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History 201: American History I
 Anthony A. Ball, Instructor

 

On-Line Course Syllabus, Summer 2001


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Required Text:
Robert A. Divine, et al., America Past and Present, Vol. 1, 5th edition (Addison Wesley Educational Publishers, 1999).

Instructor:
Anthony A. Ball, (203) 332-5170, Office A-211.  Send e-mail to TonyBall96@aol.com or click the envelope icon to the left.

Class Meetings:
 Monday through Thursday, 12:45-2:45  p.m., Room C-232.

Office Hours:
 Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:45-3:45 p.m., Thursdays, 5:00-6:00 p.m., or by appointment.

Catalogue Course Description:
Covers the political, economic, and social development of the United States through 1865. From the earliest settlement and exploration through the Civil War, this course examines topics such as the colonial contribution to American democracy, the struggle for independence, formation of a national government, the Age of Jackson, westward expansion and the controversy over slavery.

Parallel/Prerequisite:
 English 101 (Not Applicable for Summer Session)

Course Requirements:
 25% Three tests (6/7, 6/18, and 6/25).  Each test will consist of multiple choice and true/false questions.  Click the Textbook Resources icon to go to practice questions. 

25% Three short primary source essay assignments, due 6/7, 6/18, and 6/25.  (The assignments will be distributed in class on 6/4, 6/11 and 6/18.  If you miss or misplace an assignment, please ask a classmate or click the Assignments icon for a copy.)  These assignments are to be typed, double spaced, 2-3 pages in length.

25% A Final Examination, on 7/5, covering all material.  This test will be a combination multiple choice, true/false, and essay.

25% Class Attendance and Participation.  This grade is based on three factors: (1) actual attendance; (2) demonstrated preparedness; (3) meaningful contributions to class discussions.

Additional Information:  I do not give make-up tests or accept late assignments during summer session, absent a genuine and documented emergency.  

Schedule of Classes and Readings
Date Topic Assigned Reading (to be done prior to class)

Part I: Pre-Colonial and Colonial Period
6/4 Introductions, Pre-Test; Overview of Course; Native Americans, Europe on the Eve of Conquest; 16th century Colonization Chapter 1
6/5 English Colonization: Comparison of Chesapeake Experience with Massachusetts Bay and the Middle Colonies Chapter 2
6/6 Family, Social Structure and Slavery in Colonial North America; Economics, Politics and Social Unrest to 1700 Chapter 3
6/7 Eighteenth Century America: Social and Cultural; Clash of Political Cultures; Century of Imperial War Chapter 4;
Test 1, covering Chapters 1-4 and classes through 6/7;
First Primary Source Essay Due

Part II: Independence and Early Republic
6/11-6/12 The Movement Toward Independence (1763-1776) Chapter 5
6/13 The Revolution; Problems of the Early Republic; The Constitutional Convention and the Struggle for Ratification (1776-1787) Chapter 6
6/14 Democracy in Distress: The Washington and Adams Presidencies Chapter 7
6/18 Jeffersonian Ascendancy: Expansion and Reform; The Failure of Foreign Policy and the "Strange War of 1812" Chapter 8; 
Test 2, covering Chapters 5-8 and classes through 6/11 through 6/18;
Second Primary Source Essay Due

Part III: Nation Building and Jacksonian Democracy
6/19 Nationalism and Nation Building; Emergence of a Market Economy; the Missouri Compromise and the Brewing Controversy over Slavery Chapter 9
6/20 Andrew Jackson and the "Triumph of White Men's Democracy" Chapter 10
6/21 The Second Great Awakening; Temperance, Abolitionism, Women's Suffrage and other Antebellum Reform Movements Chapter 11
6/25 Westward Expansion; Invention & Immigration Chapter 12;
Test 3, covering Chapters 9-12 and classes 6/19 through 6/25;
Third Primary Source Essay Due

Part IV: Slavery, Sectionalism, Secession and Civil War
6/26 Masters and Slaves: Social Structure and the Institution of Slavery in the Antebellum South; The Black Experience Under Slavery; Free Blacks in North and South Chapter 13
6/27-6/28 The Sectional Crisis over Slavery (1846-1860) Chapter 14
7/2 The Civil War: From Secession to Gettysburg Chapter 15, pages 441-463
7/3 The Civil War: From Gettysburg to Appomattox; Reconstruction Chapter 15, pages 463-471; Final Examination Review
7/4 No Class -- Fourth of July  
7/5 Final Examination (Cumulative)  

 

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