Please note: All pages related to this course are dynamic documents. They are constantly subject to updates. Any printed copies may be out of date. Always check the on-line versions regularly for definitive information.
Class Hours: TWTh 3:00-3:50 P.M.
Classroom: Converse 209
Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey Nichols
Office: Foster Hall 417
Email: jnichols@westminstercollege.edu
Phone: 832-2392
Office Hours: T,W,Th 11-12, 1-2
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COURSE EXPECTATIONS/GRADING CRITERIA
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE’S POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY
This class will serve as an introduction to American history from the colonial period to the present day. We will seek to answer some fundamental questions: How did we get here? How did we go from a handful of small, not very important British colonies to the richest and most powerful nation on earth? How free have Americans been and how has that changed over time?
Major subjects of emphasis will include:
1. land/resource use
2. immigrant experiences
3. labor/work
4. the changing meanings of “free” over time
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course will provide students with:
1. a survey knowledge of the course of American history
2. an introduction to reading and interpreting primary and secondary source materials
3. an introduction to historical methodology
3. experience with critical thinking, discussion, and writing of historical essays
COURSE EXPECTATIONS/GRADING CRITERIA
Grades will be assigned based on the following formula.
Midterm Examination: 25%
Final Examination: 25%
Electronic discussions: 20%
Visual paper: 20%
History blog: 10%
The midterm examination will consist of identification items (brief descriptions) and longer essays. The final examination will be essay format.
Late work is not
accepted. If you need to be away
during a scheduled exam or discussion due date, you may take the exam or
complete the discussion postings ahead of time.
Only personal or family emergencies will be considered as exceptions. Computer problems or last minute difficulties
don’t count, since you decide when to do your work.
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Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and furnishing false or misleading information to any faculty or staff member.
Cheating on examinations includes, but is not restricted to, copying from another student’s exam paper, using unauthorized notes during an exam, arranging for a substitute to take an examination, or giving or receiving unauthorized information prior to an exam.
Cheating on written assignments includes plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration with others or submitting the same material for more than one class without authorization of the instructor.
Plagiarism includes borrowing information or ideas, whether directly quoted or paraphrased, from any source beyond one’s firsthand experience and not acknowledging the source. The student must give credit for the material by identifying the source, using one of the generally accepted citation methods.
Initially, sanctions are the responsibility of the class instructor. The instructor may simply reprimand the student, or may demand the work be repeated, or may give a failing grade for the assignment or exam in question, or may give a failing grade for the entire course. In each case, a short report of the incident will be filed with the appropriate academic dean.
In the case of repeated or more serious violations, the faculty member may recommend to the dean that the student be put on probation, suspended, or expelled from the College. The dean’s recommendation will then be sent to the Dean of Students.
Students may appeal such decisions to the Academic Grievance Committee. In the case of an appeal, the student has the right to be present at the hearing and refute the charges. A written copy of the decision will be distributed to all involved parties within 72 hours of the hearing.
(Source: Westminster College Academic Catalog, 2006-2007, pp. 86-87).
REQUIRED BOOKS
Textbook:
Eric Foner, Give Me
Primary source readings: Eric Foner, Voices of Freedom, vols. 1 and 2 (in weekly schedule ‑ referred to as “reader”)
New
York Times, print version available in
All books are available at the campus bookstore.
Our class materials can be found online, via the Angel
program. You can access Angel from the
On the syllabus, under “INDEX TO
THIS
To read a classmate's posting, click on the title. To reply to that posting, hit "reply" at the bottom left, write your response, and then click "save." After the deadline each week, I will compile all that week’s postings and move them into another forum labeled with the date inside the “Past Weeks’ Discussions”; you may read this forum at any time to get responses to any questions. The numbered topics, Reading no. 1-7, will be there every week and will be empty at the beginning of each week.
Your discussions will center on the assigned readings in the Voices of Freedom reader, the New York Times, various websites, and your textbook. You should read each of these assignments, compare them to your lecture material and the textbook discussion of whatever topics are being covered, and think of a historical question or comment on each reading. You must always read the short introduction to each document, and look also at the source at the top of each selection, which will help answer questions about the kind of document you’re reading.
