Political Science 101-13



Section 4487

January 12–May 3, 2015

Online

R. Vanden Bosch, Instructor

Email: vandenboschr@mjc.edu

Website:

Keene, Jennifer, et al. Visions of America. 2nd Ed. New York: Pearson Publishing Co., Inc. 2012.

Course Outline

U. S. history from pre-colonial indigenous America to the late 19th century. The causes, variations, and impacts of colonialism on the Indigenous, African and European Americans will be examined, as will the movement toward national independence and the Revolutionary War. The United States Constitution and resulting institutions will be analyzed, as well as national expansion, reform, and resulting regional/sectional social and political developments through the U. S. Civil War. This course uses the early evolution of the relationships between local, state, and national governments as a comparative framework for understanding contemporary relationships between local, state, and national governments.

Course Learning Outcomes

Outcome #1: Students will be able to demonstrate factual knowledge of key political, economic, social and cultural events and issues in United States history through 1877.

Outcome #2: Students will be able to apply critical thinking (including causal analysis and skeptical inquiry) to historical concepts and developments in history.

Outcome #3: Students will be able to evaluate, analyze and interpret primary and secondary historical sources and make historical arguments based on these sources.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

A. Identify and apply historiographic analysis.

B. Compare historiographic analysis with analytic methods of other social sciences.

C. Compare regional cultural developments between Eastern Woodland, Central Mexican, and California Indigenous Americans with those of Spain, France and England in the 17th century.

D. Identify and describe political, social, economic and technological implications of French, Spanish, and English colonialism.

E. Contrast regional and sectional developments in the American colonies.

F. Analyze the movement toward American nationalism and the resulting Revolutionary War.

G. Analyze the political, social, and economic issues involved in the development of the U. S. Constitution. Identify crucial Supreme Court Constitutional interpretation and analyze its societal impact.

H. Evaluate the character of the culture of the U.S. in the early nationalist period.

I. Analyze the issues of war, revolution, race, class, sex discrimination, and governance found in this period of the American experience.

J. Identify the political, economic, and cultural elements of pre-Civil War regional sectionalism.

K. Define reconstruction in terms of Civil War events.

L. Examine contemporary local, State, and Federal relationships as a product of historic relationships of political cooperative conflict resolution.

M. Analyze the political, social, and economic issues in regarding the 1849 California State Constitution.

N. Define reconstruction in terms of Civil War events.

O. Evaluate the political, economic, and cultural impact of urban industrialization and westward expansion.

Course Requirements

1. You will need to check your e-mail, Blackboard, and MyHistoryLab frequently. All assignments and discussion groups are done through Blackboard, while MyHistoryLab will be used to complete the study plans for each chapter.

2. You are expected to complete class assignments regularly, to keep up with the reading assignments, and to participate in online discussions and group activities. Be realistic with your schedule—I only want the class populated by students who intend to complete the class.

3. For each chapter there will discussion board activities and a study plan through MyHistoryLab that you must complete on time. The format for the Discussions Boards and MyHistoryLab are listed below, but count on at least three hours of activities for each chapter. In MyHistoryLab, the chapter begins with a pre-test (not graded), and finishes with a post-test. You will be graded on the results of the post-test, the duration of time that you are on task, and the successful completion of all the activities.

4. Copying material/answers from another source or student (i.e. quizzes, tests, information for the brief off the Internet) without authorization is cheating. You are expected to be honest and honorable in your fulfillment of assignments and in quiz/test-taking situations. Plagiarism and cheating are serious forms of academic misconduct. Cheating may result in an automatic grade of "F" for the course, no matter what the quality of your other class work is. You may also be referred to the Division Office for further disciplinary action. At the very least you will be given a “O” on the assignment without any opportunity to make it up.

5. Please be knowledgeable of MJC’s policy on Academic Freedom and Academic Integrity: . If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Blackboard Help for Students

If you need assistance with Blackboard, “Blackboard Help is a single resource for all of the student user documentation available for Blackboard Learn. Blackboard Help is designed from the ground up to make finding information as easy as possible.”

URL:

Discussion Forum Participation Rubric

Participation in the discussion forums is critical for maximizing your learning experiences in this course. You are required to be an active part of an online community who interact to enhance and support the professional development of the group. Part of the assessment criteria for the course includes assessing the timeliness, quality, and quantity of your participation in the discussion forum.

Some characteristics considered to be part of excellent discussion contributions are outlined below. I will consider these characteristics when assessing the quality and level of your participation.

• You should submit your initial post early in the session, and your subsequent responses to the posts of other learners at timely intervals within the duration of the session. Keep in mind the goal is to have a dynamic discussion that lasts throughout the entire session, so do not procrastinate.

• Do not ever “borrow” other people’s ideas, especially from the Internet. Everything you type must be your ideas, and not those of another person. Plagiarism will be closely monitored.

• Your posts and responses should be thorough and thoughtful. Just posting an "I agree" or "Good ideas" will not be considered adequate. Support your statements with examples, experiences, or references. You are, however, encouraged to be reasonably pithy. Keep each post between two and three paragraphs.

• Make certain to address the discussion prompt(s). This does not mean you should not extend the topic, but do not stray from the topic.

• Discussions occur when there is dialogue. Build upon the posts and responses of other learners to create discussion threads. Make sure you revisit the discussion forum and respond (if necessary) to what other learners have posted to your initial responses.

• When relevant, add to the discussion by including prior knowledge, work experiences, references, Web sites, resources, etc. (giving credit when appropriate).

• Your contributions to the discussions (posts and responses) should be complete and free of grammatical or structural errors. Proofread your responses carefully before submitting them.

