Survey of American History I Fall 2004
Syllabus & Course Outline
Course Description
A survey of American history from Columbus through Reconstruction. [1492-1877]
Instructor
Gregory D. Pryor Office phone: 931-403-3205
Associate Professor of History Toll free: 800-563-8220 ext. 205
Volunteer State Community College E-mail: Greg.Pryor@volstate.edu
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Monday – Wednesday - Friday |
Tuesday -Thursday |
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10:00 – 11:30 |
11:00 - 12:00 |
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1:30 - 3:00 |
1:00 - 3:00 |
Textbook
The American Promise: A History of the United States; Volume I: to 1877.
[2nd Compact Edition] by James L. Roark, et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
Videotapes
Three six-hour video tapes which may be checked out in the student center. Each tape contains eight or nine lessons taught by various professors with expertise in that particular period in history.
If you have any technical problems with your tapes, contact Livingston College-At-Home coordinator Brent Carter at 931-823-7065, or 1-800-563-8220.
College at Home courses require a lot of self-discipline; each one is essentially a self-study in that particular academic area. This means that it is extremely important for you to :
(1) watch the lessons on the videotapes;
(2) read the assigned chapters in the textbook; and
(3) take good notes over both the videos and the text.
Doing these three things properly will take considerable amount of time; plan to set aside at least an hour a day (or a couple of hours every other day) to read and study. As you are making notes, be sure that you know:
(1) WHEN the event in the study question took place;
(2) WHAT the event in the study question involved; and
(3) WHY those event were important historically.
(i.e., how did it affect the course of later events?)
If you have problems coming up with an answer to any of these three questions, contact me - I can usually steer you in the right direction in five minutes or less.
Exam grades will be assessed on the following grading scale:
|
Letter Grade |
Percent correct |
Quality Points |
|
A |
90 - 100 |
4.0 (A -) to 4.75 (A+) |
|
B |
80 - 89 |
3.0 (B-) to 3.75 (B+) |
|
C |
70 - 79 |
2.0 (C -) to 2.75 (C+) |
|
D |
60 - 69 |
1.0 (D-) to 1.75 (D+) |
|
F |
0 - 59 |
0.0 (no show) to 0.5 (took the exam, but didn’t pass) |
Final grades will be determined by taking the average of your three exam grades. Final grades are assigned according to a standard 4.0 scale.
You are expected to do your own work. Cheating on an exam will result in a grade of “F” / 0 / 0.0 being assigned for that exam.
There will be three exams given during the semester, each covering approximately one third of the material presented in the course. Students will have two hours to complete each exam. Each exam will consist of three sections:
I. Essay (45%) In a well-written narrative essay, discuss a major era in American
history (generally, this covers the material of one or two video
lessons). An essay should be not less than two and not more than
five pages long.
II. Short In well-written paragraphs, identify five (5) significant events in
Answer (35%) American history, including (1) when it happened; (2) what it involved; and (3) why it was important to a future event.
III. Multiple On 10-20 questions, select the correct answer from a list of four
Choice (20%) possibilities. Be sure to read the question carefully first.
Exam dates are listed in the course outline. It is your responsibility to be here for each of the three scheduled exams: plan ahead to be on campus on those days. If circumstances (sudden illness, etc.) keep you from taking an exam at the scheduled time, then you may request a makeup exam, which may or may not be granted at the instructor’s discretion: be prepared to present documentation explaining why you were unable to complete the exam at the scheduled time. If granted, makeup exams will be scheduled at the convenience of the instructor and the College-At-Home staff. All makeup exams must be completed by the Friday following the official exam date.
Exam return policy
Grades will be available on the Thursday after the
scheduled exam date. Contact me by phone or e-mail to get your grade.
If you wish to have your graded exam returned to you, turn in a large manila
SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) with each exam and I will mail it to
you. Grades for make-up exams may be delayed for up to one week.
Fall Semester 2004
Important Calendar Dates
Saturday September 4 College-At-Home Orientation
Saturday October 2 Exam #1 (10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, Room 106)
Saturday November 6 Exam #2 (10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, Room 106)
Saturday December 11 Final exam (10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, Room 106)
"It is the intent of Volunteer State Community College to fully comply with Executive Order 11246, as amended, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, as amended, and all regulations implementing those laws and orders, for the promotion and ensuring of equal opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or status as a qualified disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. It is the intent of VSCC to be free of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, or physical appearance. It is the intent of VSCC to fully comply with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the CRA of 1991, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, the Age discrimination in Employment Act of 1976, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicable state status and all regulations promulgated pursuant thereto."
