HIST-1301 United States History I
Georgia Xydes
Roland Hayes
Credit Spring 2024
Section(s)
HIST-1301-017 (75934)
LEC TuTh 1:30pm - 2:50pm RVS RVSA 2267
HIST-1301-026 (75940)
LEC MW 1:30pm - 2:50pm RVS RVSA 2266
Course Requirements
HISTORY 1301—Spring, 2024
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is a study of the history of the United States from 1492 to 1870. For further detail. See the History Department URL.
COURSE RATIONALE/METHOD: This course provides a basic survey of U.S. History before l870 and satisfies three semester hours of the Legislative Requirement in U.S. History. While intended primarily as a lecture course, we will devote a substantial amount of class time to discussion, conflicting interpretations, and questions. This class offers students opportunities to pursue historical topics of individual interest and enhance their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. See HYPERLINK http://www.austincc.edu/history for additional information on course objectives.
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays-Thursdays immediately after class.. Also available by appointment through e-mail if these times are not convenient.
E-MAIL: gxydes@austincc.edu
COURSE COMPLETION DEADLINE: May 14, 2023. No work will be accepted after this date under any circumstances.
ADA: Any student needing special accommodation under ADA must complete the necessary forms in the Office of Student Services. Please notify me of your needs.
STUDENT PRIVACY: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects confidentiality of educational records. Grades cannot be given over the phone, through a fellow student, or by e-mail in this course. I cannot discuss your work in class with anyone besides yourself.
LEGAL NOTICE: All course materials including syllabus, study questions, and exam questions are copyrighted material. Copying or posting all or part of these materials on line to Facebook, Quizlet, or other site is a violation of copyright and is expressly forbidden.
SCOLASTIC DISHONESTY: “Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework.” (ACC Student Handbook) Anyone committing these acts in this course will automatically receive the grade of “F” for the COURSE. You may have to “defend” your book review if the authorship is questionable.
BUILDING REGULATIONS: regulations prohibit smoking, eating, or drinking in classrooms.
TESTING CENTER POLICY;http;//www2.austincc.edu/testctr
ACADEMIC FREEDOM: The free exchange of information is vital to the pursuit of learning. Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. Different viewpoints enhance the learning experience for us all. I often include connections to current events in my lectures, and it is expected that students and faculty will respect the views of others.
ATTENDANCE: The single most important factor leading to success in this course is prompt and regular attendance. In the lectures I often present material not in your text that may appear on the exams. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class—don’t be late. In the event your grade ends in an 8 or 9, attendance and your participation in discussions may round the points up to the next letter grade. Students accumulating four or more unexcused absences may be dropped at the discretion of the instructor or penalized 2 points on their final grade for each absence after the initial four. DO NOT just disappear from this class- if you decide to drop the course please go through the withdrawal procedure or I will have to record a grade of F for the course.
I will not drop you—you must complete the procedure yourself.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: The text should be read and studied according to the attached schedule.
GRADING: for an A—complete all four exams with an average of 90 or above AND write one analytical book review with a grade of EXCELLENT.
For a B—complete all four exams with an average of 80 or above.
For a C—complete all four exams with an average of 70 or above
For a D---a grade average between 60 and 70.
For an F—failing to take all four exams or failing to maintain an average of 70 or above or any act of scholastic dishonesty
For an I—a medical excuse certified by a physician. All Incompletes must be completed within the first four weeks of the following semester. ACC requires a minimum of 50% of the course completed for an Incomplete.
UNIT EXAMS: It is much to your benefit to take the exam in class on the scheduled day. Each unit exam covers only that part of the course: none are cumulative. Format is usually one half multiple choice and one half short answer with occasional short essays. No re-tests or make-ups will be offered on the final exam. You MUST be in class on the final test day.
MAKE-UP EXAMS: A make-up exam will be filed in the testing center the day of the exam and will be kept on file for approximately two weeks. It is your responsibility to take In this case, the highest possible grade on the retest will be a 70, Tests taken in the Testing Center can be in any format, but will usually include more writing than class tests. . Testing center policies and hours can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/testctr.
Make sure you allow enough time to complete the exam in the testing center—do not arrive 15 minutes before the center closes.
BOOK LIST AMERICAN HISTORY BEFORE I877
COLONIAL
Alfred Crosby—The Columbian Exchange. Who gave what to whom?
Charles Mann---1493. Effects of contact between Old and New Worlds.
Tony Horwitz---A Voyage Long and Strange—Vikings, Conquistadors, and lost colonies.
William Cronon---Changes in the Land. Environmental changes brought by Europeans.
Robert Thorson---Stone by Stone.Ecological history of New England rock walls—really.