This rubric point scale will be used to assess students’ contribution to the discussion groups.

| |Unsatisfactory |Satisfactory |Exemplary |

| |0 points |1-3 points |4-6 points |

|1st Visit: Initial Post |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |

|(1 post—at least 150 words |Does not create an initial post. |Creates an initial post. |Creates an initial post. |

|in length) |Post is insufficient in length. |Post is insufficient in length. |Submits early in the session. |

| |And/or does not submit early in the | |Post is sufficient in length. |

| |session. | | |

| |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |

| |understanding of content and |understanding of content and |understanding of content and applicability |

| |applicability to the prompt. |applicability to the prompt. |to the prompt. |

| |Post does not demonstrate evidence of |Post demonstrates some evidence of |Post demonstrates clear evidence of |

| |knowledge and understanding of the |knowledge and understanding of the |knowledge and understanding of the prompt. |

| |prompt. |prompt. | |

| |Criteria: Professionalism |Criteria: Professionalism |Criteria: Professionalism |

| |Post does not use acceptable American |Post generally uses acceptable |Post uses acceptable American English |

| |English. |American English. | |

| |0 points |1-2 points |3 points |

|Note: A reply is made in visits 2 and 3 by using the 'reply' function. |

|2nd Visit: Reply to other |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |

|learner(s) |Does not reply to another student. |Replies to another learner. |Replies to another learner. |

|(At least 1 post early in |Post is insufficient in length. |Post is insufficient in length. |Post is sufficient in length. |

|the session—at least 75 |And/or does not submit the reply | |Submits within the time parameters. |

|words in length) |within the time parameters. | | |

| |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |

| |understanding of content and |understanding of content and |understanding of content and applicability |

| |applicability to the prompt. |applicability to the prompt. |to the prompt. |

| |Response does not demonstrate evidence|Response demonstrates some evidence of|Response demonstrates clear evidence of |

| |of knowledge and understanding of the |knowledge and understanding of the |knowledge and understanding of the prompt. |

| |prompt. |prompt. | |

| |Criteria: Professionalism |Criteria: Professionalism |Criteria: Professionalism |

| |Post does not use acceptable American |Post generally uses acceptable |Post uses acceptable American English |

| |English. |American English. |Response integrates multiple views or |

| | | |provides outside resources from others to |

| | | |take the discussion deeper. |

| |0 points |1-2 points |3 points |

|3rd Visit: Reply to other |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |Criteria: Quantity and timeliness |

|learner(s), not someone’s |Does not reply to a second learner. |Replies to a second learner. |Replies to a second learner. |

|initial post. |Post is insufficient in length. |Post is insufficient in length. |Post is sufficient in length. |

|(At least 1 post later in |And/or does not submit the reply | |Continues to participate in discussion |

|the session—at least 75 |before the end of the session. | |threads until the end of the session. |

|words in length) | | | |

| |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |Criteria: Demonstrates knowledge and |

| |understanding of content and |understanding of content and |understanding of content and applicability |

| |applicability to the prompt. |applicability to the prompt. |to the prompt. |

| |Response does not demonstrate evidence|Response demonstrates some evidence of|Response demonstrates clear evidence of |

| |of knowledge and understanding of the |knowledge and understanding of the |knowledge and understanding of the prompt |

| |prompt. |prompt. | |

| |Criteria: Professionalism |Criteria: Professionalism |Criteria: Professionalism |

| |Post does not use acceptable American |Post generally uses acceptable |Post uses acceptable American English. |

| |English. |American English. |Response integrates multiple views or |

| | | |provides outside resources from others to |

| | | |take the discussion deeper. |

Modified from this source:

|Activity type |Description: Different types of activities and assessments during the course: |

|Textbook |Portions of Visions of America and a corresponding video will initiate each chapter. |

|Diagnostic |Pre- or post-test used to help students assess their mastery and understanding of the material introduced in the chapter. |

|Activities and Practice|Students complete the Study Plan for each chapter that will include instructional online content that teaches new concepts |

| |through multimedia and interactivity. Students answer questions regarding what they have learned in each section, |

| |assimilating online studies, tutorials and textual material. The following are examples of resources that are used: audio and|

| |video files, maps, primary source documents, political cartoons, etc. Links to relevant web resources are often included. |

|Discussion Board |Students discuss topics that relate to key elements of each unit in an online bulletin-board style forum. I will broach a |

| |choice of two questions, and students receive credit for their participation. |

|Exam |The semester will culminate with a final exam. |

Grading (subject to change)

Student Online Readiness Certificate 20 pts. (Start Here module)

Discussion Group Questions 168 pts. (14 chapters x 12 points possible per chapter)

• Writing Assignments in U.S. History 150 pts. (30 points each)

• Study Plans (including pre- and post-tests) 420 pts. (30 pts. per chapter x 14 chapters—includes all assignments contained in that chapter)

• Final 150 pts.

Total 908 pts. (approximately)

• A = 90 to 100% (820–908)

• B = 80 to 89.9% (731–819)

• C = 70 to 79.9% (642–730)

• D = 60 to 69.9% (553–641)

• F = below 59.9% (Below 552)

Assignments and Course Outline

All activities and due dates are posted in Blackboard

Module 1

Discussion: Introduce Yourself

In our first discussion forum, introduce yourself. Click on the "Introduce Yourself" link to go into the discussion forum. Click on "Create New Thread," and include the following:

• Things you enjoy doing.

• Include a picture of yourself (click on the icon that looks like a mountain for picture; the icon that is a chain is for linking).

• Get to know other students by replying to their messages. Read their introductions, and greet them online by sharing something you may have in common.

