Link to Seating Chart

HIST2300.162

American History before 1877

Spring 2017
Tuesday-Thursday 11:00–12:20

 

Instructor: Dr. Mark Stoll
Office: HH 135     Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30–10:30 a.m., and by appointment
E-mail: Mark.Stoll@ttu.edu     Web: http://www.markstoll.net/

 

Frank Bellizzi
frank.bellizzi@ttu.edu
A through C. Gonzales
Office: HH151A-B
Hours: Tue., 1:00-4:00
William Fey
william.fey@ttu.edu
T. Gonzales through Perry
Office: HH151A-B
Hours: Tue. 1:00-2:30, Fri. 1:00-2:30
Katie Holt
katherine.holt@ttu.edu
Pettes-Foley through Z
Office: HH151A-B
Hours: Tue. 1:30-2:30, Wed. 1-3

Textbooks:

William Cronon, Changes in the Land
Study Questions

Paul E. Johnson, A Shopkeeper's Millennium
Study Questions

James M. McPherson, For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War
Study Questions

David Emory Shi and George Brown Tindall, America: A Narrative History, brief 10th ed.

Read chapters in America: A Narrative History that complement each lecture topic, as described in the course schedule. To prepare for the first exam, read the book by Cronon and answer the study questions. Read Johnson and answer the study questions to prepare for the second exam. Read McPherson and answer the study questions to prepare for the final.

Format: Lecture

Grading:

·         There will be three examinations. Students must bring bluebooks on exam days.

·         All make-up exams and quizzes will be given on the last Monday of classes only.

·         Each midterm counts 28% of the final grade; the final counts 44%.

Attendance: Attendance will be taken in class. Students with perfect attendance will receive a bonus of 3 points on their final grades. Students who miss more than 2 classes will lose 1.5 points off their final grades for each absence over two. Absences may be excused with written evidence of dire need, that is, death in the family, hospitalization, illness, etc. Students who have been absent shall present written excuses to the professor.

The jargon part that no one reads but has to be here:

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Core Foundational Component Area Criteria Description: Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area. (1,2) 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. (1,2) THECB Core Objectives Description Critical Thinking Skills: To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. (1,2) Communication Skills: To include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. (1,2) Personal Responsibility: To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. (1,2) Social Responsibility: To include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national and global communities. (1,2) Texas Tech University College-Level Core Competency Statement Students graduating from Texas Tech University should demonstrate an understanding of the historical origins of the United States and be able to identify and describe the importance of key individuals and events in United States history. (1,2) Texas Tech University Core Student Learning Outcomes: Identify and explain the origins and evolution of the political systems and political cultures that have shaped the United States. (1,2) Identify and analyze the various social and cultural factors that have shaped the daily experiences of people living in the U.S. (1) Develop and demonstrate analytical arguments in written and/or oral forms, related to American history. (1) Assessment of Learning Outcomes: (1) Exams (1) Reading quizzes.

Electronics in the Classroom: Because electronic devices distract both the student and other students around them, all electronic devices must be turned off during class time. This means no texting or other use of cell phones, and no laptops. Laptops may be used only if the instructor gives permission, but students must use the computer for class-related activities only, such as note-taking. This means no e-mail, social media, Internet surfing, video watching, or other non-academic activities. Students using unauthorized electronic devices during class will be asked to leave and counted absent for the day. If, during an exam, a student is seen using any electronic device, the exam will be collected immediately at that moment and receive a failing grade. Why? See "Electronics and the College Student."

Map quiz: Because geography shapes and influences history, students must know the basic facts of U.S. geography. All students will be required to pass a geography map test. This test will require students to locate, on an outline map of the U.S., 20 of the features named on the following list. A passing score is 80%. The test will be taken during the fist full week of class. Students will have opportunities to retake the map quiz if they fail, but must pass before March 10. Students must be able to locate the following on an outline map:

All 50 states by name

Rio Grande

Washington, D.C.

