S. G. Jones
Consultation by appointment only,
Monday or Wednesday before class.
[email protected]
or via Canvas email
History 1700-060: American Civilization
M & W – 6-8:45 pm
University of Utah: Murray Center Rm. 109
REQUIRED TEXT
Henretta, America: A Concise History (6th edition), 2014/2015
ISBN-13: 978-1457648625
PowerPoints will be available on Canvas.
Please note: I commute from Provo to teach this class, so if you need to meet with me please
contact me to arrange a meeting before class on Monday or Wednesday. I am not “on campus”
at any other time, but can arrange to come up to Murray early if need be. Also please note that I
do not use a smartphone so will not receive emails 24/7. If you have an emergency contact the
Murray staff and either leave a message (“I won’t make it to class because I’m donating a
kidney tonight…”)—and they will contact me.
This course traces the emergence and development of the United States of America, with a
special focus on several critical periods in American history: the Revolutionary crisis of 17631775, the Sectional Turmoil (1800-1877), Weak State and Progressive Eras of 1877-1917, the
New Deal and World War II Eras of 1929-1945, and the early Cold War Era. We will also focus
on the political system established by the Constitution of 1787 and the changing relationship
between American citizens and the Federal government.
COURSE OBJECTIVE: Successful students will demonstrate an understanding of course
material and an ability to discuss cause and effect in history via the completion of three essay
exams in which each essay defines its topic, describes how it developed, analyzes its critical
elements, and explains its historical significance. Exams will be online via Canvas and are open
book and open notes. They will be timed so once you begin you must finish. Exams will be
available all day on the day they are due. Please do not miss class to take the exams!
You should complete assigned readings before that day’s lecture. During the lecture I will
discuss the significance of what you have read: I will not just repeat information in the text. The
readings provide the basic who/what/when of U.S. history. The lectures help you understand the
how, why, and why important. Use the PPTs provided to guide your reading—if it’s in the PPTs
it will be in lecture. Thus the most efficient way to study and read from this very large textbook
is to focus on the points that show up in lecture and on the PPTs—but DO glean info from the
textbook. Don’t rely only on the PPTs.
Students are not authorized to record my lectures for any reason.
Study & note-taking hint: Print and bring to class the PowerPoint presentations assigned for
each week that are posted on Canvas. However, this is NOT an “online course.” Lecture
attendance is essential. I will take role, and attendance (or lack thereof) CAN affect grade.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an intensive summer course. We meet a total of six weeks, so we will
be moving rapidly through a LOT of material. DO NOT GET BEHIND in your reading. DO
NOT MISS CLASS. It will be very difficult to catch up and this will show on your exams. You
will not be able to do well on the exams with only reading or looking at the PowerPoints. Do
NOT study from Wikipedia. You can get all the info you need from lectures, PPTs, and textbook.
(Hint: use the Table of Contents and the Index to find material as needed)
Your overall course grade will be determined by the following three exams:
30%
30%
40%
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
70-minute timed Canvas exam
70-minute timed Canvas exam
120 minute timed Canvas exam
c. M-July 13
c. M-July 27
W-Aug 5
Please print out a copy of the document “How the Exams Work” which you will find under
“Files” on Canvas.
You will take all exams on Canvas on the day of the exam. The exam will be available all day,
but they are timed so once you begin the exam you will need to finish it. You cannot interrupt the
exam, so plan accordingly (including taking it on a computer you know will not disconnect you
in the middle of the test).
All exams are open book, open notes. Many students use the PPTs to help—which is ok. I
recommend you print them out, 3 slides to a page, and take notes on these pages. However,
when you take the test don’t just quote the PPTs. I wrote them, I know what’s in them. Quoting
information word-for-word is a form of plagiarism. Use them to outline major concepts and
direct studying in the textbook -- but you MUST be able to explain the major concepts in your
own words. Also, just laundry-listing major points from lecture or PPTs is just that – a list. YOU
need to supply the explanation about what they mean or are (Define, Describe, Explain important
Elements, explain why it is Significant).
WARNING AGAINST ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND CHEATING
& SUPPORT FOR DISABLED STUDENTS
Located at end of Syllabus & Schedule
PLEASE READ!
COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNED READINGS
WEEK ONE
M-June 29
Pre-Columbian America
1607-1750: The British Empire in North America & Pan-British World
Henretta - skim chapters 1 and 2
Read: Chapter 3
PPT: “1607-1750 – British Empire in North America…”
W-July 1
1720-1763: Economic Growth and Political Crisis
1763-1783: Resistance, Rebellion, Revolution
Read: Chaps 4, 5, and 6 (first two sections, 161-173)
PPT: “1607-1750” cont.