Chapter 1: People in Motion: The Atlantic World to 1590

 For the following assignment, complete the following activities:

1. Answer the following questions below, and post comments on two other posts: The initial post (of at least 150 words) is due on or before 1/14 (11:59 P.M.); the two follow-up posts (at least 75 words each) are due by 1/18 (11:59 P.M.).  You will not be able to see other students’ posts until after you have made your initial post. For your first response, respond to someone’s initial post. For your second response, respond to another student’s response to someone’s post.

Initial Post: Discussion Group Questions

1. What was the Columbian Exchange, and how did it affect societies in the Americas and Europe?

2. In what ways has the Columbian Exchange impacted the world in which you live today?

3. In what ways do you think the rubric can be improved?

MyHistoryLab assignment due by Sunday evening, Jan. 18, at 11:59 P.M.

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 1

The Study Plan for Chapter 1 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 1 – People in Motion (pp. 2–33)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 1

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 1

• Review the Timeline: Peoples in Motion: The Atlantic World to 1590

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 1

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 1 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 1

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Images as History: Blood of the Gods: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: European and Huron Views of Nature: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: An Early European Image of Native Americans: Media Assignment

• View the Image: Torturing Native Amerindians: Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: What is Columbus' Legacy? Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It Chapter 1: Formative Assessment

Chapter 1 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Chapter 2: Models of Settlement: English Colonial Societies, 1590–1710

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; initial post due 1/21; last post due: 1/25)

1. How did tobacco agriculture shape the evolution of Chesapeake societies?

2. How did the religious ideals of New England society shape its early history?

MyHistoryLab (due by Sunday evening, Jan. 25, at 11:59 P.M.)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 2

The Study Plan for Chapter 2 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 2 – Models of Settlement (pp. 34–63)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 2

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 2

• Review the Timeline: Models of Settlement: English Colonial Societies, 1590-1700

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 2

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 2 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 2

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: The Chickahominy Become “New Englishmen”: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: Lord Baltimore and William Penn. Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Sugar and Slavery: Media Assignment

• Read the Document: English Declaration of Rights, 1689 (document): Media Assignment

• Pearson Profile Activity: Profile: John Winthrop (document): Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 2

Chapter 2 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Module 2

Chapter 3: Growth, Slavery, and Conflict: Colonial America, 1710–1763

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard.)

1. What role did economic forces play in the emergence of distinctive regional cultures in eighteenth-century America?

2. How did the French and Indian War transform the map of North America?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 3

The Study Plan for Chapter 3 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 3 – Growth, Slavery, and Conflict (pp. 64–95)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 3

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 3

• Review the Timeline: Growth, Slavery, and Conflict: Colonial America, 1710-1763

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 3

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 3 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 3

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Images as History: A Portrait of Colonial Aspirations: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: African Slave Trade, 1451–1870: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: European Claims in North America, 1750 and 1763: Media Assignment

• View the Interactive Map: French America 1608–1763: Media Assignment

• Pearson Profile Activity: Benjamin Franklin: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 3

Chapter 3 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Chapter 4: Revolutionary America: Change and Transformation, 1764–1783

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. How did British policy toward the colonies change after the French and Indian War?

2. How did the Revolution’s ideals of liberty and equality influence American politics and society?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Closer Look: The Bloody Massacre

• Primary Document: Slave Petition to the Governor of Massachusetts, 1774

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter

The Study Plan for Chapter 4 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 4 – Revolutionary America (pp. 96–127)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 4

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 4

• Review the Timeline: Revolutionary America, 1764-1783

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 4

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 4 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 4

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Boston, on March 5, 1770: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: “George Washington at the Battle of Princeton”: Media Assignment

• Read the Document: John Dickinson, from Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1768): Media Assignment

• Read the Document: Slave Petition to the Governor of Massachusetts, 1774: Media Assignment

• Read the Document: Adams Family Letters (March, April, May 1776): Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 4

Chapter 4 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Writing Assignments in U.S. History: Essay #1: The American Revolution featuring James Fraser

(Time and date due on Blackboard)

The American Revolution featuring James Fraser

After more than a century and a half of English colonial settlement in North America, a coalition of British colonies along the east coast declared their independence from the British crown in the summer of 1776. In the seven years that followed, a bloody war raged, pitting British soldiers and loyal colonists against revolutionary colonists who identified themselves as American. The American Revolution took shape not immediately in the mid-1770s, but over the course of many years. The path to revolution was laid out clearly in 1763 with the end of the Seven Years War between Britain and France, in which many American colonists had fought for Britain. Over the next 13 years, a series of policy decisions by the British Parliament alienated and enraged various groups of colonists, who slowly crafted a distinct national identity.

Consider the challenges anti-British colonists faced in cultivating a new national identity in the 1760s and 1770s. Since the early 1600s, English colonies in North America had been home to a wide variety of people, from different economic classes, ethnic and religious traditions, races, and regions. Think about ways that class, religious, and ethnic identity inhibited the formation of an anti-British coalition.

Write an essay (500 - 1000 words) that explains the origins of the American Revolution by discussing the specific complaints that different groups of Americans had against the British government. Your essay should explain the series of events between the early 1760s and 1776 that culminated in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. How did so many different groups of Americans, who had long considered themselves to be loyal British subjects, reach a point where they desired to be a free and independent people?

Your essay will follow the standard writing formula:

– Thesis/introductory paragraph

• Opening sentence

• Rephrase the question

• Your opinion (but avoid phrases like “I think” or I believe”)

• Introduce your arguments

– Body

• At least 3 full-length paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and when possible, use a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next paragraph.

