Fall 2024 Course Syllabus Course: HIST-1301 (Section: 71M, CRN: 93357) United States History I

Instructor Information
Instructor	Marshall Godwin
Email	godwinmt@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6320
Office	Madison Monroe Educational - Room: 147
Office Hours	My office is located in the Student Center in room 418. My office hours for this semester are from 3:15 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. on Fridays.
Additional Contact Information	n/a
Course Information
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
Required Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. OpenStax U.S. History is a free, online textbook which you will be able to access from Blackboard. Any and all additional readings, should additional readings be assigned, will be posted to Blackboard. You will NOT need to purchase any textbooks – or any other reading materials – for this course. You may access your OpenStax U.S. History via the following link:   https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history   You can read the book directly online from https://openstax.orgor download a PDF copy which you can save to your device (laptop, tablet, external hard drive, etc.). Be aware that this file is massive, and downloading a copy might take a few minutes if your connection is slow.
Additional Materials/Resources	Access to a computer and/or to Blackboard outside of class time.
Corequisites/Prerequisites	ENGL-0302 College Reading Skills ENGL-0327 Integrated Reading and Writing
Learning Outcomes	Create an argument through the use of historical evidence Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources Analyze the effects of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and global forces on this period of United States history
Core Objectives	* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and/or visual communication. * Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. * Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities. * Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Lecture Topics Outline	Introduction to HIST 1301 Introduction to the structure of the course, the subject matter of HIST 1301, and the nature of history as an academic discipline. We will discuss primary sources, secondary sources, how to approach historical artifacts, and bias in historical records. Societies on the Cusp of Modernity Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the late medieval period in North America, Central America, Africa, and Europe. The Modern World Our lecture and discussion for this week will focus on the expansion of western European empires during the early modern period (c. 1450 – 1800), including the genocides perpetrated by the Spanish against Americans and the rise of the modern system of slavery. Social Realities of Colonization This week will focus on what life was like for people in the various colonies on the continent of North America, and will focus especially on the lived experiences of ordinary people across the continent and how they navigated the shifting politics and chaos of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the territorial and economic expansion of the English Empire in North America, Caribbean, and Africa from the mid-seventeenth century until the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763. Tyranny or “Tyranny”? Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the growing political tensions between the British Empire and many of its white subjects in North America from the 1750s through the 1770s. We will also examine the ideological character of the growing movement for Independence. The Civil War of Independence Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the War of Independence, its goals, and the strategies utilized by the U.S. and its supporters against not only the British military but also against loyalist civilians. The Chaos of Independence We will focus on the disputed nature of the newborn United States government, the rise of the Federal Government, and the ever-growing friction between the U.S. and Native American tribes in the western territories. Capitalizing on New Technology Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the spread of modern industrial technology from Europe to the northeastern U.S., and on the concurrent rise of capitalism as the official economic system of the U.S. From Sea to Shining Sea Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the dramatic expansion of the U.S. during the first half of the nineteenth century, as well as on the connections between westward expansion and the nascent conflict between those who advocated for the expansion of slavery and those who opposed its extension outside the Southern states. The Devil’s Kingdom Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the increasingly violent racist power structures in the southern U.S. before 1865, and on the myriad ways enslaved people resisted the dystopian realities of antebellum Southern life.  Looking for a Better Life Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the successes and failures of reform movements during the first half of the nineteenth century, including the abolitionist movement, the early women’s rights movement and the temperance movement. Boiling Over in the 1850s Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the growing political turmoil and violence of the 1850s, including the use of terroristic violence by both sides (such as in the infamous “Bleeding Kansas” incidents or the raid on Harpers Ferry), outcry against Supreme Court decisions such as the ruling in the Dred Scott case, and intense political conflicts caused by the Compromise of 1850 (especially the Fugitive Slave Act). The Civil War Our lectures and discussions for this week will focus on the Civil War of 1860 – 1865, its causes, consequences, astonishing death toll (which was, in all likelihood, higher than the standard figure of 650,000 dead) and the unresolved questions about the future of the U.S. left in the war's bloody wake. Reconstruction Our lecture and discussion for this week will focus on the Reconstruction period of 1865 - 1877, on the attempts by Federal, state, and local politicians and activists to purge the postbellum South of its racist power structures and the reactions of Southern white leaders and communities to these attempted reforms. FINAL EXAM WEEK There will be no additional readings for the week of the final exam.
