Hist. 151: American History to 1877

I. Course Information

CRN:25013

(3 Credit Hours)

Instructional Modality

In-Person

Instructor Info:

Dr. Trenton Cole Jones

Email: colejones@purdue.edu

Office: BRNG 6160

Class Time and Location:

Mon., Wed., Fri.: 4:30—5:20 PM. MTHW 210

Office Hours: Virtual via Zoom by appointment

II. Course Description

This course examines the social, cultural, economic, and political development of what
became the United States from sixteenth-century European colonization through the Civil
War and Reconstruction. Viewing American history in an Atlantic context, this course
emphasizes the relationship between native peoples and European settlers, the origins,
character, and evolution of chattel slavery, and the role of religion, technology, war, and
capitalism in shaping American society. Understanding these crucial themes will reveal
how the world we live in today came to be.
The course readings can be found in the textbook Give Me Liberty! (Eric Foner), Seagull
7th edition and in an accompanying collection of primary sources in Voices of Freedom
(Eric Foner), Seagull 7th edition.

III. Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. Recognize and describe the key events, themes, problems, and patterns in
American history from 1492 to 1877.
2. Identify the history and the basic principles and operation of government in the
United States.
3. Analyze the many ways in which the interaction of diverse peoples from three
continents influenced the development of American culture, politics, and society.
4. Apply historical methodologies to analyze and contextualize historical evidence in
order to explore the complexity of human experience across space and time.
5. Understand the ways in which the early American past shapes the world we live
in today.
6. Articulate the significance of historical events, peoples, places, and processes
within their appropriate context.
7. Write clearly and persuasively.

IV. Learning Resources

Required Books
Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty!: An American History, Vol. 1: To 1877. Seagull Seventh
Edition, (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2023).
Eric Foner., Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History, Volume 1. Seventh Edition,
(New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2023).
These books can either be purchased through the University Book Store or
rented/purchased online from Amazon. Be sure to get the correct edition (7th). Be aware
that the readings do not always match perfectly with the week’s lectures. Readings
complement but do not replace the lectures.

V. Course Requirements

Lectures:
On Mondays and Wednesdays, during our 50-minute class, I will deliver course content
through lecture and PowerPoint presentation. Attendance is necessary.
Discussion: “Ask the Prof.”
On Fridays we will conduct an in-person discussion section. I call our Friday class “Ask
the Prof.” What is “Ask the Prof.” you say? It is your opportunity to actively engage with
the material we are studying each week by asking me a question about that week’s
readings/content. I will do my best to answer your questions in the order I receive them.
Thus, it is you, not me, who will set the parameters of the discussion.
In order to stimulate our conversation, please complete the week’s reading assignment
before class on Friday. Then write an original question. Please write out your question
and bring it to class on Friday. I doubt I will be able to answer all your questions in 50
minutes, but if you submit an original question, you will receive credit for participation.
If you participate in 10 of the 12 “Ask the Prof.” sections, you will receive full credit.
Thereafter your participation grade will be reduced by 10% for every missed “Ask the
Prof.” session. You must be present for the entire 50 minutes to receive credit.

Major Term Assignments:

In addition to your participation in the “Ask the Prof.” conversations, you will also
complete weekly reading quizzes, three in-class exams, and a final exam.

READING QUIZZES: Most Sundays by 11:59PM on Brightspace.

For most weeks of class, you will complete a short quiz on Brightspace to make sure you
are doing the reading. The quiz will open on Friday at 5:30PM and close on Sunday at
11:59PM. Each quiz will consist of 10 multiple choice questions. You will have 10
minutes to complete the quiz. Brightspace will automatically drop your lowest quiz score.
These quizzes are closed notes. You may not use the internet, AI, or the textbook to
answer the questions. Lowdown Browser required.

EXAMS: Dates: September 26, October 24, November 21

We will have three in-class exams and one final exam. The in-class exams will consist of
six identifications of key terms, people, events, etc. discussed in the lectures and
readings. Please bring a blue book to the exams. I cannot provide one for you. I will
provide you with a list of possible key terms one week before each exam.
The final exam will be in-person during Exam Week.
You have two hours to complete the exam. It will consist of five identifications and one
essay question. Bring a blue book.
Missed exams can be made up only due to University-excused absences. The University
only recognizes absences related to the Grief Absence Policy, Military Absence Policy,
Jury Duty Absence Policy, Parenting Leave Policy, and the Medical Excused Absence
Policy. See the University Senate guidelines for more information.

