HIST 4327.001
Early American Diplomatic History
Fall 2014, U.T., Tyler
Office: BUS 207C
Dr. James L. Newsom
(903) 566-7392
MWF, 11:15 – 12:10
jnewsom@uttyler.edu
Early American Diplomatic History
Syllabus and Calendar
Course Description: A study of the major themes in American foreign relations from the Revolution to 1912.
Textbooks:
Combs, Gerald A. The History of American Foreign Policy. 3 Edition. Volume 1. Sharpe, 2008. ISBN:
9780765620545.
rd
Sexton, Jay. The Monroe Doctrine: Empire and Nation in Nineteenth Century America . Hill and Wang, 2012.
ISBN: 9780809069996.
Jones, Howard. Blue and Gray Diplomacy: A History of Union and Confederate Foreign Relations . University of
North Carolina Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780807833490.
Hendrix, Henry. Theodore Roosevelt's Naval Diplomacy. Naval Institute Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781591143635.
Office Hours: 10:10-11:10 MWF; 12:15-1:15 MWF; 5:00-6:00 M; Other times by appointment.
Major Learning Outcomes: The purposes of this class are to develop a basic understanding of the major themes
and events of American Diplomatic History, and to develop analytical and communicative skills that have a
usefulness in, and beyond, the study of history. Through an examination of the major events, personalities, and
trends in American Diplomatic History the student should:
1) demonstrate a knowledge of important factual information concerning the period
2) be able to offer analysis of the importance of events
3) identify major trends and developments in various periods and areas within the time span of the course,
and describe them by explaining their major features and lasting impacts
4) gain an understanding of how the past helps to shape the present and the future
5) develop skills in reading comprehension as well as verbal and written expression of knowledge.
Methods of Evaluation: The student’s mastery of the subject material will be determined through three exams and
a policy review. An exam will be given on each scheduled test day. Do not be late—it will reduce the amount of
time you have to complete the exam. The three exams will each be worth 25% of your final grade. The policy
review is worth 15% of your grade. The remaining 10% of your grade is based upon class participation. I determine
this grade based upon class attendance and my evaluation of your participation in class discussions and behavior.
Every absence after the second grace absence (the equivalent of one week of class time) is worth 15 points deducted
from your class participation grade. Each exam will be based upon the content of lectures, discussions, and your
readings. Test format will be discussed prior to the first exam. No electronic devices (e.g. cell phones, pagers,
computers, cameras, etc.) will be used in the classroom once the exam has been passed out. In addition, once the
first exam has been turned in to the instructor or his representative, no further exams will be handed out. Any
student who enters following this event will be considered absent and will take the make-up exam on the make-up
exam day.
The policy review is an examination of a major foreign policy event, treaty, or individual. You are to examine the
impact of your topic on American foreign policy on the short term and the long term in a research paper (10-12
pages, double-spaced, 10 or 12 point font). You may use primary and secondary sources in the construction of your
policy review; tertiary sources, however, should be avoided. The paper needs to be in proper Turabian format.
Methods of Instruction: Lecture is the primary teaching method; however, class discussions, outside projects, and
outside reading will be used.
Attendance: All students are expected to attend every class meeting. Failure to sign the class attendance roster is
an absence. Students who come in late may be counted absent if the instructor believes the student missed too much
of the class. Students who anticipate being absent from class due to religious observances are requested to inform
the instructor in writing by the end of the second week of class. Make-up exams will be given only to students with,
in the opinion of the instructor, a valid reason for missing the exam. Each student is only allowed one make-up
exam; all other missed exams will receive a zero. Make-up exams will not receive the in-class benefits of bonus
questions and/or a grade curve (if given). Failure to take the make-up on the assigned day will result in a zero for
that exam.
Behavior: All students will maintain respect and courtesy for their classmates and for the instructor. Do not use
pagers, cell phones, communicators, signal fires, or other disruptive communicative devices during class. Turn off
such annoying hindrances to the learning process before class begins. Frequent violations of this rule will result in a
lowered class participation grade and egregious violations may result in the instructor lowering the student’s
semester grade. No profanity, sleeping, talking that interrupts the instructor, lewd, rude, or socially unacceptable
behavior (and even some socially acceptable behavior may not be allowed in class). “Free love” should not be
practiced in this class—hands off others and yourself. Remember, although the United States practices democracy
in the form of a representative constitutional republic, this class is a benevolent dictatorship. If student conduct
becomes unacceptable, the instructor will ask the student to leave and not return.
Students Rights and Responsibilities: To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and
responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler, please follow this link:
http://www2.uttyler.edu/wellness/rightsandresponsibilities.php
Grade Replacement/Forgiveness and Census Date Policies: Students repeating a course for grade forgiveness
(grade replacement) must file a Grade Replacement Contract with the Enrollment Services Center (ADM 230) on or
before the Census Date of the semester in which the course will be repeated. Grade Replacement Contracts are
available in the Enrollment Services Center or at http://www.uttyler.edu/registrar. Each semester’s Census Date can
be found on the Contract itself, on the Academic Calendar, or in the information pamphlets published each semester
by the Office of the Registrar.
Failure to file a Grade Replacement Contract will result in both the original and repeated grade being used to
calculate your overall grade point average. Undergraduates are eligible to exercise grade replacement for only three
course repeats during their career at UT Tyler; graduates are eligible for two grade replacements. Full policy details
are printed on each Grade Replacement Contract.
The Census Date is the deadline for many forms and enrollment actions that students need to be aware of. These
include:
for taking courses as Audit, Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit.
