Heartland Community College
Master Course Syllabus
Division: Social and Business Sciences
Course Prefix and number: HIST 240
Course Title: History of the American Frontier
DATE PREPARED: July 15, 1992
DATE REVISED: December 1, 2009
PCS/CIP/ID NO: 11-540102
IAI NO. (if available):
EFFECTIVE DATE OF FIRST CLASS: January 1, 1993
CREDIT HOURS: 3
CONTACT HOURS: 3
LECTURE HOURS: 3
LABORATORY HOURS: 0
CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Include specific prerequisites):
Prerequisite: Completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, ENGL 101. Westward movement and
the influence of the frontier on American life and institutions are covered. Focus is on the local
and Midwestern context.
TEXTBOOK(S):
Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England.
New York: Hill and Wang, 1983. Print.
Faragher, John, Mack. Sugar Creek: Life on the Illinois Prairie. New Haven: Yale University,
1986. Print.
Webb, Walter Prescott. The Great Plains. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1981. Print.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
TRANSFERABILITY:
This course fulfills 3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Social Sciences required for the A.A. or
A.S. degree. This course should transfer as part of the General Education Core Curriculum
described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative to other Illinois colleges and universities
participating in the IAI. However, students should consult with an academic advisor for transfer
information regarding particular institutions. Refer to the IAI web page at www.itransfer.org for
more information.
COURSE OBJECTIVES (Learning Outcomes):
Outcomes
General
Education
Outcomes
Range of Assessment
Methods
Distinguish between primary and secondary sources as the
foundation of modern historical scholarship in American
Frontier history.
PS1
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, other
methods
Interpret primary sources critically by analyzing their
historical contexts.
CT3
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, other
methods
Formulate historical interpretations, both in discussion and in CO4
writing, and defend them critically with reference to primary
and secondary sources.
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, oral
report, other methods
Incorporate into historical interpretations, both in discussion CT3
and in writing, an understanding of historical causation
reflecting a) knowledge of important figures and events and
their chronological relationship to each other and b) an
awareness of the contingent relationships.
Through study of the historical contributions of the diverse DI3
peoples whom settled, defended and extended the frontier,
acquire at one and the same time a comprehension of diverse
cultures and shared humanity, as evidenced both orally and
in writing.
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, oral
report, other methods
exams, quizzes, research
paper, group project, oral
report, other methods
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
I.
The Colonial Frontier
A. Turner Thesis and origins of the American Frontier
B. American Revolution and the Frontier
II. Trans-Appalachian Frontier: The Illinois Territory
A. Organizing the Old Northwest
B. Expansionism to the War of 1812
C. War on the Frontier, 1812-1815
D. Social and economic life on the Frontier to 1850
III. Trans-Mississippi Frontier
A. Clash of cultures on the Frontier
B. Western Expansion of the 1820s-1840s
C. War on the Frontier: Mexican-American conflict
D. Slavery and the Frontier
E. Frontier booms vs. Indians
F. Great Plains Frontier experience: Conclusions
METHOD OF EVALUATION
2 – 4 examinations
Quizzes as deemed appropriate by the instructor
1 research paper of 5 – 10 pages
GRADING SCALE
90-100=A
80-89=B
70-79=C
60-69=D
Below 60 =F
REQUIRED READING AND WRITING
This course requires approximately 30-40 pages of reading per week or 500 per semester.
Reading assignments will include both primary and secondary source materials. A minimum of
15 pages of college level writing is required in this course. Writing assignments include papers
of various lengths, essay exams, and various projects as deemed appropriate by the instructor.