History 161
U.S. History to 1865


Fall 2007                           
M W 9:00am-9:50am                       
Hochstetter 114                       

Prof. Erik Seeman
seeman@buffalo.edu  
Park 534, 645-2181 x534         
Office hours: Mon 1-3                 

Goals:  This course will provide students with a foundation for better understanding the origins of the country in which we live.  Many of the themes that we will cover in this class are themes that resonate throughout the history of America to the present day:  the interactions--sometimes cooperative, sometimes conflictual--among people of different races and ethnicities; the growth of a society in which religion plays a central role; the creation of a distinctly American form of government in which ordinary people have a say; and the place of the family in negotiating changes occurring in the workplace and economy.  At the same time that students are learning about early America they will also be working to improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Assignments:  There are several assignments required of students in addition to attending lecture and participating in weekly discussion sections:  two three-page papers; ten Going to the Source charts; a midterm; and a final exam.  

The Going to the Source charts are found in each chapter of that book and must be submitted in recitation.  They will be graded either as “check” (acceptable) or “check minus” (unacceptable).  Each “check” is worth one point toward the possible total of ten.  Because these charts will be used to encourage class participation, a student who submits six or fewer will get no higher than a D for class participation, and a student who submits four or fewer will get an F for class participation.

UB Learns:  Go to the UB Learns page for study questions and other handouts, the syllabus, and links to other history web pages.

Grading:  Note that because participation in section discussion is very important, it will count for 20% of your final grade.

    Class participation:                 20%
    Going to the Source charts:    10% total (1% each)
    Three-page papers:                10% each
    Midterm:                                15%
    Final exam:                            35%

Plagiarism Policy:  According to the UB Undergraduate Catalog, "Students are responsible for the independent and honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others' academic endeavors.  By placing their name on academic work, students certify the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments."  A student found to be in violation of these guidelines will receive a sanction appropriate to the severity of the infraction, up to and including receiving an "F" for the course.

Readings:  The following books may be purchased at the University Bookstore and are available on reserve at the Undergraduate Library.  There are also two required articles on the web.  These are labelled "BISON" and can be downloaded for free at any campus library through the UB Library online course reserve system.

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty:  An American History, vol. 1, Seagull Edition (New York, 2006), ISBN 0-393-92783-0

Victoria Bissell Brown and Timothy J. Shannon, Going to the Source:  The Bedford Reader in American History, vol. 1 to 1877 (Boston, 2004), ISBN 0-312-40204-X

Richard Godbeer, Escaping Salem:  The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 (New York, 2005)

Hannah W. Foster, The Coquette, ed. Cathy N. Davidson (New York, 1986)


Week One:  Before Contact

Aug. 27:  Introduction

Aug. 29:  American Indian Societies

Readings:  Foner, 1-10


Week Two:  Old World Interactions

Sept. 3:  no lecture – Labor Day

Sept. 5:  Portugal and Africa

Readings:  Going to the Source, ch. 1


Week Three:  Early Exploration

Sept. 10:  Spanish and French Empires

Sept. 12:  English Colonization

Readings: Going to the Source, ch. 2
Foner, 10-35


Week Four: The Chesapeake

Sept. 17: Life and Death in the Chesapeake

Sept. 19: Transition to Slavery

Readings: T.H. Breen and Stephen Innes, “Patriarch on Pungoteague Creek” (BISON)
Foner, 36-54


Week Five:  New England

Sept. 24:  Puritans and Indians

Sept. 26:  Women and Witchcraft
Three-page paper due in lecture

Readings:  Godbeer, Escaping Salem
Foner, 54-70


Week Six:  Convergences

Oct. 1:  Middle Colonies

Oct. 3:  Convergence of American Regions

Readings:  Going to the Source, ch. 3
Foner, ch. 3


Week Seven:  Precursors to Revolution

Oct. 8:  Revivalism and Enlightenment

Oct. 10:  Seven Years War and Imperial Crisis

Readings:  Going to the Source, ch. 4
Foner, ch. 4


Week Eight:  Revolution

Oct. 15:  Ideals of 1776

Oct. 17:  Midterm

Readings:  Going to the Source, ch. 5
Declaration of Independence, Foner A35-A38
Foner, ch. 5 and 6


Week Nine:  Constitutions

Oct. 22:  State Constitutions

Oct. 24:  U.S. Constitution and Ratification

Readings:  Going to the Source, ch. 7
James Madison, Federalist Papers 10 and 51 (BISON)
U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, Foner A39-A49
Foner, ch. 7


Week Ten:  Early Republic

Oct. 29:  Gender and Virtue

Oct. 31:  Politics and War
Three-page paper due in lecture

Readings:  Foster, The Coquette
Foner, chs. 8 and 9


Week Eleven:  The North

Nov. 5:  Industrialization

Nov. 7:  Revival and Reform

Readings: Going to the Source, ch. 11
Foner, chs. 10 and 12


Week Twelve:  The South

Nov. 12:  Slaves and Slavery

Nov. 13:  Masters and Poor Whites

Readings: Going to the Source, ch. 9
Foner, ch. 11


Week Thirteen:  Jacksonian Era

Nov. 19:  Democracy and Land

Nov. 22:  no lecture – Thanksgiving break

Readings:  none


Week Fourteen:  The 1850s

Nov. 26:  Crisis

Nov. 28:  The Road to Disunion

Readings: Going to the Source, ch. 12
Foner, ch. 13


Week Fifteen:  War

Dec. 3:  The Civil War

Dec. 5:  War and Society

Readings: Going to the Source, ch. 13
Foner, ch. 14


Final Exam:  TBA (sometime during exam period, Dec. 11 to 18)
Students are responsible for being available on all possible exam dates.