Faculty

HIST-1301 United States History I

Gerald Hauck

Credit Spring 2026

Section(s)

HIST-1301-035 (17074)
LEC MW 12:20pm - 1:50pm NRG NRG2 2117

HIST-1301-062 (17094)
LEC TuTh 9:00am - 10:30am NRG NRG2 2121

Course Requirements

Course Description: This 3-credit hour class is a traditional classroom-based American history survey. The course covers the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States and its people from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. The course relies on a textbook for the basic information about American history. Students will have access to the Blackboard learning management system for collaboration, information, and online resources, including lecture notes. Please consult the history department website at www.austincc.edu/history for the official course description.

Course Objective: The purpose of this course is to provide learners with an understanding of the major developments that have shaped America during our time period before 1877.

Instructional Methodology: This is primarily a lecture course, but we will devote considerable time to questions and discussion. Students are strongly encouraged to contribute to the class.

Course Rationale: History is an integral part of a broad liberal arts education and provides crucial insights into our democratic society. History students will gain greater civic and cultural awareness and become more enlightened citizens. The Texas legislature requires students to take six credit hours of U.S. history to graduate from an institution of higher learning in the state. This course helps fulfill that requirement. Students taking History 1301 can also expect to improve their reading and writing competencies as well as critical thinking and research skills. All of those have shown to help students better succeed in life outside academia. Please see www.austincc.edu/history.

Student Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course students will be able to use critical thinking in the analysis of historical facts, demonstrate civic awareness in the appraisal of historical contexts, and demonstrate cultural awareness in the assessment of historical situations.

Common Course Objectives: please consult www.austincc.edu/history.

Attendance: Regular and punctual attendance is essential for your successful completion of this class. Research has shown that a close relationship exists between attendance and student success. Attendance will be checked each class period and will affect your grade.

Course Requirements and Grading System: The student's final course grade is determined by the quality and quantity of the student's work. Course requirements consist of four unit exams which will be completed in class and four quizzes which will be taken on Blackboard. For grades A and B, students must also write a primary source analysis. The course is divided into four units, and each unit will end with an exam. Exams will consist of 30 multiple choice questions that are worth 60 points, four short answers that are worth 20 points, and one essay that is also worth 20 points. You may earn a total of 100 points per exam and 20 points per quiz. 20 points will be based on attendance and participation. For the course overall, the maximum will be 500 points. The primary source analysis will not be graded on a point system but will be accepted or rejected.

If you have a valid reason for missing an exam, you may take a make-up exam. Make immediate arrangements with the instructor for a make-up. Make-up exams must be taken in the NRG testing center. Retesting will be available if needed, but the highest grade on a retest will be 70%. Retesting will take place on Blackboard. Both retests and make-up exams must be taken within one week of the regular exam and will not be available for the last exam. This course will end on May 15 and no work will be accepted after that date. Final grades will be determined as follows:

-For the grade of A, the student must complete all four exams and all quizzes with at least 450 points and have the primary source analysis accepted.

-For the grade of B, the student must complete all four exams and all quizzes with at least 400 points and have the primary source analysis accepted.

-For the grade of C, the student must complete all four exams and all quizzes with at least 350 points.

-For the grade of D, the student must complete all four exams and all quizzes with at least 300 points.

-For the grade of F, the student will fail to complete exams and quizzes and earn fewer than 300 points.

Readings

Required Text: Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty! Volume I, Seagull Seventh Edition.

Course Subjects

Unit 1: Colonial America

Jan. 21 Organization, Introduction.

Jan. 26 New World Encounters. (Read Chapter 1)

Jan. 28 The English Colonization of North America. (Read Chapter 2)

Feb. 2 The English Colonization of North America. (Read Chapter 2)

Feb. 4 Creating Anglo-America. (Read Chapter 3)

Feb. 9 Eighteenth-Century Colonies. (Read Chapter 4)

Feb. 11 Unit 1 Exam.

Unit 2: Revolution and Early National Period

Feb. 16 Coming of the Revolution. (Read Chapter 5)

Feb. 18 The American Revolution. (Read Chapter 5)

Feb. 23 The Republican Experiment. (Read Chapters 6, 7)

Feb. 25 The Republican Experiment. (Read Chapter 7)

Mar. 2 Federalists and Republicans. (Read Chapter 8)

Mar. 4 Federalists and Republicans. (Read Chapter 8)

Mar. 9 Jeffersonian Ascendancy. (Read Chapter 8)

Mar. 11 Unit 2 Exam.

Unit 3: Nation-Building and the Rise of Democracy

Mar. 23 Nation-Building and the Market Revolution. (Read Chapter 9)

Mar. 25 Nation-Building and the Market Revolution. (Read Chapter 9)

Mar. 30 Democracy in America. (Read Chapter 10)

Apr. 1 Democracy in America. (Read Chapter 10)

Apr. 6 Slavery in America. (Read Chapter 11)

Apr. 8 Slavery in America. (Read Chapter 11)

Apr. 13 An Age of Reform. (Read Chapter 12)

Apr. 15 Unit 3 Exam.

Unit 4: Sectional Crisis and War

Apr. 20 An Age of Expansion. (Read Chapter 13)

Apr. 22 An Age of Expansion. (Read Chapter 13)

Apr. 27 The Sectional Crisis. (Read Chapter 13)

Apr. 29 The Sectional Crisis. (Read Chapter 13)

May 4 The Civil War. (Read Chapter 14)

May 6 The Civil War. (Read Chapter 14)

May 11 Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution. (Read Chapter 15)

May 13 Unit 4 Exam.

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

After completing History 1301 the student should be able to:

1. Describe the European background of New World colonization and identify motives of those who migrated to the western hemisphere.

2. Explain the diversity of English speaking colonies of North America.

3. Describe the societies that evolved in the English colonies of North America, together with the development of unfree labor systems.

4. Explain the economic and political relationships between the English colonies and the Mother Country.

5. Describe the economic, religious and political developments in eighteenth century Colonial America.

6. Identify the wars fought by English colonists in North America and evaluate the impact of those wars, particularly the French and Indian War.

7. Trace the growing alienation of the colonies from Great Britain, which ended with the decision to declare independence.

8. Describe the course of the American Revolution to the winning of Independence, including the significant campaigns and the diplomatic maneuvers that helped gain victory.

9. Explain the impact of the American Revolution on American society and politics and the problems that arose after independence.

10. Describe the restructuring of the Republic at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the fight for the ratification of the Constitution.

11. Trace the rise and development of political parties during the 1790s, including the contributing domestic and foreign policy differences and the attempted suppression of the Republicans by the High Federalists.

12. Describe the key events and developments of the Jefferson and Madison administrations, including the attempts to avoid war with Britain, together with the outcomes of the War of 1812.

13. Describe the territorial expansion and economic developments after the War of 1812.

14. Trace the social, economic and political developments of the Jacksonian Era which democratized the United States and transformed the party system.

15. Identify the religious developments and reform movements of the Antebellum Era.

16. Describe the territorial and internal expansion of the United States during the 1830s and 1840s, including the war with Mexico.

17. Trace the expansion of slavery in the early nineteenth century and explain the effects of that expansion.

18. Describe the African American experience under slavery.

19. Explain the events from the Compromise of 1850 to the election of 1860 that led to the disruption of the union.

20. Trace the course of the Civil War from secession to Appomattox, paying particular attention to the social, economic and political effects of the conflict.

21. Describe the reconstruction of the South and explain its failure.

22. Identify the major problems of the Grant administration and evaluate his handling of those problems.