The History of the United States to 1877 A Dual Credit Course Offered in Conjunction with Texas Woman s University Instructor: Thomas L. Vanderburg Phone: (817) 547-6000 X6269 Email: thomas.vanderburg@birdvilleschools.net Website: http://www.birdvilleschools.net/domain/1013 Tutorial/Office Hours: Mondays and Tuesdays from 7:00-7:25 and 2:45-3:15 in A244 Course Description: History 1013 (or dual credit U.S. History part 1) is a survey course designed to familiarize students with major developments in United States history through Reconstruction while creating informed consumers of information who can apply critical thinking skills. This course will, among other things, cover Native Cultures, Early Colonization, Empire Building, Colonial Development, The French and Indian War, The Revolutionary War, From Republic to Democracy, Jacksonian Democracy, Manifest Destiny, Prelude to War, Secession, the Civil War and Reconstruction. After Thanksgiving, we should be starting the Gilded Age followed by the Progressive Era. Technically, these two periods occur after Reconstruction but are important for your STAAR exam. Course Objectives: Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on the United States. Comprehend the origins and evolution of U.S. political systems, with a focus on the growth of political institutions, the Constitution of the U.S., federalism, civil liberties, and civil and human rights. Identify and understand differences and commonalities within diverse cultures. Analyze the development of the American national identity. Evaluate the evolution of rights and freedoms throughout various periods in U.S. History. Interpret and analyze primary and secondary source materials. Prepare students for success on the state-mandated STAAR end-of-course assessment. Required Texts: Tindall, G. B., & Shi, D. E. (2013). America: A Narrative History, 9e. New York: W.W. Norton. Supplementary Sources: Axtell, J. (1987). Colonial America Without the Indians: Counterfactual reflections. The Journal of American History, 73(4), 981-996. Bohnstedt, J. (1971). Why Study History? The History Teacher, 4(4), 63-65. Gorn, E., Roberts, R., & Bilhartz, T. (2002). Constructing the American Past: A Source Book of a People s History, Vol. 1. (4/e). New York: Longman. Greene, J. (2000). The American Revolution. The American Historical Review, 105(1), 93-102. Sheets, K. (2014). Sources for America s History, Vol. 1. (8/e). New York: Bedford/St. Martin s Inc.
Selected visual and audible media as assigned Reading Assignments: This will be a reading-intensive course. Expect several hours of reading per week (usually due on Fridays unless otherwise indicated by the instructor). Please note: It will be extremely difficult to succeed in this course without completing the reading assignments by the due dates. Grades: Assignment Points Point Range Letter Grade Test 1 100 810-900 A Test 2 100 720-809 B Test 3 100 630-719 C Final Exam 200 540-629 D Chapter Outlines 100 <539 F Primary Document Analysis 100 Class Discussion 100 Daily Participation 100 Tests: There will be four tests along with a final exam. I will count your highest three test grades. The final exam is required and will not be dropped. Class Discussions: Discussions will be judged based on your preparedness, your ability to reference the reading materials, your ability to address the question(s) posed, and your ability to be respectful of your classmates as they speak. Daily Participation: This portion of the grade includes assignments that would normally be considered daily work in a classroom environment, such as quick reflection writing, timelines, simulation activities, video quizzes, etc. Retests & Extra Credit: This is a college course, and extra credit will be very limited. There will be no retests. Attendance Policy: In order to succeed in this course, you must be present, be prepared, and be engaged. As such, attendance will be taken and reported in accordance with BISD and TWU mandates. Excessive absences will not only reduce your ability to learn, but it could result in a No-Credit situation in which your credit for the course is withheld until make-up hours are completed. TWU Semester Ends: December 15. All assignments are due by this time.
