Course Overview

History 1010 covers the political, economic, and social development of the American people from the period of discovery to the end of Reconstruction. Includes Honors sections.

In this course we will explore American history beginning with the initial settlement of the continent and ending with the Civil War. Rather than covering every detail and event within this period, the course will focus on providing a broad overview of how the United States came to be, the major forces shaping its development, and the significance of Colonial America. Students will leave this class with a basic understanding of the major turning points and events in American History to 1865 and will study how political, economic, social, intellectual, cultural, and religious changes shaped the development of the early United States.

Learning Objectives:

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

• Explain the major historical events and turning points of American history and government before 1865.
• Explain the changing geo-political structures of the United States up until 1865.
• Define the importance of key individuals and developments in American history before 1865.
• Identify the social, economic, and political forces at work in the evolution of early American history.
• Recognize and describe the significance of some of the cultural achievements of American history.
• Analyze complex historical sources and materials and reach conclusions based on interpretations of those materials.

Required Texts:

Books:

• Joseph Locke and Ben Wright eds., The American Yawp.(You can use the free online version of this text or, if you wish, you may purchase the printed copy from the bookstore.)
• Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge
• Charles B. Dew, Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War

Documents:

The following documents fulfill the requirements outlined in the South Carolina REACH Act. All of these readings are available for free online and do not need to be purchased but are required reading and are to be read in their entirety. These readings and links to the documents are listed in the schedule.

• The Declaration of Independence
• The United States Constitution (and all amendments)
• The Federalist Papers (numbers 1, 9, 10, 68, 84)
• The Emancipation Proclamation
• Documents Essential to the African American Freedom Struggle:
  • Olaudah Equiano describes the Middle Passage.
  • Frederick Douglas, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” 1852.
  • Nat Turner Explains his Rebellion, 1831.
  • Solomon Northrop describes a slave market, 1841.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for everyone and we will need to continue to deal with it throughout the Spring semester. Our class is scheduled to be fully in person in Spring 2022.

Clemson has a mask mandate. You must wear a mask over your nose and mouth at all times when in university buildings and that includes during our class. If you need a mask, a box will be available in the classroom.

Our class will take place not only in the middle of a global pandemic but also in the midst of yet another rise in COVID-19 cases due to the delta and omicron variants. There is a possibility some of you may miss class due to isolation/quarantine or illness. Please know that I want you to succeed in this course and I will make every possible accommodation should you need to miss class due to a pandemic related issue. In order to be flexible as circumstances surrounding the pandemic continue to evolve, we will deal with potential absences, make up assignments, and other exceptions or accommodations on a case-by-case basis as we need to.

It is very important that if you do need to miss class for any amount of time due to isolation/quarantine, illness, or another reason that you let me know using the notification of absences module on the Clemson University website.

Assignments & Grades

Grades will be based on the assignments listed below.

• Quizzes & Participation (10%): This category encompasses both quizzes and attendance.
  • Quizzes: Each week you will have a short quiz based on the weeks assigned reading. These quizzes will be open notes and open book and you will complete them in Canvas. Each week, except where noted, the quiz will open on Friday and it is due by 11:59pm on Thursday.
  • Participation: Our time in class is the opportunity to actively engage with the material we are exploring. Participation during class is crucial because it is an important avenue for learning. I encourage you to be active in every class session. This participation grade serves as a way to credit you with the effort and work you are putting into the class in and out of the classroom. However, I understand that we all have different levels of comfort regarding speaking in class. Participation can take numerous forms such as speaking to the whole group, working in smaller groups during class, and completing in-class activities.
  • Although attendance is not formally graded, it is crucial to earning a good participation grade. You can only participate fully if you are in regular attendance and you cannot pass this class without coming to class regularly. That being said, we are in the midst of a pandemic and I do not want students who feel ill to come to class. If you any symptoms at all, please DO NOT come to class and get in contact with me to schedule make up work. You will not be penalized for missing class due to illness. If you do need to miss class I ask that you please report your absence through the university’s notification of absences module. This helps the office of Student Advocacy track and identify students who may need extra help and it sends me an official notice of your absence.
• Document Analysis Worksheets (5 @ 5% = 25%): Over the course of the semester you will complete 5 document analysis worksheets. This assignment is designed to help you learn to think historically and analyze the primary sources that we will read over the course of this semester. Worksheets should be typed using the template provided and turned in before the start of class the day that document is assigned. In class you’ll sign up to complete your document analyses on five different days over the course of the semester. Please note that for pedagogical reasons these assignments are due before the class session where we discuss it. The document analysis worksheet is available on Canvas or you can click here to download it. These worksheets are each worth 5% of your grade for a total of 25%.
• Midterm Examination (25%): Our midterm will be a take home exam. It is open book and open note but must be completed individually. It will take place Thursday March 17th and more details will be provided closer to the exam. The midterm exam is worth 25% of your grade.
• Timeline Assignment (20%): You will create an interactive online Timeline that consists of important developments in American history to 1877. We will learn how to build timelines in Timeline.js together in class and your timeline will be due on the day of our final exam. For section 3, it is due Monday, May 2nd by 11:59pm. For section 4, it is due Friday, May 6th by 11:59pm. Although this assignment isn’t due until the end of the semester, the content on your timeline should be cumulative. In other words, you should not wait until the last minute and only include events from the last few weeks of class. The timeline is worth 20% of your grade and further details will be provided in a handout.
• Essay (20%): You will also write one short essay on one of the two required books. You must read both books however you may choose which book you’d like to write on and prompts will be provided for both. If you choose to write on Never Caught essays will be due Thursday March 31st by 11:59pm. If you choose to write on Apostles of Disunion your essay will be due Tuesday, April 26th by 11:59pm. In class you’ll sign up to write on one of these two books. This essay is worth 20% of your grade.

