HISTORY 1301 DE
U.S. HISTORY TO 1877
CRN# 92590
PROFESSOR: Dr. Michael McCormick
OFFICE: Room 305, The Learning Hub, Stafford Campus
EMAIL: Use Eagle Online class email.
COURSE COMPUTER REQUIREMENT
Because this is an online class, many of its most important elements require computer
literacy and access to a functioning Internet connection and a working computer. The weekly
study guides and class notes are available only online. The preferred method for
communicating with me outside of class is through Eagle Online email. All of the testing is
online: several required quizzes as well as three major exams. Therefore it is absolutely
essential that you can meet the computer requirements for this class. (See Technical
Responsibilities below)
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historical documents, maps and economic and demographic models.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. It is an online class which will meet through a
computer format.
Prerequisites: must have passed or be concurrently enrolled in English 1301 and be
computer literate and able to work in an intensive online environment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To provide a comprehensive introduction to the essential social/cultural, political,
military and diplomatic elements of United States history before 1877.
2. To provide students with a thorough grounding in problem-solving and analytical
thinking, particularly as they relate to American history.
3. To provide students with training in skills essential to success in a college/university
and/or work environment.
BOOKS
Required Text: Roark, The American Promise. Value 5th Ed., Vol. I.
Monographs: William Cronon, Changes in the Land. (Hill & Wang Pub.)
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Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Several editions available)
Because a basic source of information for this course will be the Roark textbook, it is essential
that you buy this text as soon as possible. Books should be available at the HCC bookstore in
the Learning Hub, Stafford. You can also buy this book online through the publisher (Bedford St.
Martins) or sources like Amazon.com. More than likely, you will find significantly cheaper prices
at sources other than the HCC Bookstores.
The Cronon book will not be available through the bookstore. You will need to purchase it
either online through Amazon.com or some other source; you may also find used copies at
places like Half Price books. Using these sources, you should find that this book can be
purchased at considerably lower cost than if purchased from the campus bookstore. You can
also find copies in most college and public libraries.
The Jacobs book is available free online at Gutenberg.org and other online sources. You can
find hard copies also at many bookstores. I will place a link to Gutenberg on the class home
page once the semester is underway.
Do not wait to buy these books. If you have any difficulty obtaining them, let me know as
soon as possible.
EXAMS/ASSIGNMENTS
The final course grade will be based on the following elements:
1. Three major essay exams: 60%
2. Weekly online quizzes: 20%
3. Two book review essays : 20%
Each student will read the two (2) monographs listed above and write a 4-5 page
directed essay on each. Due dates and detailed instructions for each book will be
available on the class home page. Each essay will count 10% of the final grade. Papers
turned in late will have a letter grade deducted for each day late. Failure to complete
and turn in both papers will result in automatic failure of the course.
GRADING
Your final grade will be based on the assignments cited above using the percentages indicated
for each assignment.
Grading will follow the usual college standards (A=100-90; B=89-80; C+79-70, etc.) Grades will
not be curved. There will be no extra credit assignments. However, I do give credit for
improvement through the semester assuming that serious students will learn from their initial
mistakes and do better as the semester progresses.
It is imperative that students keep up with their grades throughout the semester. You will be
able to see your grades as you complete quizzes and exams by clicking on “Grades” or “Grade
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Book” on the class home page. If you make a low grade, it is strongly advised that you contact
me to discuss it. If you have difficulty computing your grade using the percentages cited above,
don’t hesitate to ask for my help.
MAKE-UPS
Because I will drop the two lowest quiz grades, there are no make-ups for quizzes. I will allow
one make-up of a major exam provided you have contacted me as to why you must miss it.
Making up a major exam may require you to come to a campus to do the exam. If you miss two
major exams, you must drop the course. All quizzes and exams must be completed within the
allotted time period for each assignment.
ATTENDANCE
Please Note: you must login to the class at least once during the first week of the
semester (January 19-25)). Failure to do so will result in the HCC system automatically
dropping you from the class.
Because this is an online class, attendance is an issue under your control. I will not
require that you log in to the class on any regular basis. My approach is to allow you to take
responsibility for when you choose to access the course and to set your own pace and schedule
for doing that. However, I strongly advise that you access the class on a regular basis and that
you not fall behind.
If for some reason you choose to stop taking part in the class, it is your responsibility
to formally withdraw no later than 4:30pm, April 5. Failure to withdraw by this date will likely
result in failure of the class.
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 withdrawal (“W”) from a course. Once a “W” is officially recorded it will not be
changed to another grade regardless of circumstances.
