History 156

Purpose

This course traces the historical development of the United States from colonial times to the Civil War. It explores a wide range of subject areas, so you are certain to find a field that interests you. For example, topics will include: the ideology of revolution, the development of manufacturing techniques, the changing role of the family, the concept of equality in a democratic society and the role of the military. Most importantly, History 156 teaches you how to analyze the salient events that have shaped our national character and institutions over time. In the end, however, this course is really about people. It is about their lives, their ideas, and their struggles.

IDevice Icon Objectives
There are two sets of goals, specific and general, for this course. The specific goals concern the intentions of the designers and instructors to convey an introductory, yet comprehensive, view of United States history and to illustrate the practical and intellectual usefulness of obtaining such knowledge. After completing this course, you should recognize the value of studying history for personal (micro), social (macro), and intellectual uses. You should have a sound working knowledge of early United States history and its relevance to other historical topics and to other disciplines. After completing this course, you will be able to:

  • recognize the need for multiple perspectives in culture and heritage in the study of United States history and the various cultures and groups that have contributed to the current United States
  • identify the special role of diversity in the United States experience in the past, present, and future
  • make use of the availability of new insights and the applicability of those insights to solve current and future problems both on personal and societal levels
  • analyze and think critically about what you read and clearly express your views about what you have learned with regard to problems the United States has confronted and the likelihood of the recurrences of those or similar problems
  • describe the evolution of United States' political theories and political institutions, and the effects of diverse cultures and societies on those theories and institutions
  • explain the play-out of various conflicts and contradictions, both intellectually and practically, in the United States' experience, such as the theory of equality in the face of unequal outcomes, notions of liberty voiced in a slave system, the capability to improve the human condition and a sometimes deep-seated cynicism and introversion
  • recognize the roles of foreign policy and of foreign powers on the development of the United States and the effects of the United States on other nations and cultures
  • demonstrate a working knowledge of the inherent conflict between competing political and socio-psychological traditions, one espousing small-town collectivism and the other yeoman individuality

IDevice Icon Reading Activity

Textbook

Boyer, Paul S., Clifford E. Clark, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, Neal Salisbury, Harvard Sitkoff, and Nancy Woloch. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People. Vol. 1, 6th ed. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Textbook web site.




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William Mood, UMUC Department of History