You will also read and make a posting on a New York Times national news article with historical roots that appears that week. Each of you will set up an account to access the New York Times on the web (of course, if you get the print version of the paper, that works too). You can register for free at www.nytimes.com by following their directions. You will receive an email every day including selected headlines in several categories (e.g., "National news," "technology," "international news," etc.). You can also click on "More News" under each category. Choose a national news article during the week that seems particularly interesting and important (no diets or celebrity gossip!), and make a posting on it.
You will also read and make a posting on a primary source that you find online through the “History 220 links” page on Angel or through your own search on the Web. The sites on this page are organized to match the weekly assignments. Choose a document that interests you, and make your comment or question on it. Be sure to include the URL of this document in your posting (the URL comes up at the bottom of the page when you place the cursor on it). Please be aware that there are millions more primary sources out there, too. Try the Library’s history website:
http://www.westminstercollege.edu/library/course_research/history/index.cfm
NOW WHAT?
The most basic task of a historian is to ask questions of their sources to seek answers about events in the past. Your specific assignment on any of these readings is to make at least one substantive posting on EACH of these readings each week. By “substantive,” I mean at least a paragraph that poses a well‑thought‑out question or makes a comment that addresses the meaning of the reading in the context of what you have learned from the lectures and the textbook. Your questions and comments should provoke thoughtful discussion and responses from your classmates. You may respond to another student’s posting, or start a new discussion yourself. Be sure to look at your classmates’ postings before asking a question or posting a comment ‑ if you post the exact same question/comment, you will not get full credit. Twenty percent (20%) of your grade depends on your discussions.
These readings will only make sense to you within the context of your other sources. You should always do your textbook reading before doing your short readings for the discussion. Things to avoid on the discussion list: do NOT post questions or comments that can be answered with a few seconds’ reading in your textbook. If the reading seems to be referring to something you don’t understand or remember, look up some of the key words in the textbook’s index. Do NOT post a question that asks for a simple definition of a word; you should all own a dictionary, or use the Oxford English Dictionary online through our library’s database. Remember that while you’re doing these assignments, you’re connected to the Greatest Research Tool in the History of the World: the World-Wide Web. If you read something that you find particularly interesting, or puzzling, you can do some Web searching to find some answers, or even more questions, and share them with your classmates.
I expect that your postings will be grammatically correct, including spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Please be sure to proofread your comment/question before you send it ‑ if you have a number of spelling or grammatical errors, I will tell you; if such problems continue, your grade will suffer.
You will have an entire week, from the
close of class Thursday until 1:00 p.m. (two hours before class) the following
Thursday, to post your discussion items for the next week’s class. Of course, discussion works better if items
get posted early in the week to give people a chance to respond. You may miss ONE discussion session during
the semester without penalty. Late
questions will not be accepted without prior arrangement.
These discussions are meant to be relatively free‑form and open. Be sure to consider questions of race, class, gender, power, and the meanings of “freedom” when posting your questions/comments. Some aspects you should consider when reading any historical document:
1. Who is speaking?
2. Who is the audience?
3. What is the speaker’s purpose?
4. What is the content and meaning of the reading?
5. What is the medium or the type of document that this comes from?
When searching for and using primary sources online, you need to evaluate the reliability of websites and the materials they contain. Take a look at the Giovale library’s advice.
http://www.westminstercollege.edu/library/course_research/history/primary.cfm
A note on etiquette: Electronic discussions sometimes have a tendency to degenerate into name‑calling, insults, and “flaming.” Please remember that all members of this discussion list will have access to all of the postings. These discussions are wide‑open, and there are no topics or language off‑limits (unless a comment is personally offensive or insulting). Don’t be afraid to disagree with each other, with me, or with the textbook. The general rule will be: exercise common courtesy and mutual respect, do not write anything that you are unwilling to have everyone else in class see, and don’t write anything that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.
This is a chance for you to practice “doing” history through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. Each of you will have a “visual” – photograph, illustration, cartoon, etc. - with only the most basic information provided (subject, artist, year made). Your job is to investigate some historical aspect of that visual. You might, for example, choose to research an event in the life of a person in the visual, or the artist, or a piece of machinery in the visual, or something about the visual’s setting. Do NOT just give me a short history of the event portrayed or a short biography of the person in the picture - be imaginative and creative!
