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History 120-Foundations of the American Republic
Focus Expectations On-Campus Resources Texts World Wide Web Resources Day by Day Schedule

»Focus
In this course we examine the origins of American society and development from Discovery to 1877, devoting attention to the rise of an underdeveloped new country into a powerful national entity. Techniques of reading and written analysis of documents will be emphasized.
»Expectations

History 120 is centered around a series of readings that have been carefully selected. All of the assigned texts are available at the College's bookstore in Commons. Classroom meetings--with your cooperation and support--be primarily based upon discussion.

We meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays,11:00-11:50 AM in YO-423. Class sessions will combine lectures with discussions. STUDENTS SHOULD READ THE ASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED SESSION.

»Attendance is required. Students missing more than three sessions (except in circumstances of a legitimate nature) may be penalized a letter grade in their final average. This could prove especially perilous for those on a borderline between grades. Attendance is taken at the start of every class meeting.

»Participation in discussion is encouraged, but no grade is assigned.

»Written exercises of various types (see table) will be the basis of evaluation. Make-up dates for missed quizzes or examinations will not be scheduled, except in extenuating medical circumstances; unexcused absentees will receive a zero (rather than an F, which is worth 58 points).

Evaluation
Exercises
Percentage
Due Dates
28 one-page papers
28%
as listed below
2 four-page essays
25%
9/? and 11/?at 11:00 AM
1 mid-term exam
21%
Oct. 20 & Oct. 21 at 11:00 AM
1 final exam
26%
Dec. 12 (F) at 8:00 AM
PLEASE NOTE EARLY STARTING TIME.

Please make your vacation travel plans early, noting that the mid-term examination is scheduled for October 20 and October 21. The final examination time and date, December the 12 from 8:00 to 11:30 AM, is established by the Registrar. You must take the final examination at this time; special arrangements cannot be made.


Penalties for late assignments will be specified, in writing, when the assignment is distributed.

Office Hours- Young 514

No appointment needed; please stop in during the following times ...
MONDAYS: 4:00-4:45 PM
TUESDAYS: Noon-12:30 PM
FRIDAY: Noon-12:30 PM

If you wish to schedule an appointment at another time, you are encouraged and welcomed to do so.

You may call me at Ext. 5135 or e-mail me at ebner@lfc.edu.

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»On-Campus Resources
These are two free on-campus resources to help you achieve academic success

»The Campus Writing Center is situated in Room # 14 of Carnegie Hall (Lower Level). A peer tutor can consult with you--only by advanced appointment--at any point in the writing process--from analyzing an assignment and formulating ideas to revising and editing a rough draft. To schedule your appointment, please call x 5233.

»The Learning and Teaching Center, situated in Room # 2 of the Science Library, assists students (individually and always confidently) wishing to develop strategies or build skills for more effective learning. To schedule your appointment with the Center’s director--Professor Goluboff--please call x 5167.

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»Assigned Texts
Edward Ayers et al., American Passages, A History of the United States, Vol. 1 (Harcourt College Publishers, 2003.)
Bibliobase Custom Coursepack for History (Houghton Mifflin, 2003).
John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America (Vintage, 1994).
Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation (Vintage, 2000).
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, edited with an introduction by David W. Blight (Bedford, 1993).
Gary Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg, The Words That Remade America (Simon & Schuster, 1992).
Your electronic link to Ayers textbook:
http://www.harcourtcollege.com/history/ayers
username: student
password: 4july1776
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»World Wide Web Resources
Professor Ebner's web page
A powerful, all-purpose search engine
Extensive links to primary sources in American history
American Memory Project of The Library of Congress
Maps for American History
Electronic guide to studying the 41 presidents of the United States
Several exhibitions at the Chicago Historical Society on American history thru 1877
Extensive links to resources for studying history globally
Another comprehensive list of web sites, from Princeton University, for historical research
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»Day by Day Class Schedule
Week 1
Week 3
Week 5
Week 7
Week 9
Week 11
Week 13
Week 15
Week 2
Week 4
Week 6
Week 8
Week 10
Week 12
Week 14
Week 16
Week 1
Day
Topic
Readings
TH August 28
Introduction
 
