FALL 2011 -HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1865
HISTORY 1311.010
TUESDAY/THURSDAY, 11:00-12:20; Room 115
INSTRUCTOR: DR. KATHRYN PINKNEY
OFFICE: 350 UNIVERSITY HALL
OFFICE HOURS:
T/R 7:30-8:00 a.m.; 12:30-1:00 p.m.
AND BY APPOINTMENT
EMAIL:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is an introduction to the political, social, economic, and cultural history of the United States prior to 1865. It is designed to help students understand and analyze the historical experience of the nation and its people, and to help develop reading and writing abilities, as well as critical thinking skills.
LEARNING OUTCOME STATEMENT:
Students will be able to discuss and analyze major themes in the founding and development of the American nation to 1865. They will be able to identify and explain the contributions and motivations of significant individuals and groups and the main events that shaped the American historical landscape. During the course of the semester students will apply critical thinking skills as they hone their ability to synthesize essential information into organized, coherent, and well-reasoned essays that address important issues in American history.
REQUIRED READINGS:
Keene, Cornell, and O'Donnell, Visions of America, Vol. 1
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
ATTENDANCE AND DROP POLICIES:
While the textbook offers a solid foundation for understanding the topics to be discussed during the semester, CLASSROOM LECTURE MATERIAL IS ESSENTIAL for excellent performance on examinations. To that end, attendance and good note-taking skills are important elements for success in this class. I will spot-check attendance at various intervals over the course of the semester. Attendance (or lack thereof) will not count against you (except, of course, as it relates to your performance on tests), but it can help you at the end of the semester. Excellent attendance will beone of the factors considered in the case of students with borderline grades at the end of the course.
PLEASE NOTE:
***As an instructor, I am not permitted to drop students for lack of attendance. If you decide not to complete this course, it is YOUR responsibility to initiate the paperwork necessary to drop the class beforeNOVEMBER 4,the official drop date for this semester. If you do not complete the requirements of this course and do not drop the class, you will receive an “F” for the semester***
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES:
The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. These programs include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.
DISABILITIES ACT:
The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112-The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed byall citizens.
I am committed to the spirit and letter of the law and will provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. If you require such accommodations based on disability, it is YOUR responsibility to inform me at the BEGINNING of the semester and to provide the appropriate documentation through designated administrative channels (Office for Students with Disabilities).
Please note: You may use a computer to take your exams BUT ONLY if you are registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities and take the exam in the ARC.. Information regarding specific criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at and at the Office for Students with Disabilities in room 102 University Hall or call them at (817) 272-3364.
DISHONESTY:
It is the philosophy of the University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. “Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2) All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.
During examinations, ALL electronics MUST be turned off. Text messaging IS cheating and will be dealt with appropriately. During exams, eyes must be on your own paper --looking at your neighbor’s paper IS cheating and will be dealt with appropriately. Remember, those students around you who studied hard to do well on the test will notice your behavior and will report it.
E-Culture Policy:
The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University email address as an official means of communication with students. Through the use of email, UT-Arlington is able to provide students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation may be sent to students through email.
All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it is available at New students (first semester at UTA) are able to activate their email account 24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active as long as the student is enrolled at UTA. Students are responsible for checking their email regularly.
CLASSROOM DECORUM:
I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere conducive to the learning process. Please observe common courtesies in the classroom: arrive on time, do not leave early without informing me beforehand, do not talk unless taking part in classroom discussion, and turn off all electronic devices upon entering the room. Failure to observe these courtesies may result in the loss of points. Students trying to pay attention and to take notes on lecture material cannot be distracted by conversations, random comments, or similar disruptive behaviors by other students. You are paying be in this class, you need it to graduate – get on with the work of completing this requirement so you can move on with your academic career.
Computers may be used in class for note-taking. Surfing the internet and checking email accounts are not appropriate activities. This behavior is distracting to students around you. You will first be asked to discontinue such practices - if you do not, you will be asked to leave the classroom. Continued disregard for classroom policy will result in the LOSS OF POINTS.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
To complete this course, students must pass four examinations (three unit exams plus the final) and one quiz. Each exam (including the final) is worth 100 points. A quiz covering the Frederick Douglass autobiography will be worth 25 points. Therefore, the total number of points to be earned this semester will be 425. A complete breakdown of grading policy is as follows:
A425-382Student demonstrated an excellent grasp of the information presented in the textbook and in lecture, as well as an ability to provide evidence, explanation, and analysis to draw historically valid conclusions.
B381-340Student demonstrated an above-average command of the information required and provided sufficient evidence, explanation, and analysis to support a logical argument.
C339-298Student demonstrated some knowledge but answers lacked sufficient examples, explanation, and analysis to show any depth of understanding.
D297-255Student demonstrated a minimal grasp of the material presented in the textbook and in class. The answers provided were characterized by poorly developed ideas supported by little-to-no evidence and lacked analysis.
F254-0Student failed to provide answers that demonstrated an adequate comprehension of information presented in the textbook and in classroom lecture.
Exam dates are listed in the lecture schedule at the end of this syllabus. Students must be aware, however, that these dates are TENTATIVE and may be changed (forward or back) depending on each classroom situation. An announcement will be made in class in sufficient time to allow students to prepare for any change. The possibility of any change to the schedule is another excellent reason why regular attendance is desirable.
