Syllabus

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HIST 111: United States History to 1877

MW, 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. • Multipurpose Classroom Building 203

Instructor: Dr. Leslie Madsen-Brooks

E-mail: lesliemadsen-brooks at boisestate.edu

Office: Library 183

Office hours: Monday 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., Thursday 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., and by appointment.

Course website: http://to1877.doinghistory.com

Introduction

Even before Europeans anchored their ships off the east coast of North America, the U.S. was not monocultural, and in fact has been shaped by the collision and confluence of cultures. This course is founded on the premise that the United States is not now, and never has been, a “white nation,” and accordingly we will take as our subjects not only the politicians, soldiers, inventors, and explorers with whom you might have been made familiar in K-12 history lessons, but also the workers, slaves, reformers, mothers, children, hucksters, and artists whose stories rarely have been central to traditional narratives of U.S. history.

Along the way, we’ll ask what conditions and forces allowed different kinds of Americans to speak and act in ways that allowed for, or limited, freedom and self-determination.

Course materials (available at the campus bookstore)

Victoria Bissell Brown and Timothy J. Shannon, Going to the Source, 3rd ed., vol. 1 (2012)
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, 3rd ed., vol. 1 (2011)
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 (1990)
Clarence Walker, Mongrel Nation: The America Begotten by Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings (2010)

Learning Goals

By the end of the course, students will:

develop sufficient historical literacy to become informed participants in contemporary U.S. cultural and political life
understand that the confluence of cultures, and not just their collision, has been critical to the development of U.S. culture and politics
learn to ask thoughtful, meaningful questions—and seek answers to them by carefully reading and interpreting primary and secondary sources
identify some methods by which history is retold and deployed in contemporary political rhetoric

Participation

The day-to-day requirements of this class are simple: do the required reading, reflect on it, and come to class prepared to engage in thoughtful discussion. (I promise to do the same.)

Your presence in lecture and section is very important. Participation in discussion section constitutes a significant portion of your grade (10%). To receive an A for your participation, you must participate meaningfully in class. Merely attending class will earn you a C- for participation.

Digital devices: If you see me outside class, chances are I’ll be sitting in front of a laptop, browsing the Internet (for research and teaching, of course!) or with my eyes glued to my iPhone. Although I’m a bit old to be a “digital native,” I’m every bit as ~~addicted to~~ dependent on these devices as my students are. That said, these devices do tend to divide our attention in a classroom, so I’d appreciate your turning them off during class. (Should you need a laptop or other digital device as an accommodation for a disability, I’m happy to let you use them—just come see me to discuss your needs.)

Writing

The quality of your writing—both its clarity and the depth of thought expressed in it—contribute significantly to your final grade in this course. It is imperative, then, that you schedule sufficient time to conduct the research required for each paper, write a first draft, and conduct several revisions. I recommend you form a writing group with two or three other students to swap papers at least a few days before they are due.

Late paper policy

In the historical professions, deadlines matter. Exhibitions must open on time. Grant deadlines aren’t negotiable. Collaborative public history endeavors—like building digital tools and organizing festivals—require everyone to contribute in a timely manner so that work can proceed. The same holds true for this class. Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Late assignments will be penalized 1/3 of a grade (e.g. a B becomes a B-) after the beginning of class, and I will deduct an additional 1/3 grade for each 24 hours that pass before you turn in the paper.

That said, I’m not heartless. If you have an emergency or anticipate not being able to turn in your assignment on time, come see me and we’ll see if we can work something out.

Please note: Technological failure does not constitute an emergency. Hard drives fail, servers go down, file transfers time out, and files get corrupted. You must plan for such contingencies: keep backups of your files, have extra ink cartridges handy, know where the local wifi hotspots are in case your home internet goes down. Technological issues are not excuses for late work. Please protect yourself (and your grades) by managing your time and backing up your work.

Grade distribution

Class participation: 10%
First assignment (100% Plagiarized Paper): 20%
Midterm: 20%
Second assignment (Research Paper): 30%
Final exam: 20%

Plagiarism

A student commits plagiarism not only if she turns in someone else’s work as her own, but also if she borrows others’ ideas or phrases without giving them credit. We can discuss this in class if anyone has any questions. Any student who plagiarizes or cheats on any assignment (besides the 100% plagiarized paper assignment) may receive zero credit for the assignment and/or an F in the course and may be subject to academic discipline by the university.

I am interested in your thoughts and your creative and analytical work. Please share them with me!

Accommodations

I need to hear from anyone who has a disability that may require some modification of seating, assignments, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during my office hours.

Talk to me

I will be available during my office hours to address your concerns with the class and assignments. I encourage you to come see me if you feel you have not been offered a chance to participate in class discussion, you are troubled by a particular assignment, you would like to talk more with me about an issue raised in class, or you have concerns about your performance in the course.

Course Schedule

Please complete each set of readings before class on the date shown.

(GML = Give Me Liberty. GTTS = Going to the Source.)

Mon., Aug. 26: Introductions

Wed., Aug. 28: GML, Chapter 1; GTTS, Chapter 2

Mon., Sept. 2 : Labor Day holiday. Class does not meet.

Wed., Sept. 5: GML, Chapter 2

Mon., Sept. 9: GTTS, Chapter 2

Wed., Sept. 11: GML, Chapter 3

Mon., Sept. 16: GML, Chapter 4

Wed., Sept. 18: GTTS, Chapter 3

Mon., Sept. 23: Mongrel Nation, pp. 1-55

Wed., Sept. 25: Mongrel Nation, 59-99

Mon., Sept. 30: GML, Chapter 5

Wed., Oct. 2: GTTS, Chapter 4. First assignment due.

Monday, Oct. 7: A Midwife’s Tale, pp. 1-71

Wed., Oct. 9: A Midwife’s Tale, pp. 77-161

Mon., Oct. 14: A Midwife’s Tale, pp. 162-261

Wed., Oct. 16: A Midwife’s Tale, pp. 262-352

Mon., Oct. 21 : Midterm exam

Wed., Oct. 23: GML, Chapter 6; “Conservative class on Founding Fathers’ answers to current woes gains popularity.” Washington Post 5 June 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/04/AR2010060404918.html

Mon., Oct. 28: GML, Chapter 7

Wed., Oct. 30: GTTS, Chapters 6 and 7

Mon., Nov. 4: GML, Chapter 8. Research paper question due.

Wed., Nov. 6: GTTS, Chapter 8

Mon., Nov. 11: GML, Chapter 9.

Wed., Nov. 13: GML, Chapter 10

Mon., Nov. 18: GTTS, Chapter 9

Wed., Nov. 20: GML, Chapter 11; GTTS, Chapter 10

Mon., Nov. 25– Fri., Nov. 29: Thanksgiving holiday. Class does not meet.

Mon., Dec. 2: GML, Chapter 12

Wed., Dec. 4: GML, Chapter 13 (read carefully) and chapter 14 (skim)

Mon., Dec. 9: GML, Chapter 15; GTTS, Chapter 13

Wed., Dec. 11:

Listen to “The Texas Textbook Debate” (46 minutes) from On Point Radio (March 2010) http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/03/the-texas-textbook-debate (click “Listen to this show” button above the headline)
Read “Texas cooks the textbooks.” Newsweek 21 May 2010. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/21/texas-cooks-the-textbooks.html
Second assignment due

Course evaluations and final exam review.

Mon., Dec. 16: Final exam, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.