PROFESSOR BRANNON

Office hours: T, Th 11:00-12:00
Bishop 318
915-6945

SPRING 2008

History 105: American History Through 1877
Section 1, Tues. and Thurs. 8 AM (Bishop 101)
Section 3, Tues. and Thurs. 9:30 AM (Bishop 103)

Professor: Rebecca Brannon Office: 318 Bishop (History)
Office Phone: 915-6945 Mailbox: 310 Bishop (History)
brannon@olemiss.edu Office Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 11 AM-
noon, and by appointment

Course Description: This course will use both lectures and group discussion to advance our understanding of the political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. We will focus on integrating facts and interpretations to understand the broad canvas of American history. Important themes include the role of the colonies in the broader Atlantic world (how America fit into the big picture), the growth of slavery in the New World and its effect on American development, the American Revolution and the changes it wrought, American growth and the expansion of American power, and the coming of the American Civil War.

Required Readings (available at Ole Miss Bookstore):

Mary Beth Norton, et al, A People and a Nation: A History of the United States to 1877, vol. 1 (7th ed.; Boston, 2005) [paperback]
Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, ed., Major Problems in American History, vol. 1 to 1877 (New York, 2006)
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, ed. John W. Blassingame, John R. McKivigan, and Peter Hinks (New Haven, Conn., 2001)—I am flexible on edition.

Reading is always due by the first class meeting of the week unless instructed otherwise.

DATES TOPICS READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS
Jan. 17, 22, 24 Introduction, Meso-America and Conquest, Jamestown Norton, Chpt. 1 (quick review for missed points in lecture)
Christopher Columbus (MP 5), Fray Bernardino de Sahagun (MP 7), Father Bartolome de Las Casas (MP 8), William Wood (MP, 13)
Note on How Readings are Listed—Norton is the author of your textbook. I list those readings by chapter. For readings in the Major Problems book, I list the author/speaker/person named in the description and then give you the first page on which the reading appears.
Jan. 29, 31 Founding British Colonies, Early Regional Differences Norton, Chpt. 2 and 3
Richard Frethorne (MP 34), George Alsop (MP 36), William Bradford (MP 68), Mary Rowlandson (MP 69)
Feb. 5, 7 Life in 17th and 18th Century America, Bacon’s Rebellion, Witchcraft in Salem Quiz # 1 Due Feb. 8 by 5 PM (Blackboard Quiz)
Norton, Chpt. 4
Mass. Officials on Salem (MP 72), Rev. Jonathan Edwards (MP 74), Nathaniel Bacon (MP 37)