Grading System

Final grades will follow Clemson’s percentage-based grading scale. Please note that I will round up only if you fall within .5% of the next grade up. So, for example, I will round up a grade that is a 89.51% or higher. Please do not ask me to round your grade up if you don’t fall within that range.

• A: 90-100%
• B: 80-90%
• C: 70-79%
• D: 60-69%
• F: 0-59%

Policies & Procedures

Please note that this syllabus may be updated online as necessary. The online version of this syllabus is the only authoritative version.

Required Purchases

There are three required texts for this course. Our textbook The American Yawp is an open and freely accessible online textbook. However, if you would prefer a printed copy you can purchase one through the bookstore or a bookseller of your choice. Our other two texts Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Apostles of Disunion: Southern Secession Commissioners and the Causes of the Civil War by Charles B. Dew need to be purchased in hardcopy (or e-book) form. If you are struggling to afford your book purchases please talk to me privately. All other readings will be available for free online.

Late Work

Many of our assignments are due on a rolling basis to allow for flexibility. The only assignments that do not fit this category are the midterm exam, the timeline assignment, and the quizzes. These assignments need to be completed on time unless you have an emergency. For late quizzes, document analyses, essays, or timelines I will deduct 10% for every day it is late. The midterm cannot be made up unless you have received a documented extension from me ahead of the exam.

Extensions: Shit happens – and I get that. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, life is stressful, and I believe in flexibility. Therefore, if you need an extension on an assignment just ask. For most assignments, I’m more than likely to grant it. My only criteria is that you ask ahead of the due date. You can exercise the extension clause once during the semester. If you are out with COVID for an extended period and need to miss an assignment, we’ll make special arrangements catered to your circumstances.

Technology in Class

You are welcome to use a personal device such as a laptop, phone, or tablet to take notes during class. You may find it useful to have the course readings accessible during class. However, if the device becomes a distraction and you are doing other things on it I will ask you to take notes by hand instead.

In at least one class session we’ll use an online tool to learn to make timelines. You’ll need a laptop or tablet for this class however if you don’t have access to one talk to me before class and we’ll set you up with a rental from the library.

A note on laptops for taking notes. While you are welcome to use your laptop to take notes in class, I would encourage you not to do so. Studies have found that students who take notes by hand are better able to conceptually recall information later compared to those who typed notes. During class you may want to use your laptop to open the lecture slides at your desk, pull up the readings, etc but I’d encourage you to refrain from using your laptop to type notes.

Classroom Conduct

In order to learn, we must be open to the views of people different from ourselves. In the time we share together over the semester, please honor the uniqueness of your fellow classmates and appreciate the opportunity we have to learn from one another. Please respect each others’ opinions and refrain from personal attacks or demeaning comments of any kind. Anyone who engages in hostile or antagonistic rhetoric will be asked to leave the classroom immediately.

Academic Integrity

As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson’s vision of this institution as a “high seminary of learning.” Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.

