Syllabus: History 1301 United States History to 1877
CRN 53744
Professor Meredith Bragg
Email: meredith.bragg1@hccs.edu
Office hours: after class or by appointment
Fall, 2011
Alief B128
Fr 8:00am – 11:15 am
Note: If you do not attend class week one, the HCC System of Record will DROP you
from the course and you will not be allowed to re-register. This is an HCC Policy that
I cannot override.
Course Description:
This is a survey of American History from pre-Columbian times to the end of Reconstruction (1877).
The course fulfills 3 hours of the 6 hour American History requirement at Texas public universities.
Course Outline:
The central themes and topics for this course include: Pre-Columbian civilizations; Europe before
exploration; colonization; mercantilism; the Chesapeake Bay colonies; the Massachusetts Bay colonies;
marriage and family life in the colonies; Native Americans and wars; the Columbian Exchange; Slavery;
dissension in the colonies; the Great Awakening; the Enlightenment; the American Revolution; the
Constitution; Political Parties; Jeffersonian Democracy; the War of 1812; the growth of the economy
and the transportation revolution; the Age of Jackson; the Age of Reform; Manifest Destiny; Texas and
the War with Mexico; the Sectional Crisis; Lincoln; the Civil War; and Reconstruction.
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Identify important historical themes and use these themes to analyze and evaluate the historical
and contemporary issues;
2. Discuss events, disparate institutions, and issues that shaped the United States;
3. Identify historical individuals who were influential agents in constructing the American
experience and culture;
4. Explain the socio-political and economic experiences of the original colonists and their
decedents;
5. To develop a clear understanding of the main trends and recurring themes in American History.
Required Readings:
Textbook:
Ayers, Edward L, et all, American Passages: A History of the United States Volume I
Monograph:
Gordon S. Wood, The American Revolution: A History
Anthony F.C. Wallace, The Long Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson and the Indians
Primary Source Readings:
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You will be assigned primary source reading from time to time. Information from these readings
will appear on your three major exams. All primary source documents that are not available in
your required books will be posted to the Learning Web.
Attendance and Class Rules:
I expect you to attend every class meeting and BE ON TIME! Information for the exams will come from
lectures, so good class notes are crucial to your success. If you miss more than 3 classes, see me about
this problem. You will be marked as ABSENT if you are 15 minutes or more late to class or return late
from break. Further, I expect you to show both the instructor and your fellow students respect during
class meetings.
Should you decide to stop attending this class or you miss more than 12.5% of class time (per
student handbook) which is 3 class periods, you will be withdrawn. If this occurs after the
withdraw deadline, you will receive a grade of FX. FX stands for failure due to absences. Per
HCC policy, there will be no exceptions.
International students, veterans, and those on financial aid should be fully aware of the grade and
minimum hours policies affecting your situation. In particular, pay attention to the rules regarding
course withdrawals (W grades). Once a “W” is officially recorded it cannot be changed to a grade
regardless of circumstance.
Examinations and Grading:
There will be three major examinations covering lecture and classroom related material each worth 25
points.
There will be two book tests worth 12,5 points each. This test is mandatory. NOTE: You cannot pass
this course if you fail to take either book test. You must take both. You may use one 3x5 note card
with your handwritten notes on it for each book test. If it is not handwritten (no copies, shrink copies, or
computer generated cards), you will not be able to use it on the test.
Grading Scale:
Exam I – 25 pts (Essay and short answer) Sept 23rd (date subject to change)
Book Test I – 12.5 pts (Short answer) The American Revolution: A History Oct 7th (date subject to
change)
Exam II – 25 pts (Essay and short answer) Oct 28th (date subject to change)
Book Test II – 12.5 pts (Short Answer) The Long Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson and the Indians Nov
18th (date subject to change)
Exam III – 25 pts (Short answer) Dec 16th per HCC Final Schedule Policy for classes that meet once a
week
Final Average – your accumulated points out of 100 will be your average for the class.
Figuring percentage grades during the semester:
Exams – multiply your score for one exam by 4 to figure your percentage grade for that exam
Book Tests – multiply your score for one book test by 8 to figure your percentage grade for that
book test
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Tests must be taken when scheduled. If you miss a test you will have to take the make-up exam which is
given on the last day of class at a time convenient for the instructor. Failure to take the make-up exam
will result in a grade of 0 for that test. You are only allowed to make-up one test and you must have
a documented excused absence, no exceptions.