Feb. 12, 14 Slavery in Colonial Societies, Life in 18th C America, Seven Years War Virginia’s Statutes on Slaves (MP 39), William Byrd (MP 41), Olaudah Equiano (MP 42)
Feb. 19, 21 Coming of the American Revolution Quiz # 2 Due Feb. 22 by 5 PM
Norton, Chpt. 5
Stamp Act Congress (MP 98), Patrick Henry (MP 99), Thomas Paine (MP 100), Declaration of Independence (MP 104)
Feb. 26, 28 American Revolution Midterm Exam Feb. 28—Bring bluebook.
Norton, Chpt. 6 and 7
Abigail Adams (MP 102), African Americans’ Petition (MP 107), General Washington (MP 108)
Mar. 4, 6 Creating a Constitution and Organizing a New Government Norton, Chpt. 8
Cato (MP 128), Thomas Jefferson (MP 131), The Federalist Papers (MP 134)
Enjoy Spring Break!
Mar. 18, 20 Early National, Jacksonian America, Native American Removal Norton, Chpt. 9, Chpt. 11
George Washington (MP 187), Cherokee Nation (MP 197)
Mar. 25, 27 Second Great Awakening, Industrialization Quiz # 3 Due Mar. 28 by 5 PM
Norton, Chpt. 10
Harriet Hanson Robinson (MP 221), William Lloyd Garrison (MP 279), Dorothea Dix (MP 282), Seneca Falls Convention (MP 283), Sojourner Truth (MP 285)
April 1, 3 Antebellum Slavery Frederick Douglass, pgs. xxv-xxxii (Introduction), 3-86
Norton, Chpt. 13
NC Slave Code (MP 337), Harriet Jacobs (MP 345), Mary Chestnut MP 346)
April 8, 10 Westward Expansion and Migration, The Road to Disunion Paper Due in Class April 10
Norton, pgs. 290-294, Chpt. 12
John L. O’Sullivan (MP 255), Walter Colton (MP 256), Frederick Douglass (MP 364), Chief Justice Roger Taney (MP 370)
April 15, 17 The Road to Disunion, Civil War Quiz # 4 Due April 18 by 5 PM
Norton, Chpt. 14
John Brown (MP 375), James Henry Gooding (MP 397), Tally Simpson (MP 399), Abraham Lincoln (MP 401)
April 22, 24 Civil War Norton, Chpt. 15
Sidney Andrews (MP 403)
April 29, May 1 Reconstruction Quiz # 5 Due May 2 by 5 PM
Norton, Chtp. 16
African American Ex-Slaves (MP 424), Louisiana Black Codes (MP 426), 14th and 15th Amendments (MP 432)
May 6, 8 Final Exam Section 1: Final Tues. May 6, 8 AM-noon
Section 3: Final Thurs. May 8, 8 AM-noon

Class Rules: You may bring drinks to class, but please refrain from eating. You may use a laptop in class, but I ask that you use them responsibly (no emailing, web surfing, etc.). Please silence all cell phones before class, and please do not use them, even to send a brief text message. I reserve the right to ask you to leave class for infractions.

Attendance Policy: You should regard attendance as important to your success in this class. With that said, I am not interested in playing nanny about excuses for missing class, nor do I want you in class in body but not with your mind. Sleeping, sending text messages, putting on makeup, passing notes, and doing the crossword puzzle or reading the paper are wastes of my time and yours. Therefore, I do not require you to come to class. I will take attendance in every class. I will take no excuses for missing class, so don’t write me to let me know why you are not in class. If you miss more than three classes, you give up any right to appeal your grades, and you can imagine I will have no sympathy with you if you find you are not doing well in my course.
Assignments are still due in class as listed in the syllabus. If you miss classes, you are responsible for making up the work and getting the lecture notes without asking me for them. Exams and papers test you on your knowledge of lecture and readings, and if you use outside sources instead of class sources (such as Wikipedia instead of the lecture), be prepared to accept the consequences of giving information that is not relevant.

Grading Policy and Assignments:

Grade Scale:
A 90 to 100
B 80 to 89
C 70 to 79
D 60 to 69
F anything below 60

I grade papers holistically, taking style, grammar, content and originality into consideration.
We read many primary sources in this course (materials prepared at the time of the events or shortly afterwards, by people who lived through the events). The short paper requires you to use those documents extensively. The midterm and final exam will also depend on your ability to recall information about those documents and use it well to prove a larger argument. Online quizzes also test you on your understanding of primary documents in the context of our lecture. You will not do well in the course without using these documents on every graded assignment.

Major Assignments:
Online Quizzes 20%
Midterm 25%
Paper (Frederick Douglass) 25%
Final Exam 30%
Attendance, Discussion Can Help Your Final Grade
This is subject to revision during the course of the term.

Grade Appeal Policy: I work hard to grade fairly, but I am human and make mistakes. Therefore, I am willing to consider “grade appeals.” If, after reading my comments and re-reading your assignment, you still feel there is a grading error, here is what you should do. You need to wait 48 hours after the assignment was returned. Then write a brief explanation of what your grade should be and why. Turn in your written explanation with the original assignment to my mailbox and send me an email to let me know it is there. I will read it, consider it, and we will meet in office hours to talk about your assignment and grade. I do not take grade appeals more than 10 days after I return graded assignments. You are limited to two appeals per semester (at the most), including the final exam.

