History 1301 CRN 55643 U.S. History to 1877
Summer I 2015 M-TH 2:30 to 5:00 pm
Houston Community College - West Loop Campus
Instructor: Dr. Rogan Ellen Brunet
Email: rogan.brunet@hccs.edu
Website: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/rogan.brunet
Office: C236, Phone: 713.7182084, Office Hours: By Appointment
Course Description: History 1301 is a survey of United States history from Native American
cultures to 1877. It will focus on the evolution of the economic, social/cultural and political
institutions which define the development of the modern United States and its people. Although
this course is built around historical events and processes, it is much more than a simple
recitation of facts. Students will learn and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills and
will work with historical documents, maps and economic and demographic models.
History 1301 is a 5 week, 48 contact hour course which fulfills three hours of the state-mandated
six-hour history requirement. Completion of this class will also improve performance in reading,
writing, critical thinking, communication, and computer skills.
Prerequisites: Must be currently enrolled or have completed ENGL 1301.
Learning Outcomes:
a. To create an argument through the use of historical evidence
b. The ability to analyze and interpret primary and secondary source documents
c. The capability to analyze the effect of historical, social, political, economic, cultural and
global forces on different eras of history
d. To explain the importance of chronology and how earlier concepts and actions shaped later
events
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Discuss the Age of Exploration
Explain Colonization
Identify the causes and effects of
the American Revolution
Explain the origins and impact of
slavery
Analyze the formation of the
Republic
Summarize the effects of expansion
and innovation
Explain Nationalism and
Sectionalism
Discuss the Civil War
Evaluate the effects of
Reconstruction
TEXAS CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES
Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and
synthesis of information
Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas
through written, oral and visual communication
Social Responsibility: to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the
ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to
ethical decision-making Guidelines
Texts: The American Promise, v.1, 5th ed., James Roark, et al. (recommended)
www.digitalhistory.uh.edu, Stephen Mintz (recommended)
Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis (required), ISBN 978-0375705243
Purchasing a textbook is optional. If you want a textbook for this class, my recommendation is The
American Promise, v1. There is also a free online textbook available at www.digitalhistory.uh.edu. Any
textbook should be used as a supplement to the information presented each day in class. In addition, lectures
are available on my Learning Web site. Please have them in class on the day of the appropriate topic.
Discussion Format Class: This class does not follow the standard lecture format. Instead, each
class period, we (actually you) will discuss the written lecture assigned for that day. On the Course
Calendar you will see that I have divided up our subjects by topics, not by chapters. This is because I
do not follow any textbook; my lectures are my own. Every topic has an outline and a lecture that is
available on my LW site. I will NOT lecture on the topic. Instead, you must take the responsibility of
reading the lecture and come to class prepared to discuss that day's topic. In addition, you must
have a discussion question, typed and answered, at the beginning of class. This exercise counts as
a participation grade (10pts.). Furthermore, your participation in the class discussion is noted.
Students who participate in the day's discussion receive one participation point.
Exams: There will be a midterm and a final in this course based on the lectures and discussions. The
first part of the exam will consist of twenty identification terms worth three points each (60 points
total). You will be expected to identify the term in a complete sentence. The second part of the
exam is an essay question worth 40 points. A study guide to the exam will be given prior to the exam
date. Each exam is worth 100 pts. No student will be admitted to the classroom fifteen
minutes after the exam has begun. It is assumed that all students will take all exams at the
assigned times, unless you make arrangements to the contrary ahead of the scheduled exam
time. Students will be required to put away all electronic devices, including cell phones, during
exams. No blue book is required for your exams.
Please be warned. I do NOT want to see my own lecture notes in ANY of the exams that you hand
back to me. One, it counts as plagiarism. Two, this class is designed to develop YOUR critical thinking
skills. If you need help, if you feel overwhelmed, if you feel that you cannot do this, come and talk to
me. Do not, however, regurgitate the facts that I give you. They are to be used as a springboard for
your own thoughts and opinions.
