HIS 315K: US History to 1865
Unique #39280
UTC 3.104, MWF 12—1 p.m.
Dr. Michael R. Anderson
Office: GAR 3.210
Office hours: MW 1-2, Th 11-12 and by appt.
E-mail: mra@mail.utexas.edu
Teaching Assistants:
TBA
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the history of the United States from 1492 to 1865. Lectures and readings will focus particularly on the changing meaning of freedom from the first European contact with the “New World” through the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War.
Course Requirements:
- Class attendance (5% of grade)
- Weekly responses to reading assignments (10% of grade)
- First midterm examination on February 19 (25% of grade)
- Second midterm examination on April 2 (25% of grade)
- Final examination on TBA (35% of grade)
Required Books:
- Carnes and Garraty, American Destiny, Concise Edition, Vol. 1 (3rd ed., 2008)
- John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive (Vintage, 1994)
- Robert A. Gross, The Minutemen and their World (Hill and Wang, 1976)
- Walter Johnson, Soul by Soul (Harvard, 1999)
Grade Breakdown:
- Class attendance: Students are expected to attend all lectures. On FIVE occasions during the semester, students will be asked to sign in on a class roster. Each time this is done, the student will earn one percentage point toward the overall semester grade.
- Weekly reading responses: Students are expected to complete the weekly required reading by the class date marked “discussion” on the course schedule (most Fridays during the semester). The instructor will post a reading question on Blackboard each Friday. One week later, students will hand in a one-page reading response (roughly 300 words) to this question at the end of class to their respective TAs. These responses will be kept by the TAs and marked satisfactory (check), unsatisfactory (check-minus) or excellent (check-plus). The submission of TEN weekly responses marked at least satisfactory (out of 12 possible) is required to earn the maximum 10 percentage points. Excellent submissions may enable the student to earn extra credit toward their final averages. Note: these responses must be typed and submitted on paper, in person, on the appropriate day. Email submissions will not be accepted.
- Examinations: The course is divided into three units, each of which concludes with an exam covering that distinct period. The midterm exams consist of 20 multiple-choice questions (40 percent of exam) as well as a single essay (60 percent). Multiple-choice questions test a student’s mastery of specific material covered in lectures and readings. The essay will be a response to a thematic question from that unit. The instructor will provide three possible essay questions the week before exams. Only one essay choice will appear on the exam itself. The final exam will consist of a third unit exam in the same format as the first two midterm exams, plus a broad essay question covering the entire course , and will be graded as follows: multiple-choice questions (20 percent of the exam), third-unit essay (30 percent) and broad essay (50 percent).
- Make-up policy: Make-ups will be granted only in the case of medical illness or university-related conflict. Such conflicts will require signed documentation from a doctor, advisor or coach explaining the reason for absence.
- Overall semester averages will earn the following letter grades:
94-100: A 90-93: A-
87-89: B+ 84-86: B 80-83: B-
77-79: C+ 74-76: C 70-73: C-
67-69: D+ 64-66: D 60-63: D- 0-59: F
University of Texas Honor Code: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Any student found guilty of scholastic dishonesty may receive an “F” in the course and be remanded to the appropriate University of Texas authorities for disciplinary action. For more information, view Student Judicial Services at http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.
Use of Class Materials: The instructor will not provide lecture notes under any circumstances. No material presented in lecture may be directly or indirectly published, posted to the Internet, or rewritten for publication or distribution in any medium. Neither these materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use.
Student Privacy: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires that student privacy be preserved. Thus the posting of grades, even by the last four digits of the social security number, is forbidden. All communication will remain between the instructor and the student, and the instructor will not be able to share details of the student’s performance with parents, spouses, or any others.
Documented Disability Statement: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone).
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READINGS
UNIT ONE: The Colonial Era
Jan. 20 Introduction
Jan. 22 Lecture: A New World?
Jan. 25-27 Lecture: European Imperialism
Jan. 29 Discussion: Hakluyt document on Blackboard; AD, Ch. 1 (17-30)
Feb. 1-3 Lecture: American Beginnings, 1607-1650
Feb. 5 Discussion: The Unredeemed Captive, xi-76 (Preface-Ch. 3); AD, Ch. 1 (30-51) and Ch. 2 (52-68)
Feb. 8-10 Lecture: North American Colonies, 1650-1750
Feb. 12 Discussion: The Unredeemed Captive, 77-166 (Chs. 4-7); AD, Ch. 2 (68-85)
Feb. 15-17 Lecture: Slavery, Freedom and Empire to 1763
Suggested: The Unredeemed Captive, 167-252 (Ch. 8-Epilogue); AD, Ch. 3 (86-106)
Feb. 19 UNIT ONE EXAM
UNIT TWO: The Revolutionary Era
Feb. 22-24 Lecture: Origins of the American Revolution
Feb. 26 Discussion: Minutemen, ix-108 (Foreword-Ch. 4); AD, Ch. 3 (107-124)
March 1-3 Lecture: The American Revolution, 1763-1783
March 5 Discussion: Minutemen, 109-204 (Ch. 5-Afterword); AD, Ch. 4
March 8-10 Lecture: Founding a Nation, 1783-1789
March 12 Discussion: Constitution documents (MyHistoryLab); AD, Ch. 5
March 15-19 SPRING BREAK
March 22-24 Lecture: Securing the Republic, 1790-1815
March 26 Discussion: Louisiana Purchase documents (MyHistoryLab); AD, Ch. 6
March 29-31 Lecture: The Market Revolution
Suggested: AD, Ch. 8
April 2 UNIT TWO EXAM
UNIT THREE: The Antebellum Era
April 5-7 Lecture: Democracy in America, 1815-1840
April 9 Discussion: American System documents (MyHistoryLab); AD, Ch. 9
April 12-14 Lecture: An Age of Reform, 1820-1840
April 16 Discussion: Utopian community documents (MyHistoryLab); AD, Ch. 10
April 19-21 Lecture: Slavery and Westward Expansion
April 23 Discussion: Soul by Soul, 1-77 (Intro-Ch. 2); AD, Ch. 11
April 26-28 Lecture: A House Divided, 1850-1861
April 30 Discussion: Soul by Soul, 78-161 (Chs. 3-4); AD, Ch. 13
May 3-5 Lecture: The Civil War, 1861-1865
May 7 Discussion: Soul by Soul, 162-220 (Ch. 6-Epilogue); AD, Ch. 14
TBA FINAL EXAM– end of course.