INTRODUCTION
History is both a discipline of rigor, bound by rules and scholarly methods, and something more: the unique, compelling, even strange way in which we humans define ourselves. We are all the sum of the tales of thousands of people, great and small, whose actions have etched their lines upon us. History supplies our very identity—a sense of the social groups to which we belong, whether family, ethnic group, race, class, or gender. It reveals to us the foundations of our deepest religious beliefs and traces the roots of our economic and political systems. Strange that we should come to care about a host of men and women so many centuries gone, some with names eminent and familiar, others unknown but for a chance scrap of information left behind in an obscure letter. Yet we do care.
--James West Davidson
In the next nine months I will try to convince you that we should care. History repeats itself, mistakes and all. Hopefully, this course will bring to light "who" we are, why we’re this way, and maybe, even help us find a solution to our problems. Or, it might just spark an interest in you over a topic you had no idea existed. Whatever you get out of this course, I’ll try to make learning history fun and painless; yet, informative and interesting. I expect you all to have the above quote either memorized or tattooed on your person, somewhere. Now rip the first page out of your textbook and recite Oh Captain, My Captain!
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
First and foremost, this is a survey course. What that means is that unlike any other subject, American History grows each year and as a teacher I can only get to so much. I must pick and choose the topics that have had the largest impact on our society as a whole. I will focus longer on some topics and expect the student to supplement the rest of the information through use of the text and other readings. We will try to cover from discovery and exploration of the New World to current history. Of course, this is rather ambitious and I would be happy to get through Vietnam. On our journey we will follow a story that covers the settlement of America, the American Revolution, the Federalist Era, Jeffersonian America, Westward expansion, Jacksonian America, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the West and Industrialized America, the Progressives, the World Wars, the Cold War and 1950s society, turbulence in the 1960s, a return to Conservatism, and the 1990s.
This course’s goal is not the memorization of dates and places; rather we will be more concerned with the “whys”, and “hows” of history. It is a grand story that must be interpreted, discovered, and examined. You will be expected to look at all aspects of the topic and to delve into how the subject has impacted society in the past and present.
My teaching style is very eclectic, like a good gumbo. I like to mix up my method of instruction to include lecture, class discussions, simulations, student presentations, individual projects, video and musical interpretation, debates, and anything that will get the point across. Most grades will come from quizzes, tests, graded projects, papers, journals, and class participation.
NECESSARY MATERIALS
Houghton Mifflin, 2006
- Paper and pen, a flashdrive!
- Some extras that might be helpful: three-ring hole punch, stapler, hi-lighter, white-out.
- Good attitude
RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
- Your attendance is required at each scheduled class. You must be prepared and on time! Do not expect to print out papers during the class time they are due. I will mark you late or absent if you are not in class when the period begins.
- You should bring all necessary materials and should have done the readings.
- Assignments will be turned in on time. For each day the work is late, the assignment will loose one whole letter grade. If you foresee a problem, come talk to me. Do not just expect me to allow you to turn the work in late.
- All students are required to participate in class discussions. This participation will affect your grade.
- All written work should be in formal essay format unless otherwise stated.
- Do not remove anything from the classroom without permission. I have no tolerance for thievery.
- If you have a problem, please see me. I cannot help you if I do not know there is a problem. My apartment is in St. Mary’s Dorm. My phone number is 463-2181 and my e-mail is mbrunton@sasweb.org
