ABOVE CLASS OPEN TO UNDERGRADUATES ONLY
Need study skills help?  Then contact the Student Academic Center
(855-7313) for on-line authorization for EDUC-X101 (Learning
Strategies for History, two additional credits) that will be offered
2:30 MW or 4:00 MW.

History 105 provides an introduction to the central themes, issues
and problems which have shaped the American nation.  Our time period
ranges from European contact in North America through the founding
of the United States to its ultimate national test, the Civil War.
We will employ a comparative approach through an emphasis on race,
class and gender to examine the ways in which changes in politics,
economics, society and culture shaped the emerging nation.  In the
process we will explore themes such as European imperialism and
cultural contact in the Atlantic; racial and ethnic interactions in
North America; and, changes in political and economic ideologies.
Moreover, we will examine topics such as the America Revolution, the
Constitution, the new republic, slavery, and the Civil War.

Beyond studying a particular group and/or nation, the primary goals
of this course include teaching students how to think analytically
about the study of history (and beyond); how to express ideas and
arguments, through speech and writing; and how to read selectively
and thoughtfully.  The assignments and material are designed to
teach students how to analyze varying, and often conflicting,
perspectives of history and to demonstrate that history is a process
of interpretation not memorization.  A primary goal of university
education should be teaching students how to process (synthesize and
analyze) a wealth of material, which is often contradictory, in
order to form an educated, informed opinion.  Developing those
skills will be a key emphasis of this class throughout the term.

The assignments for this course include weekly readings and
writings, as well as three reflection essays.  Moreover, you will
have a final project.  There are no exams.