AMH 2010H

AMH 2010H.201, Fall 2008

United States History: 1492-1877 (Honors)

T,R 10:30-11:45, BHC 127

Dr. Rosalind J. Beiler	Office Phone: 823-6467
Office: CNH 551	Email: beiler@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
Office Hours: W 2-3; R 1-2 & by appt.

Course Description:

AMH 2010H surveys the history of the region that became the United States. The course covers the period between European discovery of the Americas in 1492 and 1877, the year marking the end of reconstruction following the Civil War. As a survey, this course does not cover every aspect of American history exhaustively. Rather, it provides an overview of some important political, social, religious and economic themes by examining the experiences of different groups of people living in the region that became the United States.

AMH 2010H will be intellectually demanding. The format will be more like a seminar with class discussions than a lecture course. The required reading and writing assignments are extensive. It is essential for students to do the readings, think about them, and have something thoughtful to say about them in class. Class attendance and participation are mandatory.

Course Requirements:

Four 3-4 page papers (15% each) 60%

Class participation 10%

Weekly posts/short assignments 15%

Final Project 15%

Course Goals:

The primary goal of AMH 2010H is for students to begin to ask and answer the questions of historians. History is more than simply accumulating knowledge of dates and facts; historians attempt to explain why people took specific actions and events occurred. They try to understand how the world around them evolved to where we are today. Throughout the semester you will learn to analyze historical evidence and articulate your own interpretation of that evidence. You will also observe and evaluate other historians’ interpretations. By the end of the course, you will be thinking critically and writing clearly!

Required Reading:

Henretta, James A., David Brody, Lynn Dumenil. America: A Concise History. Vol. 1: To 1877. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 3^rd Edition, 2006. ISBN: 0-312-41563-X.

Brown, Victoria Bissell, and Timothy J. Shannon. Going to the Source: The Bedford Reader in American History, Vol. 1: To 1877. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2^nd edition, 2008. ISBN: 0-312-44822-8.

Rowlandson, Mary. The Sovereignty and Goodness of God. Ed. Neal Salisbury. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1997. ISBN: 0-312-11151-7.

Skemp, Sheila. Ed. Benjamin and William Franklin: Father and Son, Patriot and Loyalist. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 1994. ISBN: 0-312-08617-2.

Nissenbaum, Stephen. The Battle for Christmas. N.Y.: Vintage Books, 1996. ISBN: 0-679-74038-4.

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself. Ed. David W. Blight. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1993. ISBN: 0-312-07431-6.

*** PLEASE NOTE: All books will be available for sale in the UCF book store.

Grading Scale:

The plus/minus grading scale will apply in this class.

Grade POINTS GPA Grade POINTS GPA

A 94-100 4.00 C 74-76 2.00

A- 90-93 3.75 C- 70-73 1.75

B+ 87-89 3.25 D+ 67-69 1.25

B 84-86 3.00 D 64-66 1.00

B- 80-83 2.75 D- 60-63 0.75

C+ 77-79 2.25 F 0-59 0.00

Ground Rules:

1. Students are expected to attend class. Absences will directly affect the class participation grade. “A” participation consists of completing the readings before coming to class, thinking about the major themes of the readings ahead of time, and contributing thoughtful questions and comments during class. One cannot achieve an “A” if one is not in class every day to participate. On the other hand, simply attending class also will not earn a student an “A” for participation.

2. Late papers will be penalized 10 points (a letter grade) for each day late (a day is defined as one 24-hour period – not a weekday, not a class day). Please do not ask office staff to note time of submission on late papers. You are responsible to make sure I receive late submissions in hard copy and to date them accurately.

3. All written assignments must be typed and double-spaced with standard one-inch margins. All citations should be in the form of footnotes and should use Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations as a guide for style. Papers are to be submitted in hard copy at the beginning of the class period on which the assignment is due.

4. The plagiarism of ideas and/or words is not acceptable. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s ideas or words without proper punctuation (quotation marks) and/or citation. Incidents of plagiarism will result in an automatic F for the course. For UCF’s policy on plagiarism, please see the Golden Rule, p. 15 at http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/.

5. No tape recorders are permitted in class without the prior permission of the instructor.

6. As a courtesy to your classmates and the professor, please turn off ALL beepers and cell phones during the class period.

Tentative Class Schedule:

Aug. 26-28: When Worlds Collide: Cultural Encounters part 1

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 1

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 1

Sept. 2-4: Planting Colonies in North America

Readings: Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 2

Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 2

Begin reading Rowlandson
Questions for "Desperate Journey"

Sept. 9-11: Expansion, Crisis and Conflict: Cultural Encounters part 2

Readings: Rowlandson, all

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 3

Sept. 11: Paper 1 Due

Sept. 16-18: Growth and Crisis in Colonial Society 1720-1763

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 3

Skemp, preface 1-38

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 4

Sept. 23-25: Towards Independence, 1763-1775

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 4

Skemp, 39-190

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 5

Sept. 25: Paper 2 Due

Sept. 30-Oct. 2: War and Revolution, 1775-1783

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 5

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 6

Oct.7-9: The Creation of the United States, 1776-1786

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 6

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 7

Oct. 14-16: The Dynamics of Westward Expansion and Eastern Capitalism, 1790-1820

Readings: Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 8 & 9

Shannon & Brown, Chapt. 7

Oct. 17: Withdrawal Deadline

Oct. 21-23: The Quest for a Republican Society, 1790-1820

Readings: Shannon & Brown, Chapt. 8

Nissenbaum, preface, 1-48

Oct. 28-30: Industry and the North, 1790s-1840s

Readings: Nissenbaum, 49-319

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 10

Oct. 30: Paper 3 Due

Nov. 4-6: Slavery and the South, 1790s-1850s

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 9

Douglass, preface, 1-116

Nov. 11-13: Slavery and Abolition

Readings: Douglass, 117-52

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt. 12

Nov. 11: No Class

Nov. 13: Paper 4 Due

Nov. 18-20: The Democratic Revolution

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 10

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapts. 11 & 13

Nov. 25-27: The Crisis of the Union

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 12

Nov 27: No Class – Happy Thanksgiving!

Dec. 2-4: Two Societies at War

Readings: Brown & Shannon, Chapt. 13

Henretta, Brody & Dumenil, Chapt 14

Final Project (exam period): Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008, 10:00-12:00