HIST 2300 syllabus

HIST2300.161 — Coronavirus Edition

American History before 1877

Spring 2020
Tuesday-Thursday 9:30–10:50

Instructor: Dr. Mark Stoll
Office: HH 135 Office hours: Tuesday 11–12; Thursday, 8:30–9:20 AM; and by appointment
E-mail: Mark.Stoll@ttu.edu Web: http://www.markstoll.net/

Andrew Dunklin
Andrew.Dunklin@ttu.edu
A through Gilson
Office: HH151A-B
Hours: Fri. 9:00–12:00

Leah Frank
Leah.Frank@ttu.edu
Gimenez through Peraza
Office: HH151A-B
Hours: Fri. 12:00–3:00

Elisha Gilmore
Elisha.Gilmore@ttu.edu
Perry through Z
Office: HH151A-B
Hours: Tu., Th. 11:00–12:30

Textbooks:

LINK TO SEATING CHART

James Horn, 1619: Jamestown and the Forging of American Democracy
Study questions

Carol Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence
Study questions

Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolultionary Generation
Study questions

Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America
Study questions

James M. McPherson, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam
Study questions

Jon Meacham, Timothy Naftali, Peter Baker and Jeffrey A. Engel, Impeachment: An American History
Study questions

Philip Jenkins, A History of the United States, 5th ed.

Format: Lecture

Grading:

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

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

· Each midterm counts 23% of the final grade; the two book quizzes 10% each; and the final counts 34%.

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. Excessive, habitual tardiness, which disrupts class and annoys your fellow students, will result in three tardies counting as one absence.

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.

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 on Tuesday, January 28, in class. Students will have opportunities to retake the map quiz if they fail, but must pass before March 13. 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 2020 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 16 INTRODUCTION

Jan 21 AMERICA BEFORE CONQUEST
Jenkins, pp. 1–5; Horn, 1619

Jan 23 EXPLORATION AND EMPIRE
Jenkins, pp. 5–7; Horn, 1619

Jan 28 ENGLISH COLONIZATION
Jenkins, pp. 7–10; Horn, 1619
Map Quiz in class

Jan 30 THE PURITAN COLONIES: NEW ENGLAND
Jenkins, pp. 10–18; Horn, 1619

Feb 4 THE FRENCH IN AMERICA; THE MIDDLE COLONIES
Jenkins, pp. 29–32; Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers

Feb 6 COLONISTS, SLAVES, AND IMMIGRANTS
Jenkins, pp. 18–23; Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers

Feb 11 THE GREAT AWAKENING, THE ENLIGHTENMENT, AND POLITICAL IDEALS
Jenkins, pp. 23–29; Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers

Feb 13 CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION
Jenkins, pp. 33–36; Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers

Feb 18 EXAMINATION #1

Feb 20 THE REVOLUTION
Jenkins, pp. 36–40; Ellis, Founding Brothers

Feb 25 THE CONSTITUTION
Jenkins, pp. 40–49; Ellis, Founding Brothers

Feb 27 THE NEW GOVERNMENT TESTED
Jenkins, pp. 49–51; Ellis, Founding Brothers

Mar 3 REPUBLICAN “REVOLUTION OF 1800”; THE WAR OF 1812
Jenkins, pp. 51–57; Ellis, Founding Brothers

Mar 5 THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING
Jenkins, pp. 82–86; Ellis, Founding Brothers

Mar 10 THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Jenkins, pp. 60–62, 69–74; Johnson and Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias

Mar 12 THE ERA OF GOOD FEELING
Jenkins, pp. 62–65, 74–82; Johnson and Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias

Mar 14–22 SPRING BREAK—No Class

Mar 24–26 CLASSES CANCELLED

Mar 31 MISSOURI COMPROMISE AND THE AGE OF JACKSON
Jenkins, pp. 74–82; Johnson and Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias
Lecture: 1 The Era of Good Feeling: The Missouri Crisis
Lecture: 2 The Age of Jackson: Jacksonian Democracy
Lecture: 3 The Age of Jackson: The Jackson Administration

Apr 2 EXAMINATION #2

Apr 7–9 SLAVERY; ABOLITION; WESTWARD EXPANSION
Jenkins, pp. 65–67, 88–98; McPherson, Crossroads of Freedom
Lecture: 4 Slavery: Slave Life
Lecture: 5 Slavery: Abolitionism, proslavery arguments, and woman's rights
Lecture: 6 Westward movement

Apr 14–16 FROM THE MEXICAN WAR TO THE ELECTION OF 1860; SECESSION
Lecture: 7 The Mexican War
Lecture: 8 The Compromise of 1850 and the End of the Second Party System
Lecture: 9 The Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Republican Party, and the Election of 1860
Lecture: 10 Secession and War
Jenkins, pp. 98–104; McPherson, Crossroads of Freedom

Apr 21–23 THE CIVIL WAR
Lecture: 11 Civil War - The war begins
Lecture: 12 Civil War - The Confederacy holds its own
Lecture: 13 Civil War - The Union gains the upper hand
Lecture: 14 Civil War - The Union preserved
Jenkins, pp. 104–111; McPherson, Crossroads of Freedom
April 21: Quiz over Crossroads of Freedom

Apr 28–30 RECONSTRUCTION; WOMAN'S MOVEMENT; COWBOYS AND INDIANS
Lecture: 15 Reconstruction - The aftermath of war
Lecture: 16 Reconstruction - New birth of freedom?
Lecture: 17 Postwar America - The Woman's Rights Movement
Lecture: 18 Postwar America - Westward Movement Plays Out
Jenkins, pp. 111–125; Meacham, Naftali, Baker, and Engel, Impeachment, ix–82

May 4 All Make-Up Exams

May 5 AMERICA IN THE 1870S
Lecture: 19 1876 - America at 100
Lecture: 20 1876 - A Troubled Nation Looks Ahead
Meacham, Naftali, Baker, and Engel, Impeachment, ix–82
May 5: Quiz over Impeachment

FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 8, 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.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.