Web Assignment and Exam: In addition to your midterm and final you will have two additional
exams. One is an internet based assignment in which you will read a selection of writings by women
who were captured by Native Americans and wrote of the experience. The internet links to these
readings (there are more than one) are on my personal Learning Web. There will be an in-class exam
on these readings. I allow you to have the readings with you when you take the exam (but
nothing else), which is essay in format. There will be two questions and you will choose one to
answer.
Reading Assignment: You will also have an exam based on your reading of Founding Brothers,
by Joseph Ellis. The book will not be available for purchase in the book store but you can find it
online (Amazon or another internet seller) or at bookstores in town. The exam for this reading will
also be essay in content and will be given in class. On the day of the exam, please bring the
book to class for reference.
Make-up Exams: Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the instructor, and only if the
student has a university approved reason for missing an exam. You must have the approval of
the instructor to schedule a make-up exam. I will NOT return graded papers until ALL makeup exams are completed. Please note that students are limited to one make-up exam.
Extra Credit: I do not give extra credit assignments so do not ask for special consideration. If you
have time for extra credit assignments, then you have time to do the work to pass the class.
Grades: Your grades in this class are a reflection of your critical thinking skills, how well you analyze the
data presented to you and how you organize this data into educated opinions. You will do this by writing an
essay on each exam. The purpose of an essay is to present your point of view about a given topic. In this
class, an essay is the vehicle to demonstrate your mastery of the subject and your organization of these facts
into a logical conclusion that states your opinion of the given subject. You will be graded on both content and
grammar.
Houston Community College now charges higher tuition rates for students who repeat a class for the
third time (or more).
Your final grade will be derived from the sum of your midterm (20 %), final (25%), web assignment
exam (20%), reading exam (20 %), and your participation grade (15%). The grading scale is as
follows:
A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60, F=59-0
Final Grades will be available to students by July 12. Please note that there will be no
curving of grades in this class.
Office Hours: Office hours are by appointment only. See me after class to set up a date and time. It
is very important to KEEP your appointment or to inform me (in a timely manner) that you cannot.
DO NOT wait until the last minute to seek help. See me immediately if you are, or think you are in
trouble in the class.
Incompletes: If you experience an unexpected hardship or personal matter during the course of the
semester, you may be able to take an incomplete for the class. The requirements for an incomplete
are as follows: you must have a passing grade for the class and you must have completed at least
75% of the class work. Remember that any incomplete work must be finished within a semester or
the “I” will change to an “F”.
Open Computer Lab: There are several open computer labs available on the West Loop Campus
that will provide students with access to the internet and email. You can also purchase a printing card
to use the printers in these labs. Please see the instructor for more information if needed.
Computers and Tape Recorders: If you wish, you may use tape recorders and computers to
facilitate note taking in class. Using your computer to play games or surf the web in class is a
distraction to others and I will ask that you refrain from using your laptop.
Cell Phones: Cell phones are highly disruptive in class. All students are required to either turn their
cell phones to vibrate or power them off. In the case of a student expecting an important phone call,
please inform me of the situation before class. If your cell phone rings during class, I reserve
the right to deduct one point from your final average. I do not stop class to take phone calls
or answer texts. Neither should you. If you walk out of my class to take a phone call, do not return.
Students receiving or sending texts during class:
1. Will have their phones confiscated for the remainder of the class.
2. Will have their texts or calls answered by yours truly.
3. Will be thrown out of the class.
If texting in class is continual, I will administratively drop that student.
Attendance Requirements: Attendance will be taken at every class meeting. I cannot stress
enough the importance of attending classes. Excessive absences will negatively affect your grade,
especially your participation grade. In the course of the semester, any student missing more than
seven hours of instruction (in a Summer Term, three classes) CAN BE ADMINISTRATIVELY
DROPPED. If you wish to drop this class, please inform me that you intend to do so. It is your
responsibility to drop this class if you so desire. The final date for withdrawal is June 29. If you
do not feel you will pass the class, you must take the responsibility to withdraw on yourself.
International students, students receiving financial aid and veterans must be enrolled full time (12
hours) in order to maintain their status. Please keep this in mind if you decide to drop this class. The
HCCS History Department has mandated that NO ‘”W” will be changed to an “F”. Also,
make an effort to arrive in class on time. If you are not in class when roll is called you will not be
counted present for that day, but will receive a tardy.