– Conclusion

Module 3

Chapter 5: A Virtuous Republic: Creating a Workable Government, 1783–1789

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. What major problems did America face during the Confederation period?

2. What were the main differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 5

The Study Plan for Chapter 5 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 5 – A Virtuous Republic (pp. 128–155)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 5

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 5

• Review the Timeline: A Virtuous Republic: Creating a Workable Government 1783-1789

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 5

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 5 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 5

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: Reactions to Shays’s Rebellion: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: George Washington, The Newburgh Address (1783): Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Noah Webster, An American School Teacher Calls for an American Language, 1789: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Patrick Henry Speaks Against the Constitution: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Federalist No. 10: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 5

Chapter 5 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Chapter 6: The New Republic: An Age of Political Passion, 1789–1800

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard.)

1. Did the Washington administration and the first Congress neutralize or exacerbate Anti-Federalist fears?

2. What were the main features of Hamilton’s economic program?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 6

The Study Plan for Chapter 6 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 6 – The New Republic (pp. 157–187)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 6

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 6

• Review the Timeline: Political Passions in the New Republic, 1789-1800

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts Chapter 6

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 6 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 6

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s Reactions to the French...: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: Congressional Debates over the Sedition Act: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Alexander Hamilton, Opposing Visions for the New Nation, (1791): Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1787): Media Assignment

• Pearson Profile Activity: “A Virginia Slave Explains Gabriel’s Rebellion”: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 6

Chapter 6 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Module 4

Chapter 7: Jeffersonian America: An Expanding Empire of Liberty, 1800–1824

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. What was the Jeffersonian vision of government?

2. What did the Missouri crisis reveal about the tensions in American society?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 7

The Study Plan for Chapter 7 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 7 – Jeffersonian America (pp. 189–219)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 7

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 7

• Review the Timeline: Jeffersonian America, 1800-1824

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 7

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 7 Learning Objectives

• Read the eText: Chapter 7

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 7

Analyze It

• Document Activity: Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address (1801): Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Monroe Doctrine (1823): Media Assignment

• Document Activity: An Account of the Late Intended Insurrection Among a Portion of the Blacks: Media Assignment

• Interactive Map: The Missouri Compromise of 1820: Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: Lewis and Clark: What Were They Trying to Accomplish? Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 7

Chapter 7 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Writing Assignments in U.S. History: Essay #2: The Lewis & Clark Expedition featuring Carl Abbott

(Time and date due on Blackboard)

The Lewis & Clark Expedition featuring Carl Abbott

From 1804 to 1806, at the request of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the first American expedition across the vast interior of the North American continent. They departed from St. Louis, headed up the Missouri River, and followed an overland route to the Columbia River, which they followed to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, they encountered and negotiated with various Indian tribes, collected wildlife and soil samples, and charted the geography of the land. The Lewis and Clark expedition has taken on mythic proportions in American culture, and the explorers are often invoked to symbolize a spirit of adventure and endeavor.

In the early years of the American republic, when communication and commerce were quite limited, traveling into a vast wilderness inhabited by potentially hostile Indian groups as well as traders and settlers from Spain, Britain, and France entailed great danger and cost. Think about how Thomas Jefferson justified the expense of the trip and the variety of goals Lewis and Clark hoped to accomplish. Consider the risks of disease, injury, starvation, and violence from people they met.

Write an essay (500 - 1000 words) that explains the reasons behind Lewis and Clark’s expedition and assesses their success in fulfilling their mission. Your essay should describe the specific needs of the United States in the early 19th century in terms of relations with other countries, commerce, relations with Indians, and the advance of science. What role did the Lewis and Clark expedition play in the growth of the young United States?

Writing Assignments in U.S. History

Your essay will follow the standard writing formula:

– Thesis/introductory paragraph

• Opening sentence

• Rephrase the question

• Your opinion (but avoid phrases like “I think” or I believe”)

• Introduce your arguments

– Body

• At least 3 full-length paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and when possible, use a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next paragraph.

– Conclusion

Chapter 8: Democrats and Whigs: Democracy and American Culture, 1820–1840

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. What political and constitutional ideas defined Jackson’s presidency?

2. How did race shape the nature of democracy in the Jacksonian era?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 8

The Study Plan for Chapter 8 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 8 – Democrats and Whigs (pp. 220–251)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 8

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 8

• Review the Timeline: The Democratization of American Culture, 1824-1840

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 8

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 8 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts Chapter 8

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Images as History: Old Hickory or King Andrew:: Media Assignment

• Documents Activity: Michel Chevalier, Society Manners and Politics in the U.S.: Media Assignment

• Documents Activity: Andrew Jackson, Veto of the Bank Bill: Media Assignment

• Interactive Map: Native American Removal: Media Assignment

• Pearson Profile Activity: Davy Crockett: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 8

Chapter 8 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Module 5

Chapter 9: Workers, Farmers, and Slaves: The Transformation of the American Economy, 1815–1848

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. How did the growth of cities affect American society?

2. How did race and class shape Southern society?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 9

The Study Plan for Chapter 9 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 9 – Workers, Farmers, and Slaves (pp. 252–281)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 9

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 9

• Review the Timeline: Workers, Farmers, and Slaves: The Transformation of the American Economy

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 9

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 9 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 9

Analyze It

• Audio Activity: “Go Down Moses”: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Impact of the Transportation Revolution on Traveling Time: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Images as History: Nature Technology & the Railroad: Inness Lackawanna Valley: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: The Lowell Strike of 1834: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Petition of the Catholics of New York 1840: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 9

Chapter 9 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Chapter 10: Revivalism, Reform, and Artistic Renaissance, 1820–1850

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. How did religion influence reform movements?

