Faculty Syllabus

Hist-1301-044 (39582)                     Credit Hours: 3                            Time: T/Th  1:30-2:50   Room 1216  HYS                                 Dates: 8/24/26-12/13/26                                                   Office Hours: T/Th  12:45-1:15  PM       HYS  Room 1204.6   (512) 223-6552

             Instructor:  David Kramer           E-mail:   dskramer@austincc.edu  

College Policies: On Course Blackboard Page   

Course objective: This course will acquaint the student with United States History, from the Colonial period to the end of Reconstruction.  Historical background will be included. This class will be lecture, also with questions being asked for the class to respond to.

Course rationale:   The Texas legislature requires students to take 6 hours of American history to graduate from an institution of higher learning in Texas.  This course helps fulfill that requirement.  Students taking History 1301 can expect to improve their reading and writing competencies, critical thinking skills, research skills, etc., all of which help students better succeed in life outside academia.

Course description and particular common course objectives (what student should know upon completion of the course): See History Department web-site: http://www.austincc.edu/history  

Social and Behavioral Science Department (SBS) has a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ACC-Social-Behavioral-Sciences/700913303281750

Textbook:  American Stories. Vol. 1. 5th edition. Brands, et al. This can be ordered on the ACC schedule page. Go to entry for this course. At far right will be "Textbook". Click on this and follow instructions. 

Course Requirements: Blackboard (BB). Use with computer rather than phone as the latter can distort the page. On your BB page at left is a  box with tools that you can use. I will send e-mails out, and they will also be listed under Announcements, so check this regularly. There are copies of the syllabus, learning objectives, and calendar listed together, should you need an extra one. Read the syllabus and understand it. 

Only use the textbook and class lectures to formulate test responses. The textbook is to be read. Lectures will be given at class time. The lectures will figure heavily in the exams. Extensive note-taking is essential for the course to be completed. Students are expected to ask questions as well as respond to questions. Exams are not open book or notes. ACC e-mail use required. See ACC mail for instructions. No extra credit will be offered.  

Attendance Policy: Attendance is required.  More than five (5) missed classes can result in being dropped from the course. Exams should be taken at the scheduled times. Contact instructor if an exam is missed. Failure to do so, and failure to make up missed exams by withdrawal deadline, can result in being dropped from the course.

Exams:  Exams and Tests should be taken at the scheduled times. There will be 1 geography exam and 3 tests. There are no retests. If a test or exam is missed a medical excuse proving hospital stay, accompanied by a physicians note, will be accepted.  Please include the phone number.  Make-ups will be available for one day in testing center. Should a test or exam be missed for any other reason than that above, then the following rule will apply.  Make-up automatically drops 35%, thus 65 points would be the maximum possible. Only one test or exam can be taken as a make-up, even for medical reasons.  No exceptions to the rule. The geography exam will have 20 questions the student will answer using an outline map. Content tests will be a combination of essay and short answer. Each test will have one essay question worth 50% of the grade. Each test will have five short answer questions, each worth 10% of the grade. All tests, including make-ups, will be of the same format. Essay answers should be about 2 pages (at least 500 words). A short answer response should be a paragraph (at least 50 words). Tests and exams will be returned with grading comments. 

Grading: There will be four graded tests. There will be one geography exam with 100 points possible. There will be three content tests. Each will cover approximately one third of the covered material. Both lecture material and textbook material will be needed to answer questions. No outside sources are accepted. Each test will have a total of 100  points possible. 

              For an “A”;   Total of 360 points. 

              For a “B”;  Total of 320 points.

              For a “C”;  Total of 280 points.

              For a “D”;  Total of 240 points.

A score below 240 points will result in an “F” in the course.

Academic Integrity: Scholastic Dishonesty, Cheating, or plagiarism. These will be dealt with according to ACC rules on academic integrity. These will be handled in accordance with procedures outlined in the ACC Handbook (p.55). Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas without citing them (which should usually be done in a footnote). Instructor reserves the right to pass on the example of plagiarism to the dean for further disciplinary action. ACC’s policy on scholastic dishonesty is as follows: “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.” 

AI Policy:   

Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and others, are rapidly evolving technologies that have great impact in all realms of human endeavor, including teaching and learning. They also pose serious challenges, particularly with regard to academic integrity. At Austin Community College, the use of these tools in coursework, like any others, is subject to the same standards outlined in the college’s Academic Integrity policy.

