History 1301 CRN 82731 U.S. History to 1877
Summer One 2012 M-Th 2:30 to 5:00pm
Houston Community College Southwest-West Loop Campus
Instructor: Dr. Rogan Ellen Brunet
Email: rogan.brunet@hccs.edu
Website: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/rogan.brunet
Office: F17 in the Student Success Center, Phone: 7137188195
Course Description: History 1301 is a survey of United States 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learn and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills and will work with historical documents,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 5 week, 48 contact hour course which fulfills three hours of the state-mandated sixhour history requirement. Completion of this class will also improve performance in reading, writing,
critical thinking, communication, and computer skills.
Prerequisites: Must be placed into college-level reading and college-level writing.
Learning Objectives: This course will enable the student to gain a clearer understanding of American
History by examining the social, economic, and political factors influencing this country’s history from
European Colonization to the year 1877. Included topics are the exploration and colonization of the
Americas, Colonial America, the Revolution and the formation of the United States, the creation of the
two party system, the exploration and conquest of the West, and the sectionalism of mid-19th century
America. Students will gain a clear perspective on how these issues form an interconnected and
continuous web of history. Furthermore, students will increase their critical thinking skills and their
writing ability through the use of essay exams. In addition, students will read/assess primary source
documents on the internet, expanding their computer skills, and their knowledge of the historical era
studied.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Students will be able to create an argument through the use of historical evidence.
2. Students will be able to analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources.
3. Students will be able to analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, and cultural
forces on this period of U.S. history.
4. Students will be able to understand the importance of chronology and how earlier ideas and
events shaped later events.
Texts:
American Passages, v.1, 3rd ed., Edward Ayers, et. al. (recommended)
www.digitalhistory.uh.edu, Stephen Mintz (recommended)
Captivity Narratives, see website for links to readings
The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale, Thomas Nickerson, Owen Chase (required),
ISBN 978-0140437966
Purchasing a textbook is optional. If you want a textbook for this class, my recommendation is American
Passages, v1. There is also an online textbook available at www.digitalhistory.uh.edu. This course is lecture
intensive however and reading a textbook will not replace lecture notes. Any textbook should be used as a
supplement to the information presented each day in class. In addition, lecture outlines are available on my
Learning Web site. Please have them in class on the day of the appropriate lecture.
Exams: There will be two exams in this course, a midterm and a final. Each exam will consist of two essay
questions. A study guide to the exam will be given prior to the exam date. Each exam is worth 100 pts. No
student will be admitted to the classroom fifteen minutes after the exam has begun. It is assumed that all
students will take all exams at the assigned times, unless you make arrangements to the contrary ahead of the
scheduled exam time.
Reading Assignments: The two assigned reading are Captivity Narratives by Mary Rowlandson and
Mary Jemison and The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale, Thomas Nickerson, Owen Chase, et,
al. These readings will not be available for purchase in the book store but you can find them online or
at bookstores in town. The exams for these readings will be essay in content and will be given in class.
On the day of the exam, please bring the readings or book to class.
Make-up Exams: Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the instructor, and only if the student
has a university approved reason for missing an exam. You must have the approval of the instructor to
schedule a make-up exam. Students will take make-ups at a scheduled time at the end of the
semester. Please note that students are limited to one make-up exam.
Extra Credit: I do not give extra credit assignments so do not ask for special consideration. If you have
time for extra credit assignments, then you have time to do the work to pass the class.
Grades: Your grades in this class are a reflection of your critical thinking skills, how well you analyze the data
presented to you and how you organize this data into educated opinions. You will do this by writing an essay on
each exam. The purpose of an essay is to present your point of view about a given topic. In this class, an essay
is the vehicle to demonstrate your mastery of the subject and your organization of these facts into a logical
conclusion that states your opinion of the given subject. You will be graded on content and grammar.
Houston Community College now charges higher tuition rates for students who repeat a class for the
third time (or more).
