History 105                                                     Cavanaugh Hall, Room 215

Steve Cox (scox@indianahistory.org)               Saturdays, 9 – 11:25

 

History 105 is the introductory course to U.S. History from settlement through the Civil War.  We will focus on broad themes that relate to the country's social, economic and political development, and we will examine the many challenges, assumptions and ideas emanating from this diverse and unique North American culture.

 

READINGS

 

Mary Beth Norton et. al.           A People and A Nation, Vol. 1 (Seventh Edition)

Robert Marcus et. al.                America Firsthand, Vol. 1 (Sixth Edition)

Solomon Northup                     Twelve Years a Slave

 

GRADES

 

Final grades will be based on the following breakdown:

 

First Exam        20%                 Second Exam               20%   Quizzes     15%

Final Exam       25%                 Paper on Northup         20%

 

The three exams will consist of essay and short answer, based on both the text (Norton) and lectures.   I will supply study guides prior to each exam.  The quizzes over selected chapters in Norton will be multiple choice, true-false, and/or short answer. While I do not make specific weekly assignments in Norton, I am assuming you will have read the appropriate chapters prior to the exams and quizzes. Selections from Marcus should be read by the dates indicated.

 

NOTE:  There will be no “make-ups” for quizzes, nor will students who arrive late be allowed to take the quiz.  I will, however, drop your lowest quiz score when figuring final grades.

 

SOME REQUESTS

 

--Please turn off cell phones and pagers.

--Feel free to ask questions at any time.

--Keep up with your reading and writing.  Do Not wait until the last minute to read the assigned      texts, write your paper, or prepare for exams.

--Yes, children are wonderful, but I would ask that they not attend class with you.

--Please arrive on time (note the rule regarding quizzes and attendance above). 

--It is important that you attend class regularly.  Those who consistently miss classes will find it       difficult to do well on the exams.  Furthermore, I am required to take attendance and inform the    administration if and when individual students are having problems in this area.

 

 

 

READING SCHEDULE AND LECTURE TOPICS

(See attached for specific reading assignments in Marcus)

 

Jan. 14             Exploration and early settlement

 

Jan. 21             "Micro-history;” peoples of colonial America (Marcus, selections from Part One)

 

Jan. 28             Creation of Empire; native-colonist confrontations; early rebellion (Marcus,                                            selections from Part Two)

                        Quiz: Norton, Ch. 4

 

Feb.  4             Religion, Great Awakening, and Enlightenment (Marcus, selections from Part                                        Two)

 

Feb. 11            Revolution (Marcus, selections from Part Three)

                        Quiz: Norton, Ch. 6

 

Feb. 18            FIRST EXAM (Norton, chs. 2-6, Marcus, and lecture notes)

 

Feb. 25            Constitution; 1790s (Marcus, selection from Part Three)

 

Mar   4             1790s-early 1800s and the challenges to the republic

                        Quiz: Norton, Ch. 9

 

Mar. 11            Farm, Factory & Cities; the Rise of Jackson (Marcus, selection from Part Five)

                        Quiz: Norton, Ch. 10

 

Mar. 18            SPRING BREAK   No Class

 

Mar. 25            Jackson; South and Slavery (Marcus, selections from Part Five)

 

Apr    1            SECOND EXAM (Norton, chs. 8-11, Marcus, and lecture notes)

                       

Apr.   8            PAPER ON NORTHUP DUE South and Slavery; Social Reform

 

Apr. 15            War and expansion (Marcus, selections from Part Four)

                        Quiz: Norton, Ch. 14

 

Apr. 22            Territorial expansion and the 1850s (Marcus, selections from Part Five)

 

Apr. 29            The Coming of War and Reconstruction (Marcus, selections from Part Six)

                        Quiz:  Norton, Ch. 15

 

May   6           FINAL EXAM (Norton, chs.14-16, Marcus, and lecture notes)


 

READING ASSIGNMENTS FROM ROBERT MARCUS, AMERICA FIRSTHAND

 

Jan 21              Part 1:  Bartolome de Las Casas, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, John Smith, Father Paul Le Jeune, Mary Jemison

 

Jan 28              Part 2: Olaudah Equiano, Gottlieb Mittelberger, Abigail Abbot Bailey

 

Feb  4              Part 2: Ann Putnam, et. al., Cotton Mather et. al.

 

Feb 11             Part 3: Thomas Preston, George Robert Twelves Hewes, John Tudor and the Boston Gazette. . . .

 

Feb 25             Part 3:  George Richards Minot

 

Mar 11             Part 5:  Harriet Hanson Robinson         

 

Mar 25             Part 5: Nat Turner, William Lloyd Garrison, Charles Ball, et. al., Henry “Box” Brown, Elizabeth Cady Stanton

 

Apr 15             Part 4: Ramon Alcaraz, An Officer of the “Army of the West,” Priscilla Merriman Evans

 

Apr 22             Part 5: Thomas Henry Tibbles

 

Apr 29             Part 6: George Ward Nichols; Pauline DeCaradeuc Heyward, Ellen Leonard, Cornelia Hancock, Felix Haywood, et. al.