Edward Morgan—The Puritan Dilemma. Bio of first Massachusetts governor.
Edmund Morgan---Puritan Family. Short but dense breakdown of roles.
Caroline Karlsen—A Devil in the Shape of a Woman. Economic & political causes.
Marion L. Starkey---Devil in Massachusetts. Examining the causes of the witch hunt.
Paul Boyer & Steven Nissenbaum—Salem Possessed. Local politics runs to witchcraft.
Laurel Ulrich—Good Wives. Puritan society and the role of women.
Walter Edmonds—Drums Along the Mohawk. Indian warfare in early New York state.
In the Hands of the Senecas. Captivity on the early frontier.
Russell Shorto---Island at the Center of the World. How the Dutch lost NYC. New-good.
Anne Grant—Memoirs of an American Lady. Role of women in colonial society.
William Bradford—Of Plimouth Plantation. Early New England
Ira Berlin-- Many Thousands Gone. New , on the first two centuries of slavery.
Nathaniel Philbrick--- Mayflower. Nor much on the boat, but on Indians & settlers.
Betty Wood---Slavery in Colonial America, 1619-1776. Very different than later slavery.
James Horn---A Land As God Made It. Early Jamestown, with lots of Indian problems.
Gordon Wood---The Americanization of Ben Franklin. From loyalist to patriot.
Daniel Boorstin---The Americans. First section=briefest and best summary of differences.
Laurel Ulrich—Midwife’s Tale. Colonial women, early l800’s. Difficult reading.
James Drake---King Phillip’s War. Almost successful Indian war—culture conflicts.
Bernard Bailyn---The Barbarous Years. Very early English-Indian settlements.
REVOLUTIONARY
Alf Mapp, Jr.—The Faiths of Our Fathers. Religious and ethical ideas of the founders.
Henry Commager & Robert Morris—Spirit of ’76. Memoirs of American & Br. Soldiers
Jeanne E. Abrams---Revolutionary Medicine. Founding fathers in sickness & health.
Bernard Bailyn---Faces of Revolution. Personalities & ideas forming the revolt.
David J. Peck----Or Perish in the Attempt. Medicine(&its lack ) on Lewis&Clark Exped.
Barbara Tuchman—The First Salute. Revolution from the British viewpoint. Non-fiction.
Joseph Ellis---Founding Brothers. Men of the revolutionary generation.
Passionate Sage. Adams’ character and contributions.
His Excellency George Washington. What WAS so great about him?
American Creation. General overview of the ideas.
Linda Kerber—Women of the Republic. Social history, women’s studies.
Woody Holton---Unruly Americans. Detailed tracing of maneuvers behind Constitution.
Gordon Wood---Revolutionary Characters. Nice short overview of key figures.
Lawrence Goldstein---Dark Bargain; Slavery, Profits, and the Constitution. Self-evident.
Linda Colley--- Captives. British encounters w/Native Americans & Muslims.
FOUNDING FATHERS( & MOTHERS) BIOGRAPHIES
Cokie Roberts---Founding Mothers. Women & their roles, 1775-1800.
William C. Davis—The Pirates Laffite—the brothers who saved New Orleans.
Phyllis Levin—Abigail Adams—recent bio of the smartest woman of her times.
David McCullough---John Adams. Life of the backbone of the Revolution.
Howard Fast—.Citizen Tom Paine. Radical revolutionary
Gore Vidal—Burr. Fascinating bio of a dynamic figure & ladies’ man.
Dumas Malone—Jefferson the Virginian. Classic traditional bio.
Fawn Brodie—Thomas Jefferson. Controversial bio—did T.J. have a black mistress?
Joseph Ellis---American Sphinx. Traces the ideology of TJ.
Passionate Sage. TJ Biography.
Jon Meacham---Thomas Jefferson & the Art of Power. TJ as a master politician.
Thomas Jefferson---Notes on the State of Virginia. Reveals a lot about TJ & his times.
Annette Gordon-Reed---Hemingses of Monticello. Answers Brodie’s question above.
James Flexner—George Washington. Bio & history of independence and the new nation.
Ron Chernow---u. Definitive work—select 1 part.
Ray Raphael---Founding Myths. Examines what you learned in 6th grade.
SLAVERY AND SOCIAL HISTORY
William Styron—Confessions of Nat Turner. Fictionalized version of slave rebellion
Frances Kimball.--Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation.
Allen Tate—The Fathers. Novel of plantation life in the Old South.
Catherine Clinton--The Plantation Mistress. Non-Fiction—role of wealthy owners.
Charles Joiner—Down by the Riverside. The plantation world.
