| The United States
To 1877 HIST 1301 Houston Community College Spring 2008 |
Instructor: Clayton
Lust Office: 557 AH (at University of Houston) Phone: 713-743-3093 Email: clayton@claytonlust.com |
Course Description:
The first part of American history is one of great contradictions. It saw some of the most barbaric acts, but also movements towards social justice. The story of the US to 1877 is the story of the implementation of the world's largest system of slavery; the removal of Native Americans east of the Mississippi; the conquest of a vast empire from Spain and Mexico; and the triumph of urban values. But it is also the story of the defeat and collapse of slavery; the American reform tradition; and new ideals of liberty, equality and democracy.
Disclaimers - Some of the topics we discuss in this class are violent and our discussions will not sugarcoat the brutality. At times you may be offended by the actorss of the past - and you should be offended. Regardless, the history taught in this class will be in no way sanitized. Additionally, periodically we will be viewing movie clips.
Objectionable Materials Warning: Some of the film clips that we will watch during the semester contain scenes of explicit violence, sexual brutality, ethnic and gender stereotyping, nudity, obscenity, adult themes, profanity, and offensive language that might be found objectionable by some. There may be also be ideas or practices endorsed by specific motion pictures that some might consider immoral or amoral. All of these films, however, were already in wide circulation in the culture at large and are, in the instructor’s opinion, essential to understanding American cultural history
Books:
Mayo, Kearney, and Moretta, American Dreams and Reality: A Retelling of the American Way, Volume I
Various, American Perspectives: Readings in American History, Volume 1.
Moretta William Penn and the Quaker Legacy (MORETTA)
Oates The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion (OATES)
Gienapp, William E., Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America, a Biography. (GIENAPP)
Grading:
Your grade in this class is arrived at in the following manner. There are 3 closed book, closed note exams, the dates of which are below. The two mid term exams are worth 25% apiece. The final exam is worth 30% of your grade. In addition there are three (3) quizzes from the book American Perspectives that are worth a total of 15%. The final 5% is derived from unannounced (pop) quizzes.
Reader Quiz 1 - September 9 5%
Reader Quiz 2 - October 14 5%
Reader Quiz 3 - November 18 5%
Exam 1: September 30 25%
Exam 2: November 4 25%
Final Exam: TBA in accordance with HCC schedule 30%
SCALE: 90-100=A 80-89=B 70-79=C 60-69=D 59 and below=F
THERE ARE NO MAKE-UPS IN THIS CLASS EXCEPT IN CASES OF DIRE, DOCUMENTED EMERGENCY. WHETHER A MAKEUP WILL BE GIVEN IS AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR. ANY MAKEUP WILL BE IN AN ALL-ESSAY FORMAT, AND WILL BE GIVEN ON DECEMBER 11 – THE MAKE UP DATE IS NON NEGOTIABLE.
FYIs
The Houston Community College System
is an open-admission, public institution of higher education offering
academic preparation and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare
individuals in our diverse communities for life and work in an increasingly
international and technological society. The History Department will
provide an environment conducive to learning and encourages academic
excellence. Furthermore the History faculty will encourage the development
of the following competencies:
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Critical Thinking, and Computer
Literacy.
Classroom Behavior:
THIS IS NOT THE 13TH GRADE. You are adults, and are expected to behave as such. Come to class prepared to take notes every Saturday- a pen and notebook are all you required to bring with you. Additionally I have a few very simple rules.
- The ONLY person who should be talking is me. If you have a question raise your hand - don't ask the person next to you, unless the person next to you has a PhD in history.
- NO CELL PHONES. In case that wasn't clear, let me repeat - NO CELL PHONES. When you enter this classroom, cell phones are to be turned off or on vibrate. DO NOT EVER answer a call in class. If you have a situation where it is imperative you be reached, tell me beforehand. Acceptable situations are pregnancy (your own or spouse's), serious family illness, etc. Your boyfriend or girlfriend needing to talk is not an emergency situation. If a phone goes off in class, you will leave for the day. If a second goes off, I leave, and you will be responsible for the material that would have been covered that day.
