United States History I Syllabus for 2025-2026
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Instructor Information
Instructor
Danny Haney (Curriculum Vitae)Office Hours
Course Information
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Course
HIST-1301-DC007 United States History I
Prerequisites
Course Description
A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural and intellectual history of the United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. United States History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and creation of the federal government.
Student Resources Student Resources Website
Department Expectations
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Student Service Center 117
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Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me
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Hours
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)
Class Type
Dual Credit Course
Syllabus Information
Textbooks
\American Yawp: online textbook: Stanford University
Supplies
\ three ring binder (med) Pens, paper, pencils. Other supply needs will be discussed in class.
Student Performance
\ After studying the material presented in this course, the student will be able to:
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1. Trace the development of a stable, democratic political system flexible enough to address the wholesale changes that occurred since the founding of the nation.
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2. Explain how this nation has been peopled from the first inhabitants to the many groups that arrived in slavery or servitude during the colonial period down to the voluntary immigrants of the Civil War era.
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3. Evaluate economic and technological changes as they have affected daily life, work, family organization, leisure, the division of wealth, and community relations.
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4. Delineate the role of religion in our nation prior 1877.
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5. Recount how the recurring reform movements in U.S. history dealt with economic, political, and social problems in attempting to make their ideals congruent with reality.
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6. Define the changes in our beliefs and values over time and describe how they have varied among different groups: women and men; non-whites and whites; and people of different regions, religions, and classes.
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7. Describe the role of geographical factors in the history of the U.S.
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8. Practice critical thinking and information retrieval skills.
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Students Rights and Responsibilities
Student Rights and ResponsibilitiesLog in using the AC Connect Portal
In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .
If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".
Expected Student Behavior
\ Students are expected to adhere to all Amarillo College and AHS school policies and procedures.
Grading Criteria
\ Organization: Outlines of assignments and due dates will be given at the beginning of each unit along with a list of key terms, event, actions, etc. Discussion questions will also be listed. Test dates and quizzes will also be noted. Additionally, individual essays will be assigned with proper due dates. There will be a major unit project that will fit each unit.
\\ Tests: Tests will be a mixture of essay and objective questions.
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Grading: A= 90%, B= 80%, C= 70%, D= 60%, F= 50%
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Attendance
\ Attendance: Good attendance to class is essential to success. Much of the material is provided by lecture, discussion, and presentations in class. Missing class can create problems.
Calendar
\ COURSE OUTLINE, SEMESTER 1
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\ The Instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus and/or calendar if necessary.
\ I. The Development of a New Culture in the Americas (1491-1609) (Weeks 1 and 2)
\ a. Themes
\ i. Clash of civilizations 1491-1609
\ ii. The Growing economic influence of the American Colonies
\ iii. Slavery as an institution, first in Europe and Africa and its development in the Americas
\ b. Content/Lectures
\ i.American civilizations 1491
ii. Colliding Cultures and the dominance of Europeans
iii. Developing an American Atlantic and Global Trading Community
Iv. Slavery and its growth and effect on the Americas
\ c. Readings
\ i. Texts: Chater 18 of Guns, Germs, and Steel, "Hemispheres Colliding;" America,the Atlantic, and Global Consumer Demand, Carol Shammus, USC; The Origins of American Slavery; College Board
\ d. Project question: What causes the ascendancy of one society over another?
\ e.Essay: Economics and the Growth of the European colonial society.
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\ II. Colonial America (1609-1763) Week 3
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\ a. Themes
\ i. English legacy in America
\ ii. Development of pluralism
\ iii. Emerging regional patterns in the 13 colonies
\ b. Content
\ i. Settlement of the 13 colonies
\ ii. Slavery comes to the English Colonies
\ iii. Social, economic, and religious patterns: southern, middle, and New England colonies
\ iv Relationships with Native Americans:. Wars with the Indians and the French
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook; Chapter
\ ii. Excerpts from David Hackett Fisher, Albion’s Seed
\ iii. Mayflower Compact
\ d. Projects and assessments
\ i. Multiple choice test, from text
\ ii. Essay: What was the synergy of the two societies (English and Indian) represented in colonial America?