The last day for add/drop/swap is June 9. The final date to drop this class is June 29. The official
day of record is June 11.
Please be aware of the fact that you are limited to six withdrawals over your college career when you are
considering dropping the class.
Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited
by HCC policy and by the rules of this class.


Plagiarism is the use of the ideas and/or words of another person (either whole or in part)
without crediting the source and constitutes the theft of another person’s intellectual
property. It is the most common form of academic dishonesty. If you are unclear as to what
constitutes plagiarism, you should seek clarification before beginning an assignment.
Cheating involves fraud and deception for the purpose of violating legitimate testing rules.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying from another student’s test paper, using
during an exam materials or resources not authorized by the instructor; collaborating with
another student during a test; knowingly using, buying, selling whole or part of an
unadministered test.

Academic dishonesty constitutes a severe violation of HCC policy and rules and is subject to
stringent penalties. Violations of these policies will result, at a minimum, in the
automatic failure of this course. Severe violations could result in suspension or
expulsion from HCC.
Students with Disabilities: I will make every effort to accommodate those students with
disabilities. Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support
Service Counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri (713.7187909) at the beginning of the semester. Faculty
members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Office of Disability
Support Services (DSS). Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first
contact Dr. Hauri.
EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System: At Houston Community
College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and
learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of researchbased questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to
your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as
part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end of the term.
FERPA Statement: All communications between the Professor and his/her class are subject to the Federal
Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). The Professor may not discuss specific grades or attendance with
anyone other than the student and selected HCC administrators (e.g., department chair). The Professor is
not allowed to discuss grades over the telephone, as privacy cannot be guaranteed. Likewise, discussion
of grades over email is prohibited except over a) an official HCCS email address or b) within the Eagle
Online LMS environment.
I will NOT respond to ANY emails sent from non-HCC accounts. Emails must be sent from your
student.hccs.edu account. This is to comply with FERPA and other relevant state laws (e.g. Open Records
Law)
Caveat: The College purges students who have not paid their tuition or have some other glitch with
their registration every weekend. However, it does not inform those students who have been
dropped from their classes. It would be in your best interests to pay your tuition on time and ensure
that you are still enrolled in classes by the official day of record, by midterm and before finals. I
cannot re-enroll students who have been dropped by administration, no matter what their class
standing might be. Please take care of any registration problems promptly.
And Finally: This is a highly flexible class and I, the professor, reserve the right to modify the
syllabus at any time, with reasonable notification to the students.
Remember, participation is not only welcome, but highly encouraged. Feel free to ask questions,
answer questions, and/or express your educated opinions in class.
Course Calendar:
June
June
June
June
8
9
10
11
UNIT ONE: Some Will Win and Some Will Lose
Introduction to the course, start reading Captivity Narratives
Topic One: Children of the Corn (We Call It Maize): Pre-Columbia America
Topic Two: “I’m On a Boat”: European Exploration and Colonization:
Topic Three: How the British Colonized North America
June 15
Topic Four: British America to 1700
UNIT TWO: From Colonists to Citizens
June 16
Topic Five: The Creation of a Revolutionary Mentality, 1700-1763
June 17
Topic Six: Let’s Have a Revolution!
June 18
Essay Exam over Web Assignment (start reading Founding Brothers NOW)
June 22
Topic Seven: The Young Republic
UNIT THREE: “…One Nation, Indivisible…”
June 23
Topic Eight: Jeffersonian America, 1801-1825
June 24
Midterm over Units One and Two (Topics One to Seven)
June 25
Topic Nine: The Growth of Nationalism 1817-1840
June 29
Topic Ten: Elbow Room, Elbow Room! Manifest Destiny
UNIT FOUR: “We the People, Redux”
June 30
Topic Eleven: The First Industrial Revolution and the Antebellum South
July 1
Topic Twelve: Sectionalism, “…a House Divided…”
July 2
Topic Thirteen: Civil War and Reconstruction
July 6
July 7
July 8
Reading Exam over Founding Brothers
Last Day of Regular Classes
Final over Unit Three and Four (Topics Eight to Thirteen)