2. What values were associated with the new domestic ideal?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 10

The Study Plan for Chapter 10 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 10 – Revivalism, Reform, and Artistic Renaissance (pp. 282–315)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 10

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 10

• Review the Timeline: Revivalism, Reform, and Artistic Renaissance, 1820-1850

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts Chapter 10

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 10 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 10

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Images as History: The Greek Slave: Media Assignment

• Interactive Map: Utopian Communities before the Civil War: Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: Drinking and the Temperance Movement in Nineteenth-Century America: Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: Who was Horace Mann and Why are So Many Schools Named After Him? Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: The Women's Rights Movement in Nineteenth-Century America: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 10

Chapter 10 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Writing Assignments in U.S. History: Essay #3: Drinking and the Temperance Movement featuring Ariela Gross

(Time and date due on Blackboard)

Alcohol was a very prominent part of American life in the Revolutionary period and into the early nineteenth century. Workers and masters would commonly bond over brewed beer and distilled hard spirits, and scholars estimate that Americans, especially men, consumed up to four times as much alcohol in the late 18th century as they do today. During the 1830s and 1840s, however, the “temperance movement,” which opposed the consumption of alcoholic beverages, became increasingly popular around the country, ultimately leading to the passage of “dry laws,” or legal prohibitions on alcohol, in many states. The spread of temperance occurred alongside a broader movement for social reform that included the rise of evangelicalism, commonly called the Second Great Awakening, as well as the prominence of social reform movements, such as abolitionism.

Think about the substantial social and economic changes that the United States experienced in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, as increasing numbers of Americans left rural agriculture to work for wages in cities. Factory production expanded, cities grew in size, and immigration from European countries like Ireland increased. Consider how demographic changes and different relationships between workers and the owners of factories and businesses changed social relationships, and how those changing relationships influenced the drive for social reform.

Write an essay (500 - 1000 words) that describes the spread of the temperance movement in the 1830s and 1840s. Your essay should explain how social changes, including the rise of industrial production and the breakdown of the traditional apprentice system, contributed to increased opposition to alcohol. In addition to describing the importance of class, your essay should also discuss the role of gender. In particular, why were women particularly strong supporters of the temperance movement?

Writing Assignments in U.S. History

Your essay will follow the standard writing formula:

– Thesis/introductory paragraph

• Opening sentence

• Rephrase the question

• Your opinion (but avoid phrases like “I think” or I believe”)

• Introduce your arguments

– Body

• At least 3 full-length paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and when possible, use a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next paragraph.

– Conclusion

Module 6

Chapter 11: “To Overspread the Continent:” Westward Expansion and Political Conflict, 1840–1848

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. How did Manifest Destiny influence American ideas about the West?

2. How did the Mexican War affect American politics?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 11

The Study Plan for Chapter 11 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 11 – “To Overspread the Continent (pp. 316–339)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 11 Study the Flashcards: Chapter 11

• Review the Timeline: "To Overspread the Continent:" Westward Expansion”

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 11

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 11 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts Chapter 11

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Images as History: George Catlin and Mah-to-toh-pa: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: John L O’Sullivan, The Nation of Great Futurity: Media Assignment

• Image Activity: Political Cartoon: Fillmore and Taylor: Media Assignment

• Atlas Map: National Expansion and Movement West to 1830: Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: The Annexation of Texas: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 11

Chapter 11 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Writing Assignments in U.S. History: Essay #4: How Railroads Changed America featuring Edward O’Donnell

(Time and date due on Blackboard)

In the early nineteenth century, a transportation revolution engulfed the United States. For thousands of years, travel had been limited to wind power on the sea and horse power on land. The development of self-contained steam engine technology allowed the transportation of people and goods at much faster rates. In the 1820s, steamboats revolutionized water transportation by allowing people to travel up-river and against the wind, increasingly along man-made canals. In the 1830s, the steam revolution extended to land, as railroads quickly grew to dominate overland transportation. The number of miles of railroad track grew rapidly, from zero in 1830 to 9000 miles in 1850. At the same time, the number and profits of railroad companies rose dramatically and the United States became increasingly interconnected. As railroads spread, communications also increased, both through the faster delivery of mail and the spread of the electronic telegraph, whose poles and wires accompanied railroad lines across the country.

The revolution in transportation fundamentally changed nearly all aspects of American life. Think about how daily life for farmers, industrial laborers, business owners, and financiers changed as a result of the rapid movement of goods and people along railroads.

Write an essay (500 - 1000 words) that explains how the advent of steam-powered railroads changed America’s economic and social life during the 19th century. Your essay should consider the effects of the railroad on the movement of agricultural goods to urban centers and port cities, as well as the spread of manufactured consumer products. How did railroads contribute to the growth of the American economy during the mid-19th century? How did ease of transportation and communication lead to growing cities, particularly away from the East Coast?

Writing Assignments in U.S. History

Your essay will follow the standard writing formula:

– Thesis/introductory paragraph

• Opening sentence

• Rephrase the question

• Your opinion (but avoid phrases like “I think” or I believe”)

• Introduce your arguments

– Body

• At least 3 full-length paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and when possible, use a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next paragraph.

– Conclusion

Chapter 12: Slavery and Sectionalism: The Political Crisis of 1848–1861

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. What were the major differences between the North and South in the 1850s?

