HIST 107H: History of the United States before 1877 - Honors

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2021
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Prerequisite: Student must be eligible for the Citrus College Honors Program or obtain a recommendation from an Honors instructor.
District General Education: D1. History and Political Science
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Approved
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

A survey of political, economic and social development of North America and the United States to 1877 along with a survey of American historiography and the varying interpretations of these developments. The course meets the state requirement for American history and is designed for college transfer students. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • evaluate the influences of political, economic, social, cultural, religious, technological and scientific factors and change to development in early American history
  • analyze the experiences and contributions of categories of race, class, gender and ethnicity in American history
  • evaluate and assess important political trends, cycles, conflicts and other events which seem to repeat themselves, and understand their reasons and effects
  • demonstrate an understanding of early American development in a global context
  • research, interpret and assess primary and secondary documentation to effectively create an argument
  • demonstrate a familiarity with historiographical analysis and compare and contrast historiographical periods and writers

Major Course Content

  1. Early America , 1500-1750
    1. Survey of American historiography
    2. Primary and secondary documentation
    3. Pre-Columbian America
    4. European exploration and colonization
    5. English colonies in North America
    6. Africans in America
  2. The American Revolution, 1750-1828
    1. Origins of the American Revolution
    2. The War of Independence
    3. The Confederation Period
    4. The Constitution
    5. Federalist Administrations
    6. Revolution of 1800
    7. Jeffersonian Democracy
  3. The Ante-Bellum Period, 1828-1850
    1. Jacksonian democracy
    2. US-American Indian relations
    3. Sectionalism
    4. Westward expansion
    5. US-Mexican War
  4. The Civil War, 1850-1865
    1. Political crisis of the 1850s
    2. Origins of the Republican Party
    3. Southern values and states rights
    4. Election of 1865 and secession
    5. The Confederate States of America
    6. Civil War
  5. Reconstruction, 1865-1876
    1. Restoring the Union
    2. The Freedmen
    3. Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republicans
    4. The Grant Administration
    5. Election of 1876

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Essays and articles on themes in early American history provided by the instructor.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

A two to three page review of an essay on early American history. The review should focus on identifying an author's thesis and include key quotes that reflect the author's main points and analysis.
A ten to fifteen page research paper that focuses on a theme in early American history. The research paper should feature a minimum of five sources and include both primary and secondary sources. Examples of research paper topics include; The Grimke sisters and the connection between the anti-slavery movement and feminism, Henry David Thoreau and the anti-war movement during the US-Mexico War and Abraham Lincoln's spirituality and the Civil War.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Students will be required to complete the following types of assignments outside of the regular class time:
Readings from course text, journal articles, primary documents and other assigned readings.
Write reviews of articles or films.
Create an original research paper on an aspect of early American history.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture

IGETC Area 3: Arts and Humanities

3B. Humanities

IGETC Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences

4F. History