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
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 work and its appropriation as one’s own. If you aren’t clear as to what
constitutes plagiarism, ask me about it before you turn in your final draft. 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 a test, materials not
authorized by the instructor; collaborating with another student during a test; knowingly using,
buying, selling, etc. whole or part of an unadministered test. Any questions about academic
dishonesty should be referred to the Student Conduct section of the College System catalogue..
Violations of this policy can result in automatic failure of the course and/or expulsion from
the college.
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DISABILITY POLICY
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact a Disability Support
Service Counselor at the beginning of the semester and receive a letter of certification which
will spell out accommodations that must be provided. Faculty members are authorized to
provide only the accommodations indicated in that certification. Contact the HCC Distance
Education Office at HCCS.edu to access a counselor.
ONLINE ACCESS and RESOURCES
1. Use this link to access the Eagle Online login for the class: https://hccs1.mrooms3.net/login/.
Then use your student ID number and the password “distance” to login. You can change the
password later. (You can also access the login site through HCCS.edu)
2. Roark, The American Promise, contains a variety of study aids keyed to the text. The
resources at this site are free. You can reach this site at:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/roark5e/#t_747795. You will have to register as a new
student, but, again, it’s free. You can obtain premium access by purchasing a card, but I don’t
think you really need to do that.
ONLINE TUTORING
HCC offers an excellent resource for tutoring and for writing papers – AskOnline. You can
access it at http://hccs.askonline.net. Turn-around time for receiving help on papers is usually
18-24 hours, so you should plan on submitting papers for help well before they are due. Visit
the AskOnline website for details and further information.
TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Firefox Browser: It is essential that students use the Firefox browser for activities related to
this course. The Moodle software package that supports Eagle Online, especially its online
testing features, is designed specifically for Firefox. Failure to use Firefox when taking online
quizzes and exams can lead to complications that can prevent completion of those assignments.
You can download a free copy of Firefox by Googling Firefox and following the instructions.
Basic Technical Responsibilities: It is assumed that every student who enrolls in an online class
is computer literate and has access to reliable, up-to-do date computer equipment and the
required Internet access. It is your responsibility to honestly assess your ability to function in
an online environment closely linked to computer technology. It is also your responsibility to
evaluate the capabilities of your computer hardware and Internet reliability before and during
the period of this class to ensure that you will have ready access to all online course materials
and can take required exams and quizzes and submit work through the Eagle Online class site.
We cannot be responsible for failure to complete exams and other online assignments
because of computer or Internet problems. Especially during the limited periods available for
completing major examinations and submitting the written assignment, it is always advisable to
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have a plan readily available to deal with potential problems. That plan should include
eliminating potential distractions and disruptions before beginning a quiz or exam. You should
also have a backup computer and Internet system available. One solution might be to use the
computers available in HCC libraries and open computer labs.
DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
All students are responsible for reading and understanding the DE Student Handbook which
contains policies and information about student conduct and other expectations of students.
You may access the DE Student Handbook by visiting the Distance Education homepage or
through this link: http://de.hccs.edu/de/de-student-handbook.
CLASS INSTRUCTIONS AND ROUTINE
For detailed instructions regarding class routine, quizzes, exams and written assignments,
communication and other essential class activities, read carefully the “Introduction to History
1301” at the top of the class homepage. Other instructions may be placed on the homepage as
needed during the course of the semester.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
1. create an argument through the use of historical evidence
2. analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources
3. analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural and global forces during
this period.
4. understand the importance of chronology and how earlier ideas and events shaped later
events.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
1. discuss the Age of Exploration
2. explain colonization
3. identify the causes and effects of the American Revolution
4. explain the origins and impact of slavery
5. analyze the formation of the Republic
6. summarize the effects of expansion and innovation
7. explain nationalism and sectionalism
8. discuss the Civil War
9. evaluate the effects of Reconstruction
TITLE IX OF THE EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1972, 20 U.S.C. A§ 1681 ET.
SEQ.
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Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires that institutions have policies and
procedures that protect students’ rights with regard to sex/gender discrimination. Information
regarding these rights are on the HCC website under Students-Anti-discrimination. Students
who are pregnant and require accommodations should contact any of the ADA Counselors for
assistance.
It is important that every student understands and conforms to respectful behavior while at
HCC. Sexual misconduct is not condoned and will be addressed promptly. Know your rights
and how to avoid these difficult situations.
Log in to: www.edurisksolutions.org . Sign in using your HCC student e-mail account, then go
to the button at the top right that says Login and enter your student number.
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