VSCC Diabilities Statement
It is the student’s responsibility to self identify with the Office of Disability Services in order to receive accommodations. Only those students with appropriate documentation will receive services. Disability Services is located in the Wood Campus Center, Suite C206B.
VSCC Title IX Statement
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 20 U.S.C. § 1681.
VSCC
Financial Aid Statement
Students who are receiving Title IV financial assistance (Pell Grant, Student Loan or SEOG Grant) must regularly attend class or be subject to repay PART or ALL of the Federal Financial Aid received for the semester.
VSCC Academic Integrity Statement
Academic misconduct includes plagiarism, copying, cheating or other forms of academic dishonesty. Academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance is prohibited. The instructor has the primary responsibility for control over classroom behavior and maintenance of academic integrity and can order the temporary removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive conduct or conduct violative of the general rules and regulations of the institution.
Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are immediately responsible to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed through the regular institutional procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign an F or a zero for the exercise of examination or to assign an F in the course.
Plagiarism is the act of using another's words or ideas as your own without proper attribution. (If you are unsure about how or when to cite sources, please see me!) Acts of plagiarism or cheating will result in a failing grade for the course and initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
History 2010 - College at Home
Test #1 10:00 – 12:00 Noon Saturday/October 2, 2004
Time period: Videotape lessons: Textbook chapters:
1492-1783 all lessons on Tape 1 Chapters 2-7
Video Introduction to the Course.
Video Lesson 1: Consequences of Contact. Textbook: Chapter 2
Describe the nature of and the consequences of exploration and colonization sponsored Portugal and Spain to 1600, including:
1. What major forces influenced Spain to become involved in colonization during the late 15th and early 16th centuries?
2. How were relatively small groups of Spanish conquistadores able to defeat the much more numerous armies of the Inca and Aztec empires?
3. Describe some of the consequences of the contact between Europeans and natives in the Americas, including the exchange of animals, plants, technology, and disease.
Video Lesson 2: English Colonization of the Chesapeake Textbook: Chapter 3
1. What major forces influenced England to become involved in exploration and colonization during the late 16th and early 17th centuries?
2. English settlers in the Chesapeake came there in search of…?
3. Describe the social, political, and economic institutions in the Chesapeake prior to
1660, including the system of indentured servitude, the House of Burgesses, and the
tobacco plantation system.
4. Why was the colonial settlement of Virginia and Maryland so slow prior to 1660?
5. How did the institution of indentured servitude and the unhealthful climate hinder the
growth of families in the early Chesapeake colonies?
Video Lesson 3: A Puritan Way Textbook: Chapter 4
1. Why did many Puritans feel a sense of urgency to immigrate during the reign of
Charles I?
2. What did the Puritans hope to establish in the New World? How did these hopes reflect English unrest and their religious views?
3. What role did the church play in Puritan society and government?
4. How did the Puritans react to dissenters like Anne Hutchinson?
Video Lesson 4: Diversification of the Colonies Textbook: Chapter 5
1. Describe the transition from Puritan settlers to Yankee traders in New England.
2. Describe the establishment of the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania. What was the Quaker vision? How successful was Penn in making that vision a reality in America?
3. Describe the development of slavery in the American colonies. Why did slavery replace indentured servitude? What were some of the consequences of this shift?
Video Lesson 5: The Colonial Experience Textbook: Chapters 3-5
1. What did Nathaniel Bacon and his supporters want to do about the Indian "problem"? In pursuing his policy, what happened in Virginia? What were the results of Bacon's Rebellion?
2. Why were Edmund Andros and the Dominion of New England resented in the colonies? What happened to him as a result?
3. What was the relationship between the American colonies and England following the changes in the English colonial administrative policies and the Glorious Revolution?
4. Discuss the origins and outcomes of the Salem witchcraft trials. Why did they occur,
what happened as a result, and what to they reveal about society in New England?
Video Lesson 6: A New Society Textbook: Chapter 5
1. Briefly describe the different economic systems which had developed in the northern and southern colonies by 1760. How did population growth affect each of them?
2. Describe how the English government attempted to regulate American trade by implementing a series of Navigation Acts (a system called “mercantilism”). How did the colonial reaction to these regulations change over time?