2. Why did Southerners interpret the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 as cause for secession?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 12

The Study Plan for Chapter 12 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read: Visions of America, Chapter 12 – Slavery and Sectionalism (pp. 340–373)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 12

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 12

• Review the Timeline: Slavery and Sectionalism: The Political Crisis of 1848-1861

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts Chapter 12

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 12 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 12

Analyze It

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: Christianity and Slavery: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: The Fugitive Slave Act: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: John C. Calhoun, Proposal to Preserve the Union (1850): Media Assignment

• Atlas Map: Secession: Media Assignment

• Watch the Video: Burn Down the Convent! Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 12

Chapter 12 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Module 7

Chapter 13: A Nation Torn Apart: The Civil War, 1861–1865

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. What advantages and disadvantages did the North and South possess at the outbreak of the war?

2. How did the demands of war lead to changes in government policy and lifestyle on the home front?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 13

The Study Plan for Chapter 13 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read eText: Visions of America, Chapter 13 – A Nation Torn Apart (pp. 374–403)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 13

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 13

• Review the Timeline: A Nation Torn Apart: The Civil War, 1861-1865

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 13

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 13 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts Chapter 13

Analyze It

• Audio Activity: Battle Hymn of the Republic: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Lincoln Visits McClellan: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Nurse Ann Bell Tending to Wounded: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Letter from a Free Black Volunteer to the Christian Recorder: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: The Working Men of Manchester, England Write to President Lincoln on the Question: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It Chapter 13

Chapter 13 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Chapter 14: Now That We Are Free: Reconstruction and the New South, 1863–1890

Learning Objectives—Discussion Group Questions (answer each question in your initial post, and then post comments on two other posts following the format from chapter 1; times and dates due on Blackboard)

1. How did Reconstruction efforts during the war reveal conflicting visions over the kind of freedoms former slaves would be granted?

2. How did changing Northern attitudes affect the end of Reconstruction?

MyHistoryLab (Time and date due on Blackboard)

• Complete the Study Plan for Chapter 14

The Study Plan for Chapter 14 includes:

Remember the Facts

• Read eText: Visions of America, Chapter 14 – Now That We Are Free (pp. 404–437)

• Watch: Critical Visions video for Chapter 14

• Study the Flashcards: Chapter 14

• Review the Timeline: Now That We Are Free: Reconstruction and the New South, 1863-1890

• Formative Assessment: Remember the Facts: Chapter 14

Understand the Concepts

• Review the Chapter 14 Learning Objectives

• Formative Assessment: Understand the Concepts: Chapter 14

Analyze It

• Audio Activity: Lynch Law in Georgia by Ida B. Wells Barnett (pamphlet excerpt): Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: Competing Visions: Federal Authority and Equal Rights: Media Assignment

• View the Closer Look: First Vote: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: Charlotte Forten, Life on the Sea Islands, 1864: Media Assignment

• Document Activity: James T. Rapier, Testimony before U.S. Senate Regarding the Agricultural Labor...: Media Assignment

• Formative Assessment: Analyze It: Chapter 14

Chapter 14 includes a Pre-Test and a Post-Test

Module 8

Writing Assignments in U.S. History: Essay #5: Causes of the Civil War featuring David Goldfield

(Time and date due on Blackboard)

Causes of the Civil War featuring David Goldfield

The first black African slaves arrived in what would become the United States in 1619, and by the time of American independence from Britain, slavery was practiced throughout the country. By the early 1800s, however, slavery largely disappeared in the North, even as it became more prominent and more entrenched in the South. As the boom in textile manufacturing, both in the Northeast and in Britain, increased the demand for Southern grown cotton, the Southern economy’s dependence on slavery grew ever stronger. At the same time, Southern culture embedded the institution of slavery and a system of racial hierarchy all the more firmly. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president as a Republican, a party that clearly opposed the extension of slavery, many Southerners came to believe that the institution faced immediate existential threat. As a result of Lincoln’s election, South Carolina seceded from the country in December 1860. In the months that followed, growing regional hostility led ten other states to follow.

The decision to secede from the union did not come lightly to the political leaders of the states that joined the Confederacy. They were aware that they would most likely be forced to defend their secession through military conflict with an industrially and numerically superior North. Consider the many obstacles that stood in the way of southern independence, and the conviction required to take that step. Think also about the role of slavery in southern life, on a material level as well as a cultural level.

Write an essay (500 - 1000 words) that explains how Southern political leaders became convinced that the institution of slavery was under attack by the North, and especially by Lincoln and the Republican party. Your essay should explain how the debates over the future of slavery changed in the generation before the Civil War began in 1861. Why was slavery so important to Southern political leaders that they seceded?

Writing Assignments in U.S. History

Your essay will follow the standard writing formula:

– Thesis/introductory paragraph

• Opening sentence

• Rephrase the question

• Your opinion (but avoid phrases like “I think” or I believe”)

• Introduce your arguments

– Body

• At least 3 full-length paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and when possible, use a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next paragraph.

– Conclusion

o Optional Extra Credit: FRQ: Compare and contrast the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763. (Due April 30, 2014, before 11:59 P.M.)

o Optional Extra Credit: DBQ #1: Explain the ways in which Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories. (Due April 30, 2014, before 11:59 P.M.)

o Optional Extra Credit: DBQ#2: In the early nineteenth century, Americans sought to resolve their political disputes through compromise, yet by 1860 this no longer seemed possible. Analyze the reasons for this change. (Due April 30, 2014, before 11:59 P.M.)

o The paper(s) must be submitted to : Class ID – 7758940; Enrollment password - 1234

Final Exam On/before Tuesday, April 28

Writing Assignments in U.S. History

Your essay will follow the standard writing formula:

– Thesis/introductory paragraph

• Opening sentence

• Rephrase the question

• Your opinion (but avoid phrases like “I think” or I believe”)

• Introduce your arguments

– Body

• At least 3 full-length paragraphs. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, and when possible, use a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next paragraph.

