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American History to 1877 Sample Syllabus

SYLLABUS

American History to 1877

Prof. May
History 151-3  -  Spring 2009

T/Th. 9-10:15

UNIV 319

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

“The ‘lessons’ taught by the American past are today not merely

irrelevant but dangerous.”

David Donald

“Historians can rediscover the past only by the relics it has left for

the present....But how reliable are the remains of the past

as clues to what was really there?”

Daniel J. Boorstin

“A Historian...must have neither Religion or Country.”

John Quincy Adams

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 – 2

I.
COURSE PHILOSOPHY

The object of this course is, in part, the traditional one of most survey courses in history—that is, to provide students
with a basic or "core" knowledge of U.S. History (first "half") sufficient to stand on its own merits or to prepare students
for more advanced courses in the field. But it is also designed with other purposes in mind. For instance, this course is
designed to introduce students to some of the most provocative books published in recent years, as well as trends in
the historical discipline such as the growing emphasis on gender and microcosmic history. I have not assigned a
traditional textbook for the course, because I believe that there are superior means to learn history and retain the
knowledge. This course prioritizes depth over breadth.

Here are some of the assumptions under-girding our course:

(1) That facts can be easily looked up. The real pursuit of history, I believe, attempts to determine why
events occurred (why things happened) and the consequences of human decisions. In other words, interpreting the
past and explaining its significance is more important than merely recounting it.

(2) That history students should study the building blocks of the field—historical documents themselves—rather
than only learn second-hand information filtered by professional historians. No small part of this course revolves
around reading what historians call their "primary sources"—the documents that virtually all history books and articles
utilize to tell their stories. What makes history exciting is the detective work that it demands of its practitioners, as we
try to make sense of what are often very confusing pieces of evidence. I hope to convince you, over the course of the
semester, that studying history is a process of very fascinating detective work that is anything but dull.

(3) That the process of historical inquiry is as important as the results of the inquiry. It is my goal to expose
students to the different tools that historians use to understand the documents that they study. To give an example,
historians sometimes use the methods of other fields—e.g. psychology, anthropology, literary criticism, folklore,
material culture, sociology, statistics, economics—to assist in resolving questions about the past. But sometimes their
methodical innovations come from within the profession. Some historians, for instance, apply comparative approaches,
or "comparative history," to illuminate historical problems. That is, they might compare developments in different
countries, or in different parts of the same country, to make sense out of otherwise mystifying historical problems.

(4) That savvy students can differentiate what is "current" and what is "dated" in their field. Historians, over time,
discard approaches to the past that do not seem to be paying dividends, or that are disproved. Historians keep
applying new "angles" on the past, in order to make better sense of it. History is not a science, but that does not mean
that historians do not take an experimental or empirical approach to their materials, hoping that new methods will
reveal patterns and meanings that escaped prior scholars. This course intends to expose students to some of the most
current "trends" or theories in the field.

(5)
To introduce students to what scholars call "historiography"—the study of how historians engage each other
(often representing different "schools of thought"—e.g. Marxist, feminist) in disputes, especially over interpretations of
the past. This part of the course will especially benefit students considering future enrollment in graduate programs in
history.

Most weeks, students will spend Tuesday classes interpreting historical documents that will be read in advance of the
course meeting. Thursday classes will be mostly devoted, in contrast, to exploring historical problems from different
perspectives and using different methodologies and readings than for the Tuesday classes. The most traditional part of
my teaching has to do with chronology. I believe that history makes the most sense when it is presented in order, from
the past towards the present. Therefore, our exploration of American history will generally proceed chronologically,
starting in the colonial period and ending with the controversial post-Civil War period known as Reconstruction. But
there will necessarily be times when we will need to loop back to pick up strands overlooked in prior class meetings.
Not all history can be neatly confined to exact chronological periods.

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –3

II.
RECOMMENDED BOOK PURCHASES

Elliott J. Gorn, Randy Roberts, and Terry D. Bilhartz,

Constructing the American Past, Volume 1, 6th Edition

Pearson/Longman (paperback)

Alfred F. Young, The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution

Beacon Press (paperback)

Scott Reynolds Nelson,
Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend
Oxford University Press (paperback)

NOTE:

•
The Gorn, Roberts, and Bilhartz book will be available at University Book Store
and at Follett's.
•
The Young and Nelson books will be available at Von's Book Shop.
•
Most other required readings listed on the syllabus will be available at the
Reserve Book section of the Undergraduate Library
•
Single copies of these books, if owned by the Purdue University

Library system will be placed on reserve at the Undergraduate

Library. In addition, copies of all other readings required

for the course will be on reserve at the Undergraduate Library.
•
Keep in mind regarding any articles required for the course that if the entire
issue of the journal is on reserve rather than just the one article,
you need to ask for the name of the journal, not the title of the article

HIST151H/Spring 2009 –4

III:  COURSE SCHEDULE

Tues., Jan. 13: ORIENTATION

Thurs., Jan. 15: COLONIAL VIRGINIA, ANGLO-INDIAN RELATIONS, AND SLAVERY

Assignment for class:

Read the following pieces and be prepared to discuss them in class. Pay careful attention not only to the information in
this reading about such subjects as indentured servitude, Anglo-Indian relations, the origins of English settlement in
America, and the origins and nature of slavery, but also what this reading teaches you about how historians find out
about things that happened a long time ago.

Constructing the American Past, Chapter 2, 21-42

James West Davidson and Mark Hamilton Lytle,

After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection, 6th ed., Vol. 1, 1-23.

•
Note: I have put two copies of After the Fact on reserve at the Undergraduate Library. However,
students have permission to read earlier editions of this book, if convenient. You need to read chapter 1
about Colonial Virginia. Although the editors update their material in each edition, this chapter is mostly
the same as in prior editions.

Tues., Jan. 20: THE PURITANS OF NEW ENGLAND AND WITCHES

Assignment for class:

One of the most interesting groups to study, historically, is the Puritans of early colonial New England. Who were the
Puritans? What did they believe in? Would it be accurate to call them religious fanatics? What explains the Salem
Witch trials, which occurred under their auspices? What did your readings for this class teach you about how historians
draw upon other disciplines to uncover the past? Do you admire the Puritans or find them repulsive? What do your
readings teach you about "historiography"—debates about the past among modern historians?

Constructing the American Past, Chapter 3, 43-64

James West Davidson and Mark Hamilton Lytle,

After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection, 6th ed., Vol. 1, 24-48

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –5

Thurs., Jan. 22: THE BORDERLANDS AND "MIDDLE-GROUND" THEORY

Assignment for class:

For much of American history, historians treated their national experience, insofar as it related to the frontier, as one of
conquest and displacement. That is, white settlers of English birth or descent from the Atlantic seaboard constantly
moved westward, conquering and displacing Indian tribes and taking over former Spanish and French possessions on
their borders.

