University of Texas at Dallas

History 1301, Fall 2007

U.S. History to 1877
Instructor: Dr. Steven Short
Office: JO 4.622

Office Hours: T/R: 1030am – 1130am

Also by appointment

Teaching Hours: T/R: 1130am – 1245pm

1pm - 215pm

Telephone: TBA
Email: sxs070500@utdallas.edu

Teaching Assistant: Abdal Malik Rezeski

Office: JO 5.410D
Phone: 972-883-2186
Office Hours: 1015am – 1115am T or by appointment
Email: abdal.malik@gmail.com or amr040100@utdallas.edu

About the course:

This course will serve as a survey introduction to United States history from the
discovery of the New World until 1877. Since this course is a survey a lot of ground will
be covered. Students will be provided with a broad overview of U.S. history focusing
primarily on the period from 1750 to 1877. Themes we will examine include: social
construction of the Union, economic development from colonial status to independent
nation, the role and status of the military in the developing nation, the effect of slavery on
the United States, including the African-American experience, and the evolution of the
American political system and party systems, among other topics. These themes will be
broken into other rubrics as the semester progresses.

Required text and supplemental materials:

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, vol. 1.

Stephen G. Weisner, American Portraits: Biographies in American History, vol. 1

Course Objectives and the Core Curriculum

HIS 1301 is part of the university’s Core Curriculum and as such strives toward both the
general goals of the core and the specific objectives for social science classes set by the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Board has identified six skills, or
“intellectual competencies,” as the foundation for all university-level work: reading,
writing, listening, speaking, critical thinking, and computer literacy. In addition, this
course will emphasize the Coordinating Board’s objectives for social science classes:

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 „ Students will demonstrate an understanding of key developments in American
political history from the colonial period to 1877, with emphasis on colonial
government, the creation and ratification of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,
the formation of the federal government and its relation with the states, and Texas
independence and annexation.
„ Students will demonstrate an understanding of key developments in American
economic history from the colonial period to 1877.
„ Students will demonstrate an understanding of key developments in American
social history from the colonial period to 1877 with an emphasis on immigration,
social change, reform movements, race and ethnicity, family and gender roles,
and religion and culture.
„ Students will demonstrate an understanding of American foreign policy from the
colonial period to 1877.
„ Students will demonstrate an understanding of the methods of historians to gather
and analyze evidence.
„ Students will be able to use the knowledge and skills gained in the course in the
fulfillment of their responsibilities as active citizens in a democratic society.

The full text of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s guidelines are
available at: http://www.thecb.state.tx/Ctc/ip/core11_00/assumption.htm

Expectations

Attendance

I expect students to attend every class. Classes will be held in this room and students
should arrive on time. If you miss a class it WILL count against your grade.
Exceptional attendance, however, will be looked upon favorably at the end of the
semester. For example, a student with a solid attendance record who is close to a higher
grade is more likely to receive a “bump” than students who have missed classes. So
excessive absences will not only hurt you from the fact that you missed class material,
but it will also hurt your overall grade.

To monitor attendance, a sign-in sheet will be passed around during every class session.
On some days the role will be called.

Students will lose three (3) points from their final total for every absence accumulated
beyond one (3) absences.

The only acceptable excuse for missing class is official university business. Should such
an event occur, the student must provide official documentation from the university
indicating the student’s name and the date of the absence. Medical excuses are not valid,
do not bring the documentation. The only acceptable excuse is official university
business.

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An absence on the day of a quiz or exam is not the end of the world. Student may take a
make-up quiz or exam. Please see the “make-up” section under the Exams and Quizzes
title.

Participation

Students are not required to participate in class as part of their grade. It is to your
advantage, however, to participate in the discussion during the class. In many cases
students do not ask questions or offer comments because they are afraid of saying the
wrong things. Do not be afraid. Most students have similar concerns and questions and
the chances are that someone else is also thinking of the same question or comment.

Participation in class can affect your grade in a positive way in the same manner as
exemplary attendance can. It is to your benefit to participate.

Exams and Quizzes

Students are required to take four exams (three mid-terms and one final) and take six
quizzes over the course of the semester.

Exams

Exams will be comprised of a series of multiple guess, fill-in-the-blank, and true/false

questions. The final component of the exams will be an ID/SIG section in which students
will identify and state the significance of persons or events. Students will be provided
with several choices on which to write their ID/SIGs. All exams will take place in this
classroom. The three midterm exams will last one hour and fifteen minutes. The final
exam will last one hour and fifty minutes. The format for the final exam will be the same
as the midterm exams.

Exams are worth 100 points. Part of each midterm (50 points) will be based on multiple
guess questions and the remaining half (50 points) based on the identifications.

Proper essay/identification answers will contain as much pertinent information as

possible. It is important to write in a clear, coherent manner. Grammar and spelling will
not be counted wrong if incorrect, but you must be clear and present your answer in an
understandable manner. See attached memorandum on essay/identification construction
for further information.