The Department of History no longer provides examination booklets or scantrons for students. Therefore, you will have to provide your own. Before the first exam date, YOU MUST GIVE THE GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT ASSIGNED TO THIS CLASS 4 EXAMINATION BOOKLETS. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ON THESE BOOKLETS. All of the booklets will be marked in a different way for each exam. When you come into the classroom on exam day, you will be given a booklet for your use. If you drop the course, you may request the return of any of the unused booklets you provided.
Exams will consist of any combination of long essay (organization, spelling, proper grammar, and writing skills ARE part of the grade), short answer, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank.
**PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO GRADING ON THE CURVE AND NO DROPPING OF THE LOWEST GRADE. EVERY EXAM IS IMPORTANT AND YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GRADE YOU EARN IN THIS CLASS**
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are required to maintain a specific grade to retain an academic or athletic scholarship, to receive financial aid, to receive payment for the course by an employer, to graduate, or for any other reason, that is YOUR responsibility. I will not give you a grade at the end of the semester merely to meet such a requirement. Again, you will receive the grade you earn in this class.
EXTRA CREDIT: If any opportunities arise for extra credit, they will be offered to the entire class, NOT to individual students. No individual student will be given an opportunity to earn extra points to improve a poor grade – that is not fair to other students. Let me be blunt – do not come to me at the end of the semester and ask for an extra credit assignment to raise your grade. The answer will be NO. Your responsibility in this class is to do the assigned work, to prepare well for the exams, and to perform to the best of your ability on those exams. If you do that properly, you will not need extra credit.
Make-ups for missed exams (and/or the quiz) will be permitted with adequate documentation for the reason the exam was missed (death in the family, physician’s excuse for illness, etc.). Oversleeping, lack of preparation, etc., are not acceptable reasons. Make ups must be taken on NOVEMBER 22. If you missed one exam, you will take it that day. If you missed three exams, you will take them all that day. Obviously, taking two or three exams in one day is not a recipe for success. Do everything in your power to be present and to be prepared on scheduled test days.
NOTE: Make-up exams may be different from exams given in class, both in content and in format. Also, this is not high school - there are no "do-overs."
A piece of good advice for this class and others: NEVER throw away your exam booklets before you see your final semester grade. While rare, recording errors do happen, and they can be corrected if you have your booklet as proof that such an error has occurred.
LECTURE TOPICS, READING ASSIGNMENTS, ANDTENTATIVE EXAM DATES:
UNIT 1:
August 25Introduction and syllabus; Age of Exploration
Chapter 1
August 30Spain in the New World; England in North America
Chapter 2
September 1NO CLASS
September 6-8Puritanism in North America; English Colonial Expansion
Chapter 2
September 13-15English Mercantile System
Chapter 3 to page 87
SEPTEMBER 20EXAM ONE
UNIT 2:
September 22Wars for Empire; Road to Revolution
Chapter 3 from page 87
September 27-29Road to Revolution (continued); American Revolution
Chapter 4
October 4-11Confederation Government; Creation of the Constitution; Ratification
Chapter 5
OCTOBER 13EXAM TWO
UNIT 3
October 18-25Development of Political Parties; Washington and Adams Administrations
Chapter 6
October 27Jefferson Administrations, Madison and the War of 1812
Chapter 7
November 1-3Era of Good Feelings; Rise of Sectionalism
Chapter 9
November 8-10Age of Jackson
Chapter 8
NOVEMBER 15EXAM 3
UNIT 4
November 17Manifest Destiny; DOUGLASS AUTOBIOGRAPHY QUIZ
Chapter11
NOVEMBER 22NO REGULAR CLASS. THIS IS THE DAY TO TAKE MAKE UP EXAMS. IF YOU HAVE MISSED ANY EXAMS OR THE DOUGLASS QUIZ, YOU MUST MAKE THEM UP TODAY.
November 24Thanksgiving Holiday - no class
November 29Reform Era
Chapter 10
December 1-6A House Dividing
Chapter 12
December 8Review for final exam
FINAL EXAM
History 1311
Short Answer Terms
Exam 1
You will find these terms either in your notes or in the textbook. I will select 5 or 6 of them for the short answer portion of Exam 1 and you will be expected to provide a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) explaining who or what it is and WHY IT IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE NOTE: Each term on the exam will be worth 4 points - 2 points for the explanation of who or what it is and 2 points for the explanation of why it is important.
Maize
Mayan Civilization
Cahokia
Martin Luther
Cortes
Black Legend
Invincible Armada
"Lost Colony"
John Calvin
John Rolfe
House of Burgesses
Roger Williams
Stono Rebellion
John Peter Zenger
Mercantile Theory
Short Answer Terms
Unit 2
Peace of Paris, 1763
Pontiac's Rebellion
Stamp Act
Boston Massacre
Common Sense
Quebec Act
Virtual Representation
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Yorktown
Land Ordinance of 1785
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Shays's Rebellion
Great Compromise
Antifederalists
Federalist Papers
Loyal Opposition
Short Answer Terms
Unit 3
Quasi-War
Alien and Sedition Acts
Impressment
Cotton Gin
Tecumseh
Chesapeake and Leopard Incident
War Hawks
Hartford Convention
Erie Canal
Waltham System
McCulloch v. Maryland
Specie Circular
Anti-Masonic Party
Trail of Tears
Short Answer Terms
Unit 4
Specie Circular
Manifest Destiny
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Horace Mann
Seneca Falls Convention
William Lloyd Garrison
"Peculiar Institution"
Popular Sovereignty
Uncle Tom's Cabin
LeCompton Constitution
Oregon Treaty
Wilmot Proviso
Know-Nothing Party
John Brown
McCormick Harvester