History 151 | Spring 2016: 2015-03-08

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Midterm or Mid-semester Opportunity

Choose one of the following options:

Option 1:
In what ways does John Adams' essay "Thoughts on Government" reflect the problems facing the former British North American colonies after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776? In addition to the Foner textbook, you may use the following documents to answer this question:

You MAY NOT use any other sources to answer this question. References to other sources, cited or not, will result in a failing grade for this assignment.

Option 2:
At the time of the American Revolution, how did the former British North American colonies define freedom? In addition to the Foner textbook, you may use the following documents to answer this question:

Felix's Petition for Freedom
Ebeneezer Fox
Lucy Knox Letter
Washington Returns Slaves to their Owners
J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur's "Letters from an American Farmer" (For some reason, the title of this document on StudySpace is "Noah Webster on Property." This is a mistake, but you may use the document. It is also available with the correct title in the Chapter 7 StudySpace documents).

You MAY NOT use any other sources to answer this question. References to other sources, cited or not, will result in a failing grade for this assignment.

Requirements:

A clear thesis that presents the argument and outlines the essay
Reference to a MINIMUM of three sources; every reference must include an MLA or Chicago style citation
Detailed explanation of examples: who, what, where, when.
Analysis for each example: how this example prove the main argument?
Organized structure: present evidence in chronological order, organize evidence to follow outline of thesis, include strong topic sentences

Submission Instructions:

Submit your essay to www.turnitin.com by Friday, March 13, 11:59 PM

Course ID: 9525664
Password: History

Late submissions will be reduced by one letter grade for every day they are late.
Late submissions will not be accepted after Tuesday, March 17.
The grading rubric is available on turnitin.com, and you may find it valuable to review before submitting your essay. Click on the blocks icon on the assignment page to view the grading rubric.
Grades and comments will be posted on turnitin.com

Feel free to email me with any questions. Remember that we will NOT meet on Friday, March 13, and I will not have regular office hours on Friday. You may also post questions in the comments to this post, or on the course help page.

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Course Objectives

This is a broad survey course designed to introduce students to basic themes and events in American History, as well as college-level research and study skills. As this is a writing intensive course, students will develop critical writing skills through online discussion, essay writing and document analysis. We will cover material beginning with the Civil War and Reconstruction and extending through the Presidential election of 2000.

By the end of this course students will have experience evaluating historical materials, constructing and supporting an argument, and performing basic research. Students will also work collaboratively in-class and online to discuss material, analyze primary documents and develop note-taking and study skills.

Accessibility

Hunter College complies with the standards set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to include all policies, procedures, and practices that impact the treatment of students with disabilities. The Office of AccessABILITY helps to ensure a comprehensively accessible college experience for all students with disabilities and helps to promote access and awareness as a resource to all members of the Hunter College community.

“In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1124 to secure necessary academic accommodations. For further information and assistance please call (212-772-4857)/TTY (212-650-3230).” You can also locate them at:

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/studentservices/access/welcome

Course Learning Outcomes

During this course, students will:

• identify and apply the key historical concepts of change-over-time, cause-and-effect, agency, historical empathy, and continuity and discontinuity, and recognize how these concepts are employed in the historical method

• analyze and interpret primary sources with attention to audience, authorship and context

• recognize some of the ways in which historians have conflicting interpretations of the past

• produce a paper with a clear thesis and appropriate citations based on strong evidence drawn from historical sources

• identify and discuss the importance of contact and conquest, colonial foundations, revolution and Constitution, immigration, geographic expansion, experiences of native peoples, role of women, slavery and African American experiences and the sectional crisis leading to the Civil War