Websites from Library Tours:HIS204: Syllabus
MWF 12:30-1:20; SB 206
MWF 1:30-2:20; SB 206
Final Exam: for MWF 12:30-1:20 on Monday December 20, 1999 at 8:30-10:30
Final Exam: for MWF 1:30-2:20 on Thursday December 16, 1999 at 12:00-2:00
Prof. Gayle V. Fischer
It is my pleasure to be able to introduce you to the excitement of American history for this semester. I am available to you at any reasonable hour, so please feel free to contact me with any problem or question that might arise. My office is located in Sullivan Building, room 203 B--for the time being. We will agree on a regular time that I will be available in my office for consultations. I am also available to meet with you at other times with an appointment, or you are always welcome to try stopping by. My office number is 978/542-6399. I can also be reached via e-mail at gayle.fischer@salemstate.edu. I look forward to teaching you. A copy of this syllabus is available at my webpage: www.salemstate.edu/~gfischer/
Over the decades since the turn of the century, historians and educators have built up the notion that there is a certain body of data (election results, dates and outcomes of wars, treaties, major laws, and so on) that is American history. Indeed, this body of data has been given almost ceremonial status, so that the recitation of the membership of Washington's cabinet, for example, has almost the status of an incantation, a quasi-religious act that somehow "makes good citizens."
However, this central body of data, "the facts," is a result of a stunning amount of selection on the part of historians. There are an almost infinite number of facts associated with women and men's experiences on the continent of North America. From this enormous body of facts, historians have gradually chosen to recognize a very small proportion as constituting "American history." In this class I have not decided simply, "Let us have fewer facts, so that I can teach this class more efficiently." But I have decided that focusing on certain episodes in history and the US Constitution can provide an interesting and intellectually useful body of factual material. I also believe that this approach will provide you with a set of facts into which you can inquire and can discover some fundamental understandings of American history.
History as a discipline has a structure, it is the process by which historians recognize the larger meanings of specific details and concrete episodes. History as an act of inquiry is essentially the putting of large questions to small data, of discovering generalized significance in particular events and details. In this class, you will engage in the same kind of inquiry that great historians have worked at.
History, unlike many of the sciences, is intimately bound up with language. If we must say, "no sources, no history," and "no thought, no history," we must also say, "no literacy, no history." This dependence upon language is one of the things that makes history so enjoyable but at the same time so annoying. Without fluency, accuracy, and a sense of organization in language, a person can never become a good historian, regardless of diligence, skill, or judgment in other ways. The very processes of historical synthesis and interpretation simply cannot exist unless they take place in the form of written or spoken language. This means that the more skillful a person as a writer or a speaker, the more likely it is that she will be good at history. But it means more than this; it means also that her analysis and conclusions will be only as good as her language skill, only as exact as her language facility. She will be prone not only to historical errors but to errors of language as well. History faces not only its own inherent limits, such as a lack of sources or the great difficulty involved in finding out what motivated certain people to do certain things, but it must contend also with the limits of language. Historical conclusions never have the apparent exactness of mathematical ones, and even basic terms tend to be imprecise. An x2 is always an x2 , but is a liberal always a liberal, a slave always a slave, one republic just like another republic? Seldom. Writing and speaking skills will be stressed in this class.
Through our study of America through the Civil War, you will gain familiarity with the tools of the historian and an understanding of the aims of the discipline of history and its value in attempting to critically study who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.
Students should:
- Develop a sense of geography and an appreciation of the importance of geography in world events.
- Be able to trace important political movements of the past, explaining how and why they occurred.
- Be familiar with theories of the nature of history and be able to apply them to the events we study.
- Develop a sense of comparative chronology.
- Develop writing skills.
- Develop critical thinking about historical sources.
- Learn the tools and methodology of the historian.
- Gain an appreciation of the major historiographical issues associated with each period.
- Most of all, HAVE A GOOD TIME DOING 1-8!!!!!!!!!!
Loewen, James W., The Truth About Columbus: A Subversively True Poster Book for a Dubiously Celebratory Occasion (referred to as Loewen in course outline)
Norton, et al., A People and A Nation: A History of the United States, vol. I, brief edition, fifth edition (referred to as Norton, et al in the course outline)
Richards, Early American Drama (a copy is on reserve and the play Andre is included in the volume)
Wheeler/Becker, Discovering the American Past: A Look at the Evidence vol I, fourth edition (referred to as Wheeler/Becker in the course outline)
You MUST prepare the readings BEFORE the class period in which the relevant material is discussed. All of these texts are absolutely necessary for the course. In addition to the texts listed above, you will be required to read and be held responsible for outside selections. You should bring the Wheeler/Becker to class daily and the other texts as appropriate.
