HIST151 U.S. History: Young America

Department of Social & Behavioral Science: History

1. Course Number and Title

   HIST151 U.S. History: Young America

2. Number of Credits

   3 credits

3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

   2250

4. Prerequisites

   None

   Corequisites

   None

5. Other Pertinent Information

   None

6. Catalog Course Description

   This course is a survey of the United States from the background of independence until the end of the Reconstruction Era. Students explore the social, cultural, economic, and political dynamics of America’s agrarian age.

7. Required Course Content and Direction

   1. Learning Goals:

      1. Course
      Students will:
      1. demonstrate an understanding of U.S. History from its colonial origins until the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era;
      2. identify the major reasons for the start and later victory of the American Revolution;
      3. demonstrate an understanding of the social systems, political systems, economies, and cultures of the various European and Native American societies present in Colonial America;
      4. describe the rise of the United States as a nation domestically and internationally during the Early Republican Period;
      5. demonstrate an understanding of the reasons for and process of American Expansion in the 19th century and its impact on American society, culture and politics; and
      6. describe the course and conduct of the American Civil War.
      
      
      2. Core (if applicable)
      Category I: Cultural Perspectives Students will be able to:
      1. demonstrate knowledge and awareness of some components of our society's cultural heritage such as artistic, historical, linguistic, literary, and philosophical foundations.
      2. compare, contrast, analyze and/or defend differing world views and practices.
      Category III: International, Gender, and/or Minority Perspectives Students will be able to:
      1. articulate similarities and differences in the various cultures of the world and demonstrate familiarity with the skills necessary to make informed judgments.
      2. identify prejudice, stereotypes, and misuses of power that affect the lives of women and/or minorities in areas such as education, business, politics, religion, or industry.
      Category III: Responsible Citizenship Students will be able to:
      1. demonstrate an understanding of major ethical concerns.

   2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      1. introduction
      2. three worlds collide
      3. the colonization of North America
      4. the evolution of slavery
      5. the maturation of colonial Anglo-American society
      6. international war and the American Revolution
      7. creating a nation
      8. the early republic [an approximation of the Jeffersonian ideal]
      9. the northwest and old northwest
      10. slavery and the south
      11. reform in the Antebellum age
      12. moving west (Manifest Destiny)
      13. the Union in crisis
      14. the Union severed
      15. the Union reconstructed

   3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

      1. Course
      Student assessment consists of in-class exams, electronically administered exams, essays, written assignments, multi-media projects, and/or participation in classroom/online discussions.
      
      
      2. Core (if applicable)
      Student assessment of Category I: Cultural Perspectives, Category III: International, Gender and/or Minority Perspectives, and Category III: Responsible Citizenship consists of in-class exams, electronically administered exams, essays, written assignments, multi-media projects, and/or participation in classroom/online discussions.

   4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      See course format.

8. Teaching Methods Employed

   Section VIII is not being used in new and revised syllabi as of 12/10/08.

Review/Approval Date - 5/04; Core Objectives/Goals added 5/04; Revised 5/2012