General Paper Requirements: Any work you do outside of class and bring to class should be typed. Final written work should be in Times New Roman, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins, printed on only one side of the page. All such assignments should be turned in as a paper copy, and an identical file should be submitted to Blackboard. All work should be double-spaced in the body of the paper, and footnotes or endnotes should be single-spaced. Use your spell-check programs! Multiple-page papers must be stapled. Papers should always have your name.

Extensions and Scheduling Exams: You are expected to take the midterm and final exams as scheduled. The final exam can only be adjusted for your hospitalization or a death in the close family. If you miss the midterm exam and have a medical reason (not just a cold) or were on an official school activity, the makeup midterm will be March 6th at 7 AM by prior arrangement only. Online quizzes can be taken at any time before the deadline, but will close electronically at that time. It is your responsibility to manage your time so that you take all five quizzes. There will be no make-ups.
We have one paper for this class, which is due on April 10th. If you have attended class regularly (and if you question whether you have, ask me), you may take an extension on that paper until April 15th in class. I will collect papers in class both days. You may not take a longer extension without prior permission, which will require a really good reason. If you choose to take the extension, please understand that you may not get your paper back as quickly.

Reaching Me: Please email me! I check email at least once a day, but do not consistently check on weekends. Give me 24 hours to respond, and more on weekends. Office hours are the best way to take care of concerns and papers, and if you can’t make my regular office hours, I can schedule an appointment by email. Email is best for questions and concerns that can be addressed in a paragraph or less. Unless specifically instructed otherwise, I can’t take papers over email.
I also expect you to read your university email accounts on a regular basis.

Blackboard: We have a Blackboard site. Course materials are available there, and the online quizzes and online Gradebook can also be found there. Please check both your email and Blackboard for announcements.

Plagiarism: Please don’t. If you plagiarize, I will fail your plagiarized assignment and refer your case to the appropriate authorities. The Dean’s Office can take action up to and including expelling you from school.
Now, what is plagiarism? Plagiarism is taking someone else’s ideas and presenting them as your own. You could do this in many ways; including buying a paper from the Internet or quoting someone without using quote marks or acknowledgement. What if you used your own words, but the idea came from an article you read? If you don’t cite the article as the source of the ideas, you are guilty of plagiarism. A good online resource to understand and avoid plagarism is http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml, and I encourage you to read it. Should you have any questions about what is and is not acceptable use, feel free to ask me.
You should be aware that I make use of SmartAssignment, the University of Mississippi’s software for detecting plagarism.

Students With Disabilities: Please bring me official documentation of any learning disabilities or physical disabilities in the first three weeks, and I will be happy to accommodate extended time exams and other needs.

Syllabus: This syllabus is subject to change over the term. You are expected to read and understand this syllabus, and your continued enrollment of this course will be construed to mean you have read and understood this document.

History 302: America in the Age of Revolution, 1740-1789
Tues. and Thurs. 1 PM (Bishop 112)

Professor: Rebecca Brannon Office: 318 Bishop (History)
Office Phone: 915-6945 Mailbox: 310 Bishop (across hall) (History)
brannon@olemiss.edu Office Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 11 AM-
noon, and by appointment

Course Description: This course will use both lectures and small discussion to advance our understanding of the political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual history of the events that led to the formation of the United States as an independent democratic republic. We will focus on integrating facts and interpretations to understand the broad canvas of the American Revolution. This course involves extensive written work and active participation in class discussions.

