted after the due date will be subject to a half grade (5%) 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. Refer to the last page
for paper guidelines.
Attendance I
expect you to attend class regularly.
If you miss class, it will be your responsibility to obtain notes and
assignments. It is my policy not to
photocopy my notes. Your presence and
participation in class may affect borderline grades at semester’s end.
Ethics Cell phones and pagers: In order to maintain proper classroom
decorum, all cell phones and beepers are to be turned off prior to the
beginning of class. Interruptions by
these devices during the class are cause for immediate dismissal from the
classroom for that evening.
Cheating and Plagiarism: The University
has strict 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. 20), 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 for the semester. 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. 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, Chs. 4-5
5.
Years of Revolution and Independence
Tindall, Ch. 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, Chs. 10-11
10.
Reforming the American Experiment
Tindall, Chs. 12-13
11.
The South
and Slavery
Tindall, Ch. 15
12.
Upheaval in the Nation: Territorial Controversies, Sectionalism, and
the
Road to Disunion
Tindall, Chs. 14, 16
13.
The Civil War/The War of Rebellion/The War Between the States
Tindall, Chs. 16, 17
IMPORTANT
DATES: Midterm
– around March 1
No
Class – March 13 (Spring Break)
Final Exam – May 1
Style Guide for Written Assignments
1. Papers
must be neatly generated on a word processor/computer. Your name and course name (H105) should be
in an upper corner of the first page or on a title page.
2. Papers
should use proper grammar and spelling.
Excessive mistakes and sloppiness will result in a lower grade.
3. Respond
to each question separately and designate each question by its appropriate
number. If, however, you see a creative
way to address all of the questions within the context of an entire essay, feel
free to try your hand at it; just make sure that you address all of the
questions.
4. Your
answers should consist of your own thoughts on the questions. You should also incorporate elements of or
references to the book when appropriate, such as to support an argument or
point. Your essay should NOT be a string
of quotes from the book; that does not constitute original or acceptable work.
5. If
you wish to quote something from the book, always enclose the passage in
quotation marks AND provide a page reference in parentheses (page 23). If you should choose to include a quotation
from another source, then you should provide a complete reference to the book
in parentheses following the quotation.
EXAMPLE: (James Axtell, The Invasion Within, New York, 1985, p.
10)
6. To
assist you in preparing your papers, I would be happy to read over a draft of
your essays before you submit them in final form. To do that, however, I need some time to read them and to make my
comments. If you intend to take
advantage of this, please make an appointment with me or provide me with
a copy well in advance of the paper’s deadline. For additional assistance in writing, I encourage you to contact
the University Writing Center (CA 427).
7. Any
questions or problems, please visit me in my office (CA 327), call 274-2718,
or e-mail me at dvanders@iupui.edu
DGV 1/2002