\ iii. Project: create a chart detailing the points of the Mayflower Compact
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\ III. Causes of the American Revolution, The Revolution and its Aftermath (1763-1787) (Weeks 4 and 5)
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\ a. Themes
\ i. The French and Indian war and changing English policies and attitudes toward the colonies
\ ii. Our “rights as Englishmen”
\ iii. The tortuous road to independence
\ b. Content
\ i. The acts of Parliament and the American response
\ ii. The ambiguity of “no taxation without representation”
\ iii. The road to war
\ iv. From the Olive Branch Petition to Independence
a. Themes
\ i. Washington’s leadership, French Alliance, and British blunders
\ ii. A conservative or radical revolution?
\ iii. The difficulties of starting a nation
\ b. Content
\ i. Evolution of the Revolution
\ ii. Military victory and the Treaty of Paris
\ iii. The failure of the Articles of Confederation
\ c. Readings
\ i. Text, Chapter 5, “The American Revolution,”
\ ii. Selected readings, Thomas Paine, The Crisis, David McCulloch, 1776
\ iii. The Articles of Confederation
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Multiple choice test
\ ii. Essay: “A little blood” the legacy of Bacon’s and Shay’s Rebellion
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook; Chapter 4, "Colonial Society," Chapter 5: "American Revolution;" Chapter 6: "A New Nation
\ ii. Selected readings, Thomas Paine, Common Sense, John Locke, Two Treatises on Government, Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, JeanJacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, The Declaration of Independence
\ d. Projects and assessments
\ i. DBQ, Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau and their effects on the founding fathers
\ ii. Project: create a graph showing the percent of population that were loyalist and patriot
\\ a. Themes
\ i. Washington’s leadership, French Alliance, and British blunders
\ ii. A conservative or radical revolution?
\ iii. The difficulties of starting a nation
\ b. Content
\ i. Evolution of the Revolution
\ ii. Military victory and the Treaty of Paris
\ iii. The failure of the Articles of Confederation
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook, Chapter 5, “The American Revolution,”
\ ii. Selected readings, Thomas Paine, The Crisis, David McCulloch, 1776
\ iii. The Articles of Confederation and Shay's Rebellion
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Multiple choice test
\ ii. Essay: “A little blood” the legacy of Bacon’s and Shay’s Rebellion
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\ V. A New Nation: Constitution and First Federal Period 1787-1824 (Week Six and Seven)
\ a. Themes
\ i. The importance of compromise
\ ii. Balance of power and the rule of law
\ iii. States rights and unity
\ b. Content
\ i. The call for federal power
\ ii. Writing the constitution
\ 1. separation of power
\ 2. fear of the mob
\ 3. large state, small state
\ 4. ratification and the Bill of Right
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook: Chapter 7, “Framing a New Government,” pp. 193203
\ ii. The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights
\ iii. Selected readings from The Federalist Papers
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Multiple choice test
\ ii. Project: Essay, Why did the founding fathers distrust democracy?
\ a. Themes
\ i. Leadership of Washington, Hamilton, and Jefferson
\ ii. National growth and the growth of Nationalism
\ iii. Keeping Europe at arms length
\ b. Content
\ i. Getting started: Washington, Adams, and the Marshall Court
\ ii. The debate of national vision, Jefferson and Hamilton, states rights versus federal power
\ iii. Napoleon and the U.S.
\ iv. The war of 1812
\ v. The Era of Good Feeling and the “corrupt bargain”
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook Chapter 6, “The New Nation,” Chapter 7: The Early Republic"
\ ii. Jefferson’s 1800 inaugural speech
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Essay: Agrarian Republic or Manufacturing Republic?
\ ii. Project: Create a chart for landmark Marshall Court rulings, giving circumstances, ruling, rationale, and effect
\ iii. Compare Jefferson’s 1800 inaugural address with George W. Bush’s 2000 inaugural address
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\ VII. Nationalism and the Growth of Modern America 1824-1848 (Weeks 8-11)
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\ a. Themes
\ i. Party politics and the advance of democracy
\ ii. The phenomenon of Andrew Jackson
\ iii. The Market Revolution and the Cotton Revolution
\ iv. Democracy in American
\ v. The specter of sectionalism: The Missouri Crisis
\ b. Content
\ i. Jackson’s election, a new breed of leader
\ ii. The spoils system
\ iii. Jackson and the Indians
\ iv. Nullification and John Calhoun
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook; Chapter 8: "The Market Revolution:' Chapter 9; "Democracy in America:" Chapter 10: "Religion and Reform; Chapter 11: "The Cotton Revolution"
\ ii. Alexis d’Tocqueville, Democracy in America
\ iii. Excepts from the Webster-Hayne debates
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Multiple choice test
\ ii. Essay, Tocqueville, Liberty or Equality?
