History 105, Fall 2011 Page 2 of 5
History 105 Dr. Timothy Cuff
Westminster College, Fall 2011 MCC 359, x6152
US HISTORY TO 1877
Purpose: This class is intended to provide students with the opportunity to gain an introductory understanding of the social, political, and economic developments which have characterized U.S. history from the European discovery of “America” through Reconstruction and the individuals who helped shape these events. It will also provide an introductory overview of the geography of the United States.
Goals:
1) Students will gain an introductory understanding of the social, political, and economic developments which have characterized the United States from its beginnings through Reconstruction. Students will gain an understanding of and appreciation for the individuals whose actions influenced these processes.
2) Students will gain an appreciation for the inter-relatedness of political, social, and economic developments in the past. Students will also gain insight into the importance of environmental, demographic and technological influences in enabling/constraining individual and/or societal actions.
3) Students will gain an appreciation for the importance of evaluating historical actions (or contemporary ones) based upon the implicit or explicit assumptions (world view) which undergird an actor's decisions.
4) Students will gain an appreciation of the nature of historical scholarship and of the relevance of historical understanding in contemporary life. In particular, they will see that scholarly understanding of the past is not static. Rather, it changes over time and such variations influence the political and economic policies put into place in any era.
5) Students will gain an appreciation for the inter-relatedness of U.S. history with contemporaneous developments around the world.
Outcomes:
1) Students will understand and be able to describe the rationale for colonial settlement and the social and political philosophy which animated the settlement and organization of the United States.
2) Students will understand and be able to trace the geographic growth of this country from its earliest colonial definition to the state of the nation in 1877.
3) Students will understand and be able to locate and describe the physical features, natural resource deposits, and major urban areas of the nation.
4) Students will understand and be able to describe, at an introductory level, the course of economic development, urbanization, and demographic change in the United States from the colonial period to 1877 and how this evolution affected politics at the local, state, and national level.
5) Students will understand and be able to describe the role of noteworthy Americans in key events in U.S. history including, but not limited to, colonization and exploration, the Revolutionary War, the Market Revolution, the Civil War and Reconstruction.
6) Students will understand how U.S. history influenced and was influenced by developments in other countries/regions of the world and be able to identify several events in U.S. history with parallels elsewhere.
7) Students will understand and be able to describe the differences between primary and secondary historical documents and have an elementary understanding of the concept of historiography.
Primary Course Texts
Required:
Henretta, Edwards, and Self, America’s History, 7th Edition, Volume 1.
Marcus, Burner, and Marcus, America Firsthand, 8th Edition, Volume 1.
Optional:
Bender, A Nation Among Nations: America's Place in World History
Benjamin, A Student’s Guide to History
Fox, Sweet Land of Liberty: The American Revolution in Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Newman, Fries’s Rebellion: The Enduring Struggle for the American Revolution
Sheriff, The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862
Additional readings may be assigned and placed on reserve in McGill Library or via the R:drive.
Assignments:
Quizzes – 2 (each 7.5% of grade, 15% of grade total). Questions will be drawn from term/concepts lists (including map identification questions) distributed to students throughout the term.
Examinations – Midterm (20% of final grade) and Final (25% of final grade) Combination of objective and essay questions. Questions will be drawn from term/concepts lists (including map identification items) distributed to students throughout the term.
Book Review -- A three to four page book review of either the Fox, Sheriff, or Newman text. (see texts list above). 15% of final grade. A full description of the assignment will be available on the R:drive by September 30.
Writing Assignments -- Two two-to-three page writing assignments based on the assigned readings in America Firsthand. Six opportunities to hand in writing assignments will be available. Students will choose which two assignments to complete. Each assignment is worth 7.5% of the final grade (15% total). One essay must be completed by October 17 and the second essay must be completed by December 14.
Class participation -- will account for 10% of the final grade. The level of class participation will be evaluated based on the extent of classroom discussion involvement, apparent preparation for class, and a series of small out-of-class or in-class assignments to be presented in class. A student who attends all classes and says nothing in class the entire term will receive 80% of the possible participation points. Students missing more than 3 classes for any combination of reasons should anticipate a reduction in their final grade.
