History 105 - American
History Dr.
David G. Vanderstel
June
30-
Required Text George Tindall and David Shi,
Required
Hannah
Crofts, The Bondwoman’s Narrative
Office Hours
I will be in my office both before
and after class. You may also make an
appointment to see me.
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 or with my
assistant.
Telephone & E-mail You
are welcome to call me at 317-274-2718
to discuss class matters. 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 and settling of
Grades Course
grades will be based upon the following:
l) midterm examination
-- 20%
2) final examination --
20%
3) two written
assignments (25% each) -- 50%
4) class attendance and
participation – 10%
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.
Incompletes The grade of Incomplete may be assigned
ONLY when the student has successfully completed with passing grades at least
three-fourths (75%) of the course work AND unusual circumstances prevent the
completion of the work within the semester.
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 and is subject to revision. We have about 17 class 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
2. Colonizing the
3. Mastering the Land and The
Maturing of Colonial Society
4. Bursting Colonial Bonds: The Road to
Revolution
5. Years of Revolution and
Tindall, Chs. 5-6
6. Towards a New
Nation: Confederation and Constitution
7. Launching the
MIDTERM
8. The “Jeffersonian Revolution”: Political
Parties and the “Empire of
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
12. Upheaval in the Nation: Territorial
Controversies, Sectionalism, and
the Road to Disunion
Tindall, Chs. 14, 16
13. The War of the
IMPORTANT
DATES:
Midterm
– approx. July 17
Final
Exam – Monday August 11