Topical lectures will consist of presentations on various themes, relating the changing social, political, and economic climates of North America/ U.S. and how they are inter-related and exchanged from one region to the next within the developing nation.  I will provide outline handouts for each lecture, with relevant terms, many of which will be used in tests and/or quizzes.  Though topical, these presentations will follow a loose chronology, spanning from the time of early European exploration and subsequent colonization, followed by the independence are and early nation period, culminating with the issues leading to the crisis of the Civil War and the conflict itself.

Course Requirements: There will be an early quiz and two examinations for this course (a midterm and a final), each involving answers to questions which identify terms taken from the class lecture/ outline handouts and readings.  We will determine the dates for the exams during the course of the semester (with the particular goal of avoiding conflicts with other classes that you may be taking), but the quiz will take place within the first three or four weeks of class.  In addition to questions from the class discussions and readings, the exams will consist of one essay for each the the midterm, and the final, and these writing assignments will be taken from the assigned readings.  There will be no surprises, and I will inform you about what to expect on the exams by supplying a list of the terms and ID’s and the essay questions well before each test.  In this way, you will have time to prepare outlines and gather your thoughts, make your arguments, etc. prior to the exam itself.  If you attend the class lectures regularly, and perform all of the assigned readings, you should have no problems with the exams.  If there are any concerns, or special needs in these areas, be sure to let me know about them.

In addition to the examinations, you will be assigned to write a précis on the assigned book, or on another of your own choosing (subject to my approval), relative to the early history of the United States.  A précis is similar to a book review or a book report, and I will supply handouts and explain what this assignment is about so that you have an idea of its content and purpose (please click on the highlighted text to go to the web version of this handout).

Pay attention to the calendar, add-drop deadlines, etc.  It is YOUR responsibility to submit all required forms relative to your enrollment, so know the deadlines for submitting such materials.  As far as this class is concerned, I will supply a calendar of assignments and test dates during the second week of class.  If you have any questions or reservations about the curriculum, or about your ability to perform the assigned tasks, let’s talk about it. I am committed to your success in this class, and to helping you to achieve your goals at College of the Canyons.  With that in mind, I will be on hand about 30 minutes prior to class and I will also be available for consultation after class.  I can also be reached by voice mail and email (I will return all calls and emails).

I look forward to this semester’s adventure of investigation into the history of the United States.  I plan to have fun, and I hope that the experience will be somewhat challenging to you, but also informative, enlightening, and fun too.                                                                                                                                                       -- Michael Ward

The images above (excluding the drifting leaves and the compass) include (1) Mississippi River traffic at New Orleans, Louisiana (c. 1830); (2) Thomas Paine (1737-1809), ardent deist and advocate of American independence, the author of many publications, including Common Sense (1776), The Crisis (1776-83), The Rights of Man (1791 and 1792), his highly controversial The Age of Reason (1794 and 1795), and Letter to Washington (1796); and (3) Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797), a Nigerian native who was captured and sold as a slave, and who, after years of service with a British Naval officer, purchased his freedom to become an effective advocate for the eighteenth-century abolition movement in Britain and the United States (Click here to go to an additional link, the Equiano Foundation.  The fourth image is a scene of a nineteenth-century mountain mining camp beyond the Old Northwest.  The fifth image is a portrait of Rebecca Rawson (1656-92), the youngest daughter of Edward Rawson (1615-93), the secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for 36 years (1650-86).  This nineteenth-century lithographic image was made after the original oil painting (c. 1670) by an unknown artist which today hangs in the reading room of the New England Historical Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.  Click with your mouse on each image to go to relevant discussions about each person and/ or the societies in which they lived.

Gary Nash, et al., The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, Volume One.

James E. Seaver, A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison, edited by June Namias, (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992).

Melton McLaurin, Celia, A Slave, (New York: Avon Books, 1991). 

The course reading schedule can be found by clicking on the compass image at the top of this page or the one below.

This page was updated on Monday, August 8, 2005

Lithographic image of the Battle at the Cathedral of Mexico, that took place adjascent to the Zocalo at Mexico City during
the Mexican - American War, Sept. 1847
Click with your mouse to go to a Texas PBS web page on this conflict.  Then be sure to also visit an opposing site that emphasizes the Mexican perspective of the war, by clicking on the button below.