Detailed descriptions and requirements for each of the above will be made available to students well in advance of the due dates noted in the daily schedule. These descriptions will be available on the "R: drive" and via the myWestminster LMS. Explanations of how these assignments will be evaluated, in most instances, will also be available via these electronic vehicles.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day noted. Do not miss class trying to finish an assignment. It will already be too late. Assignments handed in more than 5 minutes after the beginning of class will be considered late.
Reading--The assigned reading for a particular date should be completed prior to attending that day's class. Your ability to comprehend lectures and benefit from discussions will be enhanced by having completed the assigned reading. Students are responsible for being able to address (i.e. provide an answer/comment/question based on a thoughtful reading of the material) topics in every reading. Inability to address material will be the basis for reduction in the participation grade.
Make-up Examinations—Make-up quizzes/exams will only be given in the event of 1) doctor excuse verified illness or 2) authorized and verified college-related activities. A make-up examination for the final examination will be given only due to illness verified by a doctor's excuse.
Incomplete Grades--Incomplete grades will be awarded only when students contact Dr. Cuff in advance of assigned due dates and explain the reasons for their failure to complete the assigned work on time. Failure to do so will result in a lowered grade for the assignment. Unless all course requirements are fulfilled (or other arrangements are made) by the end of the term you will receive an "F" for the course.
Extra Credit-- No "extra credit" will be given.
Anticipate an average of 2-3 hours' worth of work outside of class for every hour spent in class for this (and any) college course. You should expect 6-9 hours of outside work per week for this class. [Note: Therefore, students registered for 15 credit hours should expect 30-45 hours worth of work outside of class each week.]
Academic Integrity
“Central to the purpose and pursuit of any academic community is academic integrity. All members of the Westminster community, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators, are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity, in keeping with the philosophy and mission of the College.” [Westminster College Undergraduate Catalog, 2011-12, pp. 71-76.] In other words, as you learned in kindergarten, do your own work, keep your eyes on your own paper, and treat others as you’d like to be treated.
As per the portion of the College’s academic integrity policy cited above, (and described in full in the College catalog), violations of the expectation of academic integrity will be dealt with seriously. Any work deemed to be plagiarized will, at minimum, result in a grade of a zero for the assignment and potentially failure in the course. Similar consequences will flow from other violations of the expectation of complete academic integrity. Additionally, students should be aware that across the College and in this class, Internet based software operated by Turn-it-in.Com will be in use this term and for the foreseeable future. This software has been made available both to enable students to verify that their writing is plagiarism free and by faculty to check student work for originality. While Dr. Cuff will not necessarily use Turn-it-in.com for all assignments, be aware that any and all assignments are eligible for such review.
Needs for Special Accommodation
Students with special needs of a physical or academic nature should speak with Dr. Cuff so that accommodations, consistent with college policy, can be instituted.
Office Hours -- I will be available for student consultation (or friendly visits) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:15-10:30 a.m. on the second floor of McGill Library in the main reading room (south end); Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon, Hoyt Science Ctr, Room 360; and other times by appointment. Please feel free to contact me by email with questions or concerns at other times. Periodically, I will send assignment clarifications, notices, and/or items of interest to each member of the class by email. Be sure to check your email during the week for such items.
History 105, Fall 2011 Page 2 of 5
History 105—DAILY SYLLABUS
Fall 2011
Date / Topic / Reading to complete PRIOR to classAug 31 / Course Administration
Sept 2 / Introduction
Sept 5 / Course Administration and Introduction (cont.)
