HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

HISTORY 1301

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

 

TEXT:  CARNES AND GARRATY, AMERICAN DESTINY,  VOLUME I.

 

READER:  AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES, VOLUME I.

 

INSTRUCTOR:  DR. DAVID P. ALDSTADT (TEL:  281-304-8836).

 

PLEASE NOTE:  THE FOLLOWING SYLLABUS IS DESIGNED TO FOLLOW THE CLASS LECTURES.  TEXT ASSIGNMENTS ARE INCLUDED AS A GENERAL GUIDE ONLY AND DO NOT NECESSARILY RELATE EXACTLY TO THE SYLLABUS.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF BOTH THE LECTURES AND THE TEXT.

 

 

 

I.  COLONIZATION OF THE NEW WORLD

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:   PREFACE AND CHAPTER 1. 

 

READER:  NO ASSIGNMENT

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  THE PURPOSE OF HISTORY

B.  AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS

 

                                1.    SOME POSSIBILITIES OF PRE-COLUMBIAN CONTACT

2.        MOTIVES FOR EARLY EXPLORATIONS

 

C.       COLUMBUS AND THE CONQUISTADORS

D.      THE COLUMBIAN  EXCHANGE

E.       THE SPANISH IN THE AMERICAS

F.       THE REFORMATION

 

 

 

 

II.                ENGLAND IN THE NEW WORLD

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTER I. 

 

                READER:   1.   “THE JAMESTOWN FIASCO”

2.        “WHAT DID IT MEAN TO BE A PURITAN”?

        

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  THE REFORMATION IN ENGLAND

                                1.  HENRY VIII AND THE DIVORCE PROBLEM

                                2.  CALVINISM AND THE PURITANS

                                3.  JAMES I AND THE PURITANS

                B.  MOTIVES FOR ENGLISH COLONIZATION

                                1.  ECONOMIC

                                2.  RELIGIOUS

                C.  THE ENGLISH COLONIES

 

III.  THE COLONIAL WORLD

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                 TEXT:  CHAPTER 2

                 

 READER:  “THE SALEM WITCHCRAFT SCARE”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

               

                A.  THE COLONIES BECOME  “AMERICAN”

                B.  DIVERSITY OF THE ENGLISH COLONIES

                C.  THE SOUTHERN COLONIES AND SLAVERY

                D.  THE NORTHERN COLONIES AND DIVERSITY

 

IV.  THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:   

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTER 3.

 

                READER:  NO ASSIGNMENT

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  SALUTARY NEGLECT

                B.  THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

                C.  THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

 

 

THE FIRST TEST WILL BE HELD AFTER COMPLETION OF SECTION IV.

 

 

 

 

 

V.  THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTER 4.

 

                READER:  “A MOST UNDISCIPLINED AND PROFLIGATE CREW”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

                B.  THE DEBATE FOR AND AGAINST WAR IN ENGLAND AND THE COLONIES

                C.  THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

                D.  THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR

                E.  POSTWAR PROBLEMS UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

 

VI.  FORMING A NEW GOVERNMENT

 

READING ASSIGNMENT: 

 

             TEXT:  CHAPTER 5.

 

                READER:  “LEWIS AND CLARK:  THE  OPENING OF THE AMERICAN WEST”

 

                               

LECTURE TOPICS:

                A.  PROBLEMS UNDER THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

                B.  THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION

                C.  DEVELOPMENT OF PARTY POLITICS

                D.  THE GROWTH OF NATIONALISM

 

VII.  THE YOUNG NATION

 

READING ASSIGNMENT: 

 

TEXT:  CHAPTERS 6 AND 7.

 

READER:  “THE WAR OF 1812”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  EUROPEAN POLITICS--THE RISE OF NAPOLEON

                B.  THE WAR OF 1812

                C.  THE ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS

                D.  EXPANSION

                E.  SECTIONALISM

 

THE SECOND TEST WILL FOLLOW THE COMPLETION OF SECTION VII

VIII.  JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                 TEXT:  CHAPTER 9.

 

                READER:  “THE JACKSONIAN CHARACTER:  A CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT OF

                                      AMERICAN PERSONALITY, TRAITS, AND VALUES”      

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  “DEMOCRATICAL” IDEAS BECOME RESPECTABLE

                B.  ANDREW JACKSON, THE TRANSCENDENTAL MAN

B.       JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY SUMMARIZED

 

IX.  THE SLAVERY ISSUE

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

READER:  1.  “AMERICAN SLAVERY; ORIGINS AND CONSOLIDATION”

     2.  “NAT TURNER AND SLAVE RESISTANCE”

     3.  “ANTEBELLUM SLAVERY:  SLAVE LIFE”

 

LECTURE TOPICS

 

                A.  SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH

                B.  TREATMENT OF SLAVES

                C.  THE ABOLITIONISTS

C.       THE SOUTHERN DEFENSE OF SLAVERY

 

X.  INDUSTRY AND THE NORTH

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTER 8.

READER:  NO ASSIGNMENT

                               

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  THE CONDITION OF THE AMERICAN WORKER

                B.  THE “SILENT MAJORITY”

                                1. WOMEN

                                2.  SLAVES

                                3.  URBAN POOR

 

 

 

 

 

XI.  INTELLECTUAL TRENDS IN EARLY AMERICA

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTERS 10 AND 11.

READER:  1.  “TRANSCENDENTALISM”

                                     2.  “ABOLITIONISM”   

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  LITERATURE

                B.  HISTORY

                C.  TRANSCENDENTALISM

 

THE THIRD TEST WILL FOLLOW COMPLETION OF SECTION XI

 

XII.  MANIFEST DESTINY

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTER 12.

                READER:  “MANIFEST DESTINY”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  RATIONALE FOR MANIFEST DESTINY

                B.  THE TEXAS REVOLUTION

                C.  OREGON

                D.  THE MEXICAN WAR

                E.  THE COMPROMISE OF 1850

 

XIII.  CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR

 

READING ASSIGNMENT: 

 

TEXT:  CHAPTERS 12 AND 14 (OMIT 13).

                READER:  “THE SEARCH FOR REMEDIES”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  GENERAL CAUSES

                                1.  SLAVERY

                                2.  THE TARIFF ISSUE

                                3.  DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE

                                4.  SOUTHERN FEAR OF NORTHERN POLITICAL DOMINATION

                B.  SPECIFIC CAUSES

                                1.  FAILURE OF THE COMPROMISE OF 1850

                                2.  BLEEDING KANSAS

                                3.  UNCLE TOM’S CABIN

                                4.  DRED SCOTT DECISION

                                5.  JOHN BROWN’S RAID

6.        ELECTION OF 1860

XIV.  THE CIVIL WAR

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                 TEXT:  CHAPTER 15.

 

                READER:   1.  “WHY UNION SOLDIERS FOUGHT”

                                      2.  “WHY CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS FOUGHT”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  SECESSION

                B.  ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES NORTH AND SOUTH

                C.  CONDUCT OF THE WAR

                D.  RESULTS

 

XV.  RECONSTRUCTION

 

READING ASSIGNMENT:

 

                TEXT:  CHAPTER 16.

 

                READER:  “RECONSTRUCTION AND HISTORICAL MEMORY: ‘LIES,

                                     UNMITIGATED LIES.”

 

LECTURE TOPICS:

 

                A.  PRESIDENTIAL RECONSTRUCTION

                B.  THE RADICAL OPPOSITION

                C.  ANDREW JOHNSON V. CONGRESS

                D.  THE IMPEACHMENT CRISIS

                E.  THE COMPROMISE OF 1877