Credit hours: 3Instructor: Larissa Nemoianu

Office hours:

Office: JM 126 

Phone: 796-8542 

E-Mail: Larissa_Nemoianu@jackson.cc.mi.us

As we approach the millennium, there is a great anticipation of a"new era," a new beginning (the new millennium starts in the year 2001, not in 2000). However, the future is inescapably tied to the past and questions our society is facing and will face in the future are rooted in our past. Our attitudes on such issues as political democracy, social justice, economic opportunity, equality and the environment have all been shaped by our society's previous experiences. In this course we will study how these attitudes and beliefs evolved in the first two and one half centuries of our history. Ultimately, history in large part, is a study and an attempt to understand those links from what we "were" to what we "are" and to what we "hope to be."

History is not one-dimensional; instead, it has ties along both chronological and societal lines. A particular historical event is not only influenced by those events that happen concurrently, but also by those which precede it. The Civil Rights Movement, for example, was not only molded by the atmosphere of America in the 1950s and 1960s, but also by other movements among African-Americans which predated it. While this course is an "introductory" course in American history covering the period from 1607 to 1865, it is not a "survey" course in the sense that we will not attempt to discuss every fact or cover every event in 250 years of American history. Rather, we will approach this period of history through a discussion of four themes.

I. The first, essentially covering the period from the founding down to the middle of the eighteenth century, will deal with the question of how Europeans from a medieval culture became Americans.

II. The second theme will explore the political, social and economic impact the Revolution had upon American society.

III. The third theme will focus on the modernization of American society in the nineteenth century and examine the relationship between modernization and the sectional crisis.

IV. And finally, we will focus on The Civil War ,will contrast North and South , will examine the coming and the fighting of the Civil War, will analyze causes and effects of the Civil War.

In all four themes we will focus, in part at least, on issues of political democracy, social justice and equality.

This course has two major objectives:

A. First, we will study history as a process through which our society, our country came to be as it is today. Our society in 2000 is the product of a diverse and complex past and a fuller understanding of that past will give us greater insight and perspective into the problems that challenges us.

B. The second objective of this course is to challenge you to develop your critical reading and writing skills. We will introduce you to sets of complex historical problems and ask you to order, assess, analyze and conceptualize the material in order to gain greater understanding of the particular problem with all of its ramifications.

 

As a result of successfully completing HIS 231 you will be able to:

1. Understand the basic components and ideas of the American political system, the role of individual citizens, political leaders, and the essential role of diversity and the influence of multinational and multicultural roots of the present United States

 

2. Be able to characterize the evolution of the "American character" by analyzing the combination of influences, such as various traditions, environmental conditions, and opportunities

 

3. Understand the contradictions of the American system (egalitarianism and slavery, opportunity and poverty, reform and reaction, immigration and nativism, participation in the international affairs and isolationism)

 

4. Acknowledge different forces and ideas that made the United States the dominant force in the 20th century, understand the social and political tensions, the role of foreign powers on the development of the revolutionary society

 

5. Develop such useful intellectual skills as reading and writing, analysis and synthesis, critical thinking.

 

6. Develop practical skills such as using technology in research, writing and communicating.

 

7. Develop such skills as working in groups, responsibility for your own learning, objective evaluation of your own and your partners participation in group and class discussion

In addition to my lectures, you will participate class discussion . The discussions are an important and critical element of History 231. For the discussion to be successful and for you to get the most out of the course you must have finished the assigned reading before you come to class and be prepared to discuss the material. As a general rule it is a good idea to bring the books each week to class. It is quite possible that I will read a paragraph from the material and have you comment on it. In addition you might have questions of your own from the readings that you want to discuss.

Since class attendance (lectures and discussion) is essential for your successful completion of the course, attendance checks will be made each class meeting. You are responsible for all material presented in class, including announcements about course procedures. Part of your grade is class participation. Also, exams, quizzes, and homework often include questions on material presented only in class, so your attendance directly affects your performance. After 3 absences the student will be dropped at the instructor's request.