Presenting AI-generated content as your own without proper attribution is considered a violation of academic integrity. All work you submit must reflect your own understanding and effort. If you use generative AI to help with your work, you must clearly acknowledge how and where it was used. Intellectual honesty is essential to a fair and supportive academic environment.

You may not use generative AI in completing the requirements of this course. You will not need and you will not benefit from the use of generative AI. All of the information you need for the Exams will come from the American Stories textbook and lectures given during class-time. That said, you can use AI to help understand the topics presented. But do not rely on AI for answers to the exam questions. What the instructor or textbook says about a topic may be quite different from what AI says about it: History as a subject can be a matter of interpretation. 

The textbook publisher and the search engines do employ generative AI systems to assist you in the search process.

You will not use any form of generative AI in reviewing the data, collating the data, applying the data, or any other way to complete the exams.

So, while AI can be very useful in assisting you in gathering information, in this class, you will use the very limited and specific information given in the textbook and lectures to formulate exam answers.

Individual instructors may set their own expectations and limitations regarding the use of generative AI tools in their classes, which should be clearly stated in the syllabus.  To ensure you are complying with your course requirements, always consult with your instructor before using AI tools for assignments.  Policies regarding the use of AI may vary by instructor; it is contingent on them to state them, and contingent on you to follow them

          ACC Student Standards of Conduct

Acceptable standards of conduct include behavior that:

• Reflects the highest level of honesty and integrity

• Is civil, courteous, and respectful of all members of the campus community, their property of the college and promotes the smooth and unimpeded delivery of knowledge in the classroom

• Encourages responsibility and prohibits the unlawful use of alcohol, illicit drugs, other substances, and weapons

• Promotes mutual respect, equality, and safety of its members and opposes those acts that harass, intimidate, or haze its members.

Any one failing to adhere to the above standards will be withdrawn from the course at the very least.

Incompletes will be given only upon presentation by the student of a medical excuse certified by a physician. Please include the phone number.  All incompletes must be completed within the first four weeks of the following semester. If the student does not take the final exam and does not contact the professor before grades are turned in, the grade of "F" will be given.

Students with Disabilities:  “Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who need classroom, academic or other accommodations must request them through the office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS”).

Privacy Policy: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects confidentiality of educational records. Grades cannot be given over the phone, through a fellow student, or by e-mail in this course. 

Recording Policy: To ensure compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student recording of class lectures or other activities is generally prohibited without the explicit written permission of the instructor and notification of other students enrolled in the class section. Exceptions are made for approved accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Freedom of Expression: “Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many different viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.”

Tutoring Labs: http://www.austincc.edu/support-and-services/tutoring-and-academic-help/learning-lab-services   This is an excellent resource if a student needs help with the course.  Also, Learning Lab policies and times can be found here. On-line tutoring is available if campus is closed.

Testing Center: These may or may not be available. Make-up exams are given in the testing center (if open, otherwise on-line). Access this site to find your campus testing center; its policies, open times, and location.  http://www.austincc.edu/testctr/  

History Department Web-Site:  There are many links to English grammar usage sites, as well as sites which can help with topics in the study of history. Check out web resources for instructors and students. Also, the leaning lab tutoring hours of the History Department Instructional Associates can be found here. http://www.austincc.edu/history/

Safety Statement:  ACC is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. Students are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental health and safety procedures and to follow ACC safety policies. The college also asks that each student become familiar with the Emergency Procedures and Campus Safety Plan in each classroom. See ACC Emergency Alerts to sign up for electronic notices in the event of a serious emergency.

Concealed Carry:  The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC's commitment to provide a safe environment for the students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Beginning August 1st, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college's concealed handgun policy. It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999. For further information see austincc.edu/campus carry

  "Due to rapidly changing conditions, the professor reserves the right to adjust the course and its requirements. If it is necessary, it will be done with the best interests of the students in mind".

Textbook:  American Stories. Vol. 1. Brands, et al.

Other writings to be discussed in class:

 Montesquieu, from Spirit of Laws; John Locke, from Two Treatises on Government, and Letters on Toleration;  Mayflower Compact; Stamp Act; Virginia Resolutions; Declaratory Act; Thomas Paine, from Common Sense, and American Crisis number 1; Northwest Ordinance; Constitution of the United States and Bill of Rights; George Washington/ First State of the Union Address; Monroe Doctrine; Abraham Lincoln, 1st Inaugural Address, and Gettysburg Address.