3. What were the major elements of colonial government? How did this system reflect the colonial relationship with England?
4. How did American experience and Whig ideology change political attitudes in America? What were some of the results of this change?
5. Describe the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment, and their impact/significance in America. What role did diverse thinkers such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Benjamin Franklin play in these processes?
Video Lesson 7: A Struggle for Dominance Textbook: Chapter 6
1. Describe the French and Indian War. What were the consequences of this conflict for each of the groups involved?
2. Why did the British ban westward expansion of the American colonies in the Proclamation of 1763, and how did the Americans react to this imposition of British control?
3. What were the reasons for England's new mercantilistic policies after the French and Indian War? What were the colonists' reactions to them? Why did they reject the new mercantile policies?
4. What were the Stamp Act, the Quartering Act, the Currency Act, the Townsend Acts,
and the Tea Act? What were American reactions to each of them?
5. Explain the significance of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party in moving the American colonies toward a revolution against English rule.
6. What role did Thomas Paine and his pamphlet Common Sense play in creating the American Revolution?
7. What was the “shot heard ‘round the world”, and why was it so important?
Video Lesson 8: A Revolution for Independence Textbook: Chapter 7
1. Describe the major differences between the American and British forces during the
American Revolutionary War. Why did the hastily assembled American Continental Army appear to be overmatched by the regular British Army? What role did the colonial militias play in the conflict?
2. Give an overview of the Revolutionary War in the north between 1776 and 1780, including major battles such as Brandywine Creek and Germantown.
3. What was the significance of relatively minor battles such as Trenton and Princeton?
4. Why was the Battle of Saratoga the decisive turning point of the Revolutionary War?
5. Why did the British adopt the “Southern Strategy” after 1780?
6. Give an overview of the Revolutionary War in the south between 1780 and 1783, including major battles such as King’s Mountain and Cowpens.
7. Why were the British finally forced to surrender at Yorktown?
8. What was the impact of the American Revolution on American society and the American economy? List the major results (positive and negative) of the conflict.
Test #1 10:00 – 12:00 Noon Saturday/October 2, 2004
Time Period Videotape lessons Textbook chapters
1783-1840 all lessons on tape 2 Chapters 8 - 12
Video Lesson 9: The Problems of Confederation Textbook: Chapter 8
1. Describe the balance of power between the Confederation Congress and the states during the early national period. Why did many Americans fear the creation of a strong central government?
2. What difficulties did the Confederation Congress have with commercial, financial, and foreign policies?
3. What laws were passed by the Confederation Congress to deal with the questions of settling and administering western lands?
4. What was the relationship between revolutionary republicanism and the political ideas embedded in the state constitutions written between 1775 and 1781?
5. How were these critical problems pulling the country apart? What issues were the most difficult for the state governments to handle?
6. What were the ideals holding the country together?
7. What were the causes and results of Shays' Rebellion?
8. What were the primary reasons for a move toward a stronger central government in 1786-1787?
Video Lesson 10: Creating a Stronger Union Textbook: Chapter 8, 9
1. What attempts were made to revise the Articles of Confederation? What forces were leading to revision of the government?
3. Why did the delegates keep their debates secret?
4. Describe the debates at the convention over various plans and proposals. (Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Compromise, slavery, the electoral college, etc.)
5. What compromises were made that allowed the completion of the Constitution?
6. Why did the delegates eventually agree to the Constitution? Why did the Constitution succeed?
7. Why were some people outraged at what the delegates had done? What were the most valid objections to the Constitution?
8. What was the process for the ratification of the Constitution?
9. What were the differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
10. Why did the Federalists win?
11. What role did the Federalist Papers play in ratification?
12. Describe Alexander Hamilton's plans for getting the new U.S. economy functioning.
13. What was Thomas Jefferson's response to Hamilton's proposals?
Video Lesson 11: The Republic in a Hostile World Textbook: Chapter 9
1. What was the Whiskey Rebellion, and how did Washington handle it?
2. What foreign policy problems confronted Washington during his presidency?
3. What did Edmund Genet do to alienate the Washington administration? (requires outside reading)
4. What was the XYZ Affair?
5 Why did the Adams administration pass the Alien and Sedition Acts? What were the results of these acts, and how did people respond to them?