Canada

Appalachian Mountains

New York City

Mexico

Rocky Mountains

Philadelphia

Pacific Ocean

Sierra Nevada

Boston

Gulf of Mexico

Cascade Range

Atlanta

Atlantic Ocean

All 5 Great Lakes by name

Chicago

St. Lawrence River

Great Salt Lake

New Orleans

Hudson River

Puget Sound

St. Louis

Ohio River

Great Basin

Denver

Mississippi River

Great Plains

Santa Fe

Missouri River

Chesapeake Bay

Salt Lake City

Arkansas River

Florida Keys

Los Angeles

Columbia River

Cape Cod

San Francisco

Colorado River

Cape Canaveral

Seattle

 

Long Island

 

Note: These geographical features can be found in most encyclopedias and atlases. You might also try your luck on Wikipedia or Google Maps. Attached to this syllabus is a blank map for you to practice with.


 

Spring 2017 Course Schedule

Dates are tentative; the professor reserves the right to make changes.
Changes to the Web syllabus supersede earlier versions of the syllabus.

Jan 19 INTRODUCTION

Jan 24 AMERICA BEFORE CONQUEST
Shi chapter 1

Jan 26 EXPLORATION AND EMPIRE
Shi chapter 1

Jan 31 ENGLISH COLONIZATION
Shi chapter 2
Map Quiz in class

Feb 2 THE PURITAN COLONIES: NEW ENGLAND
Shi chapter 2

Feb 7 THE FRENCH IN AMERICA; THE MIDDLE COLONIES
Shi chapter 3

Feb 9 COLONISTS, SLAVES, AND IMMIGRANTS
Shi chapter 3

Feb 14 THE GREAT AWAKENING, THE ENLIGHTENMENT, AND POLITICAL IDEALS
Shi chapter 4

Feb 16 CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION
Shi chapter 4

Feb21 EXAMINATION #1

Feb 23 THE REVOLUTION
Shi chapter 5

Feb 28 THE CONSTITUTION
Shi chapter 6

Mar 2 THE NEW GOVERNMENT TESTED
Shi chapter 6

Mar 7 REPUBLICAN "REVOLUTION OF 1800"; THE WAR OF 1812
Shi chapter 7

Mar 9  THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Shi chapter 8

Mar 11–19 SPRING BREAK—No Class

Mar 21 THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING
Shi chapter 12

Mar 23 THE ERA OF GOOD FEELING
Shi chapter 9

Mar 28 AGE OF JACKSON
Shi chapter 10

Mar 30  EXAMINATION #2

Apr 4 ANTEBELLUM CULTURE; SLAVERY
Shi chapter 11

Apr 6 SLAVERY; ABOLITION AND "POSITIVE GOOD"
Shi chapter 11

Apr 11 WESTWARD EXPANSION
Shi chapter 13

Apr 13 THE MEXICAN WAR AND COMPROMISE OF 1850
Shi chapter 13

Apr 18 RISING CONFLICTSECESSION
Shi chapter 14

Apr 20THE CIVIL WAR BEGINS
Shi chapter 14

Apr 25 THE CIVIL WAR
Shi chapter 15

Apr 27 THE CIVIL WAR
Shi chapter 15

May 2 RECONSTRUCTION
Shi chapter 16

May 4 RECONSTRUCTION; WOMAN'S MOVEMENT; COWBOYS AND INDIANS; TROUBLES ON THE FARM
Shi chapter 16

May 8 All Make-Up Exams and Quizzes All Day in HH135

May 9 AMERICA IN THE 1870S
Shi chapter 16

FINAL EXAM: Saturday, May 13, 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

Note: Any student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known to the instructor prior to the absence.  A student who is absent from class for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence.  See University Standard Operating Procedure 34.19.
Note: Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note: instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, please contact Student Disability Services in West Hall or call 806-742-2405.

The professor reserves the right to change this syllabus at his discretion. Changes will be announced in class and posted on the class Webpages.