Academic Inquiries: Jinan University E-mail: oiss@jnu.edu.cn Tel: 86-020-85220399 JINAN UNIVERSITY U.S. History: Till the Civil War Lecturer: Bruce Daniels Time: Monday through Friday (June 19, 2017-July 21, 2017) Teaching hour: 50 hours Credit: 4 Location: Management School Office: Management School 518 Office hour: By Appointment E-mail: bruce.daniels@utsa.edu Course Description Learning the details of a nation s history is informative; pondering the meaning of those details is tantalizing. Doing both of the above is the job of a good student and historian, but it can be maddeningly ambiguous. In lectures, reading, and discussions, we will explore the details, meaning, and ambiguity the double-edged meanings of the following topics: the European settlement/conquest of North America; 1 / 6
the American Revolution/War of Independence; creating a constitution and government/compromising nasty differences; the freedom-loving early republic/slaveholding patriarchy; the Civil War/War Between the States We will also examine the relationships among men, women, and children, and among races, religions, ethnicities, and social classes. Additionally, we will have fun the study of history is meant to be enjoyable as well as educational. Course Objectives At the end of the course, students should have: (1) a narrative of the major events that propelled the English and other Europeans to emigrate to North America and then to form a successful yet perilously fractious country; (2) an understanding of the origins and workings of the political institutions that govern this new country; and (3) a knowledge of the social and economic circumstances that underpin American thought and development. Required Text Visions of America: A History of the United States to 1865, Volume 1, Second Edition. By J. Keene, S. Cornell, and E. T. O Donnell. Course Hours The course has 25 sessions in total; each class session is 120 minutes in length. The course meets from Monday to Friday. 2 / 6
Grading Policy Friday Exams (10% each) 40% Final Exam 20% Paper Assignment 20% Class participation, activities, and attendance 20% The class participation component may be adjusted upwards or downwards if individual students so choose after consulting with and receiving the permission of the professor. Academic integrity is assumed. Attendance is important. Examinations There will be four Friday examinations and one final exam at the end of the summer session. The examinations cover information from all classroom sources. The nature of the exams will be discussed in advance and they will contain no surprises. The final exam covers material since the previous exam and will additionally have one question that draws on general substance from the entire course. The course will enforce Jinan University standards of academic integrity. Essay assignment Students will submit a short essay of 4-5 pages (double-spaced). Assignment instructions for the paper will be distributed the first week of class. The professor and teaching assistant are available for consultations at any point in the course. The essay is due in class on July 17th. Late papers will be penalized three points for each tardy day. Participation Class participation grades will be based on your ability to discuss appropriate 3 / 6
materials in class. Special needs Students with disabilities and special needs should consult with the professor early in the semester. Recording of lectures is permitted only with the explicit permission of the professor. Grading Scale The instructor will use the grading system as applied by JNU: Definition Letter Grade Score Excellent A 90-100 Good B 80-89 Satisfactory C 70-79 Poor D 60-69 Failed E Below 60 Class Schedule and Main Topics Readings will be assigned at the end of each class. The second half of each Friday s class after the exam in the first hour will be devoted to either catching up on material or starting the next section of the course. This will provide us with some flexibility. Week 1: European Settlement June 19 th -Introduction to Course/Introduction to History June 20 th -Native American, English and European background 4 / 6
June 21 st -Founding of Puritan New England June 22 nd -Founding of Middle and Southern Colonies June 23 rd -Exam One Week 2: Empire and Revolution June 26 th -The British Empire: Creating Royal Government June 27 th -The Beginnings of the American Revolution June 28 th -The Outbreak of War June 29 th -The Meaning of the Revolution June 30 th -Exam Two Week 3: Creating a Nation July 3 rd -Post-Revolution Crises July 4 th -The Creation of the Constitution July 5 th -The Creation of Political Parties July 6 th- Politics in the New Nation July 7 th -Exam Three Week 4: Settling a Continent July 10 th -The Nation Goes West July11th-The Start of Modern Politics July 12 th -Creating a New American Identity July 13 th -Slavery and Anti-Slavery in a Virtuous(?) Republic July 14 th -Exam Four Week 5: Saving a Nation July 17 th- The Craziness of a Civil War No One Wanted or Expected FINAL PAPER DUE 5 / 6
July18th-A Short, Easy War--NOT July 19 th- Forty Acres and a Mule: The Failure of Reconstruction July20th- Major Themes, 1607 to 1877 and Beyond July 21 st -Last Day-You re going to miss me. Final Exam. Academic Honesty Jinan University defines academic misconduct as any act by a student that misrepresents the student s own academic work or that compromises the academic work of another scholar. Scholastic misconduct includes (but is not limited to) cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing, i.e. misrepresenting as one s own work any work done by another; submitting the same paper, or substantially similar papers, to meet the requirements of more than one course without the approval and consent of the instructors concerned; and sabotaging another s work within these general definitions. Instructors determine what constitutes academic misconduct in the courses they teach. Students found guilty of academic misconduct in any portion of the academic work face penalties ranging from lowering of their course grade to awarding a grade of E for the entire course. 6 / 6