Video Lesson 12: The Rural Republic Textbook: Chapter 9, 10
1. Describe the “Revolution of 1800”, including an analysis of the differences between Jefferson’s rural-agrarian “vision of republican simplicity” and the more modern urban-industrial views of Alexander Hamilton.
2. What were the “midnight appointments”?
3. Discuss the origins and outcomes of the Supreme Court case Marbury vs. Madison
(1803). Why did Marbury sue Madison, and how did that lead to the Supreme Court
granting itself the right of “judicial review” (and thus the power to declare laws unconstitutional)?
4. Discuss the origins and outcomes of the Louisiana Purchase. What impact did this have on the structure of the American government (“implied powers”) and the American economy (territorial expansion).
5. Discuss the conflict between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Why did it occur, how was it resolved, and what were the major results of that famous duel?
Video Lesson 13: The Failure of Democracy Textbook: Chapter 10
1. What factors (neutrality violations, trade restrictions, etc.) led to the War of 1812?
2. Who were the War Hawks, what did they want, and what did they do about it?
3. Discuss the major battles of the War of 1812, including the Battles of Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans.
4. What was the Hartford Convention, and what were its major results?
5. What were the major results of the War of 1812 for the United States?
Video Lesson 14: Good Feelings and Bad Textbook: Ch. 10-11
1. What evidence could be seen after the War of 1812 of a dangerous sectional trend in economic and social policies?
2. What factors were involved in the post-war economic expansion of the country?
3. In 1818, how did the Bank of the United States (BUS) respond to rapid expansion?
4. What causes and results of the Panic of 1819?
5. What caused the death of the Federalist party? When/how did it die?
Video Lesson 15: The Expanding Nation Textbook: Chapter 11
1. What was life like for female workers in the Lowell mills (the “Waltham system”)?
2. Describe the improvements in transportation that took place during the early
1800’s.
3. Briefly describe the “boom and bust” cycle that characterized the American
economy during the early 1800’s.
Video Lesson 16: The Jacksonian Persuasion Textbook: Chapter 11
1. What were the changes that took place in American political procedures and behavior during the "Jacksonian period"?
2. What qualities of the West did Andrew Jackson exemplify?
3. What was the “corrupt bargain”, and what impact did it have on national politics?
4. What were the characteristics if the election of 1828? Why did Jackson win?
5. How did the politics surrounding the central government change due to the election of Jackson?
6. Discuss Jackson’s Indian policy, beginning with the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and continuing through Worcester v. Georgia (1831) and the Trail of Tears. How did Jackson reflect the common attitude toward Indians on the frontier.
7. How did the “Tariff of Abominations” lead to the nullification crisis? Describe the controversy and its implications for the United States.
8. Discuss the “Bank War”, including an analysis of Jackson’s attitude toward the Bank of the United States, his preferrance for “pet banks”, and his issuance of the Specie Circular. What were the major results of this conflict?
9. Discuss the Peggy Eaton Affair. How did Jackson’s response to Mrs. Eaton’s plight reflect: (a) his grief over his wife Rachel’s death; and (b) the limits on the power of
10. Describe the new political party system that evolved by 1836.
11. Assess Martin Van Buren's presidency.
Test #3 10:00 - 12:00 Noon Saturday/December 11, 2004tc \l2 "Test #3 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Saturday, 05 August 2000
Time period Videotape lessons Textbook chapters
1840 to 1877 all lessons on tape 3 Chapters 11-16
Video Lesson 18: Reforming the Republic Textbook: Ch. 11-13
1. Describe the Second Great Awakening. What messages did Charles Finney and the other revivalists proclaim? What role did revivalism play in the development of the frontier?
2. What were the goals of the abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison and
Frederick Douglass? How did the public react to them?
3. Discuss the origins and outcomes of Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1831). How did this event help create an abolitionist backlash in the north?
4. Discuss the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Underground Railroad on the growing conflict between slavery proponents and abolitionists.
5. Describe the Seneca Falls Convention and its results. What role did Elizabeth Cady
Stanton play in the women’s suffrage movement at Seneca Falls and over the next
fifty years?
Video Lesson 19 : Manifest Destiny Textbook: Chapter 13
1. What was the “three-fifths clause” of the U.S. Constitution, and what impact did it
have on westward expansion? (see Constitution, U.S. – Three-fifths clause in the
index of your text).