But it is hardly so simple. For most of the colonial period, the Spanish ruled what is today Florida and Texas. For part
of the colonial period, Spain also ruled much of the Mississippi River Valley: after the French and Indian War (1754-
61), the Spanish crown, in the settlement following the conflict, gained possession of New Orleans and Louisiana west
of the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, the French controlled the Mississippi River Valley and the Gulf Coast before the
Spanish did, and ruled most of today's Canada until their defeat in the French and Indian War. Spain temporarily gave
up Florida to the British after the French and Indian War, but regained it in the settlement ending the American
Revolution and continued in control of much of Florida until 1819, when it signed a treaty with the United States selling
Florida for U.S. assumption of claims against Spain amounting to $5 million. French influence and culture persisted in
much of its former territory long after the United States acquired the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In fact, throughout
the border areas marking the divide between English and then U.S. territory with Spanish and French territory, a
remarkably polyglot population resided, including many different Indian tribes. Several dozen Indian nations inhabited
the Louisiana Purchase territory, for example, at the time the U.S. acquired it from France.

To make sense of the interactions of cultures in these areas, some historians have developed a theory and an
approach that has become known as the "middle ground." Your assignment for class is, first, to figure out exactly what
"middle-ground" theory alludes to. Then, explain how this middle ground actually operated. What happened on the
middle ground? Does your reading for class seem to confirm or contradict the theory? What proof does your reading
provide for its argument?

Assignment for class:

•
Read Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, Vol. I, bottom of p. 117 to the middle of page 119 for a
convenient synopsis of middle ground theory
•
Also read an article or book chapter:

If your last name begins with the letters A-G, read Daniel E. Herman, "Romance
on the Middle Ground," Journal of the Early Republic 19 (Summer 1999): 279-91

If your last name begins with the letters H-P, read Frank Lawrence Owsley Jr.
and Gene A. Smith, "A Leftover of War: Negro Fort," in Owsley and Smith,
Filibusters and Expansionists: Jeffersonian Manifest Destiny, 1800-1821
(Tuscaloosa, Ala., 1997), 103-17

If your last name begins with the letters Q-Z, read Jeremy Adelman
and Stephen Aron, "From Borderlands to Borders: Empires, Nation States,
and Peoples in Between in North American History," American Historical Review
104 (June 1999): 814-41

(Another interesting journal piece that addresses the borderlands issue is Gerald E. Poyo and Gilberto M. Hinojosa,
“Spanish Texas and Borderlands Historiography in Transition: Implications for United States History,” Journal of
American History 75 (Sept. 1988), 393-416.)

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –6

Tues., Jan. 27:
LIFE, THOUGHT, AND OPPRESSION IN THE 18TH C. ENGLISH COLONIES

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, Ch. 4, 65-90

Thurs., Jan. 29:  DRAWING MEANING FROM COMMON TEXTS

For this class, we will explore how seemingly trite texts can be richly revealing of a people and their
culture. A journal of the life of a relatively obscure woman and the seemingly silly poem "Twas the Night
Before Christmas" tell us much about life and social mores in America at different times and places in our
early history.

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, xi-top of xiv

(During class we will also view and discuss about 30 minutes of a videotape provided by the
Undergraduate Library called "A Midwife's Tale* [VC 6988])

Tues., Feb. 3:
THE CAUSES AND DIIPLOMACY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, 91-109
Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, Vol. 1, xv-xxxi

Thurs., Feb. 5:
INTERPRETING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Assignment for class:

Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, Vol. 1, 49-72
Constructing the American Past, Ch. 5, Documents 13-15 (pp. 112-15)

Tues., Feb. 10:
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

Assignment for class:
Constructing the American Past, 117-33

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –7

Thurs., Feb. 12:  MEMORY STUDIES, THE PAST, AND THE CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

One of the most intriguing developments in historical scholarship in recent years has been the increasing study of
historical memory itself. That is, historians are increasingly sensitive to the fact that the very way that we remember
(and often distort) the past affects how we shape the future. David W. Blight shows for instance, in his award-winning
book Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, that selective recollections of the Civil War have shaped
race relations in this country ever since. For many decades, he explains, Americans chose to remember the valor of
Civil War white soldiers more than the emancipationist outcome of the war and the contributions of black soldiers to the
Union victory. True racial progress was difficult until memory changed. One only need consider how Adolph Hitler
utilized myths about World War I to grasp the potential power of public memory. At any rate, more and more historians
are producing memory studies. Among the best examples of this kind of writing are magisterial books by Merrill D.
Peterson about two of America’s most significant presidents: The Jeffersonian Image in the American Mind (1960) and
Lincoln in American Memory (1994).

But do memory studies have to concern major figures like Jefferson and Lincoln? This week and next we will plunge
again into memory studies, and in the process learn something about the American Revolution and revisit the issue of
studying history from the bottom up. How can studying the life of an insignificant shoemaker teach us about a major
event like the American Revolution? Shouldn’t we be looking at meetings of the Continental Congress and the policies
of British prime ministers? Further, what do we learn from this book about how collective memories are made? Who
determines what memories the public should keep? This week we will learn about the life of this shoemaker, his role in
the coming of the American Revolution and during the war, and his experiences as a veteran after the war. Next week
we will look at his life in the context of public memory. In what ways did Americans celebrate the Revolution after it was
over? Did Americans really like the concept of revolution and revolutionaries? Did all American social classes
remember the Revolution in the same way? Why or why not? Did public memory about the Revolution stay consistent
as decades passed? Or did it change over time? What role did war veterans like our shoemaker play in the formation
or manipulation of public memory?

Assignment for class:
The Shoemaker and the Tea Party, 3-84

Tuesday, Feb. 17:
FEDERALISTS AND REPUBLICANS: THE FIRST AMERICAN PARTY SYSTEM
(1790s-War of 1812)

Note: This assignment has two purposes—to introduce you to the beginning of party politics in the United States (what
historians call America's "first" party system) and to show how from the beginning of our country's history, sectional
differences between Northerners and Southerners raised the possibility that the nation would not survive over the long
run. Secondarily, the assignment reminds us of the difficulty of interpreting conflicting historical documents and raises
the role of "honor" and dueling in American politics—something that we will consider more later in the course.

Assignment for class:
William J. Cooper, Jr., Liberty and Slavery: Southern Politics to 1860 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983),

70-106
Constructing the American Past, xiv-xxvii

Thursday, Feb. 19:
HISTORICAL MEMORY (continued)

Assignment for class:

Shoemaker and the Tea Party, 87-207

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –8

Tues., Feb. 23:
ANDREW JACKSON AND THE SECOND PARTY SYSTEM, 1820s-1840s

Note: This week's readings have several purposes. After the War of 1812, the Federalist party of Alexander
Hamilton pretty much died out, though it held on locally in some areas for a while, especially in New
England. But on the national level, although politicians had strong disagreements on issues, they did not
divide into two major political parties again until Andrew Jackson ran for and won the presidency. What
was there about Jackson that was so inflammatory as to cause most of America's politicians into two
parties—the Democrats and the Whigs? How has "historiography" treated Jackson? What do your readings
say about how historians are affected by their own times in interpreting the past. Do you admire Jackson or
disparage him? Why? Was he a good president or a bad president? What do we mean by the term
"Jacksonian Democracy"?