Semester Break: TWU s fall semester ends approximately 2 weeks prior to the end of BISD s fall semester. You will be expected to attend class for BISD even though TWU is not in session again until January. EOC Understanding: Even though you are taking a college course through TWU, you are still required by the State of Texas to pass your U.S. History STAAR exam in May in order to graduate. This course is designed to help you achieve success both in developing crucial higher-level thinking skills necessary for college and to succeed on your EOC exam. Tentative Course Calendar: Week Topic Discussion Question(s) Reading Assignments Deliverables 1 Introduction/Pre-colonization Why study history? How do we gather information about the past? Bohnstedt, Why Study History? (8/22) How do we know what a quality source is? Where did Native Americans come from? How did Native Americans adapt to regional geography and climate? What major innovations did Native Americans develop? What political, economic and social institutions existed in Native American societies? 2 (8/29) European Exploration What was the Columbian Exchange? What political, social, technological and economic developments set the stage for European exploration? What effects did migration, disease, and warfare have on the American Indian population after contact with Europeans? Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Outline 3 (9/5) 4 (9/12) 5 (9/19) Colonization Colonization The American Revolution What push/pull factors drove the need to establish colonies? What political social and economic issues dictated life in each colony? How and why did representative institutions develop during the colonial period? What happened to European and Native American cultures as a result of colonization? Why did slavery spread throughout the New World (particularly in the British colonies)? To what extent what there a unique American identity developing among the thirteen colonies? How did the French and Indian War alter the sociopolitical landscape in the British colonies and in Europe? What role did Native Americans play in the war? Were the British colonists loyal subjects? What caused the division between the colonies and England? How did British colonists respond to the tightening of the Navigation System? Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Outline Chapter 3 Test #1 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Outline 6 (9/26) 7 (10/3) The American Revolution/Revolutionary War The Constitutional Convention How did Enlightenment thinking contribute to the independence movement and the Declaration of Independence? Were the colonies justified in their grievances and eventual rebellion? How did the Continental Congress arrive at the decision to endorse the Declaration of Independence? Could the British have won the war? How did geography influence the Revolutionary War? How did diplomacy influence the war? What factors led to the replacement of the Articles of Confederation? How do the Constitution and the Bill of Rights reflect colonial experiences? What rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Outline Chapter 6 Test #2
8 (10/10) The Early National Republic of Rights? Why is the Constitution described as a living document? How did the Constitution promote and/or restrict rights? What compromises led to the final draft of the Constitution? What were the chief arguments for and against ratification of the Constitution? What were the major issues facing the newly formed United States during the early national period? How did the American free enterprise system begin to develop during the early years of the republic? What technological innovations began to drive industrialization? How did the debate over the banking system reflect the division over federal power? How did the Marshall Court enhance the judiciary power in the U.S.? What factors encouraged and/or inhibited equality and democracy in the early 1800s? What were American social, economic and political values during the early national republic era? Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Outline 9 (10/17) The Early National Republic/The War of 1812 Why was the Era of Good Feelings short-lived? What were the causes and effects of the War of 1812? Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Outline 10 (10/24) 11 (10/31) 12 (11/7) 13 (11/14) 14 (11/28) 15 (12/5) Manifest Destiny Jacksonian America The Civil War The Civil War Reconstruction The Gilded Age: Westward Expansion & Indian Policy What drove territorial acquisition? How did the acquisition of new territories alter American national identity? How did Manifest destiny create tensions between the states? How did technology influence Manifest Destiny? How did Manifest Destiny affect Native Americans living along the eastern seaboard as well as on the Great Plains? What is Andrew Jackson s legacy? How did Jackson s actions alter American identity? How did Jackson s political style, beliefs, background and actions differ from previous administrations? Did Indian policy really change under the Jackson Administration? What were the sectional identities in Antebellum America? What issues exacerbated these tensions? What was the role of industrialization and urbanization? How did Texas annexation reflect the growing sectional divide? How did Congress attempt to maintain the balance between slave states and free states as new territories joined the Union? What caused the Civil War? Was a peaceful split between the USA and CSA even possible? What factors drove the rise of the abolitionist movement? How did the newly formed Republican Party rise to power so quickly and how did southern states react? What were the northern and southern strategies during the war? What were the costs of the war? How did the Civil War alter national identity and civil rights? What were the phases and issues of Reconstruction? How did civil rights and national identity change during Reconstruction? What brought about the end of Reconstruction? What were the major push/pull factors for westward movement? Did the Frontier really cease to exist? How did westward movement create conflict and/or alter Chapter 14 Test #3 Chapter 11 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Test #4 Chapter 17 Chapter 19 Chapter 11 Outline Chapter 15 Outline Chapter 17 Outline Due Chapter 19 Outline Due TWU Final Exam
16 (12/12) 17 (1/2) The Gilded Age: Industrialization & Urbanization The Gilded Age: The Rise of Big Business life on the Great Plains? How did the U.S. government attempt to address the Indian Problem during the late 1800s? What caused the rapid industrialization and urbanization in the late 1800s? What problems arose because of urbanization and industrialization? How did reformers attempt to address the problems of urbanization and industrialization? How did new technology influence U.S. economic growth? What new opportunities and risks did industrialization bring, and how did it reshape American society? What immigration patterns existed during the late 1800s? How did American society change during the Gilded Age? How and why did American sports and leisure evolve, and how did it soften or sharpen social divisions? What gave rise to big business in the late 1800s? How did economic development contribute to the evolution of the free enterprise system in the United States? What issues faced farmers in the late 1800s? What gave rise to the Populist movement? Chapter 18 Chapter 20 Chapter 18 Outline Chapter 20 Outline 18 (1/9) Progressive Era What prompted the rise of the progressive movement? How successful were the progressives? How did Progressive-Era reforms influence the social, economic and political climate in the U.S.? What changes in American society precipitated the rise of national parks and the conservation movement? How did the role of women change? Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Outline