Instructor: David Kramer

Period 1     Introduction

Period 2    Europe

Period 3   Age of Exploration and Conquest

Period 4   Anglicans and Puritans

Period 5    Europe and the Colonies

Period 6    Colonies, 1650-1725

Period 7     Colonies,  1725-1759

Period 8     French and Indian War

Period 9     England and her colonies following the war      

Period 10    Stamp Act to Lexington and Concord

Period 11    Bunker Hill to 1783 

Test 1

Period 12    Newburgh through the Constitutional Convention

Period 13   Presidency of George Washington

Period 14   Farewell and John Adams

Period 15   John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

Period 16    Jefferson

Period 17   James Madison and England

Period 18    War of 1812

Period 19    Era of Good Feelings

Period 20    John Quincy Adams

Test 2

Period 21    Andrew Jackson

Period 22   Jackson and Martin van Buren

Period 24    Rise of the Whigs- Election of 1840

Period 25   Tyler and Texas                               

Period 26    James Polk- Manifest Destiny

Period 27    North and South diverge

Period 28    The 1850s            

Period 29    Civil War

Period 30    Reconstruction

Test 3

 Geography Exam:      On a map, the student must be able to locate the following features;

All 50 states by name; Gulf of Mexico; Red River; Tennessee River; Great Salt Lake; Chesapeake Bay; Washington, D.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Pittsburgh, PA; Canada; Ohio River; Columbia River; Appalachian Mountains; Great Basin; Long Island; New York City; Chicago; San Francisco; Mexico; Cape Hatteras; Mississippi River; Rio Grande River; Rocky Mountains; Great Plains; 49th degree North Latitude; Philadelphia, PA; Richmond, Va.; Nashville, TN; Pacific Ocean; Atlantic Ocean; Missouri River; Hudson River; All 5 Great Lakes; Florida Keys; Boston, MA; New Orleans, LA; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA.

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     Content Tests             

Information from lecture notes and textbook should form the answers to the following:

Questions with Asterix *** should be answered using your textbook only.

                                                         Learning Objectives Test 1

Essay Questions

1. Who were the Puritans, and what motivated them? Discuss their settlements in North America.

2. Contrast the Virginia and Massachusetts colonies during the period 1607-1700.

3. Discuss the great series of wars began in 1689, with special focus on the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) 1754-1763. -- What was the issue for France and England? How did this involve Americans, and what were the results of this war?

4. Discuss the events that led to the American Revolutionary War (1761-1775).

5. Discuss the American Revolutionary War, 1775-1781. (1783) (Lexington through Yorktown)

Short Answer--  Students should be able to answer the following:

1. Discuss the Aztec world and its downfall.

2. Discuss the Indian Eastern Woodland Culture, and the tribes' relations with one another.

3. How did trade and disease affect Indian/European relations?

4. Discuss the Viking movement to Iceland, Greenland, and North America. 

5. Explain the main events of the Protestant Reformation (1517).

6. Discuss the Church of England (Anglican). What was (is) it, and how did it come into being?

7. Explain why Queen Elizabeth I of England and King Philip II of Spain became bitter opponents. How did Spain attempt to resolve this, and what was the result?

8. Discuss French colonization in the New World. 

9. Discuss Spain’s rise to empire in the New World. Include the Treaty of Tordesillas.

10. Discuss the early (Ralegh) English attempts at colonization in the New World.

11. Explain the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and the change it brought to England. How did this eventually affect the British North American colonies?

12. *** How did a “joint-stock” company work?

13. What were the problems for the early English settlers in Jamestown, and how were they solved?

14. Discuss the Pilgrims in America, including the Mayflower Compact. Discuss their colony.

15. Discuss the colony of Pennsylvania, and its differences from the other English colonies.

16. Discuss the colony of Georgia, and its differences from the other English colonies.

17. Discuss the English-Dutch rivalry in the 17th century. What was the end result in North America?

18. Explain the Enlightenment, and how it affected the English colonies in America. Focus on John Locke and Montesquieu.

19. *** Discuss the Salem witch trials. 

20. *** Discuss the life of women in Puritan New England. 

21. Explain the social structure of 17th century Chesapeake region.

22. *** Discuss the colony of Maryland, and its differences from the other English colonies.