Assignment for class:

Harry L. Watson, Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America, 3-15
Constructing the American Past, 167-81

Thurs., Feb. 25

Assignment for class:

Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, Vol. 1, 99-bottom of 117

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –9

Tues., Mar. 3:
SLAVERY

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, 147-65
Davidson and Lytle, After the Fact, Vol. I, 177-209

Thurs., Mar. 5
COMPARATIVE HISTORY AND LEARNING ABOUT SLAVERY

In 1923, recognizing the parochial nature of much historical research, the French historian Marc Bloch argued that the
“perfection and general use” of comparative history had become “one of the most pressing needs of present-day
historical science” (“Toward a Comparative History of European Societies,” in Frederic C. Lane and Jelle C.
Riermersma, eds., Enterprise and Secular Change [Homewood, Ill., 1953], 494-95). Bloch and other comparative
historians have wisely recognized that everything is relative. How can one fully understand any aspect of a country’s
past, without relating it to developments elsewhere? Without perspective, observations about the unique culture,
economy, or past of a particular country become almost meaningless.

American historians in recent decades have attempted to achieve new insights by widening their boundaries. That is,
they have tried to gain a better understanding of their own country’s past by noting and interpreting the pasts of other
countries and regions. The purpose of this week’s assignment is to acquaint you with the comparative method.  We will
see what we can learn by revisiting the issue of U.S. slavery, this time putting our inquiry into an international context.
What did you learn from this reading? What do you feel are the advantages of comparative history? Can you think of
any disadvantages? Do you feel that you learned things about U.S. slavery by thinking internationally? Or, do you feel
that this kind of historical analysis was a waste of your time?

Assignment for class:
Read one of the following:

1.
Peter Kolchin, Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom (Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1987), 1-10, 157-91
2.
Herbert S. Klein, Slavery in the Americas: A Comparative Study of Virginia and Cuba
(Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1967), 40-85
3.
Eugene D. Genovese, From Rebellion to Revolution: Afro-American Slave Revolts
in the Making of The New World (1979; paper ed., New York: Vintage Books, 1981), 1-50

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –10

Tues., Mar. 10:
MATERIAL CULTURE, POPULAR CULTURE, AND THE AMERICAN PAST

One method that more and more historians use to rediscover the past is to analyze objects that have
survived from past cultures and civilizations. Even everyday household items can render significant
historical meanings. This class, we will explore how historians of material culture have used such things as
paintings, photographs, and exhibition displays to better understand America’s mid-nineteenth century
history. What have you learned of significance from these readings?

Assignment for class:

Read After the Fact, Vol. 1, 73-84 and one of the following:

Drew Gilpin Faust, “Race, Gender, and Confederate Nationalism,” in Faust, Southern Stories: Slaveholders in Peace
and War (Columbia, Mo.: University of Missouri Press, 1992), 148-59

Emory M. Thomas, “Protruding Entrails and Petersburg,” in Thomas, Travels to Hallowed Ground (Columbia, S. Car.:
University of South Carolina Press, 1987), 124-36

James W. Cook, The Arts of Deception: Playing with Fraud in the Age of Barnum (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 2001), 73-118

Thurs., Mar. 12:
ATLANTIC WORLD STUDIES AND U.S. HISTORY

One of the most important trends affecting the study of early U.S. history, in recent decades, is what scholars call
"Atlantic World" studies or "Transatlantic History." There are whole conferences, programs, books, and other
endeavors devoted to this perspective. Members of our own Purdue Department of History, especially Melinda Zook
and Michael Morrison, have done important work in this area. The editors of Transatlantic History (College Station:
Texas A&M University Press, 2006) define this field as one organized by a "conceptual approach" focusing "on the
interconnectedness of human experience over the centuries in the Atlantic Basin." They note that this field is
"inherently interdisciplinary, transnational, and comparative in approach" and that it regularly "moves beyond the
boundaries imposed by the concept of the nation-state." They add that transatlantic history appeals to "those willing to
rethink, re-conceptualize, and recast their approach to both new and familiar material."

How does such a transatlantic approach facilitate our understanding of U.S. history? Or does it? Come to class
prepared to answer this question as well as to explain to your classmates what you learned.

Assignment for class:
Read one of the following:

1)
Stanley H. Palmer, "The Power of Numbers: Settler and Native in Ireland, America, and South Africa,
1600-1900," in Steven G. Reinhardt and Dennis Reinhartz, ed., Transatlantic History (College
Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2006), 90-123 (this is an excerpt from a very long chapter)
2)
Marcus Rediker, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen,
Pirates, and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750 (New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1987), 10-76 (chapter 1)
3)
Ira Berlin, Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America
(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998), 17-46 (introduction + chapter 1)

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –11

Tues., Mar. 24:
THE WAR OF 1812 AND AMERICAN TERRITORIAL EXPANSIONISM

This week we will take a look at the War of 1812 against Great Britain, begun by U.S. President James Madison, who
asked Congress for a declaration of war in June of 1812. Madison's war message to Congress emphasized U.S.
maritime grievances against Britain—particularly British interference with U.S. commerce on the high seas and British
impressments of U.S. citizens into the British Navy (acts committed to strengthen Britain's naval effort in its ongoing
war against Napoleonic France). But one paragraph of Madison's war message alluded to Britain's assisting Native
Americans in their attacks on U.S. settlers on the frontier.

Why, really, did the U.S. go to war in 1812? Did U.S. ambitions to acquire British Canada have anything to do with it?
And what role did Spanish Florida have in the war? What do your readings teach you about the military course of the
War of 1812? Who won the war? How did the war change U.S. history? And what role did General Andrew Jackson,
who you met earlier in this course, play in these events? Do these events tell us anything about early U.S. attitudes
about what today we might call "ethnic cleansing"? What about the role of "great men" in history? Say Andrew Jackson
had never been born. Would the course of these events have been different?

Assignment for class:

Read one of the following:

1.
Walter Nugent, Habits of Empire: A History of American Expansion (New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
2008), 75-129
2.
Fred Anderson and Andrew Cayton, The Dominion of War: Empire and Liberty in North America
(New York: Viking, 2005),

Thurs., Mar. 26:
THE MONROE DOCTRINE

Not long after the War of 1812, the "Monroe Doctrine" became an important component of U.S. foreign policy. But what
was the doctrine (a law? treaty? speech? Supreme Court opinion? something else?) and why did the United States
adopt it? How did it affect the history of the United States and the world? Did other nations recognize its legality? So
often, U.S. foreign policy has to do, at least in part, with domestic politics. Was this the case with the Monroe Doctrine,
which was named, after all, after the politician President James Monroe? Finally, what role did Monroe's secretary of
state and later president John Quincy Adams, play in this business?

Assignment for class:

Read one of the following:

1.
George Dangerfield, The Awakening of American Nationalism, 1815-1818 (New York: Harper &
Row, 1965), 161-94
2.
Paul A. Varg, United States Foreign Relations, 1820-1860 (East Lansing: Michigan State
University Press, 1979),43-59
3.
Frederick Merk, The Monroe Doctrine and American Expansionism, 1843-1849 (New York:
Vintage Books,1966), 3-8, 105-32

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –12

Tues., Mar. 31:

THE NEW MILITARY HISTORY

When most people think of military history, they think it concerns campaigns, weapons, strategy, battlefield tactics, and
things of that sort. But in recent decades, many historians have argued for a more inclusive military history—one that is
revelatory of cultural trends and that includes peacetime military affairs as well as the military's effect on society during
wartime. Such matters as the combat experience of enlisted personnel, veterans' affairs, gender, race and ethnicity in
the military establishment, the military's role in diplomatic affairs, the impact of military spending on society, draft
resistance, and questions regarding civilian control over the military might all come, for instance, under the rubric of
military history.

