SYLLABUS HIS 2213-001C
History of the United States: 1492-1877
(SBU.CCTC.SEPT2007)
© 2007-2008 Southwest Baptist University
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Tim Wood
206 Taylor Hall
Southwest Baptist University
1600 University Ave.
Bolivar, MO 65613
DISABILITY DISCLAIMER:
It is the desire of Southwest Baptist University to provide all students with
optimum learning experiences. If there are circumstances, due to
disability, that may impact your learning in this course, it is necessary for
you to inform your instructor within one week of official enrollment (as
determined by the Department of Extended Learning) in this course. If you
do not notify your instructor, it will be assumed that you do not require special
assistance.
CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR:
The best way to contact me is via e-mail – I check it on almost a daily
basis. You may also contact me by telephone at the office. If I’m
not there, just leave a message and I’ll return your call. If you are
around Bolivar, feel free to drop by during my office hours to talk in
person. Since these hours vary from semester to semester, be sure to
e-mail me to make sure I’ll be in. Bear in mind that communication (and
grading) may be slower during times when SBU is not in session (weekends,
holidays, and the breaks between semesters), so plan accordingly.
COURSE INFORMATION:
History 2213 is a political and social survey of United States history
from colonization to the end of Reconstruction. Successful completion of
this course is worth 3 credit hours.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Although all history involves the dreaded learning of “names and dates” to some
extent, this class will also begin probing some of the deeper questions
addressed by historians, as well as focusing on the development of important
career-related skills. By the end of the course, students will have:
- gained greater insight into the cause-and-effect relationships behind
historical events.
- sharpened their critical thinking ability by analyzing various historical
problems
- learned how to express themselves clearly in writing
- developed an understanding of the changing ways in which early Americans
understood the world around them, especially through science, religion,
and philosophy.
- enhanced their understanding of America’s place in
the larger world between 1492 and 1877
- achieved a greater sensitivity to the complexities of race and gender
relations in early America
TEXTS:
Paul S. Boyer, et al., The Enduring Vision, History of the American People,
Vol. 1: To 1877, 6th edition. 2008. ISBN# 0-618-80161-8. Houghton
Mifflin Company.
You do not need to secure the text containing both volumes 1
and 2.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Reading the text provides necessary background. Reading the textbook will also
help you prepare for completion of the exams.
Suggested sequence of study is to: Read the chapter in the text and
engage the chapter practice quizzes.
Examinations (300 points):
Three (3) unit exams will be given. Each exam covers specific
chapters. There are no comprehensive exams. The exams are objective
(multiple choice). The exams are web-based. Each
exam is 50 questions worth 2 points each. So each exam is worth 100
points. See course for exam request instructions. There is exam
information listed in your course. Please follow the directions closely.
Analytical Essay (100 points):
Between the second and third (final) exams, students will compose and
submit an 8-10 page analytical essay. See course for more details.
This essay does not necessarily need to involve research outside of the
textbook and the designated primary sources. Rather, students should use
this as an opportunity to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the material, to
articulate their understanding of the relationship between specific events and
larger historical trends, and to address the material from a moral perspective.
All essays must be typed (double-spaced, one inch margins, and in #12
font. (NO BIG LETTERS). Please use Microsoft Word (2003 or higher).
The essay needs to answer all parts of each question completely, and it should
contain no errors in spelling, grammar, style, punctuation and word usage, it
must bring out all relevant themes and arguments, it must use specific
examples, and should introduce background material as appropriate.
Remember to proofread!!!
Rough Draft: Feel free to send me a rough
draft for review and feedback. E-mail
me your draft as an e-mail attachment. See course for e-mail address. Place the following in your subject line: HIS2213DraftYourFullName
(i.e. HIS2213DraftBobSmith)
Final Submission:
Please do not submit your final paper by way of a simple e-mail
attachment. You must submit via Drop
Box-Turnitin (see course for details) if you want
your paper graded.
Send me an e-mail and let me know I know I have a paper waiting for me. I will
grade it and post a grade for you.
GRADING STRUCTURE:
3 exams = 25% each
Analytical essay = 25%
GRADING SCALE:
90%-100% = A
80%-89% = B
70%-79% = C
60%-69% = D
0%-59% = F
ACADEMIC HONESTY:
Under no circumstances will any form of academic dishonesty be tolerated
in this course, including:
1) Plagiarism: Using the ideas or writings of another as
one’s own, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language, New College Edition, published by Houghton-Mifflin, 1980.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, using words or phrases,
and/or wholesale scripts from another’s work without proper acknowledgement.
2) Cheating: a) To deceive by trickery; b) to mislead; c) to
practice fraud and/or d) to act dishonestly (as defined by the American
Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition, published by
Houghton-Mifflin, 1980). Examples of cheating include, but are not
limited to: Collaborating without authorization, presenting work done by
another as one’s own, either in part or in whole; altering a paper or other
evaluation instrument after the grade as been assigned for the purpose of
misrepresenting the student’s performance; enlisting another person to take
one’s evaluation procedure; using prohibited sources of information for
examinations or other testing procedures; knowingly providing any
unauthorized assistance to other students; falsifying or changing information
concerning academic achievement; and facilitating any act that promotes
academic dishonesty, including the withholding of information concerning the
academically dishonest conduct of another.
Any student caught cheating or engaging in plagiarism will face a range of
disciplinary actions which may include an F for the assignment,
and F for the course, or expulsion from the university.
COURSE OVERVIEW:
UNIT 1:
Ch. 1 Native Peoples of
America to 1500
Ch. 2 The Rise of the
Atlantic World, 1400-1625
Ch. 3 The Emergence of
Colonial Societies, 1625-1700
Ch. 4 The Bonds of
Empire, 1660-1750
Ch. 5 Roads to
Revolution, 1750-1776
Ch. 6 Securing
Independence, Defining Nationhood, 1776-1788
FIRST EXAM
UNIT 2:
Ch. 7 Launching the New
Republic, 1789-1800
Ch. 8 Jeffersonianism and the Era of Good Feelings, 1801-1824
Ch. 9 The
Transformation of American Society, 1815-1840
Ch. 10 Democratic
Politics, Religious Revival and Reform, 1824-1840
Ch. 11 Technology,
Culture, and Everyday Life, 1840-1860
SECOND EXAM
UNIT 3:
Ch. 12 The Old South
and Slavery, 1830-1860
Ch. 13 Immigration,
Expansion, and Sectional Conflict, 1840-1848
Ch. 14 From Compromise
to Secession, 1850-1861
Ch. 15 Crucible of
Freedom: Civil War, 1861-1865
Ch. 16 The Crises of
Reconstruction, 1865-1877
SUBMIT ESSAY
THIRD EXAM
Welcome to this course
Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have questions or
concerns. You may e-mail me questions or comments. My e-mail can be found by
within the course. I will attempt to respond to your inquiry within 48 hours of
receipt.