History 231: Survey of U.S. History to 1865

History 231: Survey of U.S. History to 1865 Fall 2005 TR 8-10:25 BDC 165 Dr. Schmoll [email protected] Office Phone: 664-3009 Office: Faculty Towers 303B Office Hours: Monday, 8:30-9:30 Wednesday, 11-12 or by appointment If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We learn from history that we learn nothing from history. -George Bernard Shaw

History is the science of what never happens twice. - Paul Valery

Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk. - J.C. Penney Required Reading: Thomas Paine, Common Sense Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Wheeler and Becker, Discovering the American Past, Volume 1(fifth edition)

Course Description: The colonial foundations; political, economic, social and cultural developments in the emerging United States; the early agrarian republic; the Civil War.

Participation: You do not need to be the person who speaks out the most, asks the most questions, or comes up with the most brilliant historical arguments to receive full credit in participation. If you are in class, discuss the issues that we raise, avoid the temptation to nod off (the easiest way to lose credit), and in general act like you care, then you will receive the full 10% credit!

Instructor Initiated Drops: This course is subject to instructor-initiated drops. If the class is full and has a waiting list, I have the right to have you administratively dropped from the class by the end of the second week of the term if you have missed three consecutive class sessions during the first week of the term and have not contacted me with alternate plans. However, you should not assume that you will be automatically dropped from the course due to non-attendance.

Waiting List Policy: On a waiting list, you are eligible for a place in the class if you come to every class and if you turn in the work while you are there. Being on a waiting list does not mean you are guaranteed a place in the class. It simply means you are welcome to wait for an opening in the class if you so desire. If no one drops out of the section you’re attending, no students can add. Academic Honesty You are responsible for knowing all college policies about academic honesty. Any student who plagiarizes any part of his or her papers may receive an “F” in the course and a letter to the Dean.

Attendance Policy Because mastering skills in history requires regular, sustained effort, students in History 102 classes should attend class regularly and punctually. A student who has more than two absences will not receive a passing grade. If you must miss class for any reason, please contact me to inform me of your absence.

Grading Scale: Participation: 10% 100pts Debate: 10% 100pts Douglass Essay: 20% 200pts Midterm Exam: 25% 250pts Final Exam: 30% 300pts

Course Schedule: (Chapters=Wheeler and Becker) Sept 13 Introduction/ Pre-Columbian Americas 15 Pre-Columbian Americas/Read Chapter 1 20 Early Colonies: Massachusetts/Read Chapter 2 22 Early Colonies: Virginia/Middle Colonies/Read Chapter 3 27 First Great Awakening/America at 1730 29 Mid-Century Challenges/Hand Out Paine Reading Guide Oct 4 Mid-Century Challenges 6 Road to War/Read Chapter 4 11 Road to War/ Common Sense must be read by today! 13 Revolutionary War/Review for Midterm 18 Midterm Exam 20 Early National Period 25 Early Nation to 1812/Assign Frederick Douglass Essay 27 Early Industrialism/Cherokee Removal/Debate Prep/Read Chapter 7 Nov 1 Cherokee Removal Debate/Read Chapter 6 3 Sectionalism and Early Secession Movements/ Read Chapter 8 8 War with Mexico 10 Sectionalism and War/Frederick Douglass Reading Due 15 Sectionalism and War 17 Onset of the Civil War/Review for Final/Read Chapter 10

REMEMBER, although this syllabus is the “law” of the class, I reserve the right to change it at any time to suit the particular needs of our class. If I must do so, it will always be in your best interest, and I’ll always advise you as soon as possible.