How can the "new military history" help us better understand the history of the United States before the Civil War?
Most particularly, how does it help us to understand the U.S.-Mexican War of 1848? What did you learn from your
reading about that war?

Assignment for class:

Read one of the following:

Paul Foos, A Short, Offhand, Killing Affair: Soldiers and Social Conflict during the Mexican-
American War (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002), 13-29, 113-54
Robert W. Johannsen, To The Halls of the Montezumas: The Mexican War in the American
Imagination (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985), 21-67
Richard Bruce Winders, Mr. Polk's Army: The American Military Experience in the Mexican War (College Station:
Texas A&M University Press, 1997), 139-85

Thurs., Apr. 2:
TRANSCRIBING AND INTERPRETING A DOCUMENT

Most of the readings for this course, in one way or another, have used “primary source” documents—e.g. letters,
diaries, government documents, and so on. We have also considered how historians go about making sense of a
document. Now it is your turn to try (and to also develop and get feedback on your writing skills)!

Assignment for class:

1.
Transcribe the letter on pages 18-20 of this syllabus . By a transcription, I mean type the letter as you decipher it..
2.
Be sure to include all identifying information on the letter (date, salutation, signature, etc.). Type it so it looks like
the letter in form. If you do it right, your version will be exactly the same, except that it is not handwritten.
3.     Staple to the typescript an essay of 1000-1500 words, interpreting the document and what you think its historical
significance might be. What does it tell you worth knowing about the American past? What questions does it raise for
future research? Within your essay, provide a minimum of two footnotes or endnotes in proper historical form. You
need not consult a style manual to learn how to cite sources correctly in a way to please historians. Rather, you could
consult a number of books required for this course (and this syllabus) for models of how to properly cite a book, a
magazine or journal article, a newspaper article, and so on. For instance, the Anderson and Cayton book Dominion of
War and the Johannsen reading on the Mexican War provide excellent citation models in their notes. Your citations do
NOT count in the 1000-1500 word maximum. I expect you in your notes to cite at least one scholarly book and at least
one scholarly article. Scholarly books are usually published by university presses (though sometimes by commercial
presses like Knopf); scholarly articles are usually articles of fifteen pages or more with notes in serious journals read by
professionals—such as the Journal of American History and the Journal of Southern History. What I am trying to get at
is whether you would know how to find out more about a historical document and its context. I also want to see your
reasoning and writing. Don't forget to put your name on your mini-paper.

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –13
Tues., Apr. 7:
GENDER AND ANTEBELLUM AMERICA

One of the most obvious trends in the historical profession in recent years, is to reassess the role of women in
American life. On the one hand, historians have increasingly illuminated women's private lives, probing the meaning of
what is sometimes considered their interior world. This is social and cultural history with a new twist—with a particular
consciousness of women's perspectives and gender tensions. On the other hand, there is a growing recognition that
perhaps early American historians were wrong in virtually reading women out of American public life before the Civil
War. Perhaps women tried to influence the course of history more than was once believed. Perhaps women were
political actors. Perhaps women had more "agency" (a buzz term among modern historians) than previously believed.
That is, they had more control over their own destinies than we once thought. "Patriarchy" (or male dominance) had its
limits. And on the other hand, perhaps discourse over women's characteristics and roles played a role in male public
life.

With this in mind, read this week's assignments. Keep in mind not only what your readings teach you about women's
history, but also U.S. history in general.

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, 183-203 and one of the following:

Robert E. May, "Reconsidering Antebellum U.S. Women's History: Gender, Filibustering, and America's

Quest for Empire," American Quarterly 57 (Dec. 2005): 1155-88

Amy Gilman Srebnick, The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers: Sex and Culture in Nineteenth-Century

New York (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), 1-12, 33-60

Amy S. Greenberg, Manifest Manhood and the Antebellum American Empire (New York: Cambridge

University Press, 2005), 197-230

Thurs., Apr. 9:
THE MARKET REVOLUTION

Historians discussing the U.S. economy in the decades before the Civil War have been increasingly using a
concept called the "market revolution" to make sense out of it. What was the market revolution? What did
it have to do with America's changing patterns of production and transportation? Was the United States
experiencing what scholars call "modernization" during the period before the Civil War? And did this
modernization have anything to do with the growing sectional tension between the North and the South that
helped to cause the Civil War?

Assignment for class:

Jill Lepore, "Vast Designs: How America came of age," The New Yorker, Oct. 29, 2007, pp. 88-92,

and one of the following:

Kenneth Startup, "'A Mere Calculation of Profits and Loss': The Southern Clergy and the

Economic Culture of the Antebellum North," in Mark A. Noll, ed., God and Mammon:
Protestants, Money, and the Market, 1790-1860 (New York: Oxford University Press,
2002), 217-35

Douglas R. Egerton, "Markets Without a Market Revolution: Southern Planters and Capitalism,"

in Paul A. Gilje, ed., Wages of Independence: Capitalism in the Early American Republic

Madison, Wis.: Madison House, 1997), 50-64

James A. Henretta, "The 'Market' in the Early Republic," Journal of the Early Republic 18

(Summer 1998): 289-304

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –14

Tues., Apr. 14:
SECTIONALISM AND THE COMING OF THE CIVIL WAR

The Civil War was one of the most terrible wars in the history of the World, and certainly in U.S. history. More soldiers
died in the one-day battle of Antietam in 1862, than in the entire American Revolution, War of 1812, and Mexican-
American wars put together! But what caused the conflict? Were Northerners trying to abolish slavery in the South?
Were most of the arguments between the North and the South over economic issues, such as the tariff? What did the
impact of particular historical figures, such as John Brown, have to do with the coming of the war? Would history have
been different had he never lived. What role did published polemics, such as Uncle Tom's Cabin, play in the coming
of the Civil War? What did Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas argue about in their famous debates in
1858? In what ways did their debates differ from modern political debates (such as the Obama-McCain
debates)? Did they have anything to do with the coming of the war? Or were they merely an interesting
sideshow?

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, 205-26
After the Fact, Vol. 1, 150-75

Thurs., Apr. 16:
SOUTHERN HONOR

In debating the origins of the Civil War, historians have divided roughly into two camps on the matter of
cultural distinctiveness and the inevitability of the war. Some scholars have argued that Northerners and
Southerners before the Civil War shared many values, including racism, and that the war came over
specific issues that they were unable to resolve—such as the fugitive slave problem and the matter of
whether or not slavery was to be permitted in American territories. Other scholars have argued that
Northerners and Southerners, by the Civil War, developed entirely different cultures and values, and that it
is no wonder that in 1860-61 the two major sections of the country were unable to coexist in the same
nation. Central to this latter argument is the concept known as "Southern honor." Southerners prioritized
honor over other cultural traits. When their honor was challenged, they had to respond physically, perhaps
in a duel, perhaps with armies! What did you learn about Southern honor, including its causes, from your
reading?