Your final grade will be derived from the sum of your two exams (200 pts) and reading exams (200
pts), divided by the total number of points possible (400 pts). The grading scale is as follows:
A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60, F=59-0
Final Grades will be available to students by July 9. Please note that there will be no curving of grades
in this class.
Incompletes: If you experience an unexpected hardship or personal matter during the course of the
semester, you may be able to take an incomplete for the class. The requirements for an incomplete
are as follows: you must have a passing grade for the class and you must have completed at least
75% of the classwork. Remember that any incomplete work must be finished within a semester or the
“I” will change to an “F”.
Open Computer Lab: There are several open computer labs available on the West Loop Campus that
will provide students with access to the internet and email. You can also purchase a printing card to
use the printers in these labs. Please see the instructor for more information if needed.
Computers and Tape Recorders: If you wish, you may use tape recorders and computers to facilitate
note taking in class. Note that if you use a computer to play games or surf the web in this class, it is a
distraction to others and I will have you dropped from the class.
Cell Phones: Cell phones are highly disruptive in class. All students are required to either turn their cell
phones to vibrate or power them off. In the case of a student expecting an important phone call,
please inform me of the situation before class. If your cell phone rings during class, I reserve the right
to deduct one point from your final class average. Students receiving or sending texts during class will
be asked to leave. If texting in class is continual, I will drop that student.
Attendance Requirements: Attendance will be taken at every class meeting. I cannot stress enough
the importance of attending classes. Excessive absences will negatively affect your grade.
Attendance will be taken at every class meeting. If, in the course of the semester, any student misses
more than six classes, then that student WILL BE ADMINISTRATIVELY DROPPED. If you wish to drop
this class, please inform me that you intend to do so. It is your responsibility to drop this class if you so
desire. The final date for withdrawal is June 25. If you do not feel you will pass the class, you must
take the responsibility to withdraw on yourself. International students, students receiving financial aid
and veterans must be enrolled full time (12 hours) in order to maintain their status. Please keep this
in mind if you decide to drop this class. The HCCS History Department has mandated that NO ‘”W” will
be changed to an “F”. Also, make an effort to arrive in class on time. If you are not in class when roll is
called you will not be counted present for that day.
The last day for add/drop/swap is June 5. The final date to drop this class is June 25.
Please be aware of the fact that you are limited to six withdrawals over your college career when you are
considering dropping the class.
Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by
HCC policy and by the rules of this class.
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Plagiarism is the use of the ideas or words of another person (either whole or in part) without
crediting the source and constitutes 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 includes, 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.
Students with Disabilities: I will make every effort to accommodate those students with disabilities.
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.
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.
Course Calendar:
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
Introduction to the course, start reading Captivity Narratives
Topic One: Children of the Corn (We Call It Maize): Pre-Columbian America
Topic Two: “I’m On A Boat”: European Exploration and Colonization
Topic Three: Colonization for Dummies or How the British Colonized North America
June 11
June 12
June 13
June 14
Topic Four: Puritans, Quakers and Cavaliers, Oh My!: British America to 1700
Topic Five: The Creation of a Revolutionary Mentality, 1700-1763
Topic Six: Let’s Have A Revolution!
READING EXAM: Captivity Narratives
June 18
June 19
June 20
June 21
MIDTERM: Topics One to SIX, start reading Essex (if you haven’t already)
Topic Seven: The Young Republic
Topic Eight: Jeffersonian America 1801-1819
Topic Nine: “My Country ‘tis of Thee”, The Growth of Nationalism 1817-1840
June 25
June 26
June 27
June 28
Topic Ten: Elbow Room, Elbow Room! Manifest Destiny
Topic Eleven: “A House Divided…”
Topic Twelve: The Civil War and Reconstruction
READING EXAM: Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by A Whale
July 2
July 3
July 4
July 5
Catch-up Day
Catch-up Day
Independence Day Holiday
Final Exam 2:30pm