23. Explain Bacon’s Rebellion, and its results.

24. Discuss Metacomet's attack on New England, and the results of what came to be known as King Philip's War.

25. Explain the economic system called “mercantilist”, and how it operated for Europeans and their empires.

26. Discuss what England was doing with the Navigation Acts. How did these fit in with mercantilism?

27. Detail the transformation of slavery in Virginia from 1619 until 1700.

28. Who were the Scots-Irish? Where did they come from, and where did they settle in North America?

29. Examine German migration to the New World during the 17th century.

30. What was the Transportation Act of 1718? What effect did it have on Britain's North American colonies?

31. *** Discuss the Spanish colonies in North America, 1600-1763. Where were these territories? What problems did Spain encounter?              

32. *** Discuss the 1st Great Awakening and its affects upon colonial society.

33. Discuss Pontiac's Rebellion.

34. Discuss England’s colonial administration in North America, 1600-1775. Include the Charter to Royal colonies movement.

35. The English view: Parliamentary Sovereignty. The American view: No Taxation Without Representation. What are the issues?

36. Explain England’s motive for the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts,  and  their results.

37. *** Discuss Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, and the results of its publication.

38. Examine the Battle of Saratoga (1777), and its aftermath. Why was this the turning point of the Revolutionary War?                                                                                      

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                                                           Learning Objectives Test 2

Essay Questions

1.  Compare and contrast Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and the political factions that grew around them, the Federalist and Jeffersonian parties. Include their political philosophies, and ideas for the future of the United States.

2.  Detail and explain the major points President Washington made in his Farewell Address. How do virtue or morality fit in?

3.  Examine the Philadelphia (Constitutional) Convention and the Constitution as written. What led to it, what were the problems encountered during the meetings, and how were they addressed.  

4.  Discuss the Quasi-War and the related XYZ Affair. How did this impact the United States?

5.  Give a brief military overview of the War of 1812, from the outbreak of war to the ratification of the peace treaty (1815).

Short Answer--  Students should be able to answer the following:

1.  What did the term “Republican” mean to the people of the early American Republic? How did their concept of Virtue apply? Were they correct? Do we need a virtuous people in the Republic?

2.  Explain why slavery was well on the road to extinction in the northern states by 1800.

3. *** Explain a woman’s role according to republican political ideology.

4.  Explain the concept of Natural Rights.

5.  Discuss the Newburgh Conspiracy, and its resolution.

6.  Detail the weakness’ of the Articles of Confederation.

7.  Discuss the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

8.  What did the Federalists (not the political party) stand for? What did the Anti-Federalists stand for? 

9.  Explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.

10.  Examine the Presidency of George Washington.

11.  Discuss the “Bank Controversy” during Washington's administration, and explain the debate that came from it.

12.  Explain George Washington's foreign policy in the early 1790s. 

13.  Discuss the Whiskey Rebellion and explain the effect that it had on the United States government.

14.  Discuss Alexander Hamilton's economic plan for the United States. Include the three reports.

15. Examine the Presidency of John Adams. Include the Alien and Sedition Acts.

16. Examine the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798).

17. ***  Evaluate the election of 1800, and what it indicated about the American people of the time.

18.  Discuss the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson.

19.  Discuss Tecumseh, and what he attempted to do.  

20.  Discuss the Louisiana Purchase, and how it came about.

21.  Discuss the Lewis and Clarke expedition. What were its goals?

22.  Discuss the Burr Conspiracy. Who and what were involved.

23.  Discuss the expeditions of Zebulon Pike involving the Louisiana Purchase territory.

24.  Detail the steps which led to the War of 1812 (Early 1800s).

25.  Discuss the Hartford Convention and its results.

26.  Explain the results of the War of 1812 (Treaty of Ghent).

27.  Discuss the 1st Seminole War, and the Adams-Oniz Treaty (1819), and how they came about.

28.  Explain the phrase  "Era of Good Feelings".

29.  *** Detail the revolution in transportation brought about by roads, steamboats, and canals.

30. ***  Explain how and why the deep South became the world's greatest producer of cotton by the early 1800s.

31.  Discuss John Quincy Adams as President. What were his problems?

32.  What were the elements of Henry Clay’s “American System”? What was the goal of this system?

33. ***  Discuss the Supreme Court under John Marshall.

34.  *** Describe the new American market economy.

35.  Explain the Missouri Compromise.

36. *** Explain the “corrupt bargain”  during the election of 1824.

37.  *** How did political institutions change in the  US by the1820s and 1830s. How did the two political party system come to be during this time?