All infractions of academic dishonesty by undergraduates must be reported to Undergraduate Studies for resolution through that office. In cases of plagiarism instructors may use the Plagiarism Resolution Form.

See the Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy website for additional information and the current catalogue for the policy.

Please keep in mind that if you are copying and pasting text that you did not write yourself, you might be plagiarizing. If you are using copied text, whether pasted or retyped manually, you must be sure to accurately cite the information. Text is accurately cited when: 1) pasted text is surrounded by quotation marks or offset as a block quote and 2) the pasted text is attributed to its author and source and 3) the pasted text is cited in a footnote, endnote, or bibliography.

Student Accessibility Services

Clemson University values the diversity of our student body as a strength and a critical component of our dynamic community. Students with disabilities or temporary injuries/conditions may require accommodations due to barriers in the structure of facilities, course design, technology used for curricular purposes, or other campus resources. Students who experience a barrier to full access to this class should let the instructor know and make an appointment to meet with a staff member in Student Accessibility Services as soon as possible. You can make an appointment by calling 864-656-6848, by emailing studentaccess@lists.clemson.edu, or by visiting Suite 239 in the Academic Success Center building. Appointments are strongly encouraged – drop-ins will be seen if at all possible, but there could be a significant wait due to scheduled appointments. Students who have accommodations are strongly encouraged to request, obtain and send these to their instructors through their AIM portal as early in the semester as possible so that accommodations can be made in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to follow this process each semester.
You can access further information at the Student Accessibility website. Other information is at the university’s Accessibility Portal.

Commitment to Diversity

“Clemson University aspires to create a diverse community that welcomes people of different races, cultures, ages, genders, sexual orientation, religions, socioeconomic levels, political perspectives, abilities, opinions, values and experiences.
" - The Clemson University Title IX statement regarding non-discrimination

Clemson University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information or protected activity in employment, educational programs and activities, admissions and financial aid. This includes a prohibition against sexual harassment and sexual violence as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This Title IX policy is located on the Campus Life website. Ms. Alesia Smith is the Clemson University Title IX Coordinator, and the Executive Director of Equity Compliance. Her office is located at 223 Brackett Hall, 864.656.0620. Remember, email is not a fully secured method of communication and should not be used to discuss Title IX issues.

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency procedures have been posted in all buildings and on all elevators. Students should be reminded to review these procedures for their own safety. All students and employees should be familiar with guidelines from the Clemson Police Department. Visit here for information about safety.

Clemson University is committed to providing a safe campus environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. As members of the community, we encourage you to take the following actions to be better prepared in case of an emergency:

• Ensure you are signed up for emergency alerts
• Download the Rave Guardian app to your phone (https://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/cupd/rave-guardian/)
• Learn what you can do to prepare yourself in the event of an active threat (http://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/EmergencyManagement/)

Schedule

Jump to: February | March | April | May

Note: Unless stated otherwise, all reading should be completed before class for the day that it is listed.

Thursday, January 13th

• Introductions & Course Overview
• After class:
  • Read the syllabus!
  • Introduce yourself in the Canvas discussion board.
  • Sign up for dates on the Document Analysis Sign Up Sheet and the Essay Sign Up sheet. (See canvas for the links). You have until Sunday at 11:59pm to sign up. After that, anyone who has not signed up will be randomly assigned.
  • If you haven’t already, fill out the Student Survey.

Tuesday, January 18th

• Topics:
  • America: Discovered? Invented? Invaded?
  • What are primary sources and how do historians engage with them?
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 1, I-II.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Native American Creation Stories.
    • Journal of Christopher Columbus.

Thursday, January 20th

• America: Discovered? Invented? Invaded? Part 2
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 1, III-V.
  • Primary Sources:
    • An Aztec Account of the Spanish Attack.
    • Excerpt, “All Over the Land Nothing Else Was Spoken Of:” Cabeza de Vaca Takes Up Residence as a Medicine Man in the Southwest, 1530s. from History Matters.
    • Bartolome de las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, from The National Humanities Center.

Tuesday, January 25th

• Topics:
  • North American Colonization
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 2, I-III.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Richard Hakluyt makes the case for English colonization, 1584.
    • John Lawson encounters Native Americans, 1709.

Thursday, January 27th

• Topics:
  • The Queen’s Colonies
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 2, IV-V.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Song about life in Virginia.
    • Recruiting settlers to Carolina, 1666.
    • Letter from Carolina, 1682.