-enrolled in classes after being dropped for non-payment
State-Mandated Course Drop Policy: Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall
2007 or thereafter from dropping more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes
courses dropped at another 2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this rule, a dropped
course is any course that is dropped after the census date (See Academic Calendar for the specific date).
Exceptions to the 6-drop rule may be found in the catalog. Petitions for exemptions must be submitted to the
Enrollment Services Center and must be accompanied by documentation of the extenuating circumstance. Please
contact the Enrollment Services Center if you have any questions.
Disability Services: In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) the University offers accommodations to students with learning,
physical and/or psychiatric disabilities. If you have a disability, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic
diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, PTSD or ADHD, or you have a history of modifications or
accommodations in a previous educational environment you are encouraged to contact the Student Accessibility and
Resources office and schedule an interview with the Accessibility Case Manager/ADA Coordinator, Cynthia
Lowery Staples. If you are unsure if the above criteria applies to you, but have questions or concerns please contact
the SAR office. For more information or to set up an appointment please visit the SAR office located in the
University Center, Room 3150 or call 903.566.7079. You may also send an email to cstaples@uttyler.edu
Student Absence due to Religious Observance: Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious
observance are requested to inform the instructor of such absences by the second class meeting of the semester.
Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities: If you intend to be absent for a universitysponsored event or activity, you (or the event sponsor) must notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date
of the planned absence. At that time the instructor will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be
completed.
Social Security and FERPA Statement: It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the
confidential nature of social security numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all
students have an identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks violation of the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted electronically.
Emergency Exits and Evacuation: Everyone is required to exit the building when a fire alarm goes off. Follow
your instructor’s directions regarding the appropriate exit. If you require assistance during an evacuation, inform
your instructor in the first week of class. Do not re-enter the building unless given permission by University Police,
Fire department, or Fire Prevention Services.
Tentative Calendar of Instruction:
Aug. 25
Aug. 27
Aug. 29
Introduction, Syllabus Discussion
Revolutionary Beginnings: Idealism and Realism in American Foreign Policy
Revolutionary Beginnings: The Quest for Allies and the Franco-American Pact
Sept. 1
Sept. 3
Sept. 5
Labor Day Holiday: NO CLASS
Revolutionary Beginnings: Foreign Policy of the New Nation
Federalist Era: Washington's Diplomacy
Sept. 8
Sept. 10
Sept. 12
Federalist Era: French Revolution and the Challenge to the U.S.
Federalist Era: Jay's Treaty and Pinckney's Treaty
Federalist Era: John Adams the Quasi-War with France
Sept. 15
Sept. 17
Sept. 19
Jeffersonian Diplomacy: America's First War on Terrorism—The Barbary Wars
Jeffersonian Diplomacy: Jefferson and Napoleon—buying the Louisiana Purchase
Jeffersonian Diplomacy: The Decline of Anglo-American Relations
Sept. 22
Sept. 24
Sept. 26
Jeffersonian Diplomacy: Jefferson's Policies
War of 1812: Madison's Policies
War of 1812: War with Britain
Sept. 29
Oct. 1
War of 1812: Peace and the Treaty of Ghent
James Monroe and John Quincy Adams and the Quest for Hemispheric Order:
Great Britain and the US—The Monroe Doctrine
James Monroe and John Quincy Adams and the Quest for Hemispheric Order
Spain and the US—Adams-Onis Treaty
Oct. 3
Oct. 6
Oct. 8
Exam #1 Pt. 1 (Combs, Chapters 1-4
Exam #1 Pt. 2 (Sexton. The Monroe Doctrine)
Oct. 10
Oct. 13
Oct. 15
Oct. 17
Jacksonian Diplomacy: The Caroline Affair and Canadian Rebellions
Jacksonian Diplomacy: The "Aroostook War" and Alexander McLeod
Jacksonian Diplomacy: The Creole Affair, Daniel Webster and Lord Ashburton
Antebellum Diplomacy: Manifest Destiny and 54-40 or Fight
Oct. 20
Oct. 22
Oct. 24
Antebellum Diplomacy: Texas and The War with Mexico
Antebellum Diplomacy: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Aftermath of the MexicanAmerican War
Antebellum Diplomacy: Opening the Far East and the Southern Attempt at Caribbean Control
Oct. 27
Oct. 29
Oct. 31
Civil War Diplomacy: The Origins of Union Diplomacy
Civil War Diplomacy: The Origins of Confederate Diplomacy
Civil War Diplomacy: The Trent Affair and Europe on the Sidelines
Nov. 3
Nov. 5
Nov. 7
Civil War Diplomacy: Reestablishment of Hemispheric Control
Exam #2 Pt. 1 (Combs, Chapters 5-6)
Exam #2 Pt. 2 (Jones. Blue and Gray Diplomacy)
Nov. 10
Nov. 12
Nov. 14
Foundations of Modern America: Legacy of the Civil War
Foundations of Modern America: Alaska
Foundations of Modern America: Latin America
Nov. 17
Nov. 19
Nov. 21
Foundations of Modern America: Hawaii and Asia
Foundations of Modern America: Birth of the Modern Navy
Foundations of Modern America: Birth of the Modern Navy
Nov. 24
Nov. 26
Nov. 28
America on the World Stage: The Spanish-American War
America on the World Stage: The Spanish-American War
America on the World Stage: The Spanish-American War
Dec. 1
Dec. 3
Dec. 5
The World's Policeman: Open Door and Empire in the Philippines (Position Paper Due)
The World's Policeman: Latin America
The World's Policeman: The Eve of World War I
Dec. 8
Study Day—NO CLASS
Dec. 12
Final Exam (10:15 – 12:15) (Covers Combs, Chapters 7-11; and Hendrix Theodore
Roosevelt's Naval Diplomacy)