Professor Angela Boswell                                                                                                                  

Fall 2009
 

TT

History 2053: U. S. History to 1865

Course Description: This course is a survey of the nation's political, economic, social, and military past in the colonial and early national periods through the Civil War.

Required texts: 

Gary B. Nash and Ronald B. Schultz, Retracing the Past: Readings in the History of the American People, Volume I: To 1877, Sixth edition

Mark C. Carnes and John A. Garraty, American Destiny: Narrative of a Nation, Volume I: To 1877, Penguin Academics Series, second or third edition

COURSE STRUCTURE

This course consists of lecture and student discussion.  Students shall come to class every day having completed the assigned readings ready to take notes on the material presented and to discuss the readings.  Angel is an integral part of this course and students are responsible for instructions and assignments available on Angel.

The course will be divided into three sections.  The first section of the course will be an overview of American History from pre-history to 1865.  In this first, brief section, we will review U.S. history and students will be expected to understand the major events and trends of the entire period.  They will also be expected to review and learn the basics that enable a greater understanding of history: some major dates, geographical locations, and major terms.  The second section of the course, which will make up the majority of the course, will be a more in-depth look at the same period in U.S. history.  In this section, students will concentrate on reading, comprehending, and analyzing historical articles in Retracing the Past using the other textbook for help and reference.  In these first two sections, lectures will form a critical part of the learning experience although there will always be room for discussion.  In the last section, students will choose a track of primary documents and participate in some activities with other students who are also working with those documents.  There will be some lecture in this last section, but the majority of the class time will be spent working and discussing.

ATTENDANCE

Exams will cover material in lectures, discussions, and the readings.  Assignment requirements will be also be discussed in class.  For these reasons, regular attendance at every class is highly recommended.  Students are responsible for all announcements and assignments made in class whether they attended class or not.  Students may be dropped for excessive absences (more than 4). 

GRADING

Each student's grade will be determined as follows:

10%     Test #1                    

15%     Test #2                                               

15%     Test #3                    

20%     Final

20%     Paper

20%     Angel Quizzes and activities

ANGEL:  http://angel.hsu.edu

The Angel Course delivery program will be used to enhance this course and access to Angel is required by all students.  Students will take ten or more quizzes online (see Quizzes below).  In addition, requirements for paper assignments, primary documents for the final paper, and additional assignments will all be posted on Angel.  Finally, Angel will give students access to lecture outlines, powerpoint presentations, maps, and other materials that will be useful to students in preparing for exams and assignments.

TESTS

Test #1 will be an in-class objective test and will absolutely include a geography portion.  Test #2, Test #3, and the Final exam will be in-class essay exams.  The dates for the first three tests are indicated on the assignment schedule below.  The Final Exam will be given at the time scheduled by the university for our final exam.  Each exam is cumulative and BLUEBOOKS will be required for every exam.  Makeups for missed in-class tests may be allowed providing the student contacts me within 24 hours of the exam and has an excellent reason for missing the test.

QUIZZES

There will be ten or more Online Quizzes.  A quiz may be taken by the student at any time after the quiz is made available on Angel, as long as it is completed BEFORE the due date.  Due dates for quizzes are on the syllabus below, although it may sometimes be announced in class that a due date for a quiz has been extended (quiz due dates will never be made earlier than the syllabus).  Information on how to access Angel in order to take the quizzes will be handed out separately.  There will be NO makeups for missed quizzes.  The address for Angel is http://angel.hsu.edu

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

One paper based upon careful reading of a set of primary documents will serve as the capstone experience of the course.  This 800-1000 word paper will draw evidence from the primary documents (provided on Angel) and place that evidence within the broader narrative of U.S. History to 1865.  Only a very small portion of the paper should be direct quotes and all direct quotes should have proper quotation marks and citations.  All information in the paper must also be properly documented.  Failure to do so is plagiarism and students who plagiarize will fail the course and be reported to the dean for disciplinary action.  Further information regarding the papers will be discussed in class and posted on Angel.  Adherence to the details of the assignment is crucial for a passing grade.  Again, plagiarism on any writing assignment, even unintentionally, will result in a failing grade for the course.

DISABILITIES SERVICES
Any student eligible for and needing academic adjustments or accommodations because of a documented disability should contact me or Vickie Faust at the Disability Resource Center (Foster Hall 112; 230-5475; faustv@hsu.edu).

ACADEMIC HONESTY
Academic dishonesty, including cheating on exams, plagiarism, or having others complete assignments, will not be tolerated.   For a violation of codes of academic honesty, a student may receive an “F” for the course or be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs for University disciplinary action.  For more information on what may constitute academic dishonesty, refer to the student handbook.  If you have ANY doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, please visit with me or with the writing center. 

QUESTIONS/CONCERNS/DISCUSSIONS

If you have any questions about the course or how to improve your success in the course, I encourage you to discuss them with me.  The quickest way to set up an appointment with me or get simple questions answered is via email (boswela@hsu.edu), but please feel free to call me or come by the office too.  My office hours will be posted on my door and on my webpage.  All my contact information is at the beginning of this syllabus.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE

Turn cell phones completely off and store beneath the desk or in a bag.  Cell phones are not to be used during class for any reason whatsoever (even as a timepiece).  Do not bring food or drink to class that will be disruptive to other students.  If you must be late to class on a rare occasion, please enter the classroom as quietly as possible and take a seat as closest to the door as possible.  Habitual tardiness may result in being dropped from the course.

COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Below is the schedule of assignments and due dates for the semester.  We will try to keep to this schedule, but be aware that we must be flexible and dates may change.  Check the Schedule in the Syllabus folder frequently for updated information.  Any changes from this schedule will appear on that schedule in red.

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