HIST 151: US History to 1877

Online Asynchronous

Dr. Jonathan Soucek

Email: jsoucek@purdue.edu

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.

Required Texts:

The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook, Volume I: To 1877, edited by Joseph L. Locke and Ben Wright. Stanford University Press, 2019. Available at http://www.americanyawp.com/.
The American Yawp Reader: Documentary Companion to the American Yawp, Volume I: To 1877, edited by Joseph L. Locke and Ben Wright. Stanford University Press, 2019. Available at https://www.americanyawp.com/reader.html.
Additional required readings available on Brightspace, marked with a (B).

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, you will have:
1. Identified the key terms, figures, events, and themes in American history from pre-Colombian Native American history to the end of Reconstruction in 1877.
2. Analyzed the expansion of European (particularly English) colonization and the territorial expansion of the United States by identifying trends and differences in interactions between European settlers and Native Americans throughout the course of American history.
3. Described and analyzed the development of chattel slavery in the United States from1619 to emancipation.
4. Examined the development of the American nation-state, outlining European origins, recurring themes and political debates, and the ways different Americans perceived the concept of freedom.
5. Differentiated between primary and secondary sources and interpreted both types of sources to construct analytical essays.
6. Applied the material learned in this course to contemporary discourse on politics, race, gender, religion, technology, and life through discussion posts on Brightspace.

Course Requirements and Grading:

I) Two Discussion Posts (60 points total, 30 points each): On Brightspace, there are discussion questions available that correspond with a module of course material. Foreach module of the course, you will write one response to a discussion question on Brightspace, and comment on at least two other responses or comments from other students. Your response should be 300 to 500 words long and reference primary sources for that week. Comments need to be two or three complete and thoughtful sentences that add to the discussion. Your discussion post and comments are due on the last Saturday of the module.
These are informal writing assignments. The purpose of these essays is not to improve your writing skills but to stimulate thinking about issues, questions, and problems raised by your study of American history since 1877. Your responses will be assessed on things like the process, clarity, insight, and quality of thought, as well as references to course readings. Please be respectful in your posts and comments.

II) Six Quizzes (60 points total, 10 pts. each): These are a combination of multiple-choice and short answer quizzes based on the weekly readings. The purpose of these quizzes is to ensure that you have a basic understanding of the events covered in class. There are eight weekly quizzes, due on Saturday of that week at midnight.

III) Two Analytical Essays (120 total, 60 points each): Instead of exams, you will write three essays throughout the semester for each unit of the course. The questions foreach essay will be posted on Brightspace at the start of each module. You will answer one of the three given questions as completely and thoughtfully as you can, drawing on your readings and our class discussions. Take a position, back up your statements using three to five primary sources, and clearly state what you want to say in minimum 1,000 to maximum 1,300 words (about 4 to 5 pages). Your essays must be formatted with 12pt. Font, Times New Roman, and Double Spacing. Only use the sources assigned in class, with in-text parenthetical citations, and no works cited page.

IV) Two Reflection Essays (60 points total, 30 points each): In addition to analytic essays, you will also write two shorter reflective essays. For the first reflection essay, choose any of the primary sources covered in class in the first three weeks, and reflection the content, author, historical context, significance, and your opinion of the source. Your primary source reflection should address what you liked about the source or what you disliked, as well as how you may incorporate it into the upcoming essay. For the last reflection essay, discuss how your understanding of United States history has changed since the course started, or which source or course theme challenged your understanding of United States history the most. Both reflection essays should be 300 to 500 words in length and have the same formatting requirements as the analytical essays. Further instructions for these essays will be posted on Brightspace.

Assignments Points and Percentage Breakdown:

Class Schedule

Assignment	Points	Percentage
Discussion Posts	30 ~ points each 60 points	10 % each 20% total
Weekly Quizzes	10 points each 60 points total	2% each 20 % total
Analytical Essays	60 points each 120 tota	20% each 40% total
Reflective Essays	30 points each 60 points total	10 % each 20% total
Total	300 points	100%

Grading Scale:

