NORTHWEST COLLEGE
HISTORY 1301
UNITED STATES HISTORY TO 1877
CRN #83799
Semester: Spring 2012
Instructor: Chastity S. Holman
E-mail: chastity.holman@hccs.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Phone: (832) 971-3421
Location: Alief Campus, Room #B128
Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30pm-7:00pm
Course Description
History 1301 is a survey of American 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skills and will work with historical documents, maps and economic and demographic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 16-week, 48 contact hour course which fulfills three hours of the statemandated six-hour history requirement.
Completion of this class will also improve performance in reading, writing, critical
thinking, communicating and computer skills.
Prerequisites: must be placed into college-level reading and college-level writing.
Learning Objectives




To understand the evolution of the U.S. from its colonial beginnings to 1877.
Assess and understand the traditional historical points of reference in U.S. history
from its colonial roots to 1877.
Analyze the impact of political, economic, and social changes that shaped U.S.
history.
Examine how social institutions and processes have affected various periods of
history with respect to culture and society.
Required Books (Available at HCCS Bookstores)
Text: Ayers, Gould, Oshinsky & Soderlund, American Passages 4th ed., Combined
Monographs: Clinton, Plantation Mistress
Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
These books are available at the HCC Bookstores and through online sources such as
Amazon.com where they are generally less expensive. Used copies may be available at
Half Price Books and similar outlets. Copies may also be placed on reserve in the
Southwest College libraries. If you encounter difficulty in obtaining these books, inform
your instructor immediately so that she can assist you in finding copies.
Course Requirements
Graded Assignments: 4 major in class examinations, each worth 20% of the final grade.
Book review essays on the Clinton and Jacobs monographs, each worth 10% of the final
grade. Failure to turn in these essays will result in the automatic failure of the
course.
Grading and Grading Scale: A (90- 100%); B (80-89%); C (70-79%); D (60-69%);
F (below 60%). Grades are not curved and extra credit work will be assigned at the
instructor’s discretion.
Examinations
A major in class examination will be held at the conclusion of each of the four content
units that comprise History 1301. Each will be worth 20% of the final grade and will
cover material presented in the unit just concluded. Each will consist of a series of short
essay questions and two major essay questions. Essay questions will be selected from a
list of possible essays that will be handed out a week before the exam. A short review
session will be held before each exam. Exams will generally occur about every 3-4
weeks. Students must have a bluebook and a pencil for each exam, which can be
purchased from the campus bookstore.
Make-up exams will only be administered for excused absences and taken immediately
upon the students return to class. The decision to categorize an absence as excused or
unexcused will be at the instructor’s discretion. Failure to take all four exams will result
in failure of the course.
Book Review Essays
Students will be required to read the two assigned monographs and write a 4-5-page book
review essay on each. For each book, students will be expected to write a coherent essay
answering a series of questions or following a rubric that will be provided by the
instructor beforehand. The Jacobs essay is due Monday, March 19th; the Clinton essay is
due Monday, April 30th. Late papers will have a grade deducted for each calendar day
they are late. Failure to turn in these essays will result in failure of the course.
Attendance
It is your responsibility to be punctual for class. Students who are excessively tardy or
late to class will risk having their excessive tardies counted as one or more
unexcused absences.
HCC policy states that students may be administratively withdrawn if they miss more
than 6 hours of class. My policy is that YOU must drop yourself from class if you
have more than 6 hours of unexcused absences or stop coming to class. If you have a
valid reason for missing class – illness or accident, for example – and can document that,
I will consider your absence excused and will not count it against the 6-hour limit.
If you stop attending class and do not complete the proper withdrawal forms, you will
receive and “F” for the course.
It is your responsibility to complete the necessary paper work before the official drop
date. Do not ask me to give you a “W”. Only under exceptional circumstances (i. e.
serious accident, illness, etc.), which are documented in writing, will late withdrawals be
given.
Regular attendance is essential to success in this class. Students who have excessive
absences are usually those most likely to earn a substandard or failing grade. If you miss
a class, you are responsible for all the information and assignments covered in that class.
Students who must complete 12 hours per semester to maintain their status-international
students, veterans, financial aid recipients, etc.-should make special note of my
attendance policy. You should be aware that under most circumstances a withdrawal that
brings you below the 12-hour minimum could result in a potentially damaging change in
status.
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
Disability Support Service Counselor, Dr. Becky Hauri (713 718-7909) 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 the office.
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by HCCS
policy and the rules of this class.
 Plagiarism is 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 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 excludes, 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.
Classroom Etiquette
Please adhere to the following below listed guidelines;


Cellphones must be kept on the silent or off position during class. If you
habitually have to be excused from class to answer your cellphone, that will be
counted as an unexcused absence and you will be asked to leave for the remainder
of the class session on that evening.
Please dress modestly when coming to class. Students who are revealing ANY
type of cleavage or wearing mid-drift tops will be asked to cover themselves
appropriately or leave class for the evening. Jeans/Pants/Slacks should not
be worn in a manner that body parts or undergarments are exposed for


public view. Ladies and gentleman MUST remove hoods, caps, hats, etc.
while attending class. Understand that inappropriate dress creates a
distraction in the learning environment so please dress appropriately.
Computers are allowed in class ONLY for the purpose of taking notes. Any
student caught using their computer for any other purposes during class time will
not be allowed to bring their computer to class for the rest of the semester.
Taping lectures is permitted as needed by individual students. Please inform the
instructor if you will be taping lectures.
Class Calendar (subject to change)
January 18-Course Overview & Introduction
January 23-Contact, Conflict, and Exchange in the Atlantic World, to 1590 (Chpt.1)
January 25- Colonization of North America, 1590-1675 (Chpt.2)
January 30- Crisis and Change, 1675-1720 (Chpt.3)
February 1- The Expansion of Colonial British America, 1720-1763 (Chpt.4)
February 6- Wars for Independence, 1764-1783 (Chpt.5)
February 8- First Examination Review Session
February 13- First Examination
February 15- Toward a More Perfect Union, 1783-1788 (Chpt. 6)
February 20-President’s Day Holiday
February 22 -The Federalist Republic, 1789-1799 (Chpt.7)
February 27- The New Republic Faces a New Century, 1800-1815 (Chpt.8)
February 29- Exploded Boundaries, 1815-1828 (Chpt.9)
March 5- Second Examination Review Session
March 7- Second Examination
March 12-18- Spring Break
March 19 - Discuss & submit Book Report due on “Incidents in the Life of a
Slave Girl”
March 21- The Years of Andrew Jackson, 1829-1836 (Chpt.10)
March 26- Panic and Boom, 1837-1845 (Chpt.11)
March 28- Video & Discussion, “Africans & America: America’s Journey Through
Slavery”
April 2-Expansion and Reaction, 1846-1854 (Chpt.12)
April 4- Broken Bonds, 1855-1861 (Chpt.13)
April 9- Third Examination Review Session
April 11- Third Examination
April 16- Descent into War, 1861-1862 (Chpt.14)
April 18- Blood and Freedom, 1863-1865 (Chpt.15)
April 23- Reconstruction: Its Rise and Fall, 1865-1877 (Chpt. 16)
April 25- Video & Discussion, “Gone with the Wind”
April 30- Discuss and submit Book Report on “Plantation Mistress”
May 2- Fourth Examination Review Session
May 7- Fourth Examination- TBA