Major Assignments Schedule	Assignment Date Final Exam 12/09/24 Quiz 1 09/13/24 Quiz 2 10/04/24 Quiz 3 10/25/24 Quiz 4 11/15/24 Research Assignment 12/02/24 Journal Entry no. 1 09/14/24 Journal Entry no. 2 09/21/24 Journal Entry no. 3 10/05/24 Journal Entry no. 4 10/12/24 Journal Entry no. 5 10/26/24 Journal Entry no. 6 11/02/24
Final Exam Date	December 9, 2024 - 8:00 AM   Through  December 9, 2024 - 8:50 AM
Grading Scale	90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B  70 - 79=C   60 - 69=D  Below 59 = F
Determination of Final Grade	Assignment Percentage of final course grade Final Exam 20% Quizzes 40% (10% each) Research Assignment 10% Journal Entries 15% (2.5% each) Attendance & Participation 15%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	Assignment Due Dates All assignment due dates are listed in this syllabus and in the COURSE SCHEDULE section below. Quizzes and the final exam will be administered in the classroom and returned to the instructor during the same class session. The writing assignment and journal entries must all be uploaded to Blackboard no later than 11:59 p.m. on their respective dates. Due dates are nonnegotiable.   Late Work and Make-Up Work Policy I will not accept late research assignments under any circumstances. Since you have most of the semester to the research project, I do not expect this to be a problem, provided that you are self-disciplined (and you ought to be self-disciplined if you expect to pass an online asynchronous course). Put in other terms, since you have such a long time to work on this relatively small assignment, there are no valid excuses for not turning it in (since you will be able to turn it in at any point between mid-September and early December). Should you fail to turn in your research assignment on or before the due date, you will automatically receive a score of 0% for the assignment. There will be no exceptions to this rule under any circumstance. Turn your research assignment in sooner rather than later.   As mentioned elsewhere in this syllabus, there will be no retakes or make-ups for the quizzes or final exam, excepting students with an appropriate Accommodations Memorandum or those faced with an authentic and documented medical, family or other crisis. Apart from those possible exceptions, all students will take the quizzes and final exam on their respective due dates. Students with an Accommodations Memorandum might have different testing requirements – e.g., they might be allowed more time to complete quizzes and the final exam, etc. –  befitting their particular educational needs.   Unless there is authentic documentation of a medical or other emergency, I will not allow for retakes or make-ups of the quizzes. In instances where the student is able to provide authentic documentation of a crisis, I will consider scheduling different dates for them to take the quizzes and/or final exam on a case-by-case basis.   ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination law that provides comprehensive civil rights for people with disabilities. Among many other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their particular needs. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact:   Office for Disability Services Coordinator Madison Monroe Building, Room 231 (409) 984-6231       Disability Accommodations It is the policy of Lamar State College-Port Arthur to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to state and federal law and the College’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. Any student with a disability, who needs accommodation, for example, in seating placement or arrangement for examinations, notes, etc., should inform the instructor with a copy of the letter from the Office of for Disability Services at the beginning of the course.   If you have an Accommodations Memorandum from the Office for Disability Services, please be sure to show it to me and email me a copy as soon as you are able to do so. I must have a copy of the Memorandum in order to properly apply it to your assignments or to adjust quiz / exam taking to meet your needs.   Academic Integrity Academic integrity is essential to truly learning any subject or discipline. You are to submit your own work, not the work of peers, friends, or anyone else. By cheating, you not only jeopardize your own academic future, you are cheating your future self out of your own education.   All student submissions will be screened for plagiarism. For a more thorough definition of plagiarism, please refer to the “Academic Policies” section of the Student Handbook (in the present edition, this should be on page 30).   Below are the consequences for acts of plagiarism in this course:   First Offense: For your first plagiarism offense, you will receive a grade of 0% on the assignment. You will be required to come to my office and discuss plagiarism with me, something I am sure we both want to avoid. Second Offense: A second plagiarism offense will result in yet another grade of 0% for the plagiarized assignment, and the student’s name and all documented offenses will be forwarded to the proper LSCPA officials. Third or Further Offense(s): The student will receive grades of 0% for all offensive assignment and, in severe cases such as plagiarism on the final exam or research assignment, might even fail the course entirely.   