Course Title: Early American History

Department #: HIS 221W

Credits: 3

Lect/Lab: 45-0

Course Description: Prerequisites: LEVEL 4 READING or LEVEL 2 WRITING. Introduces American history from its immediate European background through the Civil War Era. Emphasizes the growth of institutions and ideas. Also examines the political, economic, and social experiences of the young Republic, and their influence on contemporary America. (45-0)

Outcomes and Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Outcome 1: Compose an effective narrative that analyzes the history of Early American History in response to an analytical question.

Objectives

A. Choose among rhetorical strategies appropriate to historical analysis: describe, contextualize, analyze.

B. Select from a range of media best suited to communicating a particular argument narrative, or set of ideas.

Outcome 2: Analyze various types of historical sources appropriate to the study of Early American History.

Objectives

A. Describe the differences between primary and secondary sources.

B. Analyze the perspective and context in which the historical source was created.

C. Describe the ways in which a given historical source may inform a historical narrative.

Outcome 3: Evaluate conflicting historical interpretations within the context of EarlyAmerican History.

Objectives

A. Identify and describe conflicting historical interpretations.

B. Analyze the evidence supporting conflicting historical interpretations.

C. Evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of conflicting historical interpretations.

Outcome 4: Evaluate the ways in which the history of Early American History informs the current political, cultural, and social history of Early American History and its relationship to the global culture.

Objectives

A. Compare, contrast, and contextualize the political, cultural, and social history of Early American History and the present.

B. Evaluate the ways in which the historical development of political structures and beliefs, social structures and beliefs, and cultural structures and beliefs may impact and inform current political, social, and cultural issues.

Outcome 5: Analyze global paradigms relevant to the traditional narrative of Early American History.

Objectives

A. Describe paradigms of knowledge, realities, values in western and non-western traditions.

B. Compare and contrast global paradigms of knowledge, realities, and values.

C. Analyze the impact of historical context on the formation of paradigms of knowledge, realities, and values.

Outcome 6: Use writing tasks to promote learning.

Objectives

A. Analyze course content in written form.

B. Demonstrate knowledge of subject matter.

C. Document attainment of skills learned.

D. Explain the subject matter in a coherent writing style.