American History to 1877
Department of History
The College of William and Mary

Course Description: In this class we will survey some of the important themes, issues and questions in American history from the period of initial European and Native American contact through the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Course Objective: One of my goals in this course is to provide you with a foundation in American history that you can apply to future courses you might take in history or other disciplines. My second goal is to introduce you to the art of historical research and interpretation. What sorts of sources do historians use and how do they evaluate them? How do historians develop and present arguments? Through the use of secondary works, films, and other media, we will examine and critique historical interpretations, orally in class and in written assignments. During these weeks you will develop and improve your own historical reasoning by reading and discussing primary sources. The skills of critical analysis and clear and persuasive presentation that you will work on in this class will be invaluable for any future studies you pursue.

Required Books:

Text: James Davidson et al, Nation of Nations Vol. 1
Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed
Woody Holton, Forced Founders
Paul Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias

Office Hours: Please feel free to stop by my office during scheduled hours, or make an appointment if those hours are inconvenient for you. I welcome any questions or concerns you might have about the readings, assignments or the course generally. You can also contact me via email or call me at my office number.

Course Requirements:

I: Attendance and Participation

In a condensed, shortened summer class like this one, your regular attendance and participation are essential. If you must miss class, please email or call me ahead of time. If you have more than 2 unexcused absences, your overall letter grade will be reduced by one-third (for example, from a B+ to a B) for each day you miss.

This class will be a combination of lectures and discussions. You are required to do ALL of the readings before class. In order to foster participation, and get you thinking about the primary sources, each of you will lead, in pairs, one class discussion (see the assignment below). I will assess your performance leading discussion on a scale of 1-5 and give you a written evaluation the following day.

As you can see below, participation is an important part (15%) of your grade. All of you, I’m sure, will have interesting and insightful things to say about the readings, and sharing your ideas will help create an environment in which we all learn from each other. Discussions are not meant to embarrass you or put you on the spot. So relax, think critically, and contribute!

II: Assignments

There are three writing assignments for this course. The first is a 3-4 page review of Salem Possessed, due in class on Tuesday, July 13. The second is a 3-4 page review and critique of a site in Colonial Williamsburg, due in class on Tuesday, July 20. The last is a 4-5 page review of The Kingdom of Matthias due in class on Thursday, July 29. I will pass out the specific assignments several days before the papers are due.

If you receive a grade of C+ or worse on the first paper, you may rewrite and submit it again for reevaluation, but may not receive a grade higher than B+. I will gladly read and comment on drafts of your second paper, so long as you get them to me by the Friday before they are due.

NOTE: NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED!

Lastly, each of you will lead, with one other person, one class discussion (approximately 30 minutes long). You will sign up for a discussion day during the first week, and you will meet with me during my office hours the day before the discussion to go over your ideas.

III: Exams

There is one final, cumulative examination. It will be a combination of short identifications and longer essays. I will provide a number of essay questions several days before the exam and then choose two of them for you to answer. You can think about and prepare your answers, but the exam itself will be closed-book. You may NOT bring any prepared materials—notes, outlines, readings, etc.—into class the day of the final.

Make-up exams will only be given in cases of extreme emergency or medical illness.

Grading:

1st interpretive essay: 15%
2nd interpretive essay: 20%
3rd interpretive essay: 20%
Participation: 15%
Final exam: 30%

Course Outline