38.  Explain the Monroe Doctrine.                                  

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                                                      Learning Objectives Test 3

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the life and Presidency of Andrew Jackson.  Make sure the following are included: war service, Peggy Eaton Affair, Kitchen Cabinet, killing the Bank of the United States, the Spoils System, and the Nullification Crisis.                     

2.  Discuss the steps that led to war between Mexico and the United States, and give a military overview of the war. What problems for the US resulted from the war?

3.  Discuss the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. What were the results of these?

4.  Discuss John Brown, his raid on Harper’s Ferry, and the effect that it had on the United States.

5.  Give a military overview of the Civil War (1861-1865), from Fort Sumter to Appomattox.

Short Answer--  Students should be able to answer the following:

1.  Examine the Indian removal from east of the Mississippi River during the first half of the nineteenth century.

2.  Discuss the types of people who supported the Whig party during the Age of Jackson, and what they believed.

3.  Who did the Democratic Party of  the Age of Jackson appeal to? 

4.  Explain the pro-slavery argument.

5.  Detail the divide within the pre-Civil War white South (Yeomen and Planters).

6. ***  Examine the Second Great Awakening in the Northern states.

7.  Explain the upper and lower South’s divergence during the pre-Civil War period.

8.  Discuss  Nat Turner’s rebellion (1831), and its effects on the Southern states.

9.  Examine the Abolitionist movement from the 1830s through the 1850s. 

10.  *** Explain how did the Woman’s Rights movement grew out of the 2nd Great Awakening.  

11.  Explain the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.

12.  Detail the events that led to the Texas Revolution, and the fighting itself.

13.  List the issues James K. Polk ran on in the 1844 election.

14.  Discuss the Oregon Boundary Question and its resolution.

15.  Discuss the divide amongst Americans over the war with Mexico (1846-1848).  

16.  Discuss the mass immigration to the United States, 1820-1860. Who was coming, and what were the problems? Include the Know-Nothing Party.

17.  Discuss the American Colonization Society.

18.  Contrast the Northern and Southern view of the Brooks/Sumner affair.

19.  Explain the problem of slavery in the Mexican cession.

20.  Explain the Free-Soil Movement. What were the goals of this party?

21.  “Bleeding Kansas”-- Explain the events that fall under this title.

22.  Discuss the secession of the Southern states (1860-1861).

23.  Explain the Dred Scott case and its repercussions.

24.  Discuss the presidential election of 1860. 

25.  Discuss the efforts to find a compromise and avoid war between the North and the South in 1861.

26.  *** How did the North and South mobilize their home fronts for the war?

27. *** Discuss the political leadership of the North and South during the war.

28.  Explain the change in war goals for the North (1862).

29.  Why was the Battle of Atlanta an important political victory for the North?

30.  List the effects of the Civil War for America.

31. *** Discuss how Southern society was reconstructed following the Civil War.

32. *** Discuss the “Black Codes” of the South, and why they upset the North.

33. ***  Discuss the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution.

34. ***  Discuss the political crisis that came from the election of 1876, and how it was resolved.

35.  *** Explain the differences between President Lincoln and Congress over the secession crisis, and the differences between President Johnson and Congress which led to the impeachment crisis.   

                                                                           Fall  2026

Instructor: David Kramer                 Office:  1204.6                       Office Hours:  T/Th   12:45-1:15  PM

Telephone: (512) 223- 6552            (office)              e-mail: dskramer@austincc.edu

Course Completion Deadline:  12/13/26

Calendar:

August 25            Class Begins      Part 1    Background to Settlement through Revolutionary War   

August 27

September 1

September 3          

September 8

September 10          

September 15           Geography Exam end of class period

September 17

September 22

September 24 

September 29              Test 1   Chapters   Chapters  1-5 -  lectures

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October 1                 Part 2      The Early Republic through the Administration of John Quincy Adams

October 6            

October 8

October 13

October 15        

October 20

October 22

October 27

October 29

November 3                  Test 2   Chapters     Chapters  6 -10 (p. 251, section 10.2) - lectures                 

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November 5              Part 3      The Age of Jackson through Reconstruction

November 10             

November 12   

November 17                 

November 19                 Last Day To Withdraw

November 24

November 26-29             College Closed Thanksgiving Holiday             

December 1

December 3

December 8                     Test 3    Chapters     Chapters   10 (p. 251, section 10.2) - through chapter 16  - lectures 

December 10                   Meetings