History is not merely a list of dates and events from the past, but a “living tool” for understanding the present. This course is designed for you to develop a comprehensive understanding of United States history from the initial contact between Europeans and Native Americans until roughly 1940. Our study will familiarize students with the important political, social, economic, and cultural developments that have brought us to the present moment.
We will examine the experiences of a broad range of individuals, classes and social groups, as expressed in a host of primary sources – presidential addresses, Supreme Court decisions, political cartoons, sermons, paintings, etc. By analyzing the works of important historians, we will consider a variety of historical perspectives and, hopefully, produce interpretations of our own.
Our goal is to develop the skills necessary to be historians.
Our use of primary sources and articles will help you to understand how
historians go about constructing and defending their analyses. You
will need to develop your own interpretations of history and to express
and support them in discussion and in writing.
A Thematic Approach
Certain themes will recur throughout our study. We will see that
the government’s role in regulating the economy sparked debates between
both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton during the 1790s and between
Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression.
We will see that the tension between government power and individual rights
was a factor that helped to provoke the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
We will see how the popular conception of the United States as a model
society arose in Puritan sermons of the 1630s and in imperialist propaganda
of the 1890s.
Some of the themes we will trace include:
Liberty and Power- the relationship of the individual to
the state, the role of government
City on the Hill- the American sense of mission and a “manifest
destiny”
The Frontier- the role of expansion across the continent in shaping
US history
Inclusion/Exclusion- the tensions and opportunities produced by diversity
By examining such themes, we will become aware of the fact that history is not just a series of unrelated events but a rich interplay of ideas. These themes will offer us a framework as we trace the nation’s development and recognize how certain forces have helped to shape events both within and across eras.
Homework
The nightly reading assignment will usually include a selection from
Divine, Breen, Frederickson and Williams, America Past and Present (4th
edition), the textbook that will guide our investigation. We will
supplement this text with numerous primary and secondary sources to be
distributed at the beginning of each unit. You are expected to come
to class having completed both the textbook and supplementary readings
and having taken some time to consider their importance to our study.
Most nights you will be assigned questions on the reading to help shape
the thinking you do in preparation for class. All of these reading
questions will require your careful consideration; some you will have to
answer in writing. All written work should be edited and proofread.
Nightly reading assignments will generally require 40-50 minutes of
concentrated effort. Often the readings will be difficult, and they
will always demand your undivided attention. We encourage you to
take notes on the readings since you are responsible for all assigned material
regardless of whether we discuss it in class.
Discussion
Class discussion is an important part of our investigation. Thoughtful
participation is essential to the course’s success, and I will take it
into account when determining semester grades. Listening carefully
and responding thoughtfully to others is equally important; we have much
to learn from each other.
Class discussion must always remain an open forum. You should feel comfortable asking questions and sharing your views with your classmates.
You should view class discussion as a collective endeavor. Our goal
is to help each other develop a clearer and more complete understanding
of history. We may not always agree, but we must keep our conversation
focused on historical ideas and not allow our intellectual disagreements
to become personal ones.
Simulations and Debates
We will study certain periods and events by role-playing and debating
issues from the position of historical actors. These activities are designed
to provide fresh perspectives on historical issues by entering the worldviews
of the people making history and by encouraging students to learn from
each other. These activities will be evaluated and contribute to
the students semester grade. (Debate
Tutorial)
Quizzes, Tests and Exams
Any assigned reading may result in an unannounced quiz.
Unit tests will occur periodically throughout the year. We will talk
more about the format of these exercises as the first one approaches (Document
Based Question Tutorial) There will be an exam at the conclusion of
each semester.
Essays
The ability to formulate your own ideas and to express them clearly
and coherently in writing is an essential skill. This course will place
special emphasis on the development of writing skills through assignments
both in-class and at-home. The goal is for you to develop, in a step-by-step
fashion, the ability to articulate your own views of history and to support
your views in a way that is convincing to readers. (Essay
Writing Tutorial) (Mr.
Meyers’ Essay Topics and Due Dates)
Organization
It is imperative that you maintain an organized notebook throughout
the course of the semester. We emphasize the importance of organization
because you will need to study for both unit tests and final exams.
Lateness and Absences
You are expected to be in class, ready to work when class begins.
Go to the bathroom before class; getting up in the middle of class is distracting.
Frequent lateness will be reported to the dean. If you miss a quiz
because you are late to class you will receive a zero.
You are responsible for making up all work that you miss. If you miss
a class you should see a classmate to find out what you missed and to copy
any important notes. I am always happy to meet with you outside of
class to discuss the work you miss, but only if you have discussed the
information with a classmate first.
Extensions and late work
You are allowed a maximum of one extension during the course of the
year, the length of which I will determine on a case by case basis.
You must request it at least 24 hours in advance and you must have just
cause. Under no circumstances will a student be granted more than
one extension per year.
Late work will be downgraded one notch (i.e. A- to B+) for each day
it is late. Weekends will count as two days. Once a piece of
work is more than one week late, the grade is up to me.
Grades
Your grade for each semester will be determined roughly as follows:
Class Participation, behavior, and other intangibles
– 15-20%
Tests and papers- 40-50%
Quizzes and homework – 15-20%
Exam – 15-20%
Where to find us
The Faculty Workspace (Room 135) is located in the office above the
Student-Faculty Center.
Ms. Gisolfi: e-mail mgisolfi@hotmail.com
Phone 718-329-7300 ex.3330
Mr. Meyers e-mail aam14@columbia.edu
Phone 718-329-7300 ex.3333