– Conclusion

Your essay should be at least 500 words in length.

(1) The American Revolution featuring James Fraser

After more than a century and a half of English colonial settlement in North America, a coalition of British colonies along the east coast declared their independence from the British crown in the summer of 1776. In the seven years that followed, a bloody war raged, pitting British soldiers and loyal colonists against revolutionary colonists who identified themselves as American. The American Revolution took shape not immediately in the mid-1770s, but over the course of many years. The path to revolution was laid out clearly in 1763 with the end of the Seven Years War between Britain and France, in which many American colonists had fought for Britain. Over the next 13 years, a series of policy decisions by the British Parliament alienated and enraged various groups of colonists, who slowly crafted a distinct national identity.

Consider the challenges anti-British colonists faced in cultivating a new national identity in the 1760s and 1770s. Since the early 1600s, English colonies in North America had been home to a wide variety of people, from different economic classes, ethnic and religious traditions, races, and regions. Think about ways that class, religious, and ethnic identity inhibited the formation of an anti-British coalition.

Write an essay that explains the origins of the American Revolution by discussing the specific complaints that different groups of Americans had against the British government. Your essay should explain the series of events between the early 1760s and 1776 that culminated in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. How did so many different groups of Americans, who had long considered themselves to be loyal British subjects, reach a point where they desired to be a free and independent people?

(2) The Lewis & Clark Expedition featuring Carl Abbott

From 1804 to 1806, at the request of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the first American expedition across the vast interior of the North American continent. They departed from St. Louis, headed up the Missouri River, and followed an overland route to the Columbia River, which they followed to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, they encountered and negotiated with various Indian tribes, collected wildlife and soil samples, and charted the geography of the land. The Lewis and Clark expedition has taken on mythic proportions in American culture, and the explorers are often invoked to symbolize a spirit of adventure and endeavor.

In the early years of the American republic, when communication and commerce were quite limited, traveling into a vast wilderness inhabited by potentially hostile Indian groups as well as traders and settlers from Spain, Britain, and France entailed great danger and cost. Think about how Thomas Jefferson justified the expense of the trip and the variety of goals Lewis and Clark hoped to accomplish. Consider the risks of disease, injury, starvation, and violence from people they met.

Write an essay that explains the reasons behind Lewis and Clark’s expedition and assesses their success in fulfilling their mission. Your essay should describe the specific needs of the United States in the early 19th century in terms of relations with other countries, commerce, relations with Indians, and the advance of science. What role did the Lewis and Clark expedition play in the growth of the young United States?

(3) Drinking and the Temperance Movement featuring Ariela Gross

Alcohol was a very prominent part of American life in the Revolutionary period and into the early nineteenth century. Workers and masters would commonly bond over brewed beer and distilled hard spirits, and scholars estimate that Americans, especially men, consumed up to four times as much alcohol in the late 18th century as they do today. During the 1830s and 1840s, however, the “temperance movement,” which opposed the consumption of alcoholic beverages, became increasingly popular around the country, ultimately leading to the passage of “dry laws,” or legal prohibitions on alcohol, in many states. The spread of temperance occurred alongside a broader movement for social reform that included the rise of evangelicalism, commonly called the Second Great Awakening, as well as the prominence of social reform movements, such as abolitionism.

Think about the substantial social and economic changes that the United States experienced in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, as increasing numbers of Americans left rural agriculture to work for wages in cities. Factory production expanded, cities grew in size, and immigration from European countries like Ireland increased. Consider how demographic changes and different relationships between workers and the owners of factories and businesses changed social relationships, and how those changing relationships influenced the drive for social reform.

Write an essay that describes the spread of the temperance movement in the 1830s and 1840s. Your essay should explain how social changes, including the rise of industrial production and the breakdown of the traditional apprentice system, contributed to increased opposition to alcohol. In addition to describing the importance of class, your essay should also discuss the role of gender. In particular, why were women particularly strong supporters of the temperance movement?

(4) How Railroads Changed America featuring Edward O’Donnell

In the early nineteenth century, a transportation revolution engulfed the United States. For thousands of years, travel had been limited to wind power on the sea and horse power on land. The development of self-contained steam engine technology allowed the transportation of people and goods at much faster rates. In the 1820s, steamboats revolutionized water transportation by allowing people to travel up-river and against the wind, increasingly along man-made canals. In the 1830s, the steam revolution extended to land, as railroads quickly grew to dominate overland transportation. The number of miles of railroad track grew rapidly, from zero in 1830 to 9000 miles in 1850. At the same time, the number and profits of railroad companies rose dramatically and the United States became increasingly interconnected. As railroads spread, communications also increased, both through the faster delivery of mail and the spread of the electronic telegraph, whose poles and wires accompanied railroad lines across the country.

The revolution in transportation fundamentally changed nearly all aspects of American life. Think about how daily life for farmers, industrial laborers, business owners, and financiers changed as a result of the rapid movement of goods and people along railroads.

Write an essay that explains how the advent of steam-powered railroads changed America’s economic and social life during the 19th century. Your essay should consider the effects of the railroad on the movement of agricultural goods to urban centers and port cities, as well as the spread of manufactured consumer products. How did railroads contribute to the growth of the American economy during the mid-19th century? How did ease of transportation and communication lead to growing cities, particularly away from the East Coast?