Tuesday, February 1st

• Topics:
  • Slavery & the Making of Race in America
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 3, II.
  • “Angela’s Exodus Out of Africa, 1619-1760,” in A Black Women’s History of the United States (on Canvas).
  • Primary Sources:
    • Print of Slave Ship Brookes, 1789.
    • Olaudah Equiano describes the Middle Passage,, 1789. (This reading fulfills part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)

Thursday, February 3rd

• Topics:
  • Colonial Society
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 3,, V.
  • Yawp, Chapter 4,, I-II, IV.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Boston trader Sara Knight on her travels in Connecticut, 1704..
    • Eliza Lucas letters, 1740-41.

Tuesday, February 8th

• Topics:
  • Women & Gender in Colonial America
• Reading:
  • Philippe Halbert, “Early American Women Unmasked,” The Junto, May 5, 2020.
  • Dunbar, Never Caught, Chapters 1-3.

Thursday, February 10th

• Update: Class for February 10th is cancelled. Instead you should view The War that Made America, Part 1 on YouTube and complete the assignment listed on canvas. Document analyses are still due before the start of our class period.
• Topics:
  • The Long Road to Revolution, Part 1
  • The 7 Years War & Pontiacs Rebellion
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 4,, V & VI.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Extracts from Gibson Clough’s War Journal, 1759.
    • Pontiac Calls for War, 1763.
    • Alibamo Mingo, Choctaw leader, Reflects on the British and French, 1765.

Tuesday, February 15th

• Topics:
  • The Long Road to Revolution, Part 2
  • Colonial Unrest & Causes of the War
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 5, I-III.
  • Except from Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party & the Making of America by Benjamin L. Carp (on canvas).
  • Primary Sources:
    • George R.T. Hewes, A Retrospect on the Boston Tea Party.

Thursday, February 17th

• Topics:
  • The Long Road to Revolution, Part 3
  • Breaking up with Britain: The Declaration of Independence
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 5, IV-V.
  • Primary Sources: (read in order)
    • Thomas Payne Calls for Independence.
    • Abigail and John Adams Converse About Women’s Rights.
    • Declaration of Independence. (This reading fulfills part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)

Tuesday, February 22nd

• Topics:
  • The American Revolution & its Aftermath
• Reading:
  • Dunbar, Never Caught, Chapters 4-6.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Petitions of Slaves to the Massachusetts Legislature (1777).
    • Hector St. Jean de Crèvecœur Describes the American people,, 1782.
    • A Confederation of Native peoples seek peace with the United States,, 1786.

Thursday, February 24th

• Topics:
  • What Comes Next? Creating a Nation and Government
  • The U.S. Constitution
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 6, I-V.
  • Primary Sources:
    • The United States Constitution.
    • Federalist Papers:
      • 1: General Introduction.
      • 9: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection.
      • 10: The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection.
      • 68: The Mode of Electing the President.
      • 84: Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered.
    • Bill of Rights (constitutional amendments nos.1-10).
    • (These readings fulfill part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)

Tuesday, March 1st

• Topics:
  • Slavery: The American Paradox
• Reading:
  • Excerpt Finkleman, Slavery and the Founders (see canvas).
  • Dunbar, Never Caught, Chapters 7-9.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Thomas Jefferson’s Racism,, 1788.
    • Black scientist Benjamin Banneker demonstrates Black intelligence to Jefferson 1791,.

Thursday, March 3rd

• Topics:
  • The New Nation
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 6, VI-IX.
  • Dunbar, Never Caught, Chapters 10-12.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Washington’s farewell letter.
    • Mary Smith Cranch comments on Politics.
    • Abigail Bailey escapes an abusive relationship,.

Tuesday, March 8th

• Topics:
  • Revolution of 1800
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 6, X.
  • Dunbar, Never Caught, 13-Epilogue.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Alexander Hamilton to Harrison Gray Otis, December 23, 1800..
    • “On the Election of the President,” The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser. (Washington City [D.C.]), December 24, 1800..

Thursday, March 10th

• Topics:
  • The Market Revolution
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 8, I-IV.
  • Primary Sources:
    • James Madison asks Congress to support internal improvements, 1815.
    • A traveler describes life along the Erie Canal, 1829.
    • Blacksmith apprentice contract, 1836.