\\ a. Themes
\ i. Our changing civilization
\ ii. The evolution of national thought, art, and culture
\ iii. Emerging sectional economies
\ b. Content
\ i. Invention and the beginnings of the industrial revolution in America
\ ii. Changes in society and the development of cities
\ iii. Abolition, women’s rights, and reform
\ iv. Utopian societies
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook: Chapter 8: "The Market Revolution:" Chapter 9: "Democracy in America:" Chapter 10: "Religion and Reform"
\ ii. Seneca Falls, Declaration of Sentiments
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Terms test
\ ii. Essay; Why were the Utopian Societies important in our development as a nation?
\\ IX. The Westward Movement before the Civil War 1820-1850 Week 12
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\ a. Themes
\ i. Manifest Destiny
\ ii. U.S. expansion, the Mexican point of view
\ iii. U.S. expansion, the Indian point of view
\ b. Content
\ i. Penetration of the Trans-Mississippi West
\ ii. The Mexican War and its consequences
\ iii. The gold rush and its aftermath
\ iv. The Compromise of 1850
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook: Chapter 11: "Manifest Destiny"
\ ii. Excerpt from David Lavender, Bent’s Fort
\ iii. Albert Pike’s impressions of the Great Plains
\ d. Assessments
\ 1. Multiple choice test
\ 2. Essay: Was genocide a part of U.S. policy concerning the Indians?
\\ X. Causes of the Civil War 1845-1861 weeks 13 and 14
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\ a. Themes
\ i. Manifest Destiny and slavery: The Mexican Cession; The Compromise of 1850; the Kansas-Nebraska Act; "Bleeding Kansas," Dred Scot v. Sanford
\ ii. Sectionalism and southern nationalism
\ iii. Slavery as core of conflict
\ b. Content
\ i. The history of American Slavery
\ ii. Sectional issues after 1848
\ iii. Lincoln’s election, secession, and Fort Sumter
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook: Chapter 13: "The Sectional Crisis"
\ ii.Dred Scott v. Sanford
\ iii. Excerpts from LincolnDouglas debates
\ iv. I. A. Newby, The South, A History
\ V. Excerpts from David Potter, The Impending Crisis
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Essay: Race and Racism in the Coming of the Civil War
\ ii. Terms test
\ iii. Project: Identify the main qualities of the Missouri Compromise, The Compromise of 1850, and the Dred Scott decision that would bring the U.S. to civil war
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\ XI. The Civil War and Reconstruction 1861-1877 Weeks 15-17
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\ a. Themes
\ i. The American people and the Civil War
\ ii. Restoring the Union
\ iii. From slave to Freedman
\ b. Content
\ i. Waging the Civil War, Gettysburg and Vicksburg
\ ii. Northern victory
\ iii. Reconstruction
\ 1. Reconstruction plans
\ 2. Reconstruction Acts
\ 3. Compromise of 1877
\ iv. Jim Crowism
\ 1. court cases
\ 2. dejure segregation
\ c. Readings
\ i. Textbook: Chapter 14: "The Civil War:" Chapter 19: Reconstruction
\ ii. Selected readings from Shelby Foote
\ iii. Excerpts from Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage
\ iv. Slaughterhouse Case, Civil rights Cases
\ d. Assessments
\ i. Projects, choice of one
\ 1. White paper: Protocols of War: logistics, objectives, philosophy
\ 2. Create a diary of a common soldier on either side, North or South, detailing life in army. Your soldier must be with the Army of the Potomac or the Army of Virginia.
\ 3. Write a report of a social worker for the Freedman’s Bureau. This report is going back to Washington, D.C. and will be read before Congress. Detail life in the south for the Freedmen and what the Freedman’s Bureau is doing for them.
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Additional Information
\ Class size: 25 to 30 students
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\ Course design: AP U.S. History is an accelerated course designed to be an equivalent of a college freshman course. In fact, this is a college level class in a real sense because it is also a dual credit course in association with Amarillo College.
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\ Objectives:
\ 1. master a broad body of historical knowledge
\ 2. develop questions, hypotheses pertaining to historical movements
\ 3. to be able to write well developed essays supporting a thesis statement that will show historical knowledge, analysis, and application to the present and future
\ 4. to understand the basic concepts behind historiography
\ 5. to broaden the students’ work ethic; to maintain the workload inherent in this class
Syllabus Created on:
07/14/25 3:05 PM
Last Edited on:
07/15/25 10:22 AM