History 17A

HISTORY 17A: History of the United States to Early National Era

De Anza College

Summer 2016

Christopher R. Jackson, Ph.D., Instructor

Course Website:

https://sites.google.com/site/chrisjacksonshistory/Home/history-17a

Chris Jackson's Writing Guidelines

Link to Purdue University Writing Lab Guide to MLA Style

Textbook: Carol Berkin, Christopher L. Miller, Robert W. Cherny, James L. Gormly, Douglas Egerton, and Kelly Woestman, Making America: Brief 5^th or 6th edition.

Course Description: Look at the back of an American coin: you will see the slogan E pluribus Unum—Latin for “Out of many, one.” But what does this really mean? One what? There are many different answers to that question, several of which we will examine in this course. “One nation” is the obvious answer, but could it also mean “one people”? The distinction might seem subtle, but it is important. The United States is a country that has always been striving to define itself. This course will begin to explore that process of self-definition.

This survey will examine the impact of European colonizers on Native American cultures, the different historical paradigms for evaluating that impact, the creation of different colonies, and the social, economic, and political background to the American Revolution. We will try to understand why the Constitution was created, and what that meant for ordinary Americans of all means and ethnicities. We will examine the democratization of politics in the early 19^th century, as well as the expansion of the country and the problems created by that expansion.

Assignments and Grading Policies: Attendance is expected and roll will be taken daily. Students who are routinely absent, late, or playing with their phones will be noted and up to 10% (one letter grade) will be deducted from their final grade. Much of the material on quizzes/exams will be covered in class; you will need detailed notes from lectures to get a good grade. Please note that the instructor will not initiate any “W” grades; it is your responsibility to drop the course if you choose to do so. The deadline to drop the course is July 4th. The last day to withdraw with a “W” grade is July 27^th.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is intellectual theft, caused by lazy or dishonest students who do not properly cite their sources or quotations. It is a serious academic violation and will not be tolerated in this class. Please see the Student Handbook section on academic integrity. http://www.deanza.edu/studenthandbook/academic-integrity.html

Primary source analysis papers. There will be four primary source analysis papers due, as listed below. They will be devoted to analyzing primary sources available from the course web page. Typed, double-spaced, formatted according to MLA standards, approximately 600-800 words, to be submitted to the Turnitin website by 11:59 pm on the date due. (See instructions below.) Note: before sending the assignment, you must rename the file in the following format: LastnameFirstname-papernumber.doc. Example: JacksonChristopher-paper1.doc. These assignments are posted on the class website. Each worth 10 points. For assistance on MLA standards, consult the Purdue Owl.

Paper Topics

Paper #1: Original Encounters

Paper #2: Origins of American Exceptionalism

Paper #3: Federalism and Anti-Federalism

Paper #4: Expansion and Conflict

Instructions for Turnitin. All papers in this course will be submitted to the instructor via the web service Turnitin. If you do not already have an account with Turnitin, go here to sign up for one. Once you have established an account, follow these instructions to add the class to your account. When you are finished with your paper, and ready to submit it before the due date, follow these instructions for submitting your assignments. The Class ID is 12911727. The password is liberty (all lower-case). Please use the upload single file method for submitting your assignment, not the cut-and-paste method (which will spoil your formatting).

Quizzes. There will be four 10-question multiple-choice quizzes, as indicated below. Each is worth 5 points.

Team Debate. There will be a team debate in class on July 14. Worth 20 points. See instructions below.

Final exam. The final will be held in class, Thursday, August 4th; it will consist of both multiple choice and at least 300 words of written essay. A study sheet will be provided. Worth 20 points.

Note: the lowest grade for either primary source evaluations or quizzes may be dropped (but not in both); thus if you do not turn in a paper or take a quiz, that grade will be dropped and the grades in that assignment category will be averaged. Make-up quizzes will not be given, and late analysis papers will not be accepted.

Quizzes: 20% of final grade

Analysis papers: 40% of final grade

Team debate: 20% of final grade

Final examination: 20% of final grade

Grade Points/Letter Grade Equivalents

(Note: there is no “C-“ grade at De Anza)

Class Topics

Week 1: (June 28-30) Discovering and Being Discovered: The New World; Creating Empires.

Reading: Berkin, et al., Making America, chaps. 1 and 2.