Assignment for class:

Read one of the following:

Christopher J. Olsen, Political Culture and Secession in Mississippi: Masculinity, Honor, and the Antiparty

Tradition, 1830-1860 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 3-middle of page 5, 17-middle

p. 26

Kenneth S. Greenberg, Honor and Slavery . . . (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996), xi-xiv, 51-86

Manisha Sinha, "The Caning of Charles Sumner: Slavery, Race, and Ideology in the Age of the Civil War,"

Journal of the Early Republic 23 (Summer 2003): 233-62

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –15

Tues., Apr. 21
AMERICAN NATIVISM AND THE CIVIL WAR

 One of the most contested issues in modern American politics is the matter of federal, state, and local policy
respecting undocumented aliens—or illegal immigrants—in this country. But this is hardly the only time in U.S. history
that a groundswell of feeling arose against foreign immigration, whether legal or illegal. In the years before the Civil
War, much feeling arose against foreign immigrants, especially Irish Catholics and Germans, who were arriving in the
United States in enormous numbers and significantly affecting U.S. politics, the economy, and many other dimensions
of American life—such as education. Historians call antipathy to foreigners "nativism," whether it is based primarily on
race (as today) or ethnicity (as before the Civil War). And nativism helps to explain one of the most significant "home
front" crises of the Civil War—the New York City draft riots of 1863. What do you learn about nativism, the Civil War,
and the draft riots from your reading.

Assignment for class:

Read Constructing the American Past, 227-46 and one of the following:

1.
Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White (Routledge: New York, 1995), 34-51, 92-121
2.
Tyler Anbinder, Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know  Nothings and the Politics
of the 1850s (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), 3-7, 20-51

Thurs., Apr. 23
RECONSTRUCTION

The period after the Civil War, roughly 1865-1877, is generally alluded to as Reconstruction. The term
alludes to the Union occupation of the South after the Civil War, and the attempt by northern politicians,
especially antislavery Republicans, to "reconstruct," or change, Southern society as the price of the South's
readmission to the Union with full voting rights in Congress again. Some northern politicians merely
wanted to ensure that slavery was gone forever in the South. Others had a more radical vision of a more
egalitarian society springing up in the South. Still others were mostly interested in capitalizing on economic
opportunities open in the South after the war. At any rate, it was during this period that blacks on a region-
wide scale got the vote and the right to hold office. Ultimately Reconstruction ended, with most Southern
blacks eventually losing their right to vote and hold office. Eventually a system of rigid segregation was
implanted in the South. What did you learn about Reconstruction from your reading for today? What did
you learn about the origins of the Ku Klux Klan, and its role in Reconstruction, from your reading? And
finally, what can we learn

Assignment for class:

Constructing the American Past, 247-65

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –16

Tues., Apr. 28:
FOLKLORE, HISTORY, AND RECONSTRUCTION

Almost everyone has heard, at one time or another, the famous folk ballad "John Henry," about a black railroad laborer
who challenged a machine to make a railroad tunnel, and died in the process. But what if we use that song to probe
history—most particularly the history of the Civil War, Reconstruction, modernization, Southern politics, convict labor,
mining, race, and memory? In what way does the reading for this week reassert themes we have dealt with throughout
the course? Are we back to where we began—that history is fascinating because it is process, because it is detective
work rather than recitation of facts?

Assignment for class:

Scott Reynolds Nelson, Steel Drivin' Man—John Henry—The Untold Story of an American Legend

(New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 1-92

Thurs., Apr. 30:

Assignment for class:

Nelson, Steel Drivin' Man, 93-173

IV:  COURSE GRADE

Your course grade for History 151H will be determined primarily by your work in class discussion. That is, 80% of your
grade will come from these discussions. I will give you a grade for your work in every class discussion. You need to
show during class that you have done the reading and that you have thought about it. I do not at all expect you to
always interpret the readings in the same way that I do, or even to emphasize the same aspects of them.

Because class discussions are so essential (there will be no exams or quizzes), it is important that you never cut class
unless you are unwell or facing some kind of a personal or professional emergency. If you do miss class, you should
do a makeup paper of 2-3 typewritten pages explaining what you got out of the reading, and submit it the next time that
you attend class. If you do this and your paper is satisfactory, instead of getting a zero for the missed discussion, you
will get a pro-rated grade (that is, a grade based on your average for all the discussions that you attend). But you can
only get credit twice during the semester for missed classes.

You can find out your discussion grades any time during the semester that you wish. There is nothing mysterious about
them. All you need to do is visit with me during my office hours. In fact, I recommend doing this at least once or twice
during the semester, the first time in about the third or fourth week of the course. I find that these chats often help
students discover where they could do better, and that their grades frequently improve after talking with me.

The other 20% of the course grade will come from the paper due on April 2.

Hist. 151H/Spring 2009 –17

V:  OFFICE HOURS

I enjoy meeting with students. You should not only take advantage of my office hours to discuss your work
in class discussions, but also if you encounter any problems regarding course assignments or if you want to
discuss any aspect of the field of history (such as history as a possible career). The office hours listed below
are not writ in stone. If you find these hours inconvenient, please let me know and I will arrange a special
appointment with you.

My office is Room 25, University Hall
My office phone is 44131

My office hours, this semester, will be:

T:
1-        1:50

W:
1:45    2: 40

Th:
10:30-11:15

VI:  TEXTBOOKS

There is no textbook required for this course. Should you desire a more comprehensive treatment of
American history than that provided in this course, I would recommend that you pick up a standard textbook
in the field. Most U.S. history textbooks come in two volumes. In such cases, you will want to order Vol. 1 for
the 151 course. Some of these are available at the various bookstores, because non-honors sections of this
course generally require textbooks. Simply go to the bookstores and pick out a textbook that appeals to you
visually. The bookstores will also gladly order a particular textbook if the one you want is not available.


CS 180

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CS 180: Programming I

Detailed Syllabus

Primitive data types and strings:

Representation of numeric data (integers, floating point, characters, strings)

Range, precision, and rounding errors

Standard operations on primitives and strings:

Variables, types, expressions, and assignment

If, switch, while, for, and do-while statements:

Typical usage for each

if ... else option

Creating the correct conditional expression

Complex conditions using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)

Constructing the body of such a statement

Loop initial conditions, loop invariants, iterative progress, conclusion

Using iteration in an indeterminate situation (while, do-while loops)

Using iteration in a counting situation (for loop)

Embedding some of these inside others

Single- and multi-dimensional arrays:

Array is a simple collection of same-type data

Declaring and using a single dimension array

Connection between iterative problem solving and a collection of data

A two-dimensional (or more) visualization of same-type data -- multi-dimension arrays

Finding and fixing bugs:

Test cases

Isolating the source of an error

Fixing the error

Debugging tools (usage of at least one)

Object-Oriented Programming:

Classes

Objects

Methods

Constructors

Accessors

Mutators

Return values

Overloaded methods

Overridden methods

Interfaces

Inheritance

Polymorphism

Exception handling:

Handling exceptional situations via algorithms isolated for that purpose

Using standard exception classes

Defining your own exception classes

Deferring what to do about an exception to the method that calls this one

Concurrency:

Threads

Synchronization

Input/Output (I/O):

Text file I/O

Binary file I/O

Class object I/O with object streams

Network communication

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs):

Standard GUI components (buttons, text fields, text areas)

Action Events and Action Listeners

Windows

Panels

Layout managers

Container classes

Dynamic Data Structures:

Linked Lists

Stacks

Queues

Recursion:

Recursive methods

Recursive data structures

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CS 180

CS 180

November 29, 2011

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February 3

February 6

February 13

Feb 13, 2011

PHYS 112

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February 27

March 2

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March 19

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March 26

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PHYS 114

assignments

<LI> Online book: Sections 1.3, 1.5, Chapter 2

assignments

<LI> Online book: Chapter 3

assignments

<LI> Online book: Sections 4.1 - 4.7, 6.1 - 6.7

assignments

<LI> Online book: Chapter 12

assignments

assignments

Online  Tutorial

Exceptions and Assertions

assignments

File I/O

assignments

Concurrency

Recursion

Inheritance and Polymorphism

assignments

assignments

assignments

CS 180 Course Syllabus Spring 2012

<TITLE>CS 180 -- Course Syllabus</TITLE>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Expires" CONTENT="0">
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Pragma" CONTENT="no-cache">

CS 180 -- Course Syllabus

(This page last modified Thursday, November 29, 2011.)

