HIST 101
United States to 1877
Phone: 895-3309
Office: Wright Hall B312 (Office Hours—To be Announced)
email: eugene.moehring@unlv.edu
Learning Outcomes:
The primary goal of this course is to describe and evaluate how American society developed from earliest times to the end of Reconstruction. The main objective of the course is to help students develop their analytical skills in both oral and written forms by encouraging critical thinking and policy analysis.
Constitution Requirement: This class satisfies the U.S. Constitution requirement.
Course Requirements: There will be three exams. Each is based on the lectures and the book to be discussed in class. Each test covers one-third of the course as indicated in the lecture schedule below. So, for Exam #1 know the lectures and the study questions for Cronon. For Exam #2 know the lectures and the study questions for Larkin. For Exam #3 (the Final Exam) know the lectures and the study questions for Blassingame.
Discussions: We will have three hour-length discussions of the books during the semester. Cronon will be the first book, then later Larkin, and finally Blassingame in the last third of the class. Study questions will be handed out well in advance and they are also available on my webpage, so you should be prepared. All students are expected to participate fully in class discussions. Failure to do so will result in the lowering of your final grade. However, excellent discussion, in which a student answers questions in each class discussion, will add the next letter grade to the final course grade—a B+ will therefore become an A-.
Research Paper: Numerous surveys of companies and other employers of college graduates indicate that three of the main skills they want in a new hire are the ability to conduct research, to think analytically, and to write well. Being able to identify issues, think critically about them, and clearly express your ideas in writing are vital to the successful pursuit of any high-paying, professional career because they are conducive to problem-solving. This course will help you strengthen all three skills and will use early American history to do it.
Students will write a short response paper of 3-4 pages, double-spaced in which they analyze a primary source from Eric Foner, ed. Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History. This book is on reserve at Lied Library. Freedom or liberty is a concept whose meaning keeps changing over time as society changes. As Prof. Foner notes in his Preface, “The history of the United States is, in part, a story of debates, disagreements, and struggles over freedom.” In such contexts as the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II and the Cold War the meaning changes, expands and in some contexts (such as the Salem Witchcraft trials and other events) contracts. Voices of Freedom contains 98 documents written by people who lived in America between 1620 and 1877. Pick one document, photocopy it (so you have a copy of your own that you can underline and mark up) and then write me a paper about it. Foner provides an introduction to each document to offer some context and guide your thinking as you read it.
Suggestions on how to write the paper: After underlining what you feel is important in the document, take notes, paraphrasing what you consider to be the key points made by the document writer. You should begin by identifying the document and, if possible, the writer (Google might help if Foner doesn’t). Then faithfully describe what the writer is saying and when he/she is saying it.
After a page or so of descriptive narrative, begin to analyze and critically evaluate the essay. Here are some questions that will help you do it:
1. Briefly, what is the year that the document was written and what is the context (i.e. what was occurring in American society at the time)?
2. Foner has two questions at the end of each document: what are they and how do you answer them?
Here are some other questions/ideas you should consider:
3. What is the author’s central argument or thesis-can you identify it? Who is the audience the author is trying to reach?
4. How does the author use an example (or examples in the essay) to support his/her argument(s)?
5. What does this document tell us about its time period=era?
6. How does it help us to understand what contemporary people thought about freedom in their society?
7. Why is this document significant enough for Foner to put it in the book?
8. What does this document suggest about the broader political, social or economic context of the era in which it was written?
9. How might you or an opponent of the author (such as the King or a major merchant, or a plantation slave owner, or a Catholic settler, etc.) criticize this document?
10. Any other questions of your own?
To help you further, I will provide the class with a handout about how to write well and another handout containing a sample essay of my own that critically evaluates a document: the controversial Stamp Act of 1765.
Your first draft of the essay will be due on Thursday, March 21. I will return the draft to you when we return from Spring Break. It will contain my comments regarding contents and especially writing style. I want you to fix the paper, incorporating my suggestions, and give me the second draft no later than Thursday, April 25.
The Writing Assignment and Your Final Course Grade:
Tests (see “Test Grading Policy” below) and discussion will determine your initial course grade. But then, if you submit a good first draft, I will raise your final course grade to the next letter grade (e.g. a B would become a B+). If your final draft integrates all of the revisions I recommended, I will raise your final grade again to the next letter grade (e.g. the B+ would become and A-) A truly great paper might become an A. Similarly, a poor effort may give you either no grade change or (depending on how poor it is) it may drop your letter grade (from B to B- or more). If either draft is late there will also be a drop of one letter grade (B- to C+ or C if both drafts are late). So, hand in a good draft on time!
Handouts:
Many course handouts can be found on my website, http://emoehring.faculty.unlv.edu/. Click on appropriate course webpage; links to handouts are embedded in the course syllabus on the left side of the page.
See guiding handout provided below.
Lecture Guides:
The lecture guides for each third of the course are more like an outline of the lecture, listing what will be discussed. They are not lecture notes and do not take the place of lecture notes. On exams it won’t be enough to mention, for example, the Kansas-Nebraska Act or the Compromise of 1850. You will have to explain what they did and why they were significant. To do that, you will need to be in class and take good lecture notes. See lecture handouts provided below.
HIST101LectureGuidePartI HIST101LectureGuidePartII HIST101LectureGuidePartIII
Examination Review Guides:
These will not list the questions to be asked on the test, but will instead review what was important in the lectures and encourage you to master that information.
HIST101 1stExam Review HIST101 2ndExamReview HIST101 3rdExamReview
Test Grading Policy:
Improvement is the key. If you do badly on the First Exam but better on the next two, I will drop the First Exam. If you do badly on the Second Exam but better on the First and the Final exams, I’ll drop the Second Exam. I will recognize effort. But, be advised, I will not drop the Final Exam, so don’t blow it off!
97-99=A+
93-96=A
90-92=A-
87-89=B+
83-86=B
80-82=B-
77-79=C+
73-76=C
70-72=C-
67-69=D+
63-66=D
60-62=D-
59-0 =F
Attendance: While I do not take attendance in class, I expect you to be there! Anyone can miss a class or two because of illness or a personal emergency. But if I see that you are absent from class more than a few times during the semester, I will lower your final course grade accordingly.
Required Readings:
William Cronon, Changes in the Land CrononBkDisc
Jack Larkin, The Reshaping of Everyday Life, 1790-1840 LarkinBkDisc
John Blassingame, The Slave Community BlassingameBkDisc
On Reserve for your reference:
Eric Foner, ed., Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History Volume 1 (geared to his textbook below)
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History Volume 1 (Seagull Edition)—a good, up-to-date textbook is on reserve or available on-line.
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Lecture Topics:
The European Origins of the New World’s Settlement
The Founding of Jamestown, Plymouth and Boston, 1607-1630
The Reformation: Puritanism in Massachusetts Bay
The Chesapeake and South: Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas
New York and the Quaker Colonies: Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania
The Emergence of America’s First Cities–Read and Discuss Cronon
Economic Life in Colonial America
Origins of the American Revolution 1st Exam to be Announced
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The Revolutionary Period, 1776-1783
America Under the Articles of Confederation, 1783-1789
The U.S. Constitution: History and Analysis
Building the New Republic: George Washington and John Adams
The Age of Jefferson
America Challenged: The War of 1812 and Later Foreign Policy
The Rise of the Urban Midwest–Read and Discuss Larkin
Monroe’s Years: An Era of Good Feelings? Second Exam To be Announced
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The Industrial Revolution
The Reform Impulse: Public Schools, Abolitionism, Women’s Rights, etc.