Evaluation:

Students can accumulate 1000 points:

500 hundred from the exams

200 from the research project

200 from quizzes

100 points from class participation

1. Withdraw and audit -"W" and "Y"- are permanent transcripted grades and will not be change

2. No awarded grade appearing on the transcript will be changed to either Withdraw or Audit

3. Change of awarded grade to Incomplete must be accompanied by detailed explanation and documentation. Final approval is based on the judgment of the Dean of Faculty and registrar

4. The Incomplete is awarded only when student work is deemed to be sufficient in quality but lacking in quantity. Written agreement between the student and Instructor as to work needed to be completed as well as completion date is required. An "I" not changed by the next full-length Fall or Winter semester will remain a permanently transcripted grade unless the course is not offered, for example, in the next full-length semester (Any "I" not changed at the end of one year will remain a permanently transcripted grade)

5. An Incomplete that is transcripted may be changed to a grade by the instructor of record only.

Examinations:

3 partial exams are worth 300 points (100 each)

The final exam is worth 200 points and covers the entire material studied over the semester.

The partial exams are made up of multiple choice, essay, primary sources and true/false questions from the textbook, from class discussion, supplementary readings and primary sources.

The Final Exam will place considerable emphasis on your ability to analyze, synthesize, your critical thinking and communicate in writing your conclusions of the course material.

The Final exam is made up of 40 multiple choice questions (worth 80 points) map exercise (worth 20 points), a primary source interpretation (20 points), and 4 essay questions (worth 80 points).

 

You will work in assigned groups of 3-4 students. The instructor will establish the role of each individual in the group. The instructor will also do this for exams. The ideal group will be composed of equally prepared students, but, if one student misses class, or acts disinterested towards the well being of his or her colleagues, this student will be removed from the group.

Again, the instructor decides the composition of groups for each exam.

Each student will take the quizes and first exam alone, not with their group.

Partial exam 2 and 3 and Final Exam are group exams. Again, the instructor decides the composition of groups each exam.

 

No exam can be retaken and no make-up for quizes.

If for any family, medical, or personal emergency you find it necessary to miss a midterm or final exam, you must contact the course instructor before the examination. If unable to contact the instructor, leave a message with the building secretary (787-0800, ext. 8152). Medical excuses will require a note from a doctor. A death in the family will require a copy of the death certificate or an obituary. Reasonable accommodation will be made in genuine cases of extenuating circumstances.

Assignments:

You will be required to do a research project, worth 200 points.

I sincerely hope that the research project will not be an exercise in futility or simply be regarded as busy work assignment. In addition I hope that the project will engage your interests and encourage your imagination and creativity.

If you choose a written research project, this must be typed, double spaced, no shorter than 5 pages, and no longer than 8 (the best will be 5 pages long). The project, as well as the essay questions on the midterm and final exam has been designed to sharpen analytical, conceptual and critical skills.

In addition you must have a bibliography page and notes (if you use Internet sources you should present a hard copy of your source.)

The written research project will be graded as following:

1. On historical knowledge of the period: 75 points

2. Ability to analyze, synthesize, compare and contrast different historical events: 100 points

3. Style, vocabulary, and grammar: 25 points

As far as style is concerned, I will accept footnote, endnote or parenthetical format, but ALL references MUST be documented and all sources included in a bibliography at the end of the essay.

A research project (written or any other form) should have at least four sources.

We will talk in class about different types of projects you can choose and about topics for written research projects

1. REVOLUTION OR REBELLION? c. 1776

2. REMEMBER THE ALAMO? 1836–1848: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE 3. WAR WITH MEXICO

4. SLAVERY AS IT IS c. 1830–1861

5. JACKSONIAN ERA - A DEMOCRATIC PERIOD?

6. FOUNDER OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: JEFFERSON OR JACKSON?

7. MONROE DOCTRINE AND ITS IMPLICATION

8. DIVISION AND UNITY IN AMERICAN HISTORY (UP TO 1861)

9. ROLE OF PERSONALITY IN AMERICAN HISTORY (TO 1861)

10. THE ROLE OF ECONOMY IN POLITICAL LIFE IN AMERICA (TO 1861)

11. DEMOCRACY FOR WHOM? POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL SYSTEM BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR

12. SLAVERY: A MORAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ISSUE

Textbook and Study Guide are sold as a package: Tindall and Shi, America, Brief Fifth Edition, W.W.Norton, 2000

4.0: 940 -1000

3.5: 850 - 939

3.0: 800 - 850

2.5: 700 - 799

2.0: 650 - 699

1.5: 550 - 649

1.0: 500 - 549

Below 500 - 0.0