HCCS Grading System:
A = Excellent 90-100 B = Good 80-89 C =70-79 D = 60 - 69 F = Failing below 60
Never assume that I shall "give" you a grade. Academic integrity is important! Your final grade is the
letter equivalent of the numeric average which you earn!
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 research-based 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.
The Learning Web:
You are responsible for all information posted on the learning web. We will discuss how to use it on the
first day of class. See me if you are having any problems retrieving information from the Learning Web.
To access your class go to www.hccs.edu, click on Southwest, and then the Learning Web. At this point,
the website will prompt you to find your professor, put in my name as Meredith Bragg. You will then be
directed to my page. Find your course 1301. When you click on your course you will find all
PowerPoint’s, lecture notes and links to outside reading assignments as well as examination review
sheets. Items will be posted as we progress through the course. Note that I will not post materials for
every lecture. It Is Imperative that you check the Learning Web before every class meeting.
Mobile Technology:
Phones and PDAs:
All telephones, blackberries, iPhones, Blootooth technology and other potentially distracting
devices must be turned off and put away before the start of class. Important calls must be taken
outside of the classroom (with my expressed permission given prior to the start of class). NO
electronic devices are allowed in the classroom during examinations. DO NOT TEXT
MESSAGE DURING CLASS!! It is rude to your classmates as well as the instructor.
Laptops:
You may use a laptop to take class notes only. Any use of wireless technology (i.e., surfing the
web, checking email, Facebook, games, etc) will result in PERMANENT forfeiture of your
classroom computing privileges.
Policy Regarding Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by HCCS policy and the
rules of this class.
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Plagiarism: the use of the ideas or words of another person (either in whole or in part) without
crediting the source. Plagiarism amounts to the theft of another person’s work and its
appropriation as one’s own.
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
materials not authorized by the instructor during a test; collaborating with another student during
a test; knowingly using, buying, or selling unadministered test materials.
Any questions about academic dishonesty should be referred to the Student Conduct section of the
College System catalogue. Violations of this policy will result in failure of the assignment and possible
automatic failure of the course and/or expulsion from the institution.
Disability Policy:
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the appropriate HCC Disability Support
Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the
accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. See website:
http://www.hccs.edu/students/disability/accom.htm#steps or contact SW ADA counselor:
Dr. Becky A. Hauri, Southwest College, 5407 Gulfton, Houston, Texas 77081
Phone: 713-718-7909; Fax: 713-718-7781; TTY: 713-718-7909
Any student with a disability certified by the Southwest College Disability Counselor will receive
appropriate accommodations in this class. Please make sure to consult me immediately and bring your
ADA documentation so I can ensure you have what you need.
Academic Calendar:
Topics and dates are subject to change.
Unit One (American Passages: Chapters 1-4)
Sept 2nd – Introduction to History 1301
Sept 2nd – Chapter 1 - Contact, Conflict, and Exchange in the Atlantic World, to 1590
Sept 9th – Chapter 2- Colonization of North America, 1590-1675
Sept 16th – Chapter 3 - Crisis and Change, 1675-1720 and Chapter 4 – The Expansion of Colonial
America, 1720-1763
Sept 16th – Catch-up and Review
Sept 23rd – Exam I and Chapter 5 - Wars for Independence, 1764-1783
Unit Two (American Passages: Chapters 5-9)
Sept 30th – Chapter 6 - Toward a More Perfect Union, 1783-1788 and Chapter 7 - The Federalist
Republic, 1789-1799
Oct 7th – Book Test I - Gordon S. Wood, The American Revolution: A History and finish Chapter 7
Oct 14th – Chapter 8 - The New Republic Faces a New Century, 1800-1815 and Chapter 9 - Exploded
Boundaries, 1815-1828
October 21st – African American Slavery and Review
Oct 28th – Exam II
Unit Three (American Passages: Chapters 10-16)
Nov 4th – Chapter 10 - The Years of Andrew Jackson, 1829-1836
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Nov 11th – Chapter 11- Panic and Boom, 1837-1845 and Chapter 12 - Expansionism and Reaction,
1846-1854
Nov 18th – Book Test II - Anthony F.C. Wallace, The Long Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson and the
Indians
Nov 25th – holiday – no class - read
Dec 2nd –The Coming of the Civil War and the Civil War Chapters 13-15 and Chapter 16 Reconstruction
Dec 9th – Finish Chapter 16 - Reconstruction: It’s Rise and Fall, 1865-1877 and Review
Dec 16th – Exam III – given as the Final during regular class time per HCC Final Exam policy for
classes that meet once a week
Good luck! I look forward to a great semester. Welcome to U.S. History!
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