Quizzes

In addition to the exams, students will also take six quizzes over the course of the
semester. Each quiz will be based on the lecture material and additional material from
the biography reader and geography reader. These six quizzes will each be worth 20
points and will be a combination of multiple guess and short answer/fill-in-the-blank

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questions. The quizzes will last approximately fifteen minutes at the beginning of class
of the specified day. For the quizzes students will write on their own paper and turn it in.
Students will not use notebook paper that has fringes on it. I do not like fringes and if a
paper is submitted with fringes on it then the student will lose five (5) points from that
assignment.

Although no extra credit will be offered, it is possible that more than eight quizzes will be
given. If more than eight quizzes are given then the extra quizzes may be used to replace
a lower quiz grade.

See the attached course schedule for the quiz and exam schedule.

Make-ups

Students are allowed to take a make-up exam or quiz if they miss the original. Be
advised, however, that I reserve the right to have the make-up assignment much more
difficult than the original. This generally means that quizzes and exams become all-essay
and the options for picking which essay are not available.

Only in the event of an absence because of official university business will the student be
permitted to take the regular-style of quiz or exam.

Make up quizzes or exams will only be permitted if completed within one (1) week of the
original assignment date. Any make ups beyond the one-week grace period will not be
provided and the resulting grade will be a zero (0).

Grading and Evaluation

Grading will be based on a point system. Students will acquire points as assignments are
completed. The points will go toward your final total. The maximum total will be 520
points combining all quizzes and exams. Bonus points will be available along the way in
the form of extra points on quizzes and exams. No other extra credit will be given.
Don’t ask to read a book or write a paper, etc. Apply yourself and study and you won’t
need to. This is college, not high school, act accordingly. If you do not understand how
the point system works then you need to see me.

Grading breakdown: 520 to 505 = A+

504 to 484 =A
483 to 468 = A-
467 to 452 = B+
451 to 431 =B
430 to 415 = B-
414 to 399 = C+
398 to 378 =C
377 to 362 = C-

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 361 to 346 = D+
345 to 325 =D
324 to 309 = D-
308 to 000 =F

Academic Integrity

You are expected to do your own work. Copying words or ideas of others without
documentation is against University of Texas at Dallas policy and could result in an F for
the course. That is: Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. Any student caught in
such unethical activity will receive a zero for the assignment. Serious violations, such as
stealing an exam or downloading a paper from the internet, will result in failure for the
entire course. I will also report serious violations to your dean.

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to application for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
www.turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90 percent
effective.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates are published in that semester’s course catalog. Administration
procedures must be followed. It is the student’s responsibility to handle withdrawal
requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student.
You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of “F”
in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70 percent of the course work has been

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completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first
day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to
remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete
grade is changed automatically to a grade of “F.”

ADA Compliance

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday 830am to
630pm; Tuesday and Wednesday, 830am to 730pm; and Friday, 830am to 530pm.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22

PO Box 830688
Richardson, TX 75083
(972) 883-2098 (TTY or voice)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of guide dogs) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted. Classes enrolled with students with a mobility
impairment may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university
may need to provide special services such as registration, or note-taking, or mobility
assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from a class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably ten days in advance of the assignment. The student, so
excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable
time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of
one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or

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assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence or if there is a

similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to
complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor
may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her
designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the
chief executive officer or designee.

General Information and Comments

When turning in quizzes please do not use spiral notebook paper unless it has no fringes
on it. The fringes are irritating and do not contribute to maintaining an orderly style.
Failure to abide by this policy will count against your grade after your first offense.

Please do not wear baseball caps or other such headgear in the classroom. We hold
class in a room in a building, not outdoors and not in a barn. You are not at the ballgame
or rodeo or some other such place, you are in a classroom, please behave as such. I don’t
wear my hat in the classroom, neither shall you. Failure to abide by this policy will
detract from your grade.

Cell phones and/or pagers or MP3 players are NOT to be used in class at all. All
electronic devices will be turned off and placed in the student’s backpack or briefcase. I
do not want to see cell phones lying on top of your belonging on the floor; I do not want
to see cell phones lying on the desk in your view. I do not want to see them at all.
Failure to abide by this policy will result in a grade detraction for each offense.

Come to class and take notes. If you pay attention to the discussions and keep up with
the readings then the semester will be more rewarding for you. It is also important to
keep up with your grades and understand where you are in the class. It does not do you
any good to come see me about your grades with two weeks left in the semester. By then
it is too late. So stay active with your grades and if there are problems or concerns then it
is important to talk to me about those issues sooner rather than later.

Do not arrive late. It is disrespectful and rude. Excessive tardiness will result in the loss
of points from your semester total.

Learn to swim.

Participation in class is encouraged. Although not officially part of your grade (failure to
participate will not detract from your grade), participation could help those with
borderline grades achieve the higher grade.

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The best way to contact me is to come by during office hours (you don’t need an
appointment during office hours, just come by) or to email. I check email frequently and
that is the best way to get me. Use the office phone number during office hours and you
will get me. Don’t leave a message on the office phone unless it is a last resort. When I
leave campus I will not check the messages on the phone but I will check emails, so use
email to get me.