2. Discuss the importance of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. (Chapter 10).
3. Explain the concept of “Manifest Destiny".
4. How and why did war erupt between Mexico and the American settlers in Texas?
What happened at the Alamo and San Jacinto that led to Texas independence?
5. How did the United States acquire Texas, California, Oregon, and the Mexican Cession lands?
6. Why did war break out between the United States and Mexico? How did the U.S.
defeat Mexico, and what were the major results of the war?
7. What was the impact of antebellum settlement to the Pacific Ocean?
Video Lesson 20: Agitation and Compromise Textbook: chapter 14
1. What was the relationship between the territories acquired from Mexico and the question of slavery expansion into those lands?
2. How did fears over the balance between “free” and “slave” states in Congress affect
the debate over westward expansion in Texas, California, etc.?
3. Describe the various proposals for dealing with the question of slavery expansion and how they affected the 1848 election.
4. What were the terms of the Compromise of 1850? What role did Henry Clay play in
this issue? Why did the compromise finally pass? What were the results?
Video Lesson 21: The Fitful Fifties Textbook: Chapter 14
1. What was the impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill on the settlement of Kansas?
2. Describe the increasing incidence of violence in “Bleeding Kansas” during the
1850s. How was the level of violence escalated by events at Lawrence,
Pottawatomie, and Osawatomie?
3. What was the Sumner-Brooks Affair? How did the North and South react to it?
Video Lesson 22 - Crisis of Union Textbook: Chapter 14
1. What was the significance of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry? What happened in response to the raid?
2. Discuss the Dred Scott decision. What arguments did Dred Scott use to support his contention that he should be free? What did the U.S. Supreme Court decide? What were the major results of that decision?
3. Discuss the presidential election of 1860, including a list of the major candidates, their positions on slavery, and their areas of support. Why did Lincoln win? What were the major results of his victory?
Video Lesson 23 - A Frightful Conflict Textbook: Chapter 15
1. Discuss the secession crisis that followed Lincoln’s election. What role did the attack on Fort Sumter play in prompting more southern states to secede from the Union?
2. What were each side's advantages and disadvantages?
3. What role did the South expect “King Cotton” to play in the war? How did the North negate this potential southern advantage?
4. Discuss the Battle of Antietam and its link to the Emancipation Proclamation.
5. Discuss the Battle of Gettysburg and the Siege of Vicksburg. Why were they the turning points of the war in the east and west, respectively?
6. Describe the political and military leadership of the South and the North.
7. What was General William T. Sherman's attitude toward winning the war?
8. Describe the shortcomings of medical care during the American Civil War.
Video lesson 24 - The Home Fronts Textbook: chapter 15
1. What was the economic impact of the Civil War on the North and the South?
2. What fears did the later years of the war bring to the southern home front?
3. What impact did the Civil War have on slavery?
4. What appeared to be Lincoln's attitude toward reconstruction?
5. What was the significance of Lincoln's assassination? What was the impact of
Lincoln's death on the prospects for reunion?
Video Lesson 25 - Reconstructing the South Textbook: Chapter 17
1. Why was it difficult to overcome the hostilities left by the Civil War? Why was it difficult to reunite the country?
2. What were the elements of the invisible wall separating Union and ex-Confederate states?
3. What was the role of freedmen in the post Civil War South?
4. What was Andrew Johnson's political and social background?
5. Describe the confrontation over Reconstruction between Andrew Johnson and
Congressional leaders. Why was Johnson impeached? What were the results of his
trial before the Senate?
6. What factors helped the radicals gain control of Reconstruction?
7. Why did Johnson's Reconstruction program fail? What were the goals of radical
reconstruction? What was the nature of the military reconstruction plans of Congress.
Video Lesson 26 - The End of an Era Textbook: Chapter 16
1. Who were the participants in radical Reconstruction? What was the impact of
Reconstruction on the South?
2. What had many blacks been forced to do following emancipation in order to work?
3. What was the actual role of blacks in the Reconstruction process?
4. Why did northern Republicans lose interest in Reconstruction?
5. What was the significance of violent organizations in ending Reconstruction?
6. Describe the Compromise of 1877 that ended Reconstruction. What did both sides promise? What did they actually do (or not do)?
Test #3 10:00 - 12:00 Noon Saturday/April 24, 2004
Reminder
Bring your videotapes with you to the final exam. A hold will be placed on your grades if you do not turn in your videos.