Sept 7 / Colonization in the Context of European Development: Economic, Social, and Technological / Read: Henretta, xiii-xxv, 2-3, Chapter 1
Sept 9 / Colonization in the Context of European Development: Economic, Social, and Technological
Sept 12 / Colonization in the Context of European Development: Economic, Social, and Technological / Read: Henretta, Chapter 2
Sept 14 / The American Colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Demographics, Society, and Religion / Read: Marcus, pp. xi-xvi and Part One
Sept 16 / The American Colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Demographics, Society, and Religion / Read: Henretta, Chapter 3
Sept 19 / The American Colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Demographics, Society, and Religion
Sept 21 / The American Colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Political, Social, and Economic Structure / Read: Henretta, Chapter 4
Marcus, Part Two
Sept 23 / The American Colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Political, Social, and Economic Structure / QUIZ
Writing Assignment #1 Due
Sept 26 / British-Colonial Relations and the American Revolution / Read: Henretta, pp. 136-139 and Chapter 5
Sept 28 / British-Colonial Relations and the American Revolution
Sept 30 / British-Colonial Relations and the American Revolution / Read: Marcus, Part Three
Receive Book Review Assignment Description
Oct 3 / British-Colonial Relations and the American Revolution / Read: Henretta, Chapter 6
Oct 5 / British-Colonial Relations and the American Revolution / Writing Assignment #2 Due
Oct 7 / British-Colonial Relations and the American Revolution
Oct 10 / Aftermath of the American Revolution: A Fledgling Nation and a Constitution / Read: Henretta, Chapter 7
Oct 12 / Aftermath of the American Revolution: A Fledgling Nation and a Constitution
Oct 14 / Aftermath of the American Revolution: A Fledgling Nation and a Constitution / Read: Henretta, Chapter 8
Oct 17 / Aftermath of the American Revolution: A Fledgling Nation and a Constitution / Writing Assignment #3 Due
Oct 19 / Pre-Industrial American Society and the Agricultural Revolution
Oct 21 / MidTerm Examination / Covering Henretta, Chapters 1-8; Marcus introduction and Chapters 1-3; mapping terms, and course lectures
Oct 24 / No Class Meeting / Fall Break
Oct 25
Tues / The Transportation and Industrial Revolutions / Read: Henretta, pp. 268-271 and Chapter 9
Oct 26 / The Transportation and Industrial Revolutions / Read: Marcus, Part Four
Oct 28 / The Transportation and Industrial Revolutions
Oct 31 / The Population Revolution / Read: Henretta, Chapter 12
Nov 2 / The Population Revolution
Nov 4 / American Politics: Structure and Issues
Nov 7 / The Changing Culture and Social Structure of the United States / Read: Henretta, Chapter 10
Nov 9 / The Changing Culture and Social Structure of the United States / Read: Marcus, Part Five
Writing Assignment #4 Due
Nov 11 / The Changing Culture and Social Structure of the United States
Nov 14 / Religious and Cultural Conflict in the Antebellum United States / Read: Henretta, Chapter 11
Nov 16 / Religious and Cultural Conflict in the Antebellum United States / Read: Henretta, pp. 392-395 and Chapter 13
Nov 18 / QUIZ
Nov 21 / American Politics: 1824-1848 and the Slide Toward Civil War / Writing Assignment #5 Due
Book Review Due (Tues, Nov. 22, 4 pm)
Nov 23 / No Class Meeting / Thanksgiving Break
Nov 25 / No Class Meeting / Thanksgiving Break
Nov 28 / American Politics: 1824-1848 and the Slide Toward Civil War
Nov 30 / American Politics: 1824-1848 and the Slide Toward Civil War / Read: Henretta, Chapter 14
Dec 2 / American Politics: 1824-1848 and the Slide Toward Civil War / Read: Marcus, Part Six
Dec 5 / The Civil War and Reconstruction
Dec 7 / The Civil War and Reconstruction / Read: Henretta, Chapter 15
Dec 9 / The Civil War and Reconstruction
Dec 14 / Reading Day / Writing Assignment #6 Due
Dec 16
8 a.m / Final Examination Period / Dec 16, 8-10:30 a.m
Covering Henretta, Chapters 9-15; Marcus introduction and Chapters 4-6; mapping terms, and course lectures