<MENU>
January 9-13 (Week 1)

Introduction to Computers and Object-Oriented Programming
PDF

 Reading:

Topic: Introduction to computers and programming languages, OOP

 Online book: Sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.4

 Suggested Text: Sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2

January 16-20 (Week 2)

No classes on Monday (Martin Luther King Day)

Getting Started With Java
PDF

 Reading:

 Topic: First Java progam, Simple Input/Output, Strings

 Online book: Sections 1.3, 1.5, Chapter 2

 Suggested Text: Sections 2.3, 3.1

 Sample Code

 Assignment

January 23-27 (Week 3)

Numerical Data
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic:

 Online book: Sections 1.3, 1.5, Chapter 2

 Suggested Text: Sections 2.1 -- 2.4

 Sample Code

 Assignment

January 30 - February 3 (Week 4)

User Defined Classes -- Part 1
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic:

 Online book: Chapter 3

 Suggested Text: Sections 8.1 -- 8.3, 9.2 - 9.3.

 Sample Code

 Assignment

February 6-10 (Week 5)

Selection Statements
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic:

 Online book: Sections 4.1 - 4.7, 6.1 - 6.7

 Suggested Text: Chapter 4

 Sample Code

February 13-17 (Week 6)

Exam 1 Monday Feb 13, 2011  6:30pm -- 7:30pm PHYS 112

Repetition Statements
PDF slides

Reading in suggested text: Chapter 5

Sample Code

 Assignment

February 20-24 (Week 7)

Arrays
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic:

 Online book: Chapter 12

 Suggested Text: Chapter 6

 Sample Code

 Assignment

February 27 - March 2 (Week 8)

User Defined Classes -- Part 2
PDF slides

 Sample Code

 Assignment

March 5-9 (Week 9)

GUI and Event-Driven Programming
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic:

 Online  Tutorial

 Suggested Text: Chapter 15

 Sample Code

March 12-16

Spring Break (No classes, labs, or recitations)

March 19-23 (Week 10)

Lecture Week 10: Exceptions and Assertions
PDF slides

Exam 2 Monday, March 19 *8:00pm -- 9:00pm, PHYS 112

 Reading:

 Topic:  Exceptions and Assertions

 Suggested Text: Chapter 12

 Sample Code

 Assignment

March 26 - 30 (Week 11)

Lecture Week 11: File Input and Output
PDF slides

 Sample Code

 Reading:

 Topic: File I/O

 Suggested Text: Chapter 19

 Online Text: Appendix B

 Assignment

April 2-6 (Week 12)

Lecture Week 12: Concurrency
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic: Concurrency

 Suggested Text: Chapter 13

 Sample Code

April 9-13 (Week 13)

Lecture Week 13:  Recursive Algorithms
PDF slides

 Reading:

 Topic: Recursion

 Suggested Text: Section 8.4

 Online Text: Section 4.8

 Sample Code

April 16-20 (Week 14)

Lecture Week 14: Inheritance and Polymorphism

 Reading:

 Topic: Inheritance and Polymorphism

 Suggested Text: Chapters 11 and 17

 Online Text: Section 15.6

PDF slides

Assignment

April 23 - 27 (Week 15)

No Lectures this week

No graded labs this week. Labs and Recitations will be available as optional help sessions.

May 2-7 (Finals Week)

Final Exam Tuesday May 1st 3:20pm- 5:20pm, PHYS 114

</MENU>

 Midterm-1 Part 2 solutions
Interest.java

Die.java

© 2012 by Purdue University Department of Computer Science.
All rights reserved.


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                  Introduction to American Politics

Introduction to American Politics

      POLITSC 1100:
Introduction to American Politics

Introduction to American politics, the institutions and processes which create public policy, the strengths and weaknesses of the American political systems.

Prereq: Not open to students with credit for 3100 (300), 101, or 101H. This course is available for EM credit. GE soc sci orgs and polities course. SS Admis Cond course.

Credit Hours

3

Department of Political Science

          2140 Derby Hall

          154 North Oval Mall

          Columbus,

          OH

          43210

E-Mail:

          polisci@osu.edu

          Phone: (614) 292-2880

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August 26

November 30

October
12

December 7

November 26

Midterm:   25%

Final:         25%

Assignment:

Midterm Exam

October 12

November 30

November 26

Final Exam

December 7

August 22

Sept 1

Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 1

Sept 2

Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 2

Sept 8

Sept 9

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 3

Sept 15

Sept 16

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 4

Sept 22

Sept 23

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 5

Sept 29

Sept 30

Oct 6

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 6

Oct 6

Oct 7

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 7

Oct 13

Oct 14

Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 8

Oct 20

Oct 21

Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 9

Oct 27

Oct 28

Nov 3

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 10

Nov 3

Nov 4

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 11

Nov 10

Nov 11

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 13

Nov 17

Nov 18

Nov
26

Nov 30

Dec 1

Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 12

Dec 1

Dec 7

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textbook

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Textbook

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Grading

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Course Schedule

Political Science 1100 Introduction to American Politics

1

______________________________________________________________________________

POLITICAL SCIENCE 1100:  INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN POLITICS
Online Course ~ Fall Semester 2012
______________________________________________________________________________

Instructor:
Professor Janet Box-Steffensmeier
Email:

steffensmeier.2@osu.edu

Phone:

614-975-5812 (cell)
Office:

2049S Derby Hall, office hours flexible – please make an appointment

Teaching Assistant:  Matthew Hitt
Email:

hitt.23@buckeyemail.osu.edu
Phone:

720-934-3083 (cell)
Office:

3078 Derby, office hours Tues/Thurs 3-4:30 and by appointment

Class Hours & Location:   Whenever/wherever you want them to be.  That’s the great thing
about an online course!

Course Description:
Welcome to Introduction to American Politics! This course is an
introduction to the institutions, processes, and influences of
American government, politics, and political behavior.  It is roughly
broken into two sections.  The first part of the course will focus on
political elites, discussing the history and theories of American
democracy, as well as its political institutions (Congress, Executive,
and Judiciary).  In the second half of the course, we will shift gears
and focus on mass political behavior and interests.  This is a team-
based course as it was designed and taught by a team – Professor Jan
Box-Steffensmeier, Vanessa Bouche, Matthew Hitt, and Emily
Lynch. You will hear lectures from a variety of instructors, but we will be leading this course for the fall.
If you have any questions during the quarter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

This course satisfies the Social Sciences, Organizations & Polities GEC requirement. In this course, you
will learn about the systematic study of human behavior and cognition; of the structure of human
societies, cultures, and institutions; and of the processes by which individuals, groups, and societies
interact, communicate, and use human, natural, and economic resources. These goals and the expected
learning outcomes will be achieved through lectures, debates, discussions, assignments, and exams
throughout the quarter.

