History 163: United States History to 1876

Sam Houston State University, Fall 2005
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1:00-1:50 , AB4 202
Professor: Jeff Littlejohn
Office: History Department, Floor 4, AB4
Office Hours: MWF 11-12, or appt.
Email: littlejohn@shsu.edu
http://www.littlejohnexplorers.com


Course Description:
HIS 163 is the first part of a two-semester course on the history of the United States . The class is designed to offer students an introductory survey of the chief cultural, environmental, intellectual, and political developments in North America between 1492 and 1876.

HIS 163 focuses on four primary topics: 1) the meeting of European, Amerindian, and African cultures during the Age of Exploration; 2) the establishment of the British colonial system in North America ; 3) the development of the American Revolution and early Republic; and, 4) the expansion, fracturing, and reconstruction of the American nation in the mid-nineteenth century.


Course Objectives:
This survey of American history is inclusive in that it focuses on the many dimensions of human activity, including food production, home construction, technological development, economic activity, cultural expression, and political development.

This course does not concentrate on the memorization of facts, dates, or events. Instead, it encourages students to think critically about the stories we tell ourselves in an effort to understand where we come from and why we are here.

As we study the American past, students will meet the following objectives.

1) Students will gain factual knowledge.
Students should gain a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the periods covered in this course, including the Age of Exploration, the Colonial period, the American Revolution, the Early Republic , the Civil War, and the era of Reconstruction.

2) Students will learn fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories.
Students will be taught the fundamental principles of historical scholarship as they encounter traditional and more recent interpretations of the American past.

3) Students will learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view.
Students will learn to evaluate primary documents and secondary sources as they consider conflicting historical interpretations.


Required Textbook:
* Tindall, George and David Shi. America: A Narrative History, Vol. 1, Brief Sixth Ed.
* Burner, et.al. Firsthand America, Vol. 1, Eighth Edition.
* Bilhartz, Terry. 12 Days that Changed America, Vol. 1 (Available for purchase in the SHSU History Department main office, AB4 Room 441, 936-294-1475.)


Attendance:
Regular attendance and punctuality are indicative of serious scholarship. You should be in class, awake and aware, and prepared for discussion. Role will be taken regularly, and any student who has more than six absences at the end of the term may receive a failing grade. Students who are regularly tardy will be denied entrance to class.


Attendance and Religious Holy Days:
Section 51.911(b) of the Texas Education Code requires that an institution of higher education excuse a student from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused under this subsection may not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment from which the student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence.

SHSU policy 861001 provides the procedure to be followed by the student and instructor.  A student desiring to absent himself/herself from a scheduled class in order to observe (a) religious holy day(s) shall present to the instructor involved a written statement concerning the religious holy day(s). This request must be made in the first fifteen days of the semester in which the absence(s) will occur. The instructor will complete a form notifying the student of a reasonable timeframe in which the missed assignments and/or examinations are to be completed.

Assignments and Grading:
In this course, students will complete 2 exams and 10 written exercises.

* Each exam will be worth 150 points
* Each written exercise will be worth 25 points.

The following grading scale -- based on 550 points -- will be used to calculate final grades in this semester's course:
A = 495–550 | B = 440–494 | C = 385–439 | D = 330–384 | F = 0-329 points.


Examinations:
2 multiple-choice/essay exams will be given during the term. Each of the exams will cover the section of the course immediately preceding it. The exams will be based on class notes and assigned readings. Review sheets will be posted on the course webpage before each exam.


Written Exercises:
10 written exercises will be given during the term. Students may anticipate reading quizzes, movie reviews, and article critiques. In each case, students will be given explicit directions by the instructor at least two class periods before an assignment is due. None of the assignments will require more than one single-spaced type page in length. No late exercises will be accepted.


Classroom Demeanor:
Although HIS 163 is a lecture course, students are encouraged to ask questions and initiate discussion. The more engaged you are with the material, the better you will learn it, and the better you will do in the course. To facilitate an open classroom dialogue, students should not: 1) have cell phones turned on; 2) be reading the school paper or doing other homework; 3) leave early or disturb their fellows.


Visitors in the Classroom:
Unannounced visitors to class must present a current, official SHSU identification card to be permitted in the classroom. They must not present a disruption to the class by their attendance. If the visitor is not a registered student, it is at the instructor's discretion whether or not the visitor will be allowed to remain in the classroom.


Study Tips:
I encourage you to contact me if you are feeling confused or out-of-step with the material we are covering. If you would like additional support, you may also contact the SAM Center ( Student Advising & Mentoring Center ), which helps students improve their note-taking, time management, and study skills. The SAM Center is located in room 210 of AB4. You may make an appointment at the Center by email ( SAMCenter@shsu.edu ) or phone (294-4444).


Academic Dishonesty:
All students are expected to engage in all academic pursuits in a manner that is above reproach. Students are expected to maintain complete honesty and integrity in the academic experiences both in and out of the classroom. Any student found guilty of dishonesty is any phase of academic work will be subject to disciplinary action. The University and its official representatives may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of any form of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work which is to be submitted, plagiarism, collusion and the abuse of resource materials.

Any violation of the University's Academic Honesty standard will result in a failing grade for the course and a recommendation for University discipline.


Americans with Disabilities Act:
It is the policy of Sam Houston State University that individuals otherwise qualified shall not be excluded, solely by reason of their disability, from participation in any academic program of the university. Further, they shall not be denied the benefits of these programs nor shall they be subjected to discrimination. Students with disabilities that might affect their academic performance are expected to visit with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities located next to the Counseling Center . They should then make arrangements with the instructor in order that accommodations can be made to assure that participation and achievement opportunities are not impaired.

SHSU adheres to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. If you have a disability that may affect adversely your work in this class, then I encourage you to register with the SHSU Counseling Center and to talk with me about how I can best help you. All disclosures of disabilities will be kept strictly confidential. NOTE: no accommodation can be made until you register with the Counseling Center.


Instructor's Right to Update Course Schedule
This syllabus is your contract for the course. The instructor will not change the nature of the course, the number of assignments, or the grading scheme. However, the instructor reserves the right to update the course schedule and reading assignments throughout the term.