John Blasingame—The Slave Community
Deborah Gray White—Aren’t I A Woman? Female slaves in the plantation South.
Stephen Oates—Fires of Jubilee. Nat Turner slave rebellion.
Eugene Genovese—Roll, Jordan, Roll. “world the slaves made”
John H. Franklin—From Slavery to Freedom. Non-fiction, war & reconstruction. Leon Litwack—Been in the Storm So Long. Social history of reconstruction era.
Winthrop Jordan—White Over Black. American attitudes towards the Negro, over time.
Thomas Dublin—Women at Work. Women in early industry.
Ronald Walters—American Reformers. Rapid growth of the reform movement, l815-60
Paul Johnson—Shopkeeper’s Millennium. Society and revivals.
Christine Stansell—City of Women. Sex and class in NY—not sex in the city.
Nathaniel Philbrick---In the Heart of the Sea. True story of Moby Dick—shipwreck& survival.
Alan Gallay—The Indian Slave Trade. Effects of war and Indian slavery in the South
Gene Dattel---Cotton & Race in the Making of America. Analysis full of interesting stuff.
CIVIL WAR
Eric Foner—Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men. The abolitionists.
Henry Commager—The Blue and the Gray. First-hand accounts of the war.
Charles Chesnutt—The Marrow of Tradition. Racism & reconstruction l870-90.
Jessamyn West—Friendly Persuasion. Quakers in the conflicts of the war.
McKinley Kantor—Andersonville. Infamous prison camp in the South.
Stephen Oates—With Malice Towards None. Life of Abe Lincoln.
James McPherson—Battle Cry of Freedom. The war.
John Eisenhower—So Far From God. Military history of the war with Mexico.
Bruce Catton---Terrible Swift Sword. Military & social history of blood & glory.
Pretty much any biography of the many, many generals involved or of the individual battles or campaigns would also be fine here.
Two excellent and fascinating first-hand accounts of the new nation from the viewpoint of foreign travelers are: Alexis de Toqueville—Democracy in America.(get an edited edition) & Hector St. John Crevecoeur—Letters from an American Farmer.
Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose is a recent excellent history of the Lewis & Clark expedition as well as America at the turn of the century.
Readings
American Stories, Brands, et. al. Fourth Edition. This is an on-line textbook which you pay for and have access to on the first day of class. If you prefer a physical copy, there is an opt-out feature.
For an A an optional non-fiction book of your choice dealing with American history before 1870. Any book on the list above would be fine but you are not limited to these books. Try to follow your interests.
Course Subjects
COURSE SCHEDULE HISTORY l301(dates will be arranged for this semester--this is a 16 week schedule and we will cover about 2 topics weekly.)
This schedule may be changed to reflect class interests or progress. You are responsible for keeping up with any schedule changes. Please contact me if you have an interest or topic you would like to see covered in this course. The assigned chapter is to be read by the class date indicated in order to understand the lecture and discuss intelligently.
Date Content/daily topics Textbook Chapters(10th edition)
Introduction. The “Columbian Exchange” Chapter 1,skim p2-11
Spain & France in America Chapter 1,p.11-25
The Puritans: Religious Freedom? Chapter 2,p37-44
Mass. & the Northern Colonies Chapter 3,p54-59;p69-75
The Southern Colonies Chapter 2,p28-36;Ch.3,p59-64
Ben Franklin & the Enlightenment Chapter 4,p87-94
Road Test to Revolution Chapter4,p78-83&95-101
UNIT TEST I; Chapters 1,2,3,4
American Revolution Chapter 5
Forging a New Government Chapter 6,p130-143
The Democratic Experiment Chapter 6,143-153
Constitutional Conflict
John Adams &Party Politics Chapter 7
Jeffersonian Nationalism Chapter 8,p178-193
War of 1812 Chapter 8,p194-200
UNIT TEST II; Chapters 5,6,7,8.
New Transportation & Industry Chapter 9,p202-213
White Men’s Democracy Chapter 10,p224-229
Andrew Jackson’s Democracy Chapter 10,p229-240
Reform America Chapter 12,p268-280
Utopias: Mormons and Shakers Chapter 12,p281-285
Slavery Chapter 11
UNIT TEST III; Chapters 9,10,11,12
Manifest Destiny & Mexican War. Chapter 13
Sectional Conflict Chapter 14
BOOK EVALUATION DUE FOR A OR B
Civil War Chapter 15,p340-348
Civil War Chapter 15,p348-35
Civil War Chapter 15,p356-363
CLASS SUMMARY & UNIT EXAM 4; Chapters 13,14,15,16
Office Hours
Published: 11/08/2023 10:54:21