Syllabus: History 1301 United States History to 1877 CRN 62480 Professor Meredith Bragg Fall, 2011 Email: meredith.bragg1@hccs.edu WLOP C253 Office hours: by appointment Tu/Th 11:00 am – 1:00 pm 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 1 Primary Source Readings: 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 5 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) Oct 13th (date subject to change) Book Test I – 12.5 pts (Short answer) The American Revolution: A History Oct 24th (date subject to change) Exam II – 25 pts (Essay and short answer) Nov 10th (date subject to change) Book Test II – 12.5 pts (Short Answer) The Long Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson and the Indians Nov 22nd (date subject to change) Exam III – 25 pts (Short answer) Dec 13th at 11:00 am per HCC Final Schedule our 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 2 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. 3 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 27th – Introduction to History 1301 and Chapter 1- Contact, Conflict, and Exchange in the Atlantic World, to 1590 Sept 29th – finish Chapter 1 - Contact, Conflict, and Exchange in the Atlantic World, to 1590 and start Chapter 2 Colonization Oct 4th – finish Chapter 2- Colonization of North America, 1590-1675 Oct 6th – Chapter 3 - Crisis and Change, 1675-1720 and start Chapter 4 – The Expansion of Colonial America, 1720-1763 Oct 11th – finish Chapter 4 – The Expansion of Colonial America, 1720-1763 and review Oct 13th – Exam I Unit Two (American Passages: Chapters 5-9) Oct 18th– Chapter 5 - Wars for Independence, 1764-1783 Oct 20th – Chapter 6 - Toward a More Perfect Union, 1783-1788 and start Chapter 7 - The Federalist Republic, 1789-1799 Oct 24th – Book Test I - Gordon S. Wood, The American Revolution: A History Oct 27th – finish Chapter 7 - The Federalist Republic, 1789-1799 Nov 1st Chapter 8 - The New Republic Faces a New Century, 1800-1815 Nov 3rd – Chapter 9 - Exploded Boundaries, 1815-1828 and African American Slavery Nov 8th– Catch-up and review 4 Nov 10th – Exam II Unit Three (American Passages: Chapters 10-16) Nov 15th – Chapter 10 - The Years of Andrew Jackson, 1829-1836 Nov 17th – Chapter 11- Panic and Boom, 1837-1845 and Chapter 12 - Expansionism and Reaction, 1846-1854 Nov 22nd – Book Test II - Anthony F.C. Wallace, The Long Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson and the Nov 24th – holiday – no class Nov 29th – The Coming of the Civil War Chapters 13-14 Dec 1st – The Coming of the Civil War Chapters 13-14 continued and Civil War Chapters 15 Dec 6th – Chapter 16 - Reconstruction Dec 8th –Review Dec 13th – Exam III – given as the Final Dec 13 Tuesday per HCC Final Exam Schedule Good luck! I look forward to a great semester. Welcome to U.S. History! 5