HIST 120 Syllabus

Course Description: 

U.S. History Survey: Colonization to the end of Reconstruction

This course is designed to provide a survey of the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the United States from pre-European contact through reconstruction. Specific attention will be directed to the colonial era, establishment of the new nation, sectional problems, national growth, disunion and reconstruction. In keeping with the name of your text, we will focus as often as possible on the history of the United States through the lives of the people who created the new nation and the new society. Particular attention will be placed on the interaction between Europeans, Americans, and the Native Peoples of the "New World."

Textbook Information:  

Nash, the American People v1 Concise 7th edition

Edmunds, Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership

Zinn, A People's History of the United States (online source)

Additional Course Information:  Other sources include the online video series A Biography of America as well as various other videos, primary and secondary reading materials that are attached to the respective discussion boards.

Course Learning Objectives:  

1. Articulate the changing definition of American democracy.
2. To obtain a basic understanding and knowledge of the various contours within the history of the United States from colonization to 1865.
3. To question "history" in order to understand that history emanates from subjective positions that shape the stories that are told, presented, or remembered.
4. To explore how we construct our knowledge of the world from our diverse experiences and backgrounds within American culture.
5. Examine the effects of technology on American development.
6. Analyze the effects of immigration on American history.
7. Explore contemporary American issues and determine their historical origins.

Student Learning Objectives: 

1. Students will critically analyze and interpret primary documents and secondary sources, and will be able to interpret qualitative and quantitative data in order to evaluate historical events.
2. Students will develop communication skills through oral and written exercises, and develop analytical skills by critically interpreting historical events.
3. Students will analyze how local, national, and international policies and practices developed in the past continue to impact their contemporary lives.

 Meet Your Instructor: 

Hello Everyone and welcome to this section of History 120.  My name is Todd Menzing and I will be your instructor.  First a little about me: I have been teaching at Santa Ana College for about the past 23 years.  I have been teaching courses like this one "online" for about the past 15.  My major field of study in graduate school was the history of the American South.  My main area of interest was the contemporary American civil rights movement, especially the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.  In my spare time, I like to travel and just hang out with my 15 year old son.

Course Syllabus:  Syllabus