Syllabus

History 17A:� History of the United States to 1877

Foothill College Course ID Number 1249, Section 02

Winter 2006�Laura Robinson, Instructor

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To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.�Oliver Wendell Holmes

Contact INformation

Office Hours (in Office 3017): MW 1:30-2:30 p.m., TTh 11:00-11:50 p.m. and Friday 9:00-9:50

Telephone: (650) 949-7197

e-mail: [email protected]

Course Description

A survey of American history and civilization through 1877, with special emphasis on the political, economic and social development of the United States.� By the end of this course, it is expected that the student will have developed a geographical and chronological understanding of America�s beginnings and early development, examined and evaluated the contributions of major public figures and groups (including various ethnic and racial groups) to the course of American history, and learned the key historical issues of the past, especially those which have a direct bearing and influence on American life today and on the American future.� In addition, the student should have acquired a familiarity with the principle historical debates and problems within the field of early American historiography and have mastered basic skills in historical analysis and argumentation.

Credits and Hours

Five lecture hours: class meets three times a week, Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m., and Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.� Students should expect to spend ten to fifteen hours of study time each week outside of class.� History courses are reading intensive.� Any student who is unable or unwilling to spend a considerable amount of time outside of class carefully reading and rereading is unlikely to do well in this course.�

Required Text and Materials

Mark C. Carnes and John A. Garraty American Destiny:� Narrative of a Nation

Elliot J. Gorn, Randy W. Roberts and Terry D. Bilhartz, Constructing the American Past Vol. �I

Handouts and Internet Readings as Assigned by Instructor

FOr Students with disabilities

Foothill College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities.� Students in need of such accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Center at (650) 949-7017 or 949-7332, or (650) 948-6025 for TDD for the hearing impaired.� Please also feel free to discuss your special needs with me.�

COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE.� Note that I reserve the right to vary order and emphasis depending on class requirements.)

Week One (Jan. 9-13)

Introduction and Major Themes

Worlds Collide:� Contact & Conquest in the Americas

Reading: � Carnes, Prologue, Chapts. 1 & 2

�� Gorn, Introduction, Chapts. 1 & 2

Week Two (Jan. 17-20)

(Classes will not meet Jan. 16^th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

Emerging American Cultures

Reading:�� Carnes, Chapt. 2 and Chapt. 3 to p. 95

�� Gorn, Chapt. 3

Friday, Jan. 20^th:� Quiz #1

Week Three (Jan. 23-27)

Strains in the Empire

Reading:�� Carnes, Chapt. 3 to end

�� Gorn, Chapt. 4

Week Four (Jan. 30-Feb. 3)

(Last Day to drop without receiving a grade is Feb. 3^rd)

War for Independence or Revolution or Both?

Reading:�� Carnes, Chapt. 4 to p. 141

�� Gorn, Chapt. 5

Wednesday, Feb. 1^st: Quiz #2

Week Five (Feb. 6-10)

Conceiving American Governments

Reading:�� Carnes, Chapt. 4 to end, Chapt. 5

�� Gorn, Chapt. 6

Week Six (Feb. 13-16)

(Classes will not meet Feb. 17^th-20 because of Presidents� Day)

Federalist America

Monday, February 13^th: Quiz #3

�� Review Discussion for Midterm

Wednesday, Feb. 15^th:� Midterm

Week Seven (Feb. 21-24)

(Classes will not Feb. 17^th-20 because of Presidents� Day)

Jeffersonian America and the Market Revolution

Reading: � Carnes, Chapts. 6 & 7 to p. 237, Chapt. 8

Week Eight (Feb. 27-Mar. 3)

(Last Day to Drop Class is Mar. 3^rd)

Market Society, Religion, and Reform

Reading:� Carnes, Chapts. 10, 11 and 13

�� Gorn, Chapt. 7, 8 & 10

Week Nine (Mar. 6-10)

The Rise of White Male Democracy

Reading:�� Carnes, Chapt. 7 to end, Chapt. 9

Monday Mar. 6^th:� Quiz 4

Week Ten (Mar. 13-17)

Manifest Destiny and the Coming of War

Reading: � Carnes, Chapts. 12 & 14

�� Gorn, Chapt. 9

Week Eleven (Mar. 20-24)

War and Reconstruction

Reading:� Carnes, Chapts. 15 & 16

�� Gorn, Chapts. 11-13

Monday, Mar. 20^th:� Quiz #5

Week Twelve (Mar. 27-31)

Mar. 27^th: ^�Autobiography Assignment Due

Mar. 29^th:� 11 a.m.-1 p.m.:� Final Exam

Assessment

There will be five quizzes, each worth twenty-five points.� These quizzes will test students� factual knowledge of key events, people, places and processes in American history before 1877.� Only the highest four quiz scores will be counted toward a student�s final point total.� Quizzes may not be made up for any reason.� Sum of Quiz Scores:� 25%

There will be two essay exams; a midterm and a final; each worth 100 points.� These will require the student to construct historical arguments which demonstrate both a knowledge of factual material and an ability to reason historically about that material.� These exams may be made up only with the instructor�s position.� Each Exam:� 25%

Students will be required to write one short paper.� This paper will ask the student to assume the character of an ordinary person from American history and to write an autobiographical account of their life.� Short Paper:� 15%

Class Participation:� 10%

Grading Scale:� 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B,� 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, and below 60% = F.��

ATTENDANCE

Students who do not attend either the first or second class meetings without prior arrangement will be dropped.� Since class participation will be a significant portion of a student�s grade, attendance will be kept and absences will adversely affect a student�s grade.� The instructor may choose to allow an individual student to make up as many as four class hour absences.� If unforeseen events beyond your control make it necessary for you to attend more than four class hours, consult with the instructor.� Repeated disruptive behavior such as inappropriate talking in class, being in possession of a ringing cell phone, or being absent for part of a class period will result in a lowering of a student�s overall grade by a full grade or more, depending on the severity of the impact on the class.�

Academic Ethics (Plagiarism and Cheating)

Plagiarism occurs when a students submits as all or part of any assignment or task work which is fraudulently represented as the student�s own work product.� This is cheating, as is submitting work not produced according to the terms of the assignment.� Any student found to have plagiarized or cheated on any assignment or exam will receive an F in the class and will be reported to the Dean of Student Services for appropriate disciplinary action.