You must find and use at least five good PRIMARY SOURCES (print or online) other than in your readings book. Look for sources that help explain the topic you’ve chosen. Be sure to evaluate the accuracy of any website you use.
Use your textbook, your readings book, and
your other primary sources to help provide more information about your topic,
and write a
Your paper must include your visual as the first page, and it must also include a separate reference list of the materials you used. The list will include the title of each primary source you used and its URL; the relevant pages of your textbook; and any other source you use. Within the paper, you will make parenthetical references to these sources. See this website for help citing electronic documents:
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/about/citation/
Sample reference list (at the end of your paper):
Foner,
Eric. Give Me
“Democratic
Party Platform;
New
York Times, 3, 4,
“Testimony of Thomas Hedgebeth.” <http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1826-1850/slavery/fugit04.htm>. ca. 1850.
“William Henry Seward’s Higher Law Speech.” <http://alpha.furman.edu/~benson/docs/seward.htm>. 1853.
Your parenthetical references in your paper are shortened versions of the above references. Here’s an example, featuring a direct quote:
The Democrats declared that “the enactments of the State Legislatures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave Law, are hostile in character, subversive of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their effect” (“Democratic Party Platform, 1860”).
Due dates:
By no later than Thursday, 18 September: consult with me during office hours about the topic for your visual.
Your paper is due at the beginning of the final exam period. But you can turn this assignment in at any point during the semester before the end of Week 13, and I am happy to review the assignment beforehand.
http://westminsterphieta.blogspot.com/
Here
we discuss items from the news that shed new light on our historical knowledge;
for example, DNA findings that tell people where in
Your assignment is to contribute at least two items over the semester. Send them to me by email and I will post them to the blog. You can also participate in discussions about things other people have posted.
I expect each of you to attend class every day having already read all of the material for the week and prepared to discuss those readings. In addition, I expect and hope that each of you asks questions and participates in classroom discussions. Please feel free to (politely) interrupt me to ask questions at any time!
This schedule is
tentative and subject to change as events warrant.
You will be expected to come to class each
Tuesday having already read the assignments for that week (except week one)
Week One (26, 27 August)
“Introduction”
Reading Assignment: Text, ch. 1
Discussion (in Reader):
Reading no. 1: pp. 10-13, "Bartolomé de las Casas . . . "
Reading no. 2: pp. 25-28, "Richard Hakluyt . . ."
Reading no. 3: your primary source
Reading no. 4: NY Times article
Reading no. 5: Text, ch. 1
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Week Two (1, 2, 3 September)
“Making New Worlds”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 2-3
Discussion (in Reader):
Reading no. 1: pp. 35-42, “The Trial of Anne Hutchinson”
Reading no. 2: pp. 46-48. “Henry Care . . .”
Reading no. 3: pp. 66-68, “Complaint of an Indentured Servant”
Reading no. 4: your primary source
Reading no. 5: NY Times article
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 2
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 3
Week Three (8, 10 September)
WE
DON’T MEET ON WEDNESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER – IT’S “ACADEMIC MONDAY”
“Slavery and Freedom”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 4-6
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 70-75, “Olaudah Equiano . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp.
87-89, “
Reading no. 3: primary source
Reading no. 4: New York Times article
Reading no. 5: Text, ch. 4
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 5
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 6
Week Four (15, 16, 17 September)
“A New Nation”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 7-8
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp.
100-102, “
Reading no. 2: pp. 123-25, “Petition of Slaves . . .”
Reading no. 3: pp. 154-58, "Judith Sargent Murray . . ."
Reading no. 4: primary source
Reading no. 5: New York Times article
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 7
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 8
By 17 September: meet with me in my office during office hours to receive and discuss visual paper topic
Week Five (22, 23, 24 September)
“Growth and Struggle”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 9-10
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 167-68, “Tecumseh . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 171-74, “Josephine L. Baker . . .”
Reading no. 3: pp. 174-76, “Immigrants Arriving . . .”