Classroom Etiquette Policy I expect everyone in the classroom to behave civilly toward one another. This means, first and foremost, that I will not tolerate any form of discriminatory remarks or actions by any student(s) against any other student(s) on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, immigration status, ethnicity, descent, religion, or any other factor, period.   Secondly, you will be kind and respectful toward your peers during class discussions and lectures. Listen when someone else is talking, and show others the courtesy that ought to be shown to you. Unless they behaving in a discriminatory manner, you have no reason to interrupt your fellow students – regardless of how much you might disagree with their viewpoint. In point of fact, if you are to become a responsible citizen of the republic, it is all the more important that you learn to respectfully listen to perspectives other than your own.   Finally, note that I take the issue of student-to-student civility seriously: in order to preserve republican civilization in the United States, it is of utmost importance that you are able to coexist and cooperate with people who have lifeways, faiths, identities, and perspectives different from your own. Students who are disrespectful of their peers or of the instructor will be reprimanded; if necessary, they will be asked to leave the classroom and will be marked absent for that day. If such an instance were to occur on a day with a quiz, then the offending student would also miss that quiz without any possibility of retaking it. If there is physical violence or a threat of violence by against another student or against the instructor I will have the offending student removed  from the classroom and the course entirely, and other consequences might also apply.   Facility Policies No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom. Use of electronic devices for purposes other than note-taking or learning is prohibited.   MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email account and course homepage using the MyLSCPA web portal (https://www.lamarpa.edu/MyLSCPA). When you’ve logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check your email, or click on the “My Courses” tab to get to your Courses Homepage. Click the link to your course to review the information presented. It is important that you routinely check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLSCPA.   Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA’s Policy and Procedure Manual.   Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA’s Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college’s response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA’s Title IX website (https://www.lamarpa.edu/General/Title-IX-Sexual-Misconduct).   Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website
Attendance Policy	Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class session, except during the day of the final exam when attendance will be taken based on who completes the exam. If you are late by 10 minutes or more, you will be counted absent, even if you make it to class later. It is crucial to your success that you attend class, as we will go over material that will be on the quizzes and exam during lectures and class discussions. Additionally, I expect you to do more than “fill another seat”: to earn your attendance and participation grade, you will actively engage in our discussions, debates, and group activities.   Your attendance and participation points are yours to lose: everyone will begin the semester with a grade of “100” for their attendance and participation. If you are repeatedly absent and/or do not participate in class activities and discussions, you may lose attendance and participation points (see below).   For dual enrolled and early college students, this next part bears repeating: in this course, as in all postsecondary courses, there are neither excused nor unexcused absences, merely absences. If you are not present in class on a given class day, you will be counted absent, and that will be that. Of course, life happens, and it is possible that there will be times you are simply unable to attend class in person, hence the four “free” absences. There are not, however, excused absences: it does not matter why you are not here, it matters whether or not you are here. After your fourth absence, your attendance and participation grade will be reduced as shown on the table below. As with most postsecondary courses, consistent absences will result in failure of the entire course: IMPACT OF ABSENCES:   Four or fewer absences: No loss of points Five absences -10 (90% max attendance grade) Six absences -20 (80% max attendance grade) Seven absences -30 (70% max attendance grade) Eight absences -40 (60% max attendance grade) Nine absences -50 (50% max attendance grade) Ten absences -60 (40% max attendance grade) Eleven absences -70 (30% max attendance grade) Twelve absences -80 (20% for attendance grade) Thirteen absences -90 (10% for attendance grade) Fourteen absences -100 (0% for attendance grade) Fifteen absences FAILURE OF ENTIRE COURSE
Additional Information	n/a
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect	As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct	LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting	For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
Grievance / Complaint / Concern	If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information	General Education and Developmental Studies Chair: Dr. Steven Zani Email: zanisj@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6431