In general, we will take a more creative approach to history, involving a variety of projects which you will be required to complete during the course of the semester. We will be doing some creative and expository writing, oral presentations, and historical research. I strongly urge all of you to visit Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students before you write your first paper.
Attendance and participation: 50%
Assignments: 25%
Final Project: 25%
Websites from Library Tours:
Session 1: http://www.shore.net/~mia/fischerS199.htm
Session 2: http://www.shore.net/~mia/FischerS299.html
Session 3: http://www.shore.net/~mia/FischerS399.html
Session 4: http://www.shore.net/~mia/FischerS499.html
Assignments must be completed by their due date, as they will often be the basis for class discussion or presentation. If you have not completed the assignment, you will affect the entire class. NO late papers will be accepted. Please be timely, as you will find yourself impossibly behind in this class if you let your work slide.
FINAL EXAM: Our final exam is scheduled for: for the MWF 12:30-1:20 class on Monday December 20, 1999 at 8:30-10:30; for the MWF 1:30-2:20 class on Thursday December 16, 1999 at 12:00-2:00. You MUST be there. When making vacation plans or scheduling work take this date and time into consideration. Failure to attend any part of the final exam will result in an automatic F for the course.
What You Need to Know About This Course: As a student, I very much appreciated the chance to make informed decisions about the courses I took. I want to know who the professor is, what her assumptions are, and what she stands for before I make a commitment to spend my money, time, and energy attending the class. So let me tell you some things about me and how I work in class that will allow you to make an informed decision as to whether or not you wish to be involved in this course.
I have framed this course on the following assumptions:
1. That participating in discussion brings with the following benefits:
- It helps students explore a diversity of perspectives
- It increases students' awareness of and tolerance for ambiguity and complexity
- It helps students recognize and investigate their assumptions
- It encourages attentive, respectful listening
- It increases intellectual agility
- It helps students become connected to a topic
- It shows respect for students' voices and experiences
- It develops the capacity for the clear communication of ideas and meaning
- It develops habits of collaborative learning
- It helps students develop skills of synthesis and integration
2. That students attending will do the reading assignments and reflect on them and analyze them in discussion.
3. That the chief regular class activity will be a small group or whole class discussions.
Please heed the following warnings:
If you do not feel comfortable talking with others in small or large groups, you should probably drop the course.
If you do not feel comfortable with small group discussion and think it is a touchy-feely waste of time, you should probably drop the course.
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. If caught cheating, you will be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs who will investigate the charges. There will be no exceptions to this policy. See separate handout on plagiarism.
"Salem State College is committed to providing equal access to the educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable academic accommodations, aids and adjustments. Any student who has a documented disability requiring an accommodation, aid or adjustment should speak with the instructor immediately. Students with Disabilities who have not previously done so should provide documentation to and schedule an appointment with the Office for Students with Disabilities and obtain appropriate services."
A Hearing Impaired Professor: Taking a class with a hearing-impaired professor can be a challenge, however, if you remember a few things there should be no problems. I wear a hearing aid, sometimes two. When you speak look directly at me. Do not cover your mouth when speaking. You may have to speak a little louder than usual. Be patient if I ask you to repeat yourself. If you think I haven't heard what you said or misunderstood, you are probably right--correct me. I will be more embarrassed if I am not corrected than if I am. I thank you for your patience.
An Important Note: SSC
Librarian Mia Morgan will be
working closely with our class on this project. I suggest you
e-mail questions to her and use the website she has set up for
us.
Another Important Note: Most of the writing for this project will be posted to the discussion list set up for this class.
Unless otherwise indicated ALL writing and reading assignments are to be completed by the Monday of the week they are due.
Week 1: Sept 3: Introduction
Week 2: Sept 6, 8, 10: "The New World"
Monday, September 6: Labor Day Holiday--No Class
For Wednesday: Read: Loewen, All; Norton, et al, pp. 3-24
Assignment: Write a 1-2 page, double-spaced, typed essay reacting to the ideas put forth in Loewen. How does his interpretation differ from Norton, et al's interpretation?
For Friday: Read Wheeler and Becker, pp.1-28
Week 3: Sept 13, 15, 17: The Colonies
Read: Norton, et al, pp. 25-63; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 29-49
Assignment (Due Friday): Imagine you are a spectator at Hutchinson's trial and write a letter to a relative in England explaining the Hutchinson incident (a 1-2 page, typed double-spaced essay).
