Instructor: Thomas Caperton, MA/History
Fall 2015
HIST1301 United States History to 1877
Class Time: M-F as scheduled
Office Hours/Conference Period: 2nd Period
Office/Room: 1805
Telephone: 832.452.8934
HHS Email: tcaperton@huntsville-isd.org
LSCS Voicemail: 936-555-2850
LSCS Email: Thomas.R.Caperton@lonestar.edu
Website (via Huntsville ISD web site) or:
http://www.huntsvilleisd.org/hhs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98&Itemid=169
Division – BASS
Department Chair, Amy Curry, Ph.D. amy.curry@lonestar.edu (936)273-7057 Office A220-F
Division Dean, Kirk Bennett, MBA (936)273-7321 Office F355
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Hist 1301 is a survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the
United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. United States
History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery
and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in
United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion,
civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and
creation of the federal government.
CREDIT
3.0 hours, transferable to any 4-year institution in the state of Texas.
PREREQUISITES
Placement by testing.
ADA STATEMENT
LSCS is dedicated to providing access and services in compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Lone Star College is committed to
ensuring that equal access to its educational programs, activities, and facilities occurs for
students with disabilities. Disability Services at each of the five campuses assists current and
future students by determining and recommending appropriate academic support services.
Disability Services focuses on helping students with disabilities make a successful transition to
the college and acts as a referral source for services both on campus and within the community.
All students with disabilities are encouraged to register with Disability Services on the
campus they will be attending and provide appropriate documentation of their disability.
Students should register with Disability Services as early as possible to help ensure that all
accommodations are in place by the beginning of the semester. The official accommodation
letter must be presented to the instructor before any accommodations may be made. No
retroactive accommodations will be made for assignments completed before presentation of
the letter. Whenever feasible, accommodation letters should be presented to the instructor
within the first two weeks of class. Please note that it is not necessary to disclose any personal
and/or medical information to the instructor.
Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this course are encouraged
to contact the Disability Services as soon as possible to ensure such accommodations are
implemented in a timely fashion. The Disability Services Office at LSC-Montgomery is located
in C-108D. Contact information for the various LSC campuses can be found at
http://www.lonestar.edu/disability-services.htm.
PURPOSE
History 1301 studies the broader questions and trends in American History. We will learn certain
historical facts, but understanding theory also enhances our ability to analyze both the continuity
and the jolting changes that mark our history.
COURSE OUTCOMES (STUDENT LEARNING OJBECTIVES – SLO’S)
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 on this
period of United States history.
CORE OBJECTIVES
Courses in this category of the core focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to
the United States. Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the
nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of
the United States and its global role.
History 1301 and 1302 must include assignments/exercises that address the following core
objectives
1. Critical thinking skills
evaluation and synthesis of information
and analysis,
2. Communication skills
3. Team Work
effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
4. Personal Responsibility
consequences to ethical decision-making
5. Social Responsibility
ability to engage effectively in regional, national and global communities
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! Seagull 4th Ed. W. W. Norton, Vol. I ISBN 978-0-393-92030-7
Ellis, Joseph J., Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Oates, Stephen B., The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING
In the case of plagiarism (claiming that words and ideas of others are your own and/or not
indicating the source of ideas), the instructor reserves the right to give the student a zero for the
assignment and/or an F for the course. In the case of cheating during the course of an exam or
unauthorized collaboration on a writing project, the instructor reserves the right to give the
student or students a zero for the assignment and/or an F for the course. You will find the LSCS
policy on academic integrity at http://www.lonestar.edu/advising.
The Lone Star College System subscribes to Turnitin.com, an online collaborative learning tool
for faculty which supports faculty in their quest to uphold academic integrity. Student
coursework may be submitted to the scrutiny of the Turnitin.com software. Please note that
these submissions of assignments to Turnitin.com do not necessarily constitute an accusation of
plagiarism on the student’s part.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES POLICY
No electronic devices of any kind may be used during class time without instructor
approval. This includes laptop computers, cell phones, smart phones, Bluetooth devices, MP3
players, etc. Please turn off all devices during the class period. Students whose cell phones ring
during class, will be asked to leave class.
ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS




This course emphasizes the development of discussion skills, the ability to work
responsibly in a group, and the honing of critical thinking skills. Therefore, participation
in class discussions and activities is crucial. If you are not in class, you cannot participate.
ATTENDANCE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Missing class can seriously affect your grade. Information included on exams is not
always covered in your readings so missing class can and does affect your exam scores.
I will not drop students with excessive absences; if you decide to stop attending, it is
your responsibility to complete the proper withdrawal/drop forms. If you do not,
you will receive a grade for the course. The Lone Star College System withdrawal
policies can be found online at http://www.lonestar.edu/changes-withdrawals.htm .
*The last day to drop this class and receive a "W" is November 9, 2015. No drops
will be accepted after this date. The instructor will not drop you from the course. If
you remain in the class after the official drop date, you will receive a grade for the
course. The Lone Star College System withdrawal policies online at
http://www.lonestar.edu/changes-withdrawals.htm .
PREPARATION FOR CLASS:
The nature of this course necessitates that chapters from the text be read prior to class. We will
be covering several chapters between tests and I will proceed at a pace that assumes you have
read the material and are prepared to ask and answer questions on it during class. Students
should be prepared for a quiz on the readings at the discretion of the instructor.
