History H105 Prof. Jack McKivigan

Fall 2003 Cavanaugh 406/531

Cavanaugh 215 Off. Hr. 11-11:45 MW

9:30-10:45 MW Off. Ph. 294-5860

Email mckivig@iupui.edu

GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN NATION TO 1865

Course Description: History 105 is designed as an introduction to the study of history in general, and to the study of American history in particular. History 105 begins by exploring the European and African legacy and the forces contributing to the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. The course then examines trends such as expansion, industrialization, democratization, etc., that rapidly transformed early American society. Special attention will be paid to those developments that have had the greatest impact in the shaping of modern America. Finally, the course will analyze the problems of slavery, abolitionism, and sectionalism to attempt to understand the failure of mid-nineteenth century Americans to resolve them peaceably.

Nature and Amount of Student Responsibility: The success of this course depends upon the completion of the reading assignments and participation in class discussion by the students. If a student falls behind in his/her readings she/he will soon find it difficult to follow the subject matter of class discussion or join in it. Students should feel free to ask questions about unclear material at any time during the class. Students also should feel free to talk to the instructor about any course-related problems especially in cases when a student believes that his/her assignment grades do not accurately reflect her/his performance in the course.

There will be three one and-a-quarter hour examinations for this course. These examinations will be a mixture of essay and objective questions. The instructor will provide review materials to students prior to each examination and has scheduled a review session before each test. The first two examinations are tentatively scheduled for October 1st and November 10th and each will count 25% of the final course grade. The final examination, which will focus on materials covered in the last third of the semester and not be cumulative It is scheduled for December 12th, and will count 30% of the final grade.

The other 20% of the final grade will be derived from performance in a combination of take-home quizzes and on-line discussion forums. The subject matter of these quizzes and forums will be the current course reading assignment. The format of these quizzes will be mini-essays. In the forums students will be expected to make substantive contributions to debates over issues of historical interpretation proposed by the instructor. Guidelines clarifying specific expectations for both types of assignments will be provided by the instructor. Students are required to take at least two take-home quizzes and participate in two on-line forums They are free to take all three quizzes and participate in all three forums, but the instructor will count only the student=s two best quiz scores and two best forum scores to determine this portion of the grade. A student’s improvement on examinations and other assignments during the course of the semester will be given favorable consideration in assigning a final grade.

Nature and Amount of Instructor's Responsibilities: The instructor's goal is to have each class be a mixture of lecture and discussion. The atmosphere of the class will be kept informal to encourage general participation and a full variety of viewpoints. The instructor will make himself available after class and during office hours to offer students additional advice on preparing for examinations. Students are encouraged to take advantage of such assistance. Grading is a necessary evil of the present academic system but the instructor has an obligation to explain the reason for giving a grade to a student and to suggest possible ways for improving performance on later examinations.

IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning: The instructor endorses the university’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning and has designed this course according to them: (1) Students will be given the opportunity to enhance their communication skills both orally in class room discussions and in writing on quizzes, tests, and assignments; (2) Students will be given the opportunity to enhance their critical thinking skills through exercises designed to analyze complex historical issues and make informed judgments; (3) Students will be given the opportunity to enhance their skills at integrating and applying knowledge through an interdisciplinary approach to historical analysis; (4) Students will be given the opportunity to recognize their own cultural traditions and appreciate the diversity of the human experience by frequent comparisons of the historical experiences of Americans with that of other people in our readings, lectures, and class discussions; and (5) Students will be given the opportunity to apply ethical and moral judgments to the study of the personal and public choices made by historical figures in various written assignment.

Reading List for History H105: The following two books are the assigned readings for this course:

Text: John Mack Faragher, Out of Many: A History of the American People (Brief Fourth Edition, 2003).

Reader: Binder and Reimers, eds., The Way We Lived Volume One (5th Edition; 2004).

Other: Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

Tentative Schedule of Class Topics and Reading Assignments for Part One of the Course:

Aug 20 Introduction

25 A New World--A New Man & Woman?

Faragher at al, 1-34

Binder & Reimers, Chapters 1 & 4

Aug 27 The English Colonial System

Faragher at al, 35-92

Binder & Reimers, Chapters 2, 3, & 5

Sep 01 Labor Day

Sep 03 Changing Imperial Policies

Faragher at al, 93-103

08 A Revolutionary Society (?)

Binder & Reimers, Chapter 6

10 Revolutionary Actions

Faragher at al, 103-125 & A1-2

Binder & Reimers, Chapter 7

15 Significance of the American Revolution

17 "The Critical Period"

Faragher at al, 125-135

22 The Constitution: Conservative Coup d'Etat

Faragher at al, 136-140 & A 3-10

24 The Constitution: Fulfillment of the Revolution

29 Catch-up and Review

Oct 01 First Examination