H 105 American History I

American Origins through the Civil War

Section 15414, 3 Credit Hours

Fall 2004

 

 

 

Location:  Cavanaugh Hall, Room 221

Time:  Wednesdays, 5:45 to 8:25 p.m.

Instructor:  Richard Gantz

Office Hours:  Tuesdays 8:30-9:00 p.m., Wednesdays 8:30 to 9:00 p.m.,

Saturdays 2:50 to 3:30 p.m., and other times by appointment.  Cavanaugh

Hall, Room 420

                  Telephone:  274-7867

                  E-mail:  rgantz@iupui.edu 

 

Course:  This course will provide a broad survey of major political, cultural, social, diplomatic, and economic developments in America from the time of contact between Europeans and Native Americans to the end of the Civil War. The class will look at how and why people have reacted to events, movements, and ideas and how diverse peoples formed a new nation.

 

This course will seek to incorporate many of the educational goals as outlined in the “IUPUI Principles of Undergraduate Learning.”  These principles include basic skills in communication, critical thinking, and analysis to understand society and culture.  Just as America did not develop in a vacuum, history is part of a larger stream of human experience that includes art, literature, culture, science, different societies, religion, and technology.  Students are encouraged to apply knowledge from other disciplines to the study of historical movements and events.  A copy of the “Principles of Undergraduate Learning” is posted on the Department of History’s Home Page at www.iupui.edu/~history.

 

Texts:  Alan Brinkley, The Unfinished Nation, A Concise History of the American People, Volume I: To 1877. 4th edition (2004).

            Michael P. Johnson, ed., Reading the American Past:  Selected Historical Documents, Volume I:  To 1877.  2nd edition (2002).

 

Quizzes will be based on assigned readings.  Follow the reading assignments as listed in the syllabus; the instructor will note any exceptions to the published schedule.  Check Oncourse for any changes and assignments.

 

Semester Schedule:

 

August 25 – Introduction, Europeans & the “New World.”

September 1 – Native Americans.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 1; Johnson, Prologue #1; Ch. 1 #2,

3; Ch. 3 #2.

September 8 – Virginia, Pilgrims.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 2; Johnson, Ch. 2 all.

September 15 – Puritans, Middle & Southern Colonies.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 3; Johnson,

 Ch. 3 #1, 3, 4.  Quiz over assigned reading.

September 22 – The Colonies mature.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 4; Johnson, Ch. 4 #3, 4.

September 29 – First Examination.

October 6 – The Revolution.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 5; Johnson, Ch. 5 all, Ch. 6 all.

October 13 – Early Republic.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 6; Johnson, Ch. 7 all, Ch. 8 all.  Quiz

over assigned reading.

October 20 – Jeffersonian America.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 7 & 8; Johnson, Ch. 9 #1.

October 27 – Age of Jackson.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 9; Johnson, Ch. 9 #2 & 3,

Ch. 10 #1 & 2.

November 3 – Second Examination.

November 10 – The Economic Revolution.  Read Brinkley, Chs. 10 & 11; Johnson,

Ch. 9 #4.

November 17 – Reforming America.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 12; Johnson, Ch. 10 #3 & 4,

 Ch. 11 #2 & 3; Ch. 12 all.  Quiz over assigned reading.

November 24 – No class, Thanksgiving vacation.

December 1 – Radicalization of Politics.  Read Brinkley, Ch. 13; Johnson, Ch. 13 all.

Quiz over assigned reading.

December 8 – Civil War.  Read Brinkley, Ch 14; Johnson, Ch. 14 all.

December 15 – Final Examination.

 

Grading:  The semester grade will be based on the following elements:

 

            Attendance and class participation                     10%

            Three highest quiz scores                                  21%

            First examination                                               21%

            Second examination                                          21%

            Final examination                                              27%

 

Quizzes over the reading assignments will be given in class on September 15, October 13, November 17, and December 1.  Only the highest 3 scores will be counted. 

 

The grading scale is as follows:

 

            A+ 99-100       B+  87-89        C+ 77-79         D+ 67-69

            A   93-98         B    83-86        C   73-76         D   63-66

            A- 90-92         B-  80-82         C-  70-72        D-  60-62

 

Examinations will cover the readings in the text, class lectures, and other materials presented in class in handouts and audio-visual presentations.  Students will be expected to know significant facts, causes, and results in American history up through the Civil War.  It is more important to know the sequence of events, since this relates to cause and effect, rather than simply memorizing dates.  Students should also be able to use critical thinking to interpret and compare ideas, episodes, and movements from the different periods of American history up to 1865.

 

Cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication of research or work will result in a zero for the paper, quiz, test, or project involved.  Students will be expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct as adopted by IUPUI.

 

Attendance:  Attendance and participation in class discussions are important.  The entire class will benefit from your ideas, questions, and reactions.  Students who miss half or more of the class sessions will receive a zero for attendance portion of the semester grade.  Please be considerate of others and turn off cell phones and pagers during class sessions. 

 

Makeup Policy:  There will be not makeup quizzes or examinations.  If a student has an excused absence due to illness or a provable emergency on a day of a quiz or an examination, the other quiz or test scores will be increased in weight to compensate for the excused work.