History 2010
Survey of American History I
Syllabus and Course Information
Fall 2004
Scott McMillan
Assistant Professor of English, History, and Political Science
Office Hours: MT 1:00-5:30/W 1:00-5:00/R 12:30-1:00; 5:30-6:00/F 1:00-2:00
800.563.8220/931.823.7065/Ext. 238
“The life of the future is predicated upon the implication of the past. The historian is
the memory of civilization. A civilization without memory ceases to be civilized. A civilization without history ceases to have identity. Without identity there is no purpose; without purpose civilization will wither.”
--Michael Kammen
History 2010 is a survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects up to 1877.
The general goal of this course is to develop in students an understanding of the present that is informed by an awareness of past heritages, including the complex and interdependent relationships between cultures and societies.
This course also provides opportunities for students to identify problems and assess values in relation to historical and contemporary issues in America from the beginning of American history through the Reconstruction era and to improve oral and written communication skills. Development of critical thinking and historical interpretation skills are also goals of HIST 2010.
Text
Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, Alan
Lawson, and Susan H. Hartmann. The American Promise: A History of
The United States. Vol I: To 1877. Second Compact Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
Course Outcomes
Students will demonstrate the ability to:
1. analyze historical facts and interpretations;
2. analyze and compare political, geographical, economic, social, cultural, religious, and
intellectual institutions;
3. recognize and articulate the diversity of the human experience across a range of
historical periods and the complexities of a global culture and society;
4. draw on historical perspectives to evaluates contemporary problems and issues;
5. analyze the contributions of past cultures and societies to the contemporary world.
I expect you to attend each class! Most of the material on tests will come from class lectures and discussions, so attendance is very important. If you know you are going to miss a class, please try to let me know in advance. If you miss more than two classes without a valid reason, I will lower your final grade by a letter grade. Missing six or more classes will result in an automatic F for the course.
Students who are receiving Title IV financial assistance (Pell Grant, Student Loan, or SEOG Grant) must regularly attend class or be subject to repaying part or all of the Federal Financial Aid received for the semester.
Three tests will be given during the semester with both tests counting equally. Each test will consist of approximately 50% objective questions (chronology, matching, multiple choice) and 50% essay (short answer, essay). You must be present for scheduled tests. If you miss a test, you can request a makeup test, which may or may not be given at my discretion.
Each student will also complete three homework assignments during the semester. These three assignments will count 33 points each and the total points received on these assignments will equal a test grade. These assignments will be distributed during the semester.
Tests and Homework will be graded on the following scale: A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, and F=59 and below.
All writing for this class must be your own work! The VSCC Student Handbook defines plagiarism as “using other people’s ideas as your own work, copying all or parts of someone else’s work, having another person write the assignment, getting too much assistance in writing, or failing to document accurately the use of source material”(14). Any such activity constitutes plagiarism, which will result in an automatic F for the assignment and/or test and possibly the course, as well as the filing of a report with the Office of the Vice-President of Academic Affairs at VSCC.
Cell Phones
Cellular telephones are not to be used during class for any purpose, including making and/or receiving calls, sending and/or receiving text messages and/or photographs, or playing games.
“To be an American (unlike being English or French or whatever) is precisely to imagine a destiny rather than to inherit one; since we have always been, insofar, as we are Americans at all, inhabitants of myth rather than history. . . .”
--Leslie Fiedler
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these Rights, Governments
are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
Consent of the Governed, . . . .”
--Thomas Jefferson
Course Outline
Sept. 2 Introduction
“Looking East from Indian Country”: Europe Encounters the New World
Reading: Chaps. 1 (3-16), 2, 3, 4 (79-86)
Sept. 9 “The New England Mind”: The Puritans
Reading: Chap. 4 (67-79)
Sept. 16 “Liberty and Power”: Emergence of an American Economy
Reading: Chap. 5
Sept. 23 “From Resistance to Rebellion”: Evolution of the American Revolution
Reading: Chap. 6
Homework #1 Due
Sept. 30 “The Glorious Cause”: The Revolutionary War Reading: Chap. 7
Oct. 7 Test 1
Oct. 14 “The Sacred Fire of Liberty”: James Madison and the Constitution The Federalist Era
Reading: Chaps. 8, 9
Oct. 21 “The Elusive Republic”: The Republican Era
Reading: Chap. 10
Oct. 28-Nov. 4 “The Age of Jackson”: Andrew Jackson’s America
Reading: Chap. 11
Homework #2 Due (Oct. 28)
Nov. 11 Test 2
Nov. 18 “The Impending Crisis”: The 1850s
Reading: Chaps. 12, 13, 14
Nov. 25 No Class/Thanksgiving
Dec. 2-9 “The Longest Night”: The Civil War
Homework #3 Due (Dec. 2)
Dec. 16 Test 3
Special Notices
It is the student’s responsibility to identify himself/herself to the Office of Disability Services in order to receive accommodations. Disability Services is located in the Student Services Office at the Livingston Center of VSCC. Only those students with official documentation from the Office of Disability Services will receive services.
Volunteer State Community College, a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, is an equal opportunity institution and ensures equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability status, age, sexual orientation, or qualified veteran with a disability or veteran of the Vietnam era..