The Shaping of a Nation: U.S. History to 1877
Heidi S. Giusto
Office Hours: M-W-F: 12:30-2:00 and by appointment
Office: Carr 204
Phone: 555-5555
Email: hsg3@duke.edu
Fall Semester 2006
HIST 100
M W F: 11-11:50
Carr 120
Course Description:
The United States of America is a country of diversity and multiculturalism. These two
aspects of the nation’s history have been present in the Americas since before the first
encounters of the indigenous populations and European explorers and settlers.
Economic, political, environmental, institutional and demographic changes shaped the
birth and first century of the United States. Understanding these critical factors will not
only increase your understanding of United States history but also will serve as a tool to
evaluate and critique historical actors and events.
We will begin our studies with the Amerindians before European contact and conclude
with the end of political Reconstruction. The course is divided into three five-week parts.
In Part I, we will examine indigenous populations and European settlement in North
America. Crucial to this settlement is the forced migration of Africans to serve as slaves
for European settlers. During Part II we will learn about the shift from a colonial society
to a new nation. Understanding the factors that led to the War for Independence will
inform our assessment of the American Revolution and the country that developed after
it. In Part III we will explore the divisions that arose in the infant nation, culminating in
civil war. Finally, we will look at the postwar attempts to heal the wounds caused by
centuries of institutionalized racial slavery and the efforts to create a stronger union.
Each week there will be two lecture sessions and one discussion section. Discussion will
be held each Friday. Occasionally, we will also have in-class activities relevant to the
day’s subject material.
Textbook requirements
Books are available at the university bookstore. Other required readings will be available
through E-Reserve.
Jon Butler, Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 2000).
Frederick Douglass, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (New York: Simon
and Schuster, Inc., 2004).
Melton A. McLaurin, Celia: A Slave (Athens: University of Georgia Press,1991).
Norman K. Risjord, Jefferson’s America, 1760-1815 (Lanham, MD: Rowman &
Littlefield, 2002).
Alan Taylor, American Colonies (New York: Penguin Books, 2002).
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Bernard A. Weisberger, America Afire: Jefferson, Adams, and the Revolutionary
Election of 1800 (New York: Harper Collins, 2000).
Prerequisites: None
Learning Objectives:
1. Broaden knowledge of social, economic, cultural, and political changes of early
American history to 1877.
2. Gain awareness of current historical debates surrounding this period.
3. Increase ability to identify, comprehend, and critique historical arguments.
4. Improve writing skills by evaluating and analyzing historical arguments and
perspectives.
Weekly Agenda:
All readings are to be completed for the MONDAY lecture of every week. Your
knowledge of the readings will be evaluated on the FRIDAY of each week through
discussion and quizzes.
PART I: First Encounters to 1763
Week 1 (Aug 28, Aug 30, Sept 1)
Introduction of course; Amerindians and Background to the Age of Exploration
(Reading: Alan Taylor, Chapters 1-5; on E-reserves)
Week 2 (Sept 4, Sept 6, Sept 8)
Establishing Colonies
(Reading: Taylor, Chapters 6-9; 11-12. Note: This week’s readings are extensive, but
next week will be a lighter load!)
Week 3 (Sept 11, Sept 13, Sept 15)
Descent into Slavery
(Reading: Created Equal Chapter 4, African Enslavement: The Terrible Transformation
and Ira Berlin, “Time, Space, and the Evolution of Afro-American Society on British
Mainland North America,” both on E-reserves)
Week 4 (Sept 18, Sept 20, Sept 22)
Growth of Colonies (Populating the Colonies & Great Awakening)
(Reading: Jon Butler, Becoming America, Chapters 1 and 5)
Week 5 (Sept 25, Sept 27, Sept 29) (First exam is on Sept 29)
Imperial Conflicts and the Seven Years’ War
(Reading: Butler, Chapters 2 and 3)
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PART II: Revolution and the New Nation, 1763-1819
Week 6 (Oct 2, Oct 4, Oct 6) (Book Review due at the start of class Oct. 6)
Coming of Revolution and the Fight for Independence
(Reading: Norman K. Risjord, Jefferson’s America, 1760-1815, Chapters 4-6)
Week 7 (Oct 11, Oct 13 [Fall Break Oct 9])
Forging a New Nation and the New Constitution
(Reading: Risjord, Jefferson’s America, Chapters 8-11)
Week 8 (Oct 16, Oct 18, Oct 20)
Revolutionary Legacies, 1789-1800
(Reading: Bernard Weisberger, America Afire, Prologue and Chapters 1-7)
Week 9 (Oct 23, Oct 25, Oct 27)
Political Changes, 1800-1819
(Reading: Weisberger, America Afire, Chapters 8-14 and Epilogue)
Week 10 (Oct 30, Nov 1, Nov 3) Second exam is on Nov 3
Growth & Expansion of the New Nation
(Reading: Ray Allen Billington, Westward Expansion, “Introduction: The Frontier
Hypothesis,” pp. 1-12, and Perdue and Green, The Cherokee Removal, selections, both on
E-reserves)
Part III: A Nation in Crisis, 1820-1877
Week 11 (Nov 6, Nov 10, Nov 12)
Inhuman Bondage
(Reading: McLaurin, Celia, A Slave)
Week 12 (Nov 13, Nov 15, Nov 17) Essay due at the start of class Nov. 17
Social & Economic Changes (Reform/Religious revival)
(Reading: Joseph Comforti, “The Invention of the Great Awakening, 1795-1842,” Early
American Literature 1991 26(2): 99-118; and Nancy F. Cott, “Young Women in the
Second Great Awakening in New England,” Feminist Studies 1975 3(1-2): 15-29; both
on E-reserves)
Week 13 (Nov 20, [Thanksgiving Break Nov 22-26])
Escalations of Crisis
(No reading: Happy Thanksgiving!)
