[CLICK HERE FOR PDF OF ORIGINAL SYLLABUS]
[CLICK HERE FOR PDF OF THE SEATING CHART]
HIST2300.161
American
History before 1877
Spring 2015
Tuesday-Thursday
11:00–12:20
Instructor: Dr. Mark Stoll
Office: HH 135
Office hours:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30–9:15, and by appointment
E-mail:
Mark.Stoll@ttu.edu
Web:
http://courses.ttu.edu/mstoll/
Willie Armstrong willie.armstrong@ttu.edu Office: HH31 Hours: TT 9-10:30 a.m. 701 -- T 8:00 -- HH106 711 -- R 8:00 -- HH106 |
Carson Benn carson.benn@ttu.edu Office: HH141 Hours: 12:30-2 p.m. 741 -- T 2:00 -- HH004 751 -- R 2:00 -- HH130 |
James Vice james.vice@ttu.edu Office: HH281 Hours: T 10-11, Th 9-11 721 -- T 12:30 -- HH130 731 -- R 12:30 -- Ex SCI 120 |
Textbooks:
William Cronon, Changes
in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England
Study Questions
James D. Rice,
Study Questions
R. B. Bernstein,
Study Questions
Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz,
The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and
Salvation in 19th-Century America
Study Questions
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass
Study Questions
James M. McPherson, For Cause and Comrades: Why Men
Fought in the Civil War
Study Questions
Philip Jenkins, A History of the United States,
4th ed.
Format: Lecture and
discussion sections.
Grading:
·
Three
examinations
·
Students must
bring bluebooks on exam days.
·
There will be a
quiz over each book to be discussed.
· All make-up exams and quizzes will be given on the last Monday of classes only.
·
Each midterm
counts 22% of the final grade; the final counts 32%; and the six book-quiz
grades together count 24%.
Attendance:
Attendance will
be taken in class and in discussion sections. Students with perfect attendance
will receive a bonus of 3 points on their final grades. Students who
miss more than 2 classes will lose 1.5 points off their final grades for
each absence over two. Absences may
be excused with written evidence of dire need, that is, death in the family,
hospitalization, illness, etc. Students who have been absent shall present
written excuses to the professor.
The jargon part that no one reads but has to be here:
Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Core Foundational Component Area
Criteria Description:
Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events relative
to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a
portion of this component area. (1,2)
Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the
nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed
to the development of the United States and its global role. (1,2)
THECB Core Objectives Description
Critical Thinking Skills:
To include
creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and
synthesis of information. (1,2)
Communication Skills:
To include
effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through
written, oral and visual communication. (1,2) Personal
Responsibility:
To include the
ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical
decision-making. (1,2)
Social Responsibility:
To include
intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability
to engage effectively in regional, national and global communities. (1,2)
Texas Tech University College-Level Core
Competency Statement
Students graduating from Texas Tech University should demonstrate an
understanding of the historical origins of the United States and be able to
identify and describe the importance of key individuals and events in United
States history.
(1,2)
Texas Tech University Core Student
Learning Outcomes:
Identify and explain the origins and evolution of the political systems and
political cultures that have shaped the United States. (1,2) Identify and
analyze the various social and cultural factors that have shaped the daily
experiences of people living in the U.S. (1) Develop and demonstrate
analytical arguments in written and/or oral forms, related to American
history. (1) Assessment of Learning Outcomes:
(1) Exams (1) Reading quizzes.
Electronics in the Classroom:
Because electronic devices distract both the student and other students
around them, all electronic devices must be turned off during class time. This
means no texting or other use of cell phones, and no laptops. Laptops may be
used only if the instructor gives permission, but students must use the
computer for class-related activities only, such as note-taking. This means no
e-mail, social media, Internet surfing, video watching, or other non-academic
activities. Students using unauthorized electronic devices during class will be
asked to leave and counted absent for the day. If, during an exam, a student is seen using any electronic device,
the exam will be collected immediately at that moment and receive a failing
grade.