F August 29
Why study history?
PAPER # 1 DUE
American Passages, xi
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Week 2
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Sept. 2
Columbus and the discovery question
PAPER # 2 DUE
Biblo # 1 (Columbus)
American Passages, 7-38
TH Sept. 4
Native Americans & Europeans
PAPER # 3 DUE
Demos, xi-99
F Sept. 5
New England: The Puritans
PAPER # 4 DUE
American Passages, 52-73
Demos, 100-252
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Week 3
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Sept. 9
The Middle Colonies
PAPER # 5 DUE
American Passages, 40-44
Biblio #2 (Mayflower)
TH Sept. 11
The South: Origins of Slavery & Racism
PAPER # 6 DUE
Biblio #3 (Slave Laws)
American Passages, 45-52
F Sept. 12
Colonial Wars & Politics
PAPER # 7 DUE
Biblio # 4 (Albany)
American Passages, 74-107
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Week 4
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Sept. 16
American Revolution
PAPER # 8 DUE
Biblio # 5 (Delcaratory Act)
Biblio # 6 (Rights of Colonists)
Biblio # 7 (Parliamentary)
Biblio # 8 (Decl. of Rebellion)
Biblio # 9 (CommonSnse)
Biblio # 10 (Recruiting an Army)
Biblio # 11 (Intimate Rebellion)
Biblio # 12 (Jefferson on Slavery)
TH Sept. 18
Constitution
PAPER # 9 DUE
Biblio # 13 (NW Ordinance)
Biblio # 14 (Fedrlst Papers)
American Passages, 108-87
F Sept. 19
George Washington
PAPER # 10 DUE
Biblio # 15 (Farewell Address)
American Passages, 188-234
Founding Brothers, 3-80
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Week 5
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Sept. 23
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson
Biblio #16 (Jefferson)
American Passages, 234-75
Founding Brothers, 81-162
TH Sept. 25
Founding Brothers
ESSAY #1 DUE
Founding Brothers, 162-248
F Sept. 26
SESSION DEVOTED TO WRITING EFFECTIVELY
Leading today’s class is Professor Gallagher, Director of the Writing Center
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Week 6
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Sept. 30
The War of 1812
PAPER # 11 DUE
Biblio # 18 (Debating)
American Passages,275-99
TH Oct. 2
The Industrial Revolution Unfolding
PAPER # 12 DUE
Biblio # 17 (Cordwainers)
Biblio # 26 (Davy Crockett’s)
Biblio # 28 (Dangers)
Biblio # 31 (Lowell)
American Passages, 299-311
F Oct. 3
Jackson and Indian Removal
PAPER # 13 DUE
Biblio # 22 (To the People of ...)
American Passages, 311-37
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Week 7
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Oct. 7
American Slavery
PAPER # 14 DUE
Narrative, 1-145
Biblio # 23 (Turner)
Biblio # 25 (Pro-Slave)
TH Oct. 9
Women's sphere
PAPER # 15 DUE
Biblio # 21 (Rules for Wives)
Biblio # 29 (Evils of Female ...)
Biblio # 32 (Declaration of ...)
American Passages, 400-03
F Oct. 10
Urbanization
Biblio # 27 (Democracy in ...)
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Week 8
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Oct. 14
Review session

»PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE«

As you make your travel plans for fall break,
be sure that you note the dates for the mid-term exam!

»No exam make-up dates.«

TH Oct. 16
MID-TERM EXAM
SESSION I
F Oct. 17
MID-TERM EXAM
SESSION II
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Week 9
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Oct. 21
Mid-term break
No class today!
TH Oct. 23
Abolitionists: Saints and Fanatics
PAPER # 16 DUE
Biblio # 24 (Garrison)
American Passages, 337-43
F Oct. 24
Political Divisions
PAPER # 17 DUE
Biblio # 20 (South Carolina)
American Passages, 343-55
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Week 10
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Oct. 28
Westward Expansion
PAPER # 18 DUE
Biblio # 19 (Monroe)
Biblio # 30 (Manifest)
TH October 30
Immigration and Ethnicity
PAPER # 19 DUE
American Passages, 391-400
F October 31
Mexican War
PAPER # 2O DUE
Biblio # 33 (Lincoln)
American Passages, 386-91
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Week 11
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Nov. 4
Slavery, John Brown, and "Bloody Kansas"
PAPER # 21 DUE
Biblio # 34 (Fugitive)
Biblio # 35 (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
American Passages, 409-11
TH Nov. 6
Founding the Republican Party
PAPER # 22 DUE
Biblio # 36 (Scott)
American Passages, 411-19
F Nov. 7
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
PAPER # 23 DUE
Biblio # 37 (Debates)
American Passages, 426-46
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Week 12
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Nov. 11
The various Abraham Lincolns
PAPER # 24 DUE
American Passages, 447-50
TH Nov. 13
Abraham Lincoln and Southern Secession
PAPER # 25 DUE
American Passages, 450-70
F Nov. 14
The Confederate Perspective
PAPER # 26 DUE
Biblio #38 (Confed)
Biblio #41 (Battle of)
American Passages,471-80
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Week 13
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Nov. 18
The Meanings of the Civil War
PAPER # 27 DUE
American Passages, 471-93
Biblio # 40 (EmancpPro)
TH Nov. 20
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (1863)
Wills, complete
F Nov. 21
Violence and racism in the North
ESSAY #2 DUE
Biblio # 39 (Riots)
American Passages, 494-506

 

FIELD STUDY: AN EXHIBITION ENTITLED
A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln
THE CHICAGO HISTORY SOCIETY
http//www.chicagohistory.org

»Attendance required«
Saturday, November 22
Free transportation, free admission and free guided tour, all courtesy of the Chicago Outreach Program of Lake Forest College


Bus will depart from parking lot adjacent to Commons at 1:00 PM and will return to campus not later than 5:00 pm.

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Week 14
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Nov. 25
Reconstruction as it might have been
Biblio # 42 (Plan)
Biblio # 43 (Assasin)
Biblio # 44 (Negotiate)
TH Nov. 27
Thanksgiving
 
F Nov. 28
Thanksgiving Break
 
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Week 15
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Dec. 2
Reconstruction as it was
Biblio # 45 (Race Riot)
Biblio # 46 (Vcksbrg)
American Passages, 506-33
TH Dec. 4
The United States in the 1870s
American Passages, 534-67
F Dec. 5
Looking Forward
Biblio # 47 (Plessy)
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Week 16
Day
Topic
Readings
TU Dec. 9
Why study history?
PAPER # 28 DUE
 

 

FINAL EXAMINATION: 12/13 (Friday)
8:00-11:30 AM
»Please note earlier than usual starting time for this exam.«

Home | Biography | Courses | Publications | Theses Directed | Recomended Readings | Links | Image Library | McRAH
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Site Created By Rebecca Roberts '06, July 2003 Last Updated 6.15.2004 by Aayush Sakya '06 Contributors: Rebecca Miller, A manda MacKinnon '03, and Aayush Sakya '06.