This is a narrative history of the United States to 1877. A Look at the Evidence by William B. Wheeler and Susan D. Becker. Both books are available in textbook rental. Lectures will be general in scope. They will be arranged chronologically and will complement, clarify and explicate materials included in the textbook.
Students are responsible both for assigned readings and for classroom lectures.
While the primary objective of the course is to add to your understanding of the history of this nation and its people, I also expect you to gain an understanding of how historians work and of some of the major historiographical issues that divide historians as they study the history of America to the mid-nineteenth century. The documents in the reader complement the narrative text, and you will find these documents useful as you think about major themes developed in the textbook and in class. The written assignments based on the reader will enable you to try your own hand with being a historian, i.e., with analyzing and evaluating a variety of materials addressing a single topic. Students are expected to complete assigned readings, to submit the required short papers on each of three assigned documents, and to attend regularly and participate in class. The examinations will cover all material presented in the classroom as well as assigned readings.