Week 2: (July 5-7) The English Colonies; Commodities and Communities

Reading: Berkin, et al., Making America, chaps. 3 and 4.

Paper #1: Original Encounters--Due July 6

Learning Team Formation July 6

Quiz #1 July 7

Week 3: (July 12-14) Which Side Are You On? Origins of the Revolution; The American Revolution: A Play in Several Acts

Reading: Berkin, et al., Making America, chaps. 5 and 6.

Paper #2: American Exceptionalism—Due July 13

Class Debate July 14

Quiz #2 July 14

Week 4: (July 19-21) Whither the Republic: Jefferson vs. Hamilton; The Early Republic

Reading: Berkin, et al., Making America, chaps.7 and 8.

Paper #3: Due July 20

Quiz #3 July 21

Week 5: (July 26-28) Burning Down the House: The War of 1812; Awakening American Nationalism

Reading: Berkin, et al., Making America, chaps.9 and 10.

Paper #4 Due July 27

Quiz #4 July 28

Week 6: (August 2-4) Growth and Expansion; Conclusion

Reading: Berkin, et al., Making America, chaps.11 and 12.

August 4: Final Exam

Final Examination: August 4^th (during final class session).

Team Debate Assignment

The team debate on July 14 will focus on a single proposition, considered from the point of view of Americans of the mid-1770s: “Resolved: the English colonies in North America should declare their complete independence from royal authority.”

Each learning team will be assembled by the instructor and given a side and committee responsibility. Each learning team will be autonomous in assigning individual tasks for the debate. Each team will fill out a “charter” (posted on the class website) that assigns particular tasks to each member of the team (the team manager will send in the charter to the instructor on July 8). These tasks include manager, writers, researchers, and presenters. The team should be autonomous, and resolve conflicts by itself. The debate’s presentations may include brief PowerPoint slides or other audio/visual materials intended to help make the team’s point or add pertinent details regarding the testimony.

There will be eight learning teams with approximately eight members each, divided into two sides—Tory and Patriot, the latter supporting the proposition, the former arguing against it. Each side will consist of three committees (the learning teams), which will report on particular aspects of the proposition.

Economic reasons for independence Economic arguments against independence

Political reasons for independence Political arguments against independence

Religious reasons for independence Religious arguments against independence

Social reasons for independence Social argument against independence

Each learning team will also include “expert testimony” to back up your arguments from a representative from one of the following social groups:

White southern plantation owner White New York newspaper publisher

Wealthy woman in S. Carolina Young woman from Massachusetts

Black slave in South Free black in North

Tuscarora warrior Mohawk leader

Newly-freed white indentured servant in Virginia Working-class man in Boston

French observer traveling through the colonies Anglican minister in New York

Boston attorney A Catholic priest in Maryland

Quaker leader in Pennsylvania Massachusetts Governor

Free black in South A British soldier

This will require research outside of the textbook. You can use either a real historical figure to “testify” at the debate, or you can create one. Both will require proper evidence of the validity of their point of view. In other words, if you can find a real historical figure that takes a particular stance on independence, you may present that testimony, regardless of how representative that person might have been; on the other hand, if you create a “representative” figure, you should be able to explain how they are typical they are of that class of person at that time.

The debate itself will take place in class on July 14. Each team will present their case, to be followed by a rebuttal. Each presentation will last 15-20 minutes, with approximately 5 minutes for rebuttals. Grading for the assignment will be done partly on the quality of the overall team presentation (15 points), and partly through team self-evaluations (5 points), which will be distributed by e-mail after the class debate, and which are due July 21.

If a team member does not participate in the learning team discussions, meetings, preparation and work, that member will not be allowed to participate in the debate, and will receive zero points for that assignment. Failure to complete the team evaluation form in a thoughtful and scholarly manner will result in zero points for the individual portion of the assignment.

History 17A Summer 2016 Due Dates

Need help? Meet with tutors and attend workshops in the Student Success Center: http://www.deanza.edu/studentsuccess.

New! Free online tutoring available to all De Anza students! Just login to MyPortal, go to the Students tab, and find the Smarthinking link. You can work with a tutor live (hours vary by subject) or post a question or piece of writing for a response. For more information, go to http://deanza.edu/studentsuccess/onlinetutoring.html