(5) Causes of the Civil War featuring David Goldfield

The first black African slaves arrived in what would become the United States in 1619, and by the time of American independence from Britain, slavery was practiced throughout the country. By the early 1800s, however, slavery largely disappeared in the North, even as it became more prominent and more entrenched in the South. As the boom in textile manufacturing, both in the Northeast and in Britain, increased the demand for Southern grown cotton, the Southern economy’s dependence on slavery grew ever stronger. At the same time, Southern culture embedded the institution of slavery and a system of racial hierarchy all the more firmly. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president as a Republican, a party that clearly opposed the extension of slavery, many Southerners came to believe that the institution faced immediate existential threat. As a result of Lincoln’s election, South Carolina seceded from the country in December 1860. In the months that followed, growing regional hostility led ten other states to follow.

The decision to secede from the union did not come lightly to the political leaders of the states that joined the Confederacy. They were aware that they would most likely be forced to defend their secession through military conflict with an industrially and numerically superior North. Consider the many obstacles that stood in the way of southern independence, and the conviction required to take that step. Think also about the role of slavery in southern life, on a material level as well as a cultural level.

Write an essay that explains how Southern political leaders became convinced that the institution of slavery was under attack by the North, and especially by Lincoln and the Republican party. Your essay should explain how the debates over the future of slavery changed in the generation before the Civil War began in 1861. Why was slavery so important to Southern political leaders that they seceded?

Optional Extra Credit: FRQ: Compare and contrast the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763.

The 24–30 Point Essay

• Contains a clear, well-developed thesis that compares and contrasts the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763.

• Develops the thesis with substantial and relevant historical information.

• Provides effective analysis that compares and contrasts the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763; treatment of multiple parts may be somewhat uneven.

• May contain minor errors that do not detract from the overall quality of the essay.

• Is well organized and well written.

The 17–23 Essay

• Contains a partially developed thesis that compares and contrasts the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763.

• Supports the thesis with some relevant information.

• Provides some analysis of the imperial goals of the British, French, and Spanish in North America between 1580 and 1763; treatment may be uneven.

• May contain errors that do not seriously detract from the quality of the essay.

• Has acceptable organization and writing.

The 10–16 Essay

• Contains an unfocused or limited thesis that compares and contrasts British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North America between 1580 and 1763 or that simply paraphrases the question.

• Provides minimal relevant information or lists facts with little or no application to the question.

• May address the question in a general, simplistic, or superficial manner; may deal with the goals of only two nations.

• May have major errors. May be poorly organized and/or written.

The 9–Below Essay

• Contains no thesis or a thesis that does not address the question.

• Exhibits inadequate or incorrect understanding of the question.

• Has numerous errors. Is organized and/or written so poorly that it inhibits understanding.

Optional Extra Credit: DBQ #1: Explain the ways in which Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories.

32–40 Essay

• Contains a clear, well-developed thesis that explains the ways in which Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories.

• Presents an effective analysis of both aspects of the question (benefits of the slave system; detriments of the factory system), although treatment may be somewhat uneven.

• Effectively uses a substantial number of documents (6+) to explain and analyze how Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories.

• Develops the thesis with substantial and relevant outside information.

• May contain minor errors that do not detract from the quality of the essay; is well organized and well written.

23–31 Essay

• Contains a partially developed thesis that explains the ways in which Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories.

• Provides some analysis of the topic, but treatment of multiple parts may be uneven.

• Effectively uses some documents (3-5)

• Supports the thesis with some relevant outside information.

• May contain errors that do not seriously detract from the quality of the essay; has acceptable organization and writing.

14–22 Essay

• Contains an unfocused or limited thesis that explains the ways in which Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories.

• Deals with the question in a general manner; simplistic, superficial treatment of the subject.

• Merely paraphrases, quotes, or briefly cites documents.

• Contains little outside information or lists facts with little or no application to the question.

• May have major errors; may be poorly organized and/or written.

13–Below Essay

• Contains no thesis or a thesis that does not explain the ways in which Southern slave owners could manipulate data to justify the benefits of the slave system versus the life of the industrial wage earner in Northern factories.

• Exhibits inadequate or incorrect understanding of the question.

• Has little or no understanding of the documents or ignores them completely.

• Has numerous errors; is organized and/or written so poorly that it inhibits understanding.

Optional Extra Credit: DBQ#2: In the early nineteenth century, Americans sought to resolve their political disputes through compromise, yet by 1860 this no longer seemed possible. Analyze the reasons for this change.

32–40 Essay

• Contains a well-developed thesis that analyzes the issues that confronted the American people in the antebellum era and the attempts at compromise.

• Offers an analysis of why those efforts succeeded or failed.

• Effectively uses a substantial number of documents.

• Supports the thesis with substantial and relevant outside information.

• Is clearly organized and well written.

• May contain minor errors.

23–31 Essay

• Contains a thesis that analyzes the issues and presents some attempts at compromise.

• Offers a limited analysis of why those efforts succeeded or failed.

• Effectively uses some documents.

• Supports the thesis with some relevant outside information.

• Demonstrates acceptable organization and writing.

• May have errors that do not seriously detract from the essay’s quality.

14–22 Essay

• Contains a limited or undeveloped thesis.

• Deals with the question in a general manner; has a simplistic treatment of the topic; or addresses the issue of compromise in a limited way in terms of either chronology or topical focus.

• Merely refers to, quotes, or briefly cites the documents.

• Contains little or no outside information.

• Demonstrates weak organization and writing.

• May have major errors.

The 13–Below Essay

• Contains no thesis or a thesis that does not address the question.

• Exhibits inadequate or incorrect understanding of the question.

• Has little or no understanding of the documents or ignores them.

• Is poorly written—inhibits comprehension of the essay.

• Has numerous errors.

Submit the essays via . The information for submission is:

1.

2. HIST 101-4487 – Spring 2014

3. Class: TBA; Password: 1234

Due April 30, 2014—no exceptions.

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