 Social Science Expected Learning Outcomes
1. Students understand the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry as they are applied to
the studies of individuals, groups, organizations, and societies.
2. Students understand the behavior of individuals, differences and similarities in the contexts of
human existence (e.g., psychological, social, cultural, economic, geographic, and political), and
the processes by which groups, organizations, and societies function.
3. Students develop abilities to comprehend and assess individual and social values, and
recognize their importance in social problem solving and policy making.

2

Organizations and Polities Expected Learning Outcomes
1. Students understand the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry as they are applied to
the study of organizations and polities.
2. Students understand the formation and durability of political, economic, and social organizing
principles and their differences and similarities across contexts.
3. Students develop abilities to comprehend and assess the nature and values of
organizations and polities and their importance in social problem solving and policy making.

COURSE LOGISTICS

There are a number of things you need to do in order to get yourself set up for this course and
they correspond with the two online interfaces for the class, CARMEN and
www.americansgoverning.com.

1. The first interface is this CARMEN site.  On the CARMEN site under "Content" you will
find the course syllabus, full lectures with Powerpoints, and separate corresponding
Powerpoints on which you can take lecture notes.  Weekly “topic videos” will be posted
on the CARMEN course homepage, and you will also use CARMEN to complete your
weekly quizzes on the readings.  Simply click on "Quizzes" in the upper left corner of the
CARMEN site to access your quizzes each week. This is also where the Midterm and
Final will be taken. You will upload your  extra credit video assignment to the “Dropbox”
section on CARMEN.  It is important to check the CARMEN site daily because I will
post important information and reminders in the “News” section on the CARMEN course
homepage.

2. The second online interface is www.americansgoverning.com.  This is where you will
access the online textbook, view/read all the supplementary material for the course (see
below), and where you will complete the supplementary quizzes.  The Americans
Governing materials are required for this course.

Go to www.americansgoverning.com, click on “Student Signup,” and follow all the
prompts.  The course textbook, Central Ideas, is available through the Americans
Governing website.  You have two purchase options through Americans Governing:
a. Central Ideas e-textbook ($50)
b. Central Ideas e-textbook + hard copy textbook ($75)

Course Textbook:

Evans, Jocelyn and Kristy Michaud. 2012. Central Ideas in American Government (3rd

Edition). Asheville, NC: Soomo Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-9826106-6-4.

*I have also put the Central Ideas textbook on two hour reserve at Thompson Library.

3

You should complete these course logistics (signing up for Americans Governing and
obtaining the textbook) before the first week of class.
Course Requirements:

1. Carefully read this syllabus and take the syllabus quiz.  The syllabus contains important
information about the course, so it is imperative you read through it before the quarter
begins.  After you carefully review the syllabus, you must take the syllabus quiz on Carmen
during the first week of class. You have until Saturday, Sept. 1 at 10pm to complete this quiz.
The syllabus quiz is worth ten points and is weighted slightly less than a weekly Carmen
quiz. Note: You must complete two quizzes on CARMEN by the end of the first week of
class – the syllabus quiz and the first reading quiz.

2. Do the reading and listen to lectures:  To start off the week, you should read the assigned
chapter(s) for that week.  As previously addressed, the e-textbook is located directly on the
Americans Governing website.  You should also listen to the full lectures for that week and
use the corresponding Powerpoints to facilitate note taking on these lectures (both the
midterm and final exams will cover material in the Powerpoint lectures).  For maximum
effectiveness, you should also take notes as you do the readings and listen to the lectures.

I will also post a “topic video” each Sunday on that week’s readings. Each topic video is a
short 5-10 minute lecture that introduces the material for that week by highlighting many of
the main points about the week’s topic. The topic video is meant to supplement the full
lecture by presenting important concepts in a short animated video to help you understand the
material.  The link to the topic lecture video will appear on the CARMEN course homepage
as a “News” item.  Note: The weekly quizzes and exams will cover material in these short
videos.

3. Take quizzes on the reading:  After you’ve completed reading the chapter(s) for the week and
watching the full lecture and topic video, you should login to the CARMEN site and take the
quiz on that week’s material.  The quizzes contain 10 multiple choice questions and are
worth 10 points each. Quizzes for weekly modules are available only during the week
that module is assigned.  Quizzes are available starting at 7am Sunday and become
unavailable at 10pm Saturday.  For example, you must take the first week’s quiz on the
Constitution and Federalism anytime between Sunday, August 26 at 7am and Saturday, Sept.
1 at 10pm.  After that time, the quiz will be unavailable and you will receive a 0.  Also, the
quizzes are timed, and you have 15 minutes to complete them.  After 15 minutes from the
time you start, the quiz will no longer be available to you.  That means you should read the
book carefully before taking the quiz and you should NOT use your book while taking the
quiz.  In addition, you should NOT wait until the last minute to take the quiz. I do not extend
deadlines or make exceptions when something goes wrong with the computer at the last
minute.  I also do not allow make-up quizzes for any reason other than death in the family
or a serious medical condition requiring a doctor’s note.  Therefore, plan for contingencies
and do not wait until the last minute.  These quizzes are worth 140 points total (1 syllabus
quiz  + 13 CARMEN quizzes @ 10 points each). They are weighted to account for half of
your quiz grade and all the quizzes (both Carmen and AG) are 60% of your overall course
grade.

4

4. Watch/read supplementary materials:  Every week, there is supplementary material that you
must view/read by logging into www.americansgoverning.com.  The assigned material is
located within the required chapters in Central Ideas. Pay close attention to the material as
you view or read it because you are required to take a quiz on this material.

5. Take quizzes on supplementary material:  The supplementary material is located within each
of the Central Ideas chapters (you should refer to the “Course Schedule” at the end of the
syllabus for the list of required quizzes).  After viewing or reading the supplementary
material at www.americansgoverning.com, you must take a multiple-choice quiz on the
website that corresponds with that material, which is located directly beside the material.
Unlike the quizzes on CARMEN, there is no time limit on these quizzes.  You can take as
long as you want or need.  There is also no mandatory time period within which you have to
complete these quizzes.  In other words, you do not need to complete these quizzes the week
that module is assigned; however, I strongly encourage that you watch/read the material and
take the quizzes while you are reading the chapters during the week it is assigned in order to
keep up and get most out of the class. Do not wait until the last few weeks of the course to
complete these quizzes because it will take you a very long time, and some of these questions
will appear on your midterm and final exams.  You must complete ALL Americans
Governing assignments by Friday, November 30 at 10pm.  Any quizzes you complete
past this deadline will NOT count towards your grade (I can view the date and times
each quiz is completed) and I do not make exceptions to this rule, so do not go past this
deadline. These quizzes are worth 69 points total and are weighted to be 50% of your overall
quiz grade. All the quizzes (both Carmen and AG) are 60% of your overall course grade.