In this class grades reflect the sum of your achievement throughout the semester. You will accumulate points as described in the assignments portion above, with each assignment graded according to a rubric. At the end of the semester, final grades will be calculated by adding the total points earned and translating those numbers (out of 300) into the following letters (there will be no partial points or rounding).
•A+: 291 - 300
•A: 279 - 290
•A-: 270 - 278
•B+: 264 - 269
•B: 249 - 263
•B-: 240 - 248
•C+: 234 - 239
•C: 219 - 233
•C-: 210 - 218
•D+: 204 - 209
•D: 189 - 103
•D-: 180 - 188
•F: 179 or below

Please note that FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) prohibits me from discussing students’ grades via email. However, I can talk about grades via scheduled Zoom meetings or through Brightspace. You are welcome to reach me for non-grade related inquiries at my email, jsoucek@purdue.edu. Please remember to write using proper email etiquette.

COURSE POLICIES

Missed or Late Work:

Late assignments will be deducted a letter for each week that passes from the original due date. If you have extenuating circumstances that warrant an extension for an assignment, please let me know in advance and before the assignment is due.

Incompletes: 

A grade of incomplete (I) will be given only in unusual circumstances. To receive an “I” grade, a written request must be submitted prior to December 7, and approved by the instructor. The request must describe the circumstances, along with a proposed timeline for completing the course work. Submitting a request does not ensure that an incomplete grade will be granted. If granted, you will be required to fill out and sign an “Incomplete Contract” form that will be turned in with the course grades. Any requests made after the course is completed will not be considered for an incomplete grade.

Use of AI:

Basic Policy:

AI is going to become an ever-more important productivity tool over the next decade. However, it is critical that we learn together how to use AI content generators mindfully, responsibly, and ethically. That includes thinking about the context in which we are using AI -- and in an academic setting, that involves the often-frustrating struggle to learn new material and skills, for a grade. Although there are responsible, ethical ways to use AI within academia, we need to be clear: using an AI content generator such ChatGPT or any other such generator to complete assignments (either entirely or with modification) and representing that material as your own work is both plagiarism and a violation of academic integrity, and is wildly unfair to your fellow students. AI should be used to enhance and supplement academic work, not to replace it. AI content generators can definitely help students in an academic setting learn to write better or to figure out difficult readings. Before you dive in, though, be aware of the limits of conversational, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. The current AI models will confidently and very persuasively reassert factual errors. You will be responsible for any errors, biases, or omissions. Be sure to fact check everything, particularly the citations. AI will provide material that sounds authoritative and academic. In most cases, that material will not provide the level of detail that you can achieve by thoroughly mining your assigned reading. Although it may sound great, never be satisfied with AI output.
Be aware that AI use may stifle your own independent thinking and creativity. AI can definitely help students see possibilities that they missed, but it can also narrow insights or ideas to a smaller responsive range or blind you to other possibilities. Remember, in a History course, you are not looking for THE right answer; you are developing YOUR answer and there can be a wide range of appropriate answers. If stuck, you may use AI to draft an outline to clarify your thoughts. However, here you *must* keep track of your prompts and the AI responses, as you will need to turn in a copy of your interactions with AI together with your assignment, AND cite AI usage where appropriate. You are free to use spell check, grammar check, and synonym identification tools (e.g., Grammarly, and MS Word). You may not use entire sentences or paragraphs suggested by an AI content generator without providing quotation marks and a citation, just as you would for any other source. If you use AI to write a starting sentence or paragraph, you must substantively rewrite it (not just change around wording, eliminate words, or use synonyms) or go back and write your own introduction after you have completed the paper. If you wind up using any of the starting sentence or paragraph, it must be quoted and cited. You may not have an AI content generator write the whole or substantive part of any draft (either rough or final) of an assignment for you. You may not rely on generative AI to do your thinking for you. Like Wikipedia, AI is a tool that you can use to help jump-start or fine tune your work – but you should do the hard work yourself. By submitting assignments in this class, you affirm that they are your own work and you attribute the use of any tools and sources, including any and all AI content generators. I don’t think that any of you would deliberately plagiarize, but I am also aware that 1) This tech is new and people aren't sure about usage or appropriate boundaries, 2) People are busy with multiple expectations for their time, and 3) People have various levels of academic knowledge and practice. Just remember that other people face the same challenges you do! I want to make sure that the expectations are clear so that we can spend the semester learning things together—and not worrying about the origins of your work.
For all assignments, I use the Turnitin Originality checker software available on Brightspace. If your essay is flagged for potential use of AI, I will read your essay and then ask to meet with you to discuss your writing process.