Tuesday, March 15th

• Topics:
  • Learn to make a timeline with timeline.js.
  • Important! For this class:
    • Please bring a laptop or tablet to class so you can follow along and begin to build your timeline.
    • You’ll need a google account if you don’t already have one.
  • Midterm Review.
• Before Class:
  • Watch the Timeline.js Introductory Video and read “Make a Timeline”.

Thursday, March 17th

• Midterm

Tuesday, March 22nd & Thursday, March 24th

Spring Break.

Tuesday, March 29th

• Topics:
  • Democracy & Jacksonian America
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 9 (all).
  • Primary Sources:
    • Missouri Controversy Documents, 1819-1920.
    • Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” 1852. (This reading fulfills part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)
    • Read all of the primary sources above and one of the following:
      • Rhode Islanders protest property restrictions on voting, 1834.
      • Black Philadelphians defend their voting rights, 1838.

Thursday, March 31st

• Topics:
  • Religion, Gender, & Reform
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 10 (all).
  • Primary Sources:
    • Angelina Grimké, Appeal to Christian Women of the South, 1836.
    • Sarah Grimké calls for women’s rights, 1838.
    • Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls, 1848.
• Never Caught essays DUE by 11:59pm.

Tuesday, April 5th

• Topics:
  • Life in the Old South
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 11, all.
  • Read Mapping the Spread of American Slavery by Lincoln Mullen and then explore Mullen’s The Spread of U.S. Slavery 1790-1860.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Nat Turner Explains His Rebellion, 1831. (This reading fulfills part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)
    • Harriet Jacobs on rape and slavery, 1860.
    • Solomon Northup describes a slave market, 1841. (This reading fulfills part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)
    • George Fitzhugh argues that slavery is better than liberty and equality, 1854.

Thursday, April 7th

• Topics:
  • Guest lecture/tour: Slavery at Clemson - The Woodland Cemetary

Tuesday, April 12th

• Topics:
  • Manifest Destiny & Westward Expansion
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 12 (all).
  • Play: The Oregon Trail.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Cherokee petition protesting removal, 1836.
    • John O’Sullivan declares America’s manifest destiny, 1845.
    • Diary of a woman migrating to Oregon, 1853.

Thursday, April 14th

• Topics:
  • Sectional Crisis
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 13(all) and Chapter 4.
    • Dew, Apostles of Disunion, Introduction and Chapters 1-2.
    • Primary Sources:
      • Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852.
      • 1860 Republican Party Platform.
      • South Carolina declaration of secession.

Tuesday, April 19th

• Topics:
  • Secession Crisis
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 14, I-II
  • Dew, Apostles of Disunion, Chapters 3-5 and Conclusion.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Alexander Stephens on slavery and the Confederate constitution, 1861.

Thursday, April 21st

• Topics:
  • The Civil War
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 14, III.
  • Primary sources:
    • (This week read 3 of the following 5 sources.)
    • General Benjamin F. Butler reacts to self-emancipation, 1861.
    • William Henry Singleton, a formerly enslaved man, recalls fighting for the Union, 1922.
    • Poem about Civil War nurses, 1866
    • Civil War Songs.
    • Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, 1865.

Tuesday, April 26th

• Apostles of Disunion essays DUE by 11:59pm.
• Topics:
  • Emancipation
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 14, IV-V.
  • Annette Gordon Reed, Between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July in The New York Times, July 4, 2021.
  • Primary Sources:
    • Emancipation Proclamation. (This reading fulfills part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)
    • Juneteenth Orders.

Thursday, April 28th

• Topics:
  • Reconstruction
• Reading:
  • Yawp, Chapter 15, (all).
  • Excerpt from Eric Foner’s The Second Founding.
  • Primary Sources:
    • The Reconstruction Amendments:
      • 13th Amendment.
      • 14th Amendment.
      • 15th Amendment.
    • Constitutional Amendments 16-27
      • (These readings fulfill part of South Carolina’s REACH Act.)
    • Mississippi Black Code, 1865.
    • Jourdon Anderson writes his former enslaver, 1865.

Finals Week

• Your final project (your timeline) is however due on the day of our scheduled final exam period. Since there is no formal exam, there is no need to come to class.
  • For section 003 (T/TH 8:00-9:15am) - your timelines are due Monday, May 2nd by 11:59pm.
  • For section 004 (T/TH 12:30-1:45pm) - your timelines are due Friday, May 6th by 11:59pm.