American Experience: John Brown’s Holy War, (Produced by PBS)
Week 14 (Nov 27, Nov 29, Dec 1)
Civil War
(Reading: Selections from primary documents, on E-reserves)
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Week 15 (Dec 4, Dec 6, Dec 8)
Life After Slavery
(Reading: Eric Foner, A Short History of Reconstruction, Preface and Chapters 3-4, and
Leslie Schwalm, A Hard Fight for We, Chapter 6, “‘In Their Own Way’: Women and
Work in the Postbellum South,” all on E-reserves)
FINAL EXAM: December 17th, 11am-2pm in Carr 120
Learning Activities:
Below is a list of your learning activities, and a brief description of each exercise. We
will discuss each assignment as it approaches and I will provide proper guidance for
successful completion of each assignment.
1. Quizzes and Participation – 15%
There will be six short (five question) in-class quizzes to evaluate your
comprehension of the reading. A missed quiz cannot be made up – you
must therefore consult us prior to each absence
2. Three exams – 15%, 15%, 25% (The last exam is the final.)
Exams will consist of short identification questions (these will answer the
“who, what, when, where,” and, most importantly, the significance of a
particular term) and a longer essay. You will have a choice of essay
questions.
3. Book Review – 10%
You will have a choice in which book you would like to review. I have
included suggestions on page 6, but other pre-approved books about the
American Revolution will be acceptable as well. A review will state the
author’s main arguments, strengths and weaknesses of the book. A review
is not just a summary; later in the semester we will provide more detailed
instructions for this assignment.
4. Essay – 20%
You will rely on a slave narrative and contemporary newspapers to write
your final essay. This essay should demonstrate writing and analytical
skills and an understanding of the historical period. We will provide more
details about this assignment later in the semester.
A letter grade will be deducted for each day an assignment is late, up to three days.
Assignments more than three days late will be given an F.
If you must miss an exam please notify me at least 24 hours in advance and also provide
a documented reason for the absence.
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Grading Scale:
A+ 97-100
A 93-96
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+
C
CD
D
DF
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
Below 60
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance and participation are REQUIRED and are weighed in your final grade.
Assigned reading is designed to supplement lecture material and therefore class
attendance is imperative. If you must miss class, please notify me at least 24 hours in
advance. Excused absences include family emergences, religious holidays, and illness
with doctor’s note.
University Policies:
I am fully committed to University policies that serve to enrich our classroom
environment. Therefore, I respect the observation of religious holidays. I uphold
university guidelines that forbid discrimination and harassment based on sexual
orientation, race, gender, or religious affiliation. I am happy to offer assistance to those
students who may need extra accommodations due to physical handicap or visual or
hearing impairment. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact me with any
assistance they may require.
Academic Integrity:
Please review the Academic Integrity Council’s website,
http://www.integrity.duke.edu/ugrad/index.html, as it is your responsibility to be aware of
university policies.
Plagiarism:
You are responsible for understanding what constitutes plagiarism. Duke University
defines plagiarism as, “Expropriation of words, phrases, or ideas of another without
attribution for the benefit of one who engages in the act of expropriation.” Examples of
plagiarism include: copying from published or electronic sources without proper
citations, paraphrasing someone else’s work without proper citations, and buying and
using a paper that is already written. For a more detailed explanation of plagiarism and
its consequences, please consult Duke University’s website:
http://www.lib.duke.edu/reference/virtual/plagiarism.htm.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. Violators will be dealt with according to
university protocol outlined on the website.
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Possible Books to Review for History 100
Writing Assignment #1
***Please choose one of the following books. If you would prefer to select a book not on
this list, you must have it approved by an instructor.
Calloway, Colin G. The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in
Native American Communities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Fenn, Elizabeth A. Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82. New
York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
Frey, Sylvia R. Water from the Rock: Black Resistance in a Revolutionary Age.
Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1991.
Griffith, Samuel. The War for American Independence: From 1760 to the Surrender at
Yorktown in 1781.
Higginbotham, Don. The War of American Independence: Military Attitudes, Policies,
and Practice, 1763-1789. New York: Macmillan, 1971.
Holton, Woody. Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves, & the Making of the
American Revolution in Virginia. Chapel Hill and London: The University of
North Carolina Press, 1999.
Kars, Marjoleine. Breaking Loose Together: The Regulator Rebellion in PreRevolutionary North Carolina. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North
Carolina Press, 2002.
Langley, Lester D. The Americas in the Age of Revolution, 1750-1850. New Haven and
London: Yale University Press, 1996.
Maier, Pauline. From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development
of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1776. New York and London: W. W.
Norton & Company, 1972.
McCullough, David. 1776. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Nash, Gary B. The Urban Crucible: The Northern Seaports and the Origins of the
American Revolution. Abridged ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London,
England: Harvard University Press, 1979.
Neimyer, Charles Patrick. America Goes to War: A Social History of the Continental
Army. New York: New York University Press, 1996.
Norton, Mary Beth. Liberty’s Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience of American
Women, 1750-1800, 1980.
Usner, Daniel H. Jr. Indians, Settlers, & Slaves in a Frontier Exchange Economy: The
Lower Mississippi Valley before 1783. Chapel Hill and London: The University of
North Carolina Press, 1992.
Wood, Gordon S. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. New York: Vintage
Books, 1991.
Wood, W. J. Battles of the Revolutionary War: 1775-1781.
Young, Alfred F. The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American
Revolution. Boston: Beacon Press, 1999.
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