Regarding the Americans Governing quizzes, you need to know which answer you want to
select prior to making any selection.  You only get one click.  Once you click on an
answer, the system automatically determines that is your final answer and this answer
is automatically saved.  You don't have the luxury of clicking through different answers
before deciding on one.

6. Take midterm and final exams:  You must complete the midterm exam on Friday, October
12 between 7am and 10pm. The final exam must be taken on Friday, December 7 between
7am and 10pm, which is the second day of examination period.  If you have any scheduling
conflicts for the midterm or final exam, you must let me know by the end of the first week of
class.

Both the midterm and final exams will mostly cover material in the textbook, but on each of
the exams there will be 10 questions that cover material in the full lectures and topic videos,
and 5 questions from the Americans Governing supplementary material quizzes.  They both
consist of 55 multiple choice questions (very similar to the types of questions on the weekly
Carmen quizzes), and you will have 75 minutes to complete them.  The midterm will cover
Weeks 1-7.  The final exam will cover Weeks 8-14 (i.e., the final is not comprehensive).  DO
NOT wait until the last minute to complete the midterm and final exams because, just
like the quizzes, things can go wrong with the computer and I will not make exceptions
based on technical problems that occur at the last minute.

5

7. Video Extra Credit Assignment: You may create a short video about one of the American
government concepts you learned about in this class. You will earn 10 points, weighted 2.5
(so your grade percentage can increase from 90 to 92.5, for example) by creating a short
(approximately 5 minute video) and submitting a one paragraph summary that explains how
your video relates to a course topic.  Some examples include: (1) elaborating on a concept
from class (for example, your video could include news clips that are considered to be
“infotainment” and discuss implications of this type of news);  (2) recording political bumper
stickers and creating a video of them; (2) compiling a video of clips of newscasts and/or
commercials about a particular interest group; (3) creating a video about how a recent current
event is related to a topic in class (for example, the importance of federalism when evaluating
the federal and state responses to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina); (4) gathering 2012
campaign ads with common themes (for example, ads about presidential character); (5)
researching and explaining a concept from the Congress, Judiciary, or Presidency chapter in
more detail. The options are endless! Your video could be featured in a future PS1100
course. You will be graded on: (1) clarity of main idea and (2) evidence of time and effort
taken to produce the video. Completed videos will receive either a + (10/10) or  (5/10). If
you do not have access to a video recorder, you must contact me by the end of the first week
of class. The videos must be uploaded to the “Video Assignment” Folder under the Dropbox
tab on Carmen by Monday, November 26 at 10pm.

8. Political Science Experiment Extra Credit:  You may also to earn extra credit points by
participating in a political science experiment. You have the opportunity to receive 10 extra
weighted 2.5 (so your grade percentage can increase from 90 to 92.5, for example) points by
participating. You will receive an email during the quarter inviting you to participate.  I will
post reminders for the experiments under the “News” section on the Carmen class homepage.
The deadline for the extra credit experiments will be announced during the quarter.

If you do both extra credit opportunities, you can raise your grade 5 percentage points, so
from 90 to 95.

Grading:
     Quizzes:    60%
     Midterm:   25%
     Final:         25%

Grading Scale:
93-100
A
90-92
A-
87-89
B+
83-86
B
80-82
B-
77-79
C+
73-76
C
70-72
C-
67-69
D+
60-66
D
< 60

E

6

Academic Honesty:
I expect all of the work you do in this course to be your own.  No dishonest practices on the
examinations or in the course will be acceptable, and any suspected cases of dishonesty will be
reported to the university committee on academic misconduct and handled according to
university policy. The quizzes and exams are to be taken during the allotted time period without
the aid of books, notes, or other students.  Do not attempt to copy the test to take it or distribute it
to anyone. The statistics feature on Carmen will monitor and report how you take the quizzes and
exams, and I will compare IP addresses, grades, and timing for each assignment.

Disability:
If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should
contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible.  At the appointment we
can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs, and explore potential
accommodations.  I rely on the Office for Disability Services for assistance in
verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies.
If you have not previously contacted the Office for Disability Services, I encourage
you to do so.
Important Deadlines
Assignment:
Due dates:
Carmen Weekly Quizzes
Sunday at 7am – Saturday at 10pm each week
Midterm Exam
Friday, October 12 (7am-10pm)
Americans Governing Quizzes
All AG assignments must be completed by
Friday, November 30 at 10pm
Video Assignment
Monday, November 26 at 10pm
Extra Credit Experiments
*TBA*
Final Exam
Friday, December 7 (7am-10pm)

Course Schedule:

Week 1/August 22-Sept 1:  Constitution
Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 1
Carmen Quizzes:  Must take Syllabus quiz and Carmen reading quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Sept
1Americans Governing (AG) Quiz:  Ch.1: Purpose of Government

Week 2/Sept 2-8:  Federalism
Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 2
Carmen Quizzes:  Must take Carmen reading quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Sept 8
Americans Governing (AG) Quiz:  Ch.2: Visions of Federalism

Week 3/Sept 9-15:  Congress
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 3

7

Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Sept 15
AG quiz: Ch.3: United We Stand
Week 4/ Sept 16-22:  Political Parties
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 4
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Sept 22
AG quiz: Ch.4: 2008 Party Platforms

Week 5/Sept 23-29: Interest Groups
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 5
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Sept 29
AG quiz: Ch.5: Evil Lobbyists

Week 6/Sept 30-Oct 6:  Presidency
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 6
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Oct 6
AG Quiz:  Ch. 6: LBJ’s First Days

Week 7/Oct 7-13:  Judiciary
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 7
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Oct 13
AG Quiz:  Ch. 7: The First Cowgirl

MIDTERM:  Must take midterm on Friday, Oct. 12 between 7am and 10pm

Week 8/Oct 14-20:  Voting and Political Participation
Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 8
Carmen Quiz: Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Oct 20
AG Quiz:  Ch. 8: Getting Out the Vote in Toledo

Week 9/Oct 21-27:  Elections and Campaigns
Readings:  Central Ideas, Chapter 9
Carmen Quiz: Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Oct 27
AG Quiz:  Ch. 9: Elizabeth the Elector

Week 10/Oct 28-Nov 3:  Civil Liberties
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 10
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Nov 3
AG Quiz:  Ch.10: You Have the Right

Week 11/Nov 4-10:  Civil Rights
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 11
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Nov 10
AG Quiz:  Ch.11: Suffrage: The Amendment

Week 12/Nov 11-17:  Media
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 13

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Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Nov 17
AG Quizzes:  Ch. 13: On the ground in Haiti
Week 13/Nov 18-24:  University Closed Nov. 21-23.  HappyThanksgiving!
Use this week to work on extra credit video assignment and/or extra credit via participation in
approved online political science experiments (links will be sent).  Videos are due Monday, Nov
26.  Wrap up all All American Governing quizzes, which are due Friday, Nov 30.  Finals next
week.

Week 14/Nov25-Dec 1:  Public Opinion
Readings: Central Ideas, Chapter 12
Carmen Quiz:  Must take quiz by 10pm on Saturday, Dec 1
AG Quizzes:  Ch. 12: How is Congress doing?

FINAL EXAM:  TAKE IT BETWEEN 7am-10pm on Friday, Dec 7. NO EXCEPTIONS.