OVERALL GRADE BREAKDOWN:

Ask the Prof.: 10%
Reading Quizzes: 25%
First Exam: 15%
Second Exam: 15%
Third Exam: 15%
Final Exam: 20%
Grading Scale:
97-100 = A+
93-96 = 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+
4
63-66 = D
60-62 = D-
< 60% = F

VI. Classroom Policies

My policies are simple:
Come to class. “90% of success in life is just showing up.”
Do the reading on time.
Do the assignments on time and take exams/quizzes on time.
No Make-up exams/quizzes without prior instructor approval.
Be respectful.
Use common sense.
Do your own work. Do not share it with others.
Do not plagiarize or cheat. Do not use ChatGPT or any AI.
If you have a question, ask me in person or via Email.
If you cheat, use AI, plagiarize, or submit work you have previously submitted for credit
in another class, you will fail this course. Period.
For a more detailed explanation of the above, see the University Policies:
“Purdue prohibits ‘dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating,
plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of
dishonesty.’ [Part 5, Section III-B-2-a, Student Regulations] Furthermore, the University
Senate has stipulated that ‘the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of
their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of
illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be
tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in
committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest.’ [University Senate Document 72-18,
December 15, 1972]” https://www.purdue.edu/odos/academic-integrity/

Freedom of Expression

In this class, students are encouraged to exercise their right to free inquiry and
expression. You are welcome to express any view on the subject matter introduced by
the instructor or other class members within the structure of the course. While you are
responsible for learning the content of this course, you remain free to take a reasoned
exception to the views presented and to reserve judgment about matters of conscience,
controversy, or opinion. When you encounter ideas that you find offensive, unwise,
immoral, or wrong-headed, you are encouraged to engage them with reasons, evidence,
and arguments. Your course grade will be based on your academic performance, not on
the opinions you express. Our commitment to freedom of expression means that no
relevant ideas or positions are out of bounds, but disruptive or disorderly behavior,
threats, or harassment are strictly prohibited and will be reported to the Office of the
Dean of Students.
See the University's “Commitment to Freedom of Expression” and “Bill of Student
Rights” in the University Policies and Statements module on Brightspace.