The Age of Jackson, 1828-1840
The Whig Years
The Mexican War and Manifest Destiny
A Psycho-Cultural Approach to Slavery–Read+Discuss Blassingame
The Ferment of the 1850s
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877 Final Exam–to be Announced
Academic Misconduct: “Academic integrity is a legitimate concern for every member of the campus community; all share in upholding the fundamental values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and professionalism. By choosing to join the UNLV community, students accept the expectations of the Academic Misconduct Policy and are encouraged when faced with choices to always take the ethical path. Students enrolling in UNLV assume the obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with UNLV’s function as an educational institution.” An example of academic misconduct is plagiarism: “Using the words or ideas of another, from the Internet or any source, without proper citation of the sources.” See the “Student Academic Misconduct Policy” (approved December 9, 2005)
located at: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/judicial/misconductPolicy.html.
Plagiarism or Cheating in This Course: Anyone engaging in plagiarism or cheating on a test or a paper will receive a grade of F for the course.
Copyright Policy: The University requires all members of the University Community to familiarize themselves and to follow copyright and fair use requirements. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. The university will neither protect nor defend you nor assume any responsibility for employee or student violations of fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability, as well as disciplinary action under University policies. To familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, you are encouraged to visit the following website: http://www.unlv.edu/committees/copyright/.
Disability Resource Center (DRC): The Disability Resource Center (DRC) coordinates all academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The DRC is the official office to review and house disability documentation for students, and to provide
them with an official Academic Accommodation Plan to present to the faculty if an accommodation is warranted. Faculty should not provide students accommodations without being in receipt of this plan. UNLV complies with the provisions set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offering reasonable accommodations to qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a documented disability that may require accommodations, you will need to contact the DRC for the coordination of services. The DRC is located in the Student Services Complex (SSC), Room 143, and the contact numbers are: Voice (702) 895-0866, TTY (702) 895-0652, fax (702) 895-0651. For additional information, please
visit: http://studentlife.unlv.edu/disability/.
UNLV Writing Center: One-on-one or small group assistance with writing is available free of charge to UNLV students at the WritingCenter, located in CDC-3-301. Although walk-in consultations are sometimes available, students withappointments will receive priority assistance. Appointments may be made in person or by calling 895-3908. The student’s Rebel ID Card, a copy of the assignment (if possible), and two copies of any writing to be reviewed are requested for the consultation. More information can be found at: http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/
Religious Holidays Policy: Any student missing class quizzes, examinations, or any other class or lab work because of observance of religious holidays shall be given an opportunity during that semester to make up missed work. The make-up will apply to the religious holiday absence only. It shall be the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor no later than the end of the first two weeks of classes, February1, 2013, of his or her intention to participate in religious holidays which do not fall on state holidays or periods of class recess. This policy shall not apply in the event that administering the test or examination at an alternate time would impose an undue hardship on the instructor or the university that could not reasonably been avoided. For additional information, please visit: http://catalog.unlv.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=164.
Incomplete Grades : The grade of I – Incomplete – can be granted when a student has satisfactorily completed all course work up to the withdrawal date of that semester/session but for reason(s) beyond the student’s control, and acceptable to the instructor, cannot complete the last part of the course, and the instructor believes that the student can finish the course without repeating it. A student who receives an I is responsible for making up whatever work was lacking at the end of the semester. If course requirements are not completed within the time indicated, a grade of F will be recorded and the GPA will be adjusted accordingly. Students who are fulfilling an Incomplete do not register for the course but make individual arrangements with the instructor who assigned the I grade.
Tutoring: The Academic Success Center (ASC) provides tutoring and academic assistance for all UNLV students taking UNLV courses. Students are encouraged to stop by the ASC to learn more about subjects offered, tutoring times and other academic resources. The ASC is located across from the Student Services Complex (SSC). Students may learn more about tutoring services by calling (702) 895-3177 or visiting the tutoring web site at:http://academicsuccess.unlv.edu/tutoring/.
- Rebelmail: By policy, faculty and staff should e-mail students’ Rebelmail accounts only. Rebelmail is UNLV’s official e-mail system for students. It is one of the primary ways students receive official university communication such as information about deadlines, major campus events, and announcements. All UNLV students receive a Rebelmail account after they have been admitted to the university. Students’ e-mail prefixes are listed on class rosters. The suffix is always @unlv.nevada.edu.