Required Readings (available at Ole Miss Bookstore):

Richard D. Brown, ed., Major Problems in the Era of the American Revolution, 1760-1791( Boston, 2000), 2nd. ed. [Note—this is referenced in the reading assignments as MP]
Judith Van Buskirk, Generous Enemies: Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary New York (Philadelphia, 2003)
Woody Holton, Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves, and the Making of the American Revolution in Virginia (Chapel Hill, NC, 2001)
Leonard L. Richards, Shay’s Rebellion: The American Revolution’s Final Battle (Philadelphia, 2002)
Gordon S. Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution (New York, 1993)

Reading is always due by the first class meeting of the week unless instructed otherwise.

This syllabus is subject to change during the course of the semester.

Week 1: Introduction
Class Meetings: Jan. 17

Week 2: What was America like before the Revolution?
The Big Picture
Class Meetings: Jan. 22 (No Class Jan. 24)
Readings: Barbara Clark Smith, “The Revolution Preserved Social Inequality” (MP, 4-8), Alfred F. Young, “The Revolution Was Radical in Some Ways, Not in Others” (MP, 494-511)

Week 3: Logic of Empire (Seven Years War)
Stamp Act Crisis
Class Meetings: Jan. 29, 31
Readings: Gordon Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution, Part I; Fred Anderson, “Friction Between Colonial Troops and British Regulars” (MP, 79-88); Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union, Predictions of Failure (MP, 72-76); Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions, Governor Francis Bernard Describes the Boston Riot, The Declarations of the Stamp Act Congress, Parliament Repeals the Stamp Act Congress (MP, 99-103, 112-113)
Assignment: Brief Paragraph Proposal for Research Paper Due Jan. 29th in Class

Week 4: Political Protest and Political Awakenings
Class Meetings: Feb. 5, 7
Readings: Woody Holton, Forced Founders, Introduction, Chapters 1-4; Dirk Hoerder, “Boston Leaders and Boston Crowds, 1765-1776” in Alfred F. Young, ed., The American Revolution: Explorations in the History of Radicalism (DeKalb, Illinois, 1976) pp. 235-266 (available on Blackboard); John Dickinson Exhorts the Colonists to Opposition, Charleston Merchants Propose a Plan of Nonimportation, John Adams Reflects on the Boston Tea Party, Parliament Debates the Coercive Acts, the Coercive Acts (MP, 113-118, 140-146); Boston Massacre Information Available at bostonmassacre.net—Read the Boston Gazette report, and the following trial transcripts: Preston’s Account, Anonymous Account, Deposition of John Burdick, John Adam’s Speech

Week 5: Creating a Revolution
Class Meetings: Feb. 12, 14
Readings: Gordon Wood, Radicalism of the American Revolution, Part II; Woody Holton, Forced Founders, Chapters 5-7, Epilogue; Thomas Paine, Common Sense (MP, 155-170); The Declaration of Independence (MP, 170-172)

Week 6: Fighting the Revolution
Class Meetings: Feb. 19, 21
Reading: Excerpts from Charles Royster, A Revolutionary People at War, and from Caroline Cox, A Proper Sense of Honor (available on Blackboard); Excerpts from Joseph Plumb Martin’s diary (a soldier of the Revolution) (available on Blackboard); A Veteran Remembers Saratoga, A Soldier Views Mutiny Among American Troops (MP, 198-200, 201-202), Excerpts from Veterans Pension Applications (available on Blackboard)
Assignment: Bibliograpy and Research Proposal Due in Class Feb. 21st

Week 7: The Course of the War
Class Meetings: Feb. 26, 28
Reading: Judith Van Buskirk, Generous Enemies, Introduction, Chapters 1-4
Assignments: Feb. 26th--Take Home Midterm Exam Distributed in Class

Week 8: Limits of Citizenship: Gender and Race in the Revolutionary Era
Class Meetings: March 4, 6
Readings (Due March 6th): Linda K. Kerber, “The Revolution and Women’s Rights” (MP, 296-306); Abigail and John Adams Debate Women’s Rights, An American Woman Asserts Women’s Rights, The Declaration of Sentiments of the Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 (MP, 290-296)
Assignments: March 4th: Midterm Exam Due in Class

