HISTORY 4017
The Beginnings of America
Dr. Schmitt
Brief Description of the Course: This course is a study of earliest contacts between Europeans and Americans, the establishment of European settlements in America, and the development of colonies in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Textbooks: The paperbacks required for this course are:
James Axtell, Beyond 1492
Gary Nash, Red, White, and Black
Edmund S. Morgan, The Puritan Dilemma
Arthur Miller, The Crucible
Attendance: Attendance will be taken and recorded. Good attendance is encouraged because it tends to improve one's performance on tests. Students are responsible for all information discussed in class and are also expected to be on time and to conduct themselves with decorum and courtesy in the classroom.
Advisement:
Office: 204 Rogers-Stout
Phone: 439-6698
Office hours: 9:15-10:15, 11:30-12:30 MWF, and by appointment
e-mail: Schmittd@etsu.edu
Term Paper: Each student will be required to write a research paper on some aspect of the Revolutionary period of interest to you. The paper should use both primary and secondary sources and include footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography. Your topic should be chosen in consultation with the instructor. The first draft of your paper, which will be reviewed and commented upon by the instructor and then returned for revision, will be due in Week 9 of the semester. The final draft should be 10-15 typed pages and will be due in Week 14 of the semester.
Book Reviews: Two book reviews of 4-5 typed pages each will be due during the semester. Spelling and grammar should be perfect. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. A list of acceptable outside readings will be posted. Since only one student will be allowed for each book, make your choice as soon as possible. Substitutions can be made if prior approval is secured from the instructor. Due dates will be announced in class.
Exams: There will be three exams, the last of which will be during the regularly scheduled final exam period. The exams will be combinations of long essay, short essay, and identifications. Spelling and grammar at a college level is expected. All make-ups will be given during the final week of class.
Grading Scale:
| A: 92.0-100 |
B-: 80.0-81.9 |
D+: 68.0-69.9 |
| A-: 90.0-91.9
| C+: 78.0-79.9
| D: 60.0-67.0
|
| B+: 88.0-89.9
| C: 72.0-77.9
| F: 00.0-59.9
|
| B: 82.0-87.9
| C-70.0-71.9
|
Final Grade: The final grade will be determined by the following formula:
| 50% - test scores
| 25% - book reviews
| 25% - term paper
|
Accomodation: If there is any student in the clas who has need for test-taking or note-taking accomodation, please feel free to discuss this with me.
Course Outline
Week 1: Introduction and Age of Exploration
Week 2: Native america before the Encounter
Week 3: The Clash of Cultures: Europeans in America
Week 4: The founding of Virginia and the Early South First Book Review Due
Week 5: Indians, Tobacco, and Bacon's Rebellion, First Examination
Week 6: The English Commercial Empire
Week 7: Rise of Puritanism and Founding of New England, Second Book Review Due
Week 8: Puritan Culture and Communities
Week 9: The Expansion of New England, First Draft of the Term Paper Due
Week 10: The English Restoration and the American Colonies, Second Examination
Week 11: The Frontier in America
Week 12: Witchcraft and the Decline of New England Puritanism
Week 13: The Glorious Revolution and the American Colonies
Week 14: The Middle Colonies: New York and Pennsylvania
Week 15: Toward the 18th Century: America in 1700
Week 16: Final Examination