Week 4:Sept 20, 22, 24: The Colonies
Read: Norton, et al., pp. 65-82; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 50-70
Assignment: Write a 1-2 page, typed double-spaced essay answering the following question: What was going on in New England between 1650 and 1750 that might have affected colonists' behavior?
Friday, Sept 24: Final Project Character Sketch Due; List of Research Assignments Due
Week 5:Sept 27, 29, Oct 1: American Revolution
Read: Norton, et al, pp. 83-117; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 71-89
Monday, Sept. 27, meet in Library--Failure to attend
the library session will result in your final project grade being
lowered a point--that is a B will become a B- and so forth.
Do NOT miss our scheduled library meeting times.
Assignment: Using all the evidence, write a "brief " (a concise statement of the main points of a law case, usually filed by counsel for the information of the court) for either the prosecution or the defense. Due Wednesday.
Week 6: Oct 4, 6, 8: US Constitution
Monday, Oct. 4: Final Project: Mini Research assignment #1 Due
Week 7: Oct 11, 13, 15: US Constitution
Monday, October 11, Columbus Day Holiday--No Class
Wednesday, October 13, meet in Library--Failure to
attend the library session will result in your final project
grade being lowered a point--that is a B will become a B- and so
forth. Do NOT miss our scheduled library meeting times.
Week 8: Oct 18, 20, 22: US Constitution
Friday, Oct 22: Final Project first research progress report due
Friday, Oct 22: Final Project: Mini Research assignment #2 Due
Week 9: Oct 25, 27, 29: Early National Period
Wheeler/Becker, pp. 90-113 Read: Norton, et al, pp. 118-154;
Assignment: Write a 1-2 page, typed, double-spaced essay answering One of the following questions:
1. What are the functions of political parties in the US? Why did the founding fathers fear the parties? Have political parties always acted responsibly?
2.To what extent do voters make free choices? To what extent are voters manipulated?
3.What the potential benefits and liabilities of universal suffrage? (Recall that, generally, only property owners and taxpayers voted during the early national period.)
Wednesday, October 27, meet in Library--Failure to
attend the library session will result in your final project
grade being lowered a point--that is a B will become a B- and so
forth. Do NOT miss our scheduled library meeting times.
Friday, October 29--Final Project Groups meet
Week 10: Nov 1, 3, 5: First Decades of the Nineteenth Century
Read: Norton, et al, pp. 236-273; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 114-138
Friday, Nov 5: Final Project mini-research assignment #3 Due
Week 11: Nov 8, 10, 12: First Decades of the Nineteenth Century
Read: Norton, et al, pp. 175-195, 213-235; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 139-172
Assignment: Imagine that you are a mill girl, or the parent of a mill girl, or a mill owner and write a 1-2 page, typed, double-spaced essay from this perspective about the advantages and disadvantages of the mill system.
Wednesday, November 10, meet in Library--Failure to
attend the library session will result in your final project
grade being lowered a point--that is a B will become a B- and so
forth. Do NOT miss our scheduled library meeting times.
Friday, November 12, Final Projects Groups meet
Friday, November 19 Last Day to WITHDRAW from classes
Week 12: Nov 15, 17, 19: Slavery
Read Norton, et al, pp. 195-212, 257-275; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 173-199
Friday, Nov 19: Final Project mini-research assignment #4 Due
Week 13: Nov 22
Wednesday, November 24, Advising/Reading Day; Thanksgiving Recess begins at 2:00pm
Thanksgiving Recess Nov 24-Nov 28
Week 14: Nov 29, Dec 1, 3: Slavery
Read: Wheeler/Becker, pp. 200-223
Friday, Dec 3: Final Project second research progress report Due
Week 15: Dec 6, 8, 10: The Civil War
Read: Norton, et al., pp. 276-298; Wheeler/Becker, pp. 224-257
Assignment: Write a newspaper editorial for a southern or northern newspaper taking a stand on arming African Americans, supporting that stand with evidence, and dealing with potential arguments against your position.
Week 16: Dec 13 Last Day of Classes
Tuesday, December 14, Reading Day
Final Exam: for MWF 12:30-1:20 on Monday December 20, 1999 at 8:30-10:30
Final Exam: for MWF 1:30-2:20 on Thursday December 16, 1999 at 12:00-2:00
Scrapbook/Diaries DUE.
Class presentations.
Group Assessment Due.