Spring Break

Week 9: Limits of Citizenship: Race and Religion in the Revolutionary Era
Class Meetings: March 18, 20
Readings: Excerpt from Sylvia Frey, Water From the Rock: Black Resistance in a Revolutionary Age (Princeton, N.J., 1991) (available on Blackboard); Ira Berlin, “The Revolution in Black Life” (MP, 275-286); Massachusetts Slaves Argue for Freedom, Lemuel Haynes Attacks Slavery, Lord Dunmore Proclamation (MP, 257-260); Philadelphia Jews Seek Equality Before the Law, James Madison Protests Religious Taxes, Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty, The First Amendment to the US Constitution (MP, 319-326)

Week 10: Outsiders: Loyalists and Native Americans
Class Meetings: March 25, 27
Readings: Judith Van Buskirk, Generous Enemies, Chapters 5-6; Oneida Indians Declare Neutrality, Chickasaw Indians Seek Help, A Patriot Urges Congress to Execute Loyalists, A Newspaper Attack on Loyalists, Thomas Hutchinson Criticizes the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush Contrasts Loyalists and Patriots (MP, 225-226, 227-233, 236-238); Gregory Evans Dowd, “There Was No Winning Strategy for the Indians” (MP, 238-246)

Week 11: Bringing it All Together: Little People and the War
Class Meetings: April 1, 3
Readings: Excerpts from Holly Mayer, Belonging to the Army (available on Blackboard); Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker, The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic (available on Blackboard) This week will also serve as a “catch-up” week.

Week 12: Reconciliation/Search for Postwar Normalcy
Shay’s Rebellion
Class Meetings: April 8, 10
Readings: Leonard L. Richards, Shay’s Rebellion, Prologue, Chapters 1-5; Hampshire County Farmers (MP, 357-358), Regulators Call for Popular Support (MP 358-359)

Week 13: Constitutional Debates
Federalists and the Antifederalists
Class Meetings: April 15, 17
Readings: Gordon Wood, Radicalism of the American Revolution, Part III; Leonard L. Richards, Shay’s Rebellion, Chapter 6-7; James Madison (MP, 390-395), Congressional Debates, 1787 (MP, 402-411), The Constitution of the US (MP, 411-418), The Federalist Papers (MP 440-451), Anti-federalists Attacks (MP 451-454), The Constitutional Amendments, 1791 (Bill of Rights) (MP, 462-464)

Week 14: Research Presentations
Catch-Up
Class Meetings: April 22, 24
Assignment: Research Paper Due April 22nd in Class
Final Exam Distributed in Class April 24th

Week 15: Remembering the Revolution
Back to the Big Picture
Class Meetings: April 29, May 1
Reading: Excerpt from Sarah J. Purcell, Sealed With Blood: War, Sacrifice, and Memory in Revolutionary America (available on Blackboard); Edward Countryman, “The Revolution Rearranged North America’s Human Landscape” (MP 512-end)

Final Exam Week: Final Exam Due At Our Final Exam Period, Tues. May 6, 4 PM
Format: I will distribute a take-home final exam before the end of classes. You will have time to complete the essays at home. I will begin accepting final exams the last day of classes. All final exams should be turned in by our final exam period. We will meet at our final exam time to discuss the final exams, turn them in, and take a short in-class extra credit assignment.

Class Rules: We all need to be respectful to each other, but also engage intellectually. Part of the work (and the grade) in this class is being a thoughtful member of the discussion, which requires listening and engaging other people’s ideas.
Official Ole Miss policy forbids food and drink in the classroom. If you bring something akin to coffee or water in a closed container, I won’t say anything. Please do not eat in class. You are welcome to bring laptops to class, but I ask that you use them responsibly (no emailing, web surfing, etc.). Please silence all cell phones before class, and please do not use them, even to send a brief text message. I reserve the right to ask you to leave class for infractions.

