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Oberlin
College
Oberlin College
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History 103
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AMERICAN
HISTORY
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to
1877
This course offers an interpretive overview of American history from the eve of the European invasion of North America through the Civil War and Reconstruction--a period of four hundred years. We focus on the changing aspirations and behavior of ordinary Americans of all sorts, as well as on the transformative achievements of the powerful and famous. Our objective is to understand not only what happened but also why it happened. To this end, we employ a variety of analytical methods and consider a wide range of scholarly interpretations. As the semester progresses, students should be prepared to make their own judgments about the relative importance of different factors in shaping the American past.
Format: Most weeks there will be lectures on Mondays and Fridays and discussions on Wednesdays. The discussions will focus on the assigned readings, which should be done on time. Attendance at discussion sessions is required, and student participation is expected. Students will also be invited to the professor's house outside of regular class time to view three videos during the semester.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on the basis of two short position papers (25% each); class participation, including contributions to the course's online AltaVista Forum (15%); and a take-home final examination (35%). All student work is governed by the Oberlin College Honor System. The instructor reserves the right to exercise some discretion in assigning final grades.
Purchases: The following materials are available at the Co-op Bookstore and should be purchased. Most are also on reserve in Mudd.
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Paul S. Boyer
et al., The Enduring Vision, concise 3d ed., vol. 1
John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive
Mechal Sobel, The World They Made Together
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, A Midwife's Tale
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Michael Perman, ed., The Coming of the American Civil War, 3d ed.
Edward Countryman, The Americans
Online Resources: This course will make use of a variety of electronic resources online, including AltaVista Forum (the College's system for asynchronous group discussion) and ERes (the College's new electronic reserve system). The instructor will explain how to use these resources as the need arises.
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