Reading no. 4: primary source
Reading no. 5: New York Times article
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 9
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 10
Week Six (29, 30 September, 1 October)
“Slavery and Division”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 11-13
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 225-29, “Solomon Northup . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 257-60, “Angelina Grimké . . .”
Reading no. 3: primary source
Reading no. 4: New York Times article
Reading no. 5: Text, ch. 11
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 12
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 13
Week Seven (6, 7 October)
“Civil War”
Reading Assignment: Text, ch. 14
pp. 296-99, “Marcus M. Spiegel . . .”
pp. 304-306, “Letter by the mother . . .”
Midterm Examination: Thursday, 8 October
(no discussions due this week)
Week Eight (13, 14 October)
“Reconstructing the South and West”
Reading Assignment: Text, ch. 15; ch. 16, to p. 528
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 313-16, “Colloquy . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp.
319-23, “The
Reading no. 3: pp. 338-41, “Robert B. Elliott . . .”
Reading no. 4: VOLUME 2: pp. 30-34, “Chief Joseph . . .”
Reading no. 5: primary source
Reading no. 6: New York Times article
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 15
Week Nine (20, 21, 22 October)
“Work”
Reading Assignment: Text, remainder of ch. 16, 17
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 34-38, “William Graham Sumner . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 39-42, “George E. McNeill . . .”
Reading no. 3: pp. 86-89, “Charlotte Perkins Gilman . . .”
Reading no. 4: pp. 93-98, “The Industrial Workers of the World . . .”
Reading no. 5: primary source
Reading no. 6: New York Times article
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 16
Week Ten (27, 28, 29 October)
“Entering a New Century”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 17-18
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 62-67, “Ida B. Wells . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 82-85, "Manuel Gamio . . ."
Reading no. 3: pp. 98-102, “Margaret Sanger . . .”
Reading no. 4: primary source
Reading no. 5: New York Times article
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 17
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 18
Week Eleven (3, 4, 5 November)
“War and Prosperity ”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 19-20, to p. 688
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 126-30, “Eugene V. Debs . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 147-51, "André Siegfried . . ."
Reading no. 3: pp. 160-64, “Congress Debates Immigration”
Reading no. 4: pp. 168-72, “Alain Locke . . .”
Reading no. 5: primary source
Reading no. 6: New York Times article
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 19
Week Twelve (10, 11, 12 November)
“Disaster and Recovery”
Reading Assignment: Text, ch. 20, remainder; 21
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 177-79, “Letter . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 180-82, “John Steinbeck . . .”
Reading no. 3: 198-201, “Frank H. Hill . . .”
Reading no. 4: primary source
Reading no. 5: New York Times article
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 20
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 21
Week Thirteen (17, 18, 19 November)
“Global War and Aftermath”
Reading Assignment: Text, chs. 22-23
Discussion:
Reading no. 1, pp. 218-20, “World War II and Mexican-Americans”
Reading no. 2, pp. 221-223, “A. Philip Randolph . . .”
Reading no. 3: pp. 249-251, "Joseph R. McCarthy . . ."
Reading no. 4: primary source
Reading no. 5: New York Times article
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 22
Reading no. 7: Text, ch. 23
19
NOVEMBER IS LAST DAY TO SUBMIT A DRAFT OF YOUR VISUAL PAPER FOR MY COMMENTS
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Week Fourteen (24 November)
“Civil Rights”
Reading Assignment: Text, ch. 24
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 277-81, "Martin Luther King, Jr. . . ."
Reading no. 2: primary source
Reading no. 3: New York Times article
Reading no. 4: Text, ch. 24
Week Fifteen (1, 2, 3 December)
“The Turbulent 1960s-1970s”
Reading Assignment: Text, ch. 25-26
Discussion:
Reading no. 1: pp. 301-303, “Paul Potter . . .”
Reading no. 2: pp. 307-311, “César Chávez . . .”
Reading no. 3: primary source
Reading no. 4: New York Times article
Reading no. 5: Text, ch. 25
Reading no. 6: Text, ch. 26
Week Sixteen (8 December)
Makeup or review
FINAL EXAM: Tuesday 15 December, 2:00-3:50