CLASS SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO MINOR CHANGES) 

This schedule is subject to change with advance notice from the instructor.

Class Schedule

Week	Topic	Readings	Assignments
Unit 1: A New Nation, 1492 - 1815
Week 1	The New World	Lectures course Introduction secondary vs. Primary Sources Pre-Columbian Native America the Beginning of European Colonization Secondary Sources American Yawp, Chapter 1 AY, Chapter 2 Primary Sources Journal of Christopher Columbus, 1491 Bartolomé de Las Casas Describes the Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples,1542 Thomas Morton Reflects on Indians in New England, 1637 Richard Hakluyt Makes the Case for English Colonization John Winthrop, “City on a Hill”	Quiz 1
Week 2	Slavery, Empire, and Freedom in Colonial America	Lectures Slavery in Colonial America Religious and Intellectual Trends in Colonial America oE Empire and Conflict in Colonial America Secondary Sources AY, Chapter 3 AY, Chapter 4 Video: The Transatlantic Slave Trade (B) Primary Sources Olaudah Equiano on the Middle Passage Song about Life in Virginia Rose Davis Sentenced to Slavery (1715) Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,”1741 Pontiac Calls for War,1763 Alibamo Mingo, Choctaw Leader, Reflects on the French and the British, 1765	Quiz 2
Week 3	The American Revolution	Lectures The Road to the American Revolution The American Revolution Secondary Sources AY, Chapter 5 Primary Sources Thomas Paine, Common Sense (Full Text) (B) Declaration of Independence, with sections of original draft (1776) (B) Abigail and John Adams Debate Women’s Rights (1776)	First Reflective Essay Due on Saturday, November 8
Week 4	The Early Republic	Lectures  The U.S. Constitution  The Early Republic  Secondary Sources  AY, Chapter 6  AY, Chapter 7  Documentary:  Tecumseh’s Vision (B)  Primary Sources  The U.S. Constitution  The Federalist Papers (excerpts) (B)  Washington’s Farewell Address  Thomas Jefferson to William Henry Harrison (1803, 1807)  Tecumseh Calls for Pan-Indian Resistance o Congress Debates Going to War, 1811	Quiz 3  First Discussion Post Due, Saturday November 15
Week 5	The Market Revolution and King Cotton	Lectures  The Market Revolution  King Cotton  Secondary Sources  AY, Chapter 8  AY, Chapter 11  Primary Sources  Tocqueville, “How Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes” (1840)  Harriet H. Robinson Remembers a Mill Workers’ Strike, 1836  Missouri Controversy Documents, 1820  Harriet Jacobs, excerpt from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 1860 Solomon Northup Describes a Slave Market, 1841  George Fitzhugh Defends Slavery, 1854	First Analytical Essay Due, Saturday November 22
Week 6	Jacksonian Democracy and Reform	Lectures  The Age of Jackson  An Age of Reform  Secondary Sources  AY, Chapter 9  AY, Chapter 10  Primary Sources  Rhode Islanders Protest Property Restrictions on Voting, 1834  Andrew Jackson’s Bank Veto Message (1832)  Henry David Thoreau, Selections from Walden (1854)  Selections from David Walker’s Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World (1830)  Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” (1852)  Sojourner Truth, Aren’t I Woman? (1851)  Elizabeth Cady Stanton, The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (1848) (B)	Quiz 4
Week 7	Manifest Destiny and the Road to the Civil War	Lectures  Manifest Destiny  The Road to the Civil War  Secondary Sources  Documentary: The Trail of Tears (B)  AY, Chapter 12  AY, Chapter 13  Primary Sources  Cherokee Petition Against Removal, 1836  John O’Sullivan Declares Manifest Destiny, 1845  Excerpts from Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) (B)  1860 Republican Party Platform  South Carolina Declaration of Secession, 1860	Quiz 5 Second Discussion Post Due Saturday December 6
Week 8	The Civil War and Reconstruction	Lectures  The Civil War  Reconstruction  Secondary Sources  AY, Chapter 14  AY, Chapter 15  Primary Sources  Alexander Stephens on Slavery and the Confederate Constitution, 1861  The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 (B)  Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, 1865  Freedmen discuss post-emancipation life with General Sherman, 1865   The Reconstruction Amendments	Quiz 6 Second Reflective Essay Due, Saturday December 13
Finals Week	Final Essay Due: Wednesday, December 17