Attendance Policy: You are required to come to class. However, we are all adults here and sometimes “real life” intrudes. The rules are as follows: You may miss up to 3 classes during the term, no questions asked. I take attendance every day. There is no difference between an excused or unexcused absence, unless a medical emergency during the term leads to your hospitalization. Due dates are not excused by this absence policy. Excused and unexcused absences do not change due dates for assignments. If you expect to frequently miss classes (for instance, this is your sport season), or know you will have a conflict with assignments, now is the time to let me know.
Excessive absences will negatively affect your grade in proportion to the number you incur. If you miss more than six classes, I may fail you for the semester, irregardless of your grades on other assignments.

Grading Policy and Assignments:

Grade Scale:
A 90 to 100
B 80 to 89
C 70 to 79
D 60 to 69
F anything below 60

I usually grade papers holistically, taking style, grammar, content and originality into consideration.

Major Assignments:
Midterm 20%
Discussion Board/Book Reviews 10%
Research Paper 30%
Final Exam 20%
Attendance, Participation, and Discussion 10%

Grade Appeal Policy: I work hard to grade fairly, but I am human and make mistakes. Therefore, I am willing to consider “grade appeals.” If, after reading my comments and re-reading your paper, you still feel there is a grading error, here is what you should do. You need to wait 48 hours after the assignment was returned. Then write a brief explanation of what your grade should be and why. Turn in your written explanation with the original assignment to my mailbox and send me an email to let me know it is there. I will read it, consider it, and we will meet in office hours to talk about your assignment and grade. I do not take grade appeals more than 10 days after I return graded assignments. You are limited to two appeals per semester (at the most), including the final exam.

General Paper Requirements: Any work you do outside of class and bring to class should be typed. Final written work should be in Times New Roman, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins, printed on only one side of the page. All such assignments should be turned in as a paper copy, and an identical file should be submitted to Blackboard. Electronic submissions should be saved in Microsoft Word or in rich text format if you use a different word processing program. (For your information, I do most of my electronic work using Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac, so save files with that in mind.) All work should be double-spaced in the body of the paper, and footnotes or endnotes should be single-spaced. Use your spell-check programs! Multiple-page papers must be stapled. Papers should always have your name.

Extensions: Everyone has one automatic 7-day extension on a written assignment during the course of the term. Use it wisely! If you take this option, email me the day that the assignment is due, and tell me that you are using your extension option. (Taking an extension does not excuse you from attending class.) You will then turn in the assignment to my mailbox and electronically by 4 PM of the new due date. You may not take any other extension without prior approval, which will only be forthcoming in extreme circumstances.
If you take an unexcused extension, you do so at your own risk of severe grade penalties. I reserve the right to refuse late papers.

Reaching Me: Please email me! I check email at least once a day, but do not consistently check on weekends. Give me 24 hours to respond, and more on weekends. Office hours are the best way to take care of concerns and papers, and if you can’t make my regular office hours, I can schedule an appointment by email. Email is best for questions and concerns that can be addressed in a paragraph or less. Unless specifically instructed otherwise, I can’t take papers over email.

Plagiarism: Please don’t. If you plagiarize, I will fail your plagiarized assignment and refer your case to the appropriate authorities. The Dean’s Office can take action up to and including expelling you from school.
Now, what is plagiarism? Plagiarism is taking someone else’s ideas and presenting them as your own. You could do this in many ways; including buying a paper from the Internet or quoting someone without using quote marks or acknowledgement. What if you used your own words, but the idea came from an article you read? If you don’t cite the article as the source of the ideas, you are guilty of plagiarism. A good online resource to understand and avoid plagiarism is http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml, and I encourage you to read it. Should you have any questions about what is and is not acceptable use, feel free to ask me.
You should be aware that I make use of SmartAssignment, the University of Mississippi’s software for detecting plagiarism.