VI. Course Content

Week 1
Mon., Aug. 25: Introduction: Why Should I Care About History?
Wed., Aug. 27: Contact, Conflict, and Adaptation
Fri., Aug. 29: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 1-32 “Old Worlds and New”—“The Pueblo Revolt”
Primary sources:
Voices of Freedom: 1-5 “Giovanni da Verrazano, Encountering Native
Americans”
Week 2
Mon., Sept. 1: Labor Day NO CLASS
Wed., Sept. 3: New France
Fri., Sept. 5: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 32- 41 “The French and Dutch Empires”—
“Borderlands and Empire in Early America”
Primary sources:
Voices of Freedom: 6-9, 15-19 “Bartolomé de las Casas on Spanish
Treatment of the Indians” and “Father Jean de Brébeuf on the
Customs and Beliefs of the Hurons”
Week 3
Mon., Sept. 8: Chesapeake Settlements
Wed., Sep. 10: Origins of Slavery
Fri., Sep. 12: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 43-64 “A Tobacco Colony”— “Religion in Maryland”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 30-37 “Exchange between John Smith and
Powhatan”, “Sending Women to Virginia”, and “Henry Care,
English Liberties”
Week 4
Mon., Sep. 15: Colonial New England
Wed., Sep. 17: War, Witches, and Salvation
Fri., Sep. 19: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 64-87 “The New England Way”— “North America in
1660”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 37-49 “John Winthrop, Speech to the Massachusetts
General Court”, and “The Trial of Anne Hutchinson”, and “Roger
Williams, Letter to the Town of Providence”
Week 5
Mon., Sep. 22: Middle Colonies
Wed., Sep. 24: Lowcountry and the West Indies
Fri., Sep. 26: EXAM 1: No Ask the Prof, No Quiz.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 89-129 “Creating Anglo-America”—“Freedom in the
British Colonies”
Primary Sources
Voices of Freedom: 53-55, 60-62, “William Penn, Pennsylvania
Charter of Privileges and Liberties” and “Letter by an Immigrant to
Pennsylvania”
Week 6
Mon., Sep. 29: Empire
Wed., Oct. 1: Awakenings
Fri., Oct. 3: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 132-162 “Slavery, Freedom, and the Struggle for
Empire”— “The Awakening’s Impact”
Primary Source:
Voices of Freedom: 71-76, 76-78 “Olaudah Equiano on Slavery”, and
“Advertisements for Runaway Slaves and Servants”,
Week 7
Mon., Oct. 6: World War
Wed., Oct. 8: Victory to Rebellion
Fri., Oct. 10: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 162-191 “Imperial Rivalries”— “The Intolerable Acts”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 85-88, 90-92 “The Great Awakening Comes to
Connecticut,” and “Pontiac, Two Speeches”
Week 8
Mon., Oct. 13: (Fall Break)
Wed., Oct. 15: Rebellion to Independence
Fri., Oct. 17: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 191-212 “The Coming of Independence”—“Victory at
Last”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 93-95, 103-109, 110-112, 113-116 “Virginia
Resolutions on the Stamp Act,” “Thomas Paine, Common Sense,”
“Samuel Seabury’s Argument against Independence,” and
“Abigail and John Adams on Women and the American
Revolution.”
Week 9
Mon., Oct. 20: Independence to Peace
Wed., Oct. 22: Founding a Nation
Fri., Oct. 24: EXAM 2. No Ask the Prof, No Quiz.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 214-266 “The Revolution Within”—“The Final
Document”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 123-125, 131-132, 133-135 “Noah Webster on
Equality” “David Ramsey, American Innovations in Government,”
J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, “What, Then, Is the American?”
Week 10
Mon., Oct. 27: Road to Ratification
Wed., Oct. 29: Faction and Discord
Fri., Oct. 31: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 267-304 “The Ratification Debate and the Origin of the
Bill of Rights”—“The Revolution of 1800”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 135-139, 144-147, 147-151 “James Winthrop,
The Anti-Federalist Argument” and “Address of the
Democratic-Republican Society of Pennsylvania”, and
“Judith Sargent Murray, ‘On the Equality of the Sexes’”
Week 11
Mon., Nov. 3: 1800—A Revolution in Government
Wed., Nov. 5: Asserting Independence
Fri., Nov. 7: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 304-322 “Slavery and Politics”— “The End of the
Federalist Party”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 157-159, 166-168 “Tecumseh, Speech to the Osage”
and “Freedom and Necessity at Lowell”
Week 12
Mon., Nov. 10: The Market Revolution
Wed., Nov. 12: Manifest Destiny
Fri., Nov. 14: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 324-403 “The Market Revolution”—“His Ascendancy”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 192-195, 211-214, 216-218 “Andrew Jackson, Veto of
the Bank Bill,” “Frederik Douglass on the Desire for Freedom”,
and “Rules of a Highland Plantation”
Week 13
Mon., Nov. 17: King Cotton
Wed., Nov. 19: Plantation Empire
Fri., Nov. 21: Exam 3, No Quiz, No Ask the Prof
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 405-440 “The Peculiar Institution”— “Nat Turner’s
Rebellion”
Primary Sources:
Voices of Freedom: 234-239, 243-247, 273-277 “Frederick Douglass on
the Fourth of July”, and Angelina Grimké on Women’s Rights”
Week 14
Mon., Nov. 24: Freedom in a Land of Slavery
Wed., Nov. 26: THANSGIVING BREAK
Fri., Nov. 28: THANSGIVING BREAK
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 442-490 “An Age of Reform”— “A Dose of Arsenic”
Primary Documents:
Voices of Freedom: 275-279, 283-384 “Alexander H. Stephens, The
Cornerstone of the Confederacy,” and “Samuel S. Cox Condemns
Emancipation”
Week 15
Mon., Dec. 1: Secession
Wed., Dec. 3: Battle Cry of Freedom
Fri., Dec. 5: Ask the Prof.
Readings:
Give me Liberty!: 491-556 “The Wilmot Proviso”— “Turning Points”
Primary Documents:
Voices of Freedom: 279-282 “Marcus M. Speigel, Letter of a Civil War
Soldier”
Week 16
Mon., Dec. 8: Total War
Wed., Dec. 10: Reunion and Reconstruction
Fri., Dec. 12: Ask the Prof: Exam Prep Edition, No Quiz
Give me Liberty!: 556-603 “1864”— “The End of Reconstruction”
The Final will take place during the scheduled Exam Week, December 15-20