PPT: “1750-1783 -- Resist, Revolution, War…”
WEEK TWO
M-July 6
1783-1789: The Political Structure of the New Nation
Read: Chap. 6 (second 2 sections) and chap 7 (section 1)
PPT: “The Constitution”
W-July 8
1790-1800: Achieving Political Stability
1800-1865: Controlled Westward Expansion
Read: Chap 6 (second two sections) & scan chapters 8-12
PPT: PPT: “1790-1860: Political Turmoil and Expansion”
M – July 13 Exam #1 -- Exam will cover 1607-1800
WEEK THREE
M-July 13
1800-1865: Lead Up to the Civil War, The Civil War, and Industrial
Warfare
Review Chap. 7,
Read Chap. 8 pp. 236-243 (“Aristocratic Republicanism and Slavery”)
Scan/skim the rest of Chaps. 8 and all Chap. 9
Read Chap. 10 and 13-14
Scan/skim Chaps. 11-12
PPT: “1790-1860: Turmoil and Expansion” -- cont.
PPT: “1860-1865: Prelude to the Civil War”
PPT: “1860-1865: Civil War”
W-July 15
1865-1877: Reconstruction & The Trans-Mississippi West
Read Chaps. 15-16
PPT: “1865-1877—Reconstruction”
WEEK FOUR
M-July 20
1877-1900: Economic Growth & Industrial America
Review Chaps. 15-16,
Read 17 & then skim 18-19
1877-1917: National Politics: Populists & Progressives
Read: Chaps. 20-21
PPT: “1877-1900--The Economy”
PPT: “1877-1917--Politics”
W-July 22
1914-1918: The First World War
1919-1932: The 1920s and the Approach of the Great Depression
Review Chaps. 20-21
Read Chap. 22 (1st two sections, 639-653 ) & scan last 2 sections;
PPT: “1917-1932: WW 1 and Interwar Period”
#2 – Exam will cover 1800-1918
WEEK FIVE
M-July 27
1933-1941: The Great Depression and New Deal
Read: Chap. 23
PPT “1933-1941—New Deal”
W-July 29
1939-1945: The Second World War
Readings: Henretta, chapter 24
PPT “1942-1945—WW II”
WEEK SIX
M-Aug 3
1945-1963: Containment, The Cold War America Globalizes, Civil Rights,
and an era of protests. Collapse of Communism (if we can get to it)
Read Chaps. 25-28
Skim ch 29 (sec 1) & Chap 31 (sec 1)
PPT “1945-1965—Cold War”
W-Aug 5
Wed
EXAM #3
Exam will cover 1917-1963
No class – exam is available all day.
If you need to see me for some reason, please contact me and make an
appointment to meet in the classroom between 6-8:30. If I need to come
up to Murray, I will.
(Cont.)
WARNING AGAINST ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND CHEATING
The University’s definition of student academic misconduct, to include cheating and plagiarism,
is located at http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.html. You are committing
academic misconduct on an exam if you (1) copy another student’s work, (or (2) write passages
of memorized text in your exam that is taken from your textbook or internet. You are
plagiarizing (a form of cheating) if you copy or memorize any language from any source, which
includes any website, and use that language as part of your exam. If any two or more students
enter identical language into their bluebooks they will all be required to retake those exams
under controlled conditions. Your exams must be your individual efforts.
NOTE re: our open-book & open-notes Canvas exams:
Do not copy phrases directly from PPTs. The PPTs are helpful outlines and are information rich - but YOU need to know basic elements and need to explain what they are and why they are
important, in your own words. Just listing info from memorized or copied PPTs will not show
YOUR knowledge and understanding. (Note, don’t try to collaborate with another student when
you take the test; your tests will come out sounding the same, which suggests cheating. And they
may not know any more than you do!)
And to continue . . . .
If I have clear evidence that you cheated during or plagiarized on an exam I will fail you on that
exam, regardless of your reasons, which will probably result in failing the course. The History
Department will also pass on information on all academic misconduct, whether or not I impose
sanctions, to the University of Utah’s academic misconduct tracking system.
If you remain in this course you are acknowledging your understanding of the above
warning; if a student is detected cheating I will reject any defense based his/her alleged
ignorance.
If you are physically prevented from taking an exam at the scheduled time, email me and I will
work with you to make it up. If by the end of finals week you have not taken all three exams you
will fail the course
Incompletes: I am only allowed to grant incompletes for serious and documented reason.
I can be reached either with my university email ( [email protected] ) or through Canvas. I do
NOT have a smartphone; I receive all emails via computer. I do check my email daily at least
once.
SUPPORT FOR DISABLED STUDENTS
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for
people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, give reasonable prior
notice to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will
work with you and the instructor to arrange suitable accommodations.
If you believe you might have a disability that would entitle you to accommodations but are not
yet in-processed with CDS you should do so immediately, as that process could take several
weeks, and you should have your accommodation(s) determined before the first midterm. The
instructor is not able to grant medical or disability related accommodations for examinations,
etc. Only the Center for Disability Services can do so.