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Email Etiquette:

Outside of class or office hours, communicate with your professor by email. State the reason for your email in the subject line (ex: “question about essay”). Include a full salutation (ex: “Dear Dr. Soucek”) and closing with your full name (ex: “Sincerely, Eleanor Roosevelt”). Use full sentences, correct grammar, and punctuation. I will usually respond to your emails within 24 hours, with the exception of weekends.
I do not read my email after 5 p.m. and on weekends. I also will not respond to emails asking when essay grades will be released. In general, you can expect essay grades to be released two weeks after the initial deadline. I will also not respond to emails asking to proofread assignments before they are submitted.

Academic Dishonesty:

Plagiarism refers to the reproduction of another's words or ideas without proper attribution. University Regulations contains further information on dishonesty. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are serious offenses, and will be treated as such in this class. You are expected to produce your own work and to accurately cite all necessary materials. Cheating, plagiarism, and other dishonest practices (including the use of Chat GPT and other AI generators) will be punished as harshly as Purdue University policies allow. Any instances of academic dishonesty will likely result in a grade of F for the course and notification of the Dean of Students Office. Please make sure that you are familiar with Purdue’s academic integrity policies: http://www.purdue.edu/odos/aboutodos/academicintegrity.php
Please note that using AI to write your essays is academic dishonesty and carries the same penalties as other forms of plagiarism. If any portion of your essay was generated using AI, you are in violation of the academic integrity expectations of this course and the university. Your case will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for further review of your status at this University.

Nondiscrimination Statement:

Purdue University is committed to maintaining a community which recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential. In pursuit of its goal of academic excellence, the University seeks to develop and nurture diversity. The University believes that diversity among its many members strengthens the institution, stimulates creativity, promotes the exchange of ideas, and enriches campus life. Link to Purdue’s nondiscrimination policy statement.

Students with Disabilities:

Purdue University strives to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are welcome to let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center at: drc@purdue.edu or by phone: 765-494-1247.

Emergency Preparation:

In the event of a major campus emergency, the above requirements, deadlines and grading policies are subject to changes that may be required by a revised semester calendar. Any such changes in this course will be posted on Brightspace once the course resumes or can be obtained by contacting the professor via email.

Mental Health Statement:

• If you find yourself beginning to feel some stress, anxiety and/or feeling slightly overwhelmed, try WellTrack. Sign in and find information and tools at your fingertips, available to you at any time.
• If you need support and information about options and resources, please see the Office of the Dean of Students for drop-in hours (M-F, 8 am- 5 pm).
• If you’re struggling and need mental health services: Purdue University is committed to advancing the mental health and well-being of its students. If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and/or in need of mental health support, services are available. For help, such individuals should contact Counseling and

Psychological Services

(CAPS) at 765-494-6995 during and after hours, on weekends and holidays, or by going to the CAPS office of the second floor of the Purdue University Student Health Center (PUSH) during business hours.
Grief Absence Policy:
Purdue University recognizes that a time of bereavement is very difficult for a student. The University therefore provides the following rights to students facing the loss of a family member through the Grief Absence Policy for Students (GAPS). Students will be excused from classes for funeral leave and given the opportunity to complete missed assignments or assessments in the event of the death of a member of the student’s family.

Violent Behavior Policy:

Purdue University is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment. Purdue strives to create an educational environment for students and work environment for employees that promote educational and career goals. Violent behavior impedes such goals. Therefore, violent behavior is prohibited in or on any university facility or while participating in any university activity.

Course Evaluation:

During the last two weeks of the course, you will be provided with an opportunity to evaluate this course and your instructor. Purdue uses an online course evaluation system. You will receive an official email from evaluation administrators with a link to the online evaluation site. You will have up to two weeks to complete this evaluation. Your participation is an integral part of this course, and your feedback is vital to improving education at Purdue University. I strongly urge you to participate in the evaluation system.

Disclaimer:

This syllabus may be subject to change as dictated by class needs and at the instructor’s discretion. All changes will be communicated via Brightspace announcements.