GRADING
GRADE DISTRIBUTION:
Chapter Quizzes/Daily Work:
Unit/Book Exams (6): (60%)
Presentation:
Final Exam
GRADING SCALE: (Traditional)
15%
10%
10%
15%
A= 90-100%
B= 80-89%
C= 70-79%
D= 60-69%
F= below 60%
NOTE: Grades are not rounded. A 69.99% will receive a “D” and a 59.99% will result in failure
of the course. There are ample opportunities for students to achieve an appropriate grade.
COURSE WORK:
EXAMS
 All 4 unit exams include multiple choice (in-class) and short answer/essay questions.
Essay questions are in the form of “chapter review questions” which will be completed
out of class and turned-in when assigned. The exams may also have a short map section
in which the student is asked to identify several geographic features. Each exam will
cover assigned readings, lectures, discussions and other activities covered in that

particular unit. Time permitting; there may be a review during the class period prior to
the exam. [Core Objective 2 Critical Thinking Skills]
The final exam format is generally the same as unit tests. The primary difference is that
the essay questions for the final are broadly comprehensive. [Core Objective 2 Critical
Thinking Skills]
CHAPTER QUIZZES
Students will take a fill-in-the-blank quiz/test after each chapter is covered in class. This test
will be given in class and take a portion of the class time. Each test will be counted as half of
one daily grade, so two consecutive tests equal one (daily) test grade. [Core Objective 2 Critical
Thinking Skills]
PRESENTATIONS
Each student will be required to select a topic pertaining to U.S. History to 1877 and either make
a presentation or write a paper. The in-class presentation will be no less than 5 minutes and no
longer than 15 minutes. The topic must be approved by the instructor. The presentation will
include a written summary of the information presented and a classroom presentation. Students
can use power point, but I will not give credit if the power point is only a slide full of words from
your written part. We will discuss how to do power points in class. The presentation will
amount to 10% of the overall grade. [Core Objectives 1 & 2]
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DOCUMENTS:
Students will analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources. This will be assessed by
student understanding of written, visual, or audio primary sources and book exams (see below).
Chapter quizzes and/or unit tests may include images, quotations, political cartoons, or audio
selections for analysis and interpretation. [Core Objective 2 – Primary sources]
BOOK EXAMS
Students are required to read Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation and The Fires of
Jubilee: Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion. There will be an in-class essay exam over these books.
The questions will be broad and designed to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of the
book. This exam will count the same as a unit exam (i.e. major grade) [Core Objectives 1 & 2]
Core Foundational
Component Areas
Communication
Skills: written,
oral, and visual
communication
Communication Skills
Yes
Critical Thinking Skills
Yes
Critical Thinking
Skills: Creative
thinking, innovation,
inquiry, and analysis,
evaluation and
synthesis of
information
Yes
Yes
Assignment
Chapter review
questions; book tests
Unit tests & project
research, presentations
DUE DATES/MAKEUP POLICY
Due dates listed on the schedule are firm; absence is not an excuse for turning in an assignment
late. If a student has a legitimate excuse for an absence, any missed assignments will be
completed within the number of class days a student was absent. If an assignment is late the
student will receive half credit. If an emergency arises, contact me immediately.
SYLLABUS CHANGES
While every attempt has been made to prepare this syllabus and class schedule in final form, it
will be the instructor's prerogative to make any changes as may be deemed necessary in order to
meet the learning outcomes of the course. Any changes will be announced in a timely manner.
HIST 1301 Course Calendar
**Note that the instructor reserves the right to make changes to the following schedule as
necessary. Any changes will be announced in a timely manner.**
WEEK ONE - CHAPTER ONE – A NEW WORLD to 9/1
WEEK TWO - CHAPTER TWO – BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH AMERICA, 1607-1660 to 9/8
WEEK THREE – CHAPTER THREE – CREATING ANGLO-AMERICA, 1660-1750 to 9/15
WEEK FOUR – CHAPTER FOUR – SLAVERY, FREEDOM, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR
EMPIRE, TO 1763 to 9/22
EXAM ONE – THURS., 9/24
WEEK FIVE – CHAPTER FIVE – THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1763-1783 to 10/1
WEEK SIX – CHAPTER SIX – THE REVOLUTION WITHIN to 10/8
WEEK SEVEN – CHAPTER SEVEN – FOUNDING A NATION, 1783-1791 to 10/14
BOOK TEST: Founding Brothers – THURS., 10/15
WEEK EIGHT – CHAPTER EIGHT – SECURING THE REPUBLIC, 1791-1815 to 10/21
EXAM TWO – THURS., 10/22
WEEK NINE – CHAPTER NINE - THE MARKET REVOLUTION, 1800-1840 to 10/29
WEEK TEN – CHAPTER TEN – DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA, 1815-1840 to 11/5
WEEK ELEVEN – CHAPTER ELEVEN – THE PECULULIAR INSTITUTION to 11/10
BOOK TEST: The Fires of Jubilee – THURS., 11/12
WEEK TWELVE - CHAPTER TWELVE – AN AGE OF REFORM, 1820-1840 to 11/18
EXAM THREE – THURS., 11/19
Thanksgiving Holidays November 23-27
WEEK THIRTEEN – CHAPTER THIRTEEN – A HOUSE DIVIDED, 1840-1861 to 12/3
WEEK FOURTEEN – CHAPTER FOURTEEN NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM: THE CIVIL
WAR, 1861-1865&CHAPTER FIFTEEN – WHAT IS FREEDOM?: RECONSTRUCTION,
1865-1877 to 12/10A to 12/7
WEEK FIFTEEN - STUDENT PRESENTATIONS & FINAL EXAMS 12/8-12/11