HIS 105
American History to 1865
Section 3415–T & TH 6:00 pm-9:30 pm
CM 109
Summer 1999
Mercer County Community College
Dr. Peter K. Parides
Office: LA 148
E-mail: Paridesp@aol.com
Web site: https://members.tripod.com/pparides/home.html
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:00-6:00pm
Nature of the Course:
America is at a crossroads. The meaning of America and what it means to be an American is currently the subject of great debate. As we draw nearer to the dawn of a new century, it seems necessary to think about our future by looking into the past. Over the course of the next six weeks, we will determine how and why the American nation has developed into what it is today. Hopefully our answers will give us the information we need to proceed into the next century.
Textbook:
The textbook, which is available in the bookstore, is The American Pageant: vol. I, to 1877.
Evaluation:
Course grades will be determined by two quizzes, three document analyses and a take-home final. Over the course of the session, we will be read primary source documents on which you will write a 2-3 page analysis. Each of the three document analyses will count for 20% each, thus all three together count for 60% of you final grade. The final, which will also be an essay, will similarly count for 20% of your grade. Each quiz, which will consist of multiple choice questions, will count for 5% of your grade. The quizzes together count for a total of 10% of your grade. The remaining 10% of your grade lies in the quality of your class participation and on your attendance record. Anyone with more than two absences will have their final grade drop by 5 points.
Course web site:
I have created a course web site where you can follow our schedule, download course materials, learn more about the course topics, and e-mails me with any questions or concerns. The site can be accessed at :
https://members.tripod.com/pparides/HY-105/home.html
(NOTE: The web address is case sensitive. It must be typed exactly as it appears, ie the
HY-105 must be capitalized).