- You registered for this class - no one forced you to. Once you are here, you are here. Do NOT get up and leave in the middle of class, unless you have spoken to me beforehand and I approved it.
- Do not read materials for other classes, do homework, listen to CD/mp3 players, sleep, or read newspapers.
- Finally, respect your peers. Periodically we may have discussions in this class where you will be asked to express your own ideas. This classroom and the class list serve must be spaces in which people feel free to express thoughts. Someone may say something you completely disagree with, that even I may disagree with. But I will not tolerate any circumstance where students feel threatened or fearful of expressing ideas - after all that is why you are going to college, to flesh out your ideas and beliefs and find a way to convey those to others.
I reserve the right to drop students who are repeatedly disruptive or who repeatedly violate the course rules.
If these are rules that you think you will be unable to follow, please drop the class and hand back my syllabus.
Attendance:
Class attendance is expected and per HCC policy is mandatory. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class - if you are late it is YOUR responsibility to let me know you arrived at the end of class. Students are permitted nine (9) free absences – the equivalent of FOUR weeks of class, after that the student will lose one point from their final grade for each additional absence. Students who maintain perfect attendance will receive a 3-point bonus to their course grade. Deciding not to attend class will NOT result in my dropping you – if you wish to drop the class it is your responsibility to do so.
Tardiness:
Get here on time. Occasional lateness happens, but habitual lateness is a choice – it is disrespectful to your fellow classmates to habitually interrupt class so you can stroll in late, and is therefore inexcusable. If you are the type of person who is constantly late, you should consider another class.
Academic Honesty:
All work is expected to be your own. I have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for cheating. This includes turning in work that is not your own, looking onto another student's exam, using crib/cheat sheets, using electronic devices (i.e. cell phones with text features, side kicks, two-way pagers), and anything that any reasonable person would recognize as cheating. If I catch you cheating I will seek the maximum penalty allowable according to HCC policy. If you have questions about cheating please see me or consult the student handbook.
Schedule: |
|||
| Week 1/August 24 and 26 | |||
Introduction
|
Readings: Mayo 16-28; Begin MORETTA |
||
| Week 2/Aug. 31 – Sept. 2 | |||
New World Slavery
|
Readings: Mayo Chapter 4 |
||
| Week 3/September 7 and 9 | |||
England's New World Colonies |
Readings: Mayo, Chapter 5 AP - 25-42 |
||
| Week 4/September 14 and 16 | |||
|
Readings: Mayo Ch. 6 |
||
| Week 5/September 21 and 23 | |||
The Articles of Confederation
|
Readings: Mayo Ch. 6 AP: 49-82 Finish MORETTA for exam |
||
| Week 6/ September 28 and 30 | |||
Review |
|||
| Week 7/ Feb. 25 & 27 | |||
Louisiana Purchase
|
MAYO: Ch. 7 |
||
| Week 8/October 12 and 14 | |||
American Reform Movements
|
AP: 133-158 |
||
| Week 9/October 19 and 21 | |||
Bank War |
MAYO: Ch. 8 |
||
| Week 10/October 26 and 28 | |||
Mythology and Texas
|
MAYO: Ch. 9
|
||
| Week 11/November 2 and 4 | |||
Review |
|
||
| Week 12/November 9 and 11 | |||
More Political Turmoil
|
MAYO: Ch. 10 |
||
| Week 13/November 16 and 18 | |||
Civil War Looming |
MAYO - Ch. 10 AP: 159-168 & 187-213 |
||
| Week 14/November 23 and 25 | |||
NO CLASS Wednesday 11/25 - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
|
|
||
| Week 15/Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 | |||
|
MAYO - Ch. 12 |
||
|
|