"In the beginning, all the world was America . . ." John Locke,  English philosopher 1632-1704
History 211W- 01 Dr. Phyllis Hunter Fall 2000	Office: 224C McIver   Hours: W 3:30-4:30 & by appointment   Phone:  334-4068

    This writing intensive course serves as an introduction to American History at the college level. The purpose of the course is to enable you to use texts, documents, and secondary readings to understand the life experiences of ordinary people from different races and cultures.  And, to improve your ability to write analytically. We will explore how material conditions, that is, the environment, production and consumption of goods, and use of social space interacted with religious, political, and interpersonal beliefs to shape experience. Our goal is to arrive at an understanding of why and how life in the past differed from region to region and changed over time in the United States up to 1865.

    In addition we will examine the "construction" of history in three ways: one, by developing our own interpretations of primary sources; two, by discussing important and sometimes conflicting secondary works and thirdly, by evaluating primary documents on the World Wide Web.  In these ways, we can begin to see that history is an interpretation of the past shaped by the concerns of the present.

Top TEXTS

REQUIRED TEXT

Out of Many: A History of the American PeopleVolume 1, 2nd ed. by John Mack Faragher, Mari Jo Buhle, Daniel Czitrom, and Susan H. Armitage (Prentice Hall, 1997).

History on the Internet. (Comes shrink wrapped with text)

The South in the History of the Nation Volume 1, ed. William A. Link and Marjorie Spruill Wheeler (Bedford's/St Martins, 1999)

All texts are available for purchase at the College Bookstore.

Top REQUIREMENTSClass Preparation:

The most important requirement for this course is a careful reading of the assignments and thoughtful participation in class discussion and group exercises. The assigned reading must be done before coming to class. To prepare for class participation, the student should take notes on the reading and develop questions for class discussion.  A Reading Analysis assignment for each chapter (except 7 and 8) is due at the first class for each Topic.  The assignments can be found on the Course WebPage. It is each student's responsibility to get the assignment even if absent from class and to complete it on time. Late assignments will not be accepted, however, each student may omit two of the weekly assignments without penalty. There will be one mid-term exam and one final exam. Attendance is required and more than two absences will adversely affect your grade. Always bring both books and your notes to class with you.

Top Final Project:

The final project is based on group work that will utilize primary sources and the understanding of developments in American history gained during the course to create a biography or community study of a real or imaginary historical figure or place that will be presented in class. The final project can take the form of a play, video, or a web page linked to the Course web site if approved by Dr. Hunter well in advance. Detailed instructions will be provided later in the semester.

Class Participation & Group Work 20%

Reading analyses and short papers 30%

Mid-Term Exam 10%

Final Project 20%

Final Exam 20% = 100%

Reading: Out of Many , Chap 1.

Mon -- Aug 21 Introduction
Wed -- Aug 23     Black Robe
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 2; The South, Chap 1
Reading Analysis

Mon -- Aug 28   Web Lab #1: Images of Early America -- McIver 231
Wed -- Aug 30   Class discussion

Reading: Out of Many,  Chap 3; The South, No. 10 (in Chap 2 pp 54-55).
Reading Analysis

Mon -- Sept 4     OFF!       Labor Day
Wed -- Sept 6    Class discussion
 
 

Reading: Out of Many,  Chap 4; The South, No. 14   Reading Analysis

Mon  -- Sept 11   Origins of Slavery
Wed -- Sept 13    Web LAB #2: Slavery in Virginia -- McIver 231
 
 

Reading: Out of Many,  Chap 5. Reading Analysis

Mon -- Sept 18    Class discussion
Wed -- Sept 20   Group Work -- Characters
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 6 and pp.174-188; The South, No. 19
Reading Analysis

Mon  -- Sept 25     Interpreting the Revolution
Wed -- Sept 27     Mary Silliman's War
 
 

Mon  -- Oct 2     Group Work -- Documents
Wed -- Oct 4      Mid-Term Exam
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Finish Chap.7 and all of Chap.8; (*NB long assignment)

Mon -- Oct 9      OFF!   Fall Break
Wed -- Oct 11   Two Visions and Debate preparation. Character Paper Due
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 9.; The South, Nos. 23, 25, 26.
Reading Analysis

Mon  -- Oct 16    Web Lab #3: The Constitution -- McIver 231.
Wed  -- Oct 18    The Constitution: A Debate. Revised Character Paper Due.
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 10 & 11; The South, No. 33, 34 (Jackson only 90-91), 35.*
Reading Analysis (Chapter 10)   Reading Analysis (Chapter 11)

Mon -- Oct 23   Class Discussion & Documents
Wed -- Oct 25   Denmark Vesey

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 12;
Reading Analysis

 Mon -- Oct 30   Class Discussion
Wed -- Nov 1     Map Workshop

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 13; The South, No. 38
Reading Analysis

Mon  -- Nov 6    Class Discussion
Wed  -- Nov 8    Project Groups
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 14; The South, Nos. 41 and 42.
Reading Analysis

Mon -- Nov 13    Class discussion and Map Workshop
Wed -- Nov 15    Project Groups
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 15; The South, No. 49 (pg. 267-274)
Reading Analysis

Mon -- Nov 20    Class Discussion
Wed -- Nov 22    OFF!       Thanksgiving Break
 
 

Reading: Out of Many, Chap 16; The South, No. 51 and 52.

Mon -- Nov 27     Web Lab #4: Valley of the Shadow -- McIver 231
Wed -- Nov 29     Class discussion.

Mon  -- Dec 4    Presentations of Group Projects

Wed  -- Dec 6    Presentations of Group Projects (Web Lab Available)
 
 

Mon -- Dec 11     Last Class