Map quiz: Because geography shapes and influences history, students must know the basic facts of U.S. geography. All students will be required to pass a geography map test. This test will require students to locate, on an outline map of the U.S., 20 of the features named on the following list. A passing score is 80%. The test will be taken in discussion sections during the fist full week of class. Students will have opportunities to retake the map quiz if they fail, but must pass before March 11. Students must be able to locate the following on an outline map:
All 50 states by name |
Rio Grande |
Washington, D.C. |
Canada |
Appalachian Mountains |
New York City |
Mexico |
Rocky Mountains |
Philadelphia |
Pacific Ocean |
Sierra Nevada |
Boston |
Gulf of Mexico |
Cascade Range |
Atlanta |
Atlantic Ocean |
All 5 Great Lakes by name |
Chicago |
St. Lawrence River |
Great Salt Lake |
New Orleans |
Hudson River |
Puget Sound |
St. Louis |
Ohio River |
Great Basin |
Denver |
Mississippi River |
Great Plains |
Santa Fe |
Missouri River |
Chesapeake Bay |
Salt Lake City |
Arkansas River |
Florida Keys |
Los Angeles |
Columbia River |
Cape Cod |
San Francisco |
Colorado River |
Cape Canaveral |
Seattle |
|
Long Island |
|
Note:
These geographical features can be found in most
encyclopedias and atlases. You might also try your luck on Wikipedia or Google
Maps. Attached to this syllabus is a blank map for you to practice with.
Spring 2015 Course Schedule
Complete the readings for each date before discussion
is scheduled.
Dates are tentative; the professor reserves the right to make changes.
Changes to the Web page supersede earlier versions of the syllabus.
Jan 15 INTRODUCTION
Jan 20 AMERICA BEFORE CONQUEST
Jan 22
EXPLORATION AND EMPIRE
Jan 27
ENGLISH COLONIZATION
Week of Jan. 26: Discussion and quiz: William
Cronon,
Changes in the Land
Jan 29 THE PURITAN COLONIES: NEW ENGLAND
Feb 3
THE
FRENCH IN AMERICA; THE MIDDLE COLONIES
Week of Feb. 2: Map quiz
Feb 5 COLONISTS, SLAVES, AND IMMIGRANTS
Feb 10
THE GREAT AWAKENING, THE ENLIGHTENMENT, AND POLITICAL IDEALS
Week of Feb. 9: Discussion and quiz: James D. Rice,
Feb 12 CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION
Feb17 EXAMINATION #1
Feb 19 THE REVOLUTION
Feb 24 THE CONSTITUTION
Feb 26 THE NEW GOVERNMENT TESTED
Mar 3
REPUBLICAN "REVOLUTION
OF 1800";
THE WAR
OF 1812
Week of Mar. 2: Discussion and quiz:
R. B. Bernstein,
Mar 5
Mar 10 THE ERA OF GOOD FEELING AND AGE OF JACKSON
Mar 12
Mar 14–22 SPRING BREAK—No Class
Mar 24 THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING
Week of Mar. 23: Discussion and quiz: Paul E. Johnson and Sean
Wilentz,
The Kingdom of
Matthias
Mar 26
Mar 31 EXAMINATION #2
Apr 2 SLAVERY; ABOLITION AND "POSITIVE GOOD"
Apr 7 WESTWARD EXPANSION AND THE MEXICAN WAR;
Apr 9 Film: Ken Burns The Civil War, episode 1
Apr 14 COMPROMISE OF 1850
Week of Apr. 13: Discussion and quiz: Frederick Douglass,
Narrative
of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Apr 16 RISING CONFLICT; SECESSION
Apr 21 THE CIVIL WAR BEGINS
Apr 23 THE CIVIL WAR
Apr 28
RECONSTRUCTION
Week of Apr. 27: Discussion and quiz: James M. McPherson,
For
Cause and Comrades
Apr 30 RECONSTRUCTION; WOMAN'S MOVEMENT; COWBOYS AND INDIANS
May 4 All
Make-Up Exams and Quizzes All Day in HH135
May 5 AMERICA IN THE 1870S
FINAL EXAM: 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, May 9
Note:
Any student who
intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known to the
instructor prior to the absence. A student who is absent from class for the
observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or
complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the
absence. See University Standard Operating Procedure 34.19.
Note:
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special
arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the
instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students
should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during
the instructor’s office hours. Please note: instructors are not allowed to
provide classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification
from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information,
please contact Student Disability Services in West Hall or call 806-742-2405.
The professor reserves the right to change this
syllabus at his discretion. Changes will be announced in class and posted on
the class Webpages.