History of the United States I 4219-AW001
This lecture has three central topics: the origins and development of European colonies in North America, the causes and consequences of the American Revolution, and the 19th century development of American society leading to the Civil War. Woven into these topics will be a consideration of place and fate of Native Americans, the origins and growth of slavery, and the evolving role of women.
General schedule and topics:
Week 1 America Origins in Red, White, and Black
Weeks 2&3 English colonies
Week 4 18th cent society
Week 5 The Road to Revolution
Week 6 Revolution: Political and/or Social
Week 7 Creating a new government and nation
Weeks 8&9 19th Century Northern Society
Weeks 10&11 19th Century Southern Society
Week 12 The Politics of Disunion
Week 13 Civil War
Week 14 Reconstruction
Type of course
Course coordinators
Term 2024Z: | Term 2023Z: |
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
Upon completion of the course, the student:
- knows and understands selected topics from the history of the USA from the colonial era to the Reconstruction period, as well as their legal, social, cultural, and political contexts
- possesses a wide range of facts and data concerning the social, cultural, political, and economic history of the USA from the colonial era to the 1860s, as well as the relations of the USA with other countries during this time
- understands the historical determinants of the social specificity of the United States, its multiculturalism and multi-nationality, especially the contributions of Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans to the creation of American colonies
- understands the contexts of the creation of American cultural products and the characteristic political, economic, and social contexts from the colonial era to the Reconstruction period
- can use the terminology used in historical writing and analysis of the past
Skills:
- can synthesize material to present arguments indicating understanding of the history of the USA from the colonial era to the Reconstruction period
- can analyze sources, learning about the era in which they were produced
- can critically evaluate literature on the subject, including textbooks and scholarly books, and critically use historians' publications to understand the history of the USA and formulate own opinions
Assessment criteria
GRADING will consist of a final exam worth 75 points. It will be made up of objective questions (such as multiple choice and/or matching) and short essays and will comprise 100% of the course grade.
5 92.5, 4+ 87.5, 4 80, 3+ 75, 3 60
Bibliography
Required textbook: Digital History, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=1&smtID=2
Various scholarly essays and primary sources such as
Merrill, “Indians’ New World”
Morgan, “Puritans and Sex”
David Hackett Fischer, “Champlain among the Mohawks”
David Brinkley, “The Sparck of Rebellion”
Joseph Ellis, “Compromise 1: Philadelphia Story”
Welter, “The Cult of True Womanhood”
David Brion Davis, “The Central Fact of American History”
James McPherson, “A War that Never Goes Away”
Eric Foner, “If Lincoln Hadn’t Died…”
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: