Syllabus


 * __ Course Syllabus __**
 * __ AP US History __**
 * __ Mr. Patrick M. Carroll __**
 * __ Office B 117 __**
 * __ Office Phone Number: 5855-4588 ext. 340 __**
 * __ Email: __****__ pmcarroll2000@yahoo.com __**

__ Course overview __ : Welcome to A.P. U.S. History! This is a challenging course, equivalent in its demands to a college level course and can earn students college credit. For the next two semesters you will be taking a survey of American history from colonial settlement to the present. If it is a 5 on the AP US History test you seek, there are a few things you must be capable of and willing to do. They are: In order best to prepare you for the test in May, we will emphasize critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, interpretation of original documents, and an understanding of bias and points of view. All tests will be given in two period blocks and will have multiple choice and essay sections. A major research paper is the culminating experience in the course, due after the A.P. exam in May. __ Course Objectives __ Students will: __ Course Themes: __ The following themes will be traced throughout the course:
 * __ AP __** **__ United States History __**
 * The ability to read and comprehend difficult material.
 * The ability to write with clarity and insight.
 * A willingness to devote considerable time to homework and study, more so than for a standard course
 * Dedication, dedication, dedication.
 * master a broad body of historical knowledge
 * demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology
 * use historical data to support an argument or position
 * interpret and apply data from original documents, including cartoons, graphs, letters, etc.
 * effectively use analytical skills of evaluation such as cause and effect or compare and contrast
 * thoroughly prepare for and complete the AP U.S. History Exam in May
 * The conflict between industrialization and agriculture
 * Equality and justice in terms of race, gender, and class
 * The relationship between literature, the arts, and their time
 * War as an instrument of national policy
 * States rights versus federal power
 * The rights of individuals versus the rights of society
 * Isolationism versus internationalism
 * The evolution of a two party system
 * Expansionism and imperialism

__ Course Texts and Readings: __ Alan Brinkley, // The Unfinished Nation // Volumes I and II (McGraw Hill, 4th Edition, Boston, 2004) Frederick Douglass. //Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave// (Bantam, 2003) (Summer Reading) Unit handouts which will include both primary and secondary source documents __ Organization: __ Assignment sheets will be provided for each unit. Reading is assigned on a weekly basis but students are expected to be sufficiently organized and skilled at time management so that they are prepared to discuss the daily topic. All written assignments including multiple choice tests and essay dates will be noted. Class will be a combination of lecture, group work, and coverage of discussion questions. Periodically, student essays, reports, or presentations, including panels and debates, will be required. All essays will be scored according to the A.P. exam rubric. __ Examples of Analytical and Interpretive Essays : __
 * Colonial and Native American Relations (DBQ)
 * Why did the Articles of Confederation fail as a basis for a working form of government? (DBQ)
 * Was the Louisiana Purchase constitutional? (DBQ)
 * Slavery Attacked versus Slavery Defended Document Analysis
 * Treaty of Versailles: Was it opposed on principles or politics? (DBQ)
 * Was the Civil Rights Movement a revolution or a revelation? (DBQ)
 * To what extent did the Marshall Plan polarize the Cold War world? (DBQ)
 * Compare and Contrast the views of W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington? What kind of role did each play in advancing the rights of African Americans prior to the 1950’s?
 * Powerpoint Presentations on a variety of subjects that will be presented to their peers
 * Other types of in class activities including, but not limited to: speech recitations, historical radio broadcasts listening and analysis, debates, DBQ group work, political cartoon reviews, political song reviews, and comparison of propaganda materials
 * The course concludes with a research paper that must include research from primary and secondary sources

__ Mid-term Exam and Final project __** : ** At the end of the first semester, all students will take a semester final exam. In May, students will take the A.P. exam. During the month of June, students will submit their individual research project. __ Oral Participation __ is a **__MAJOR__** component of this course. See the sample oral participation self-evaluation to see what is covered. As much as half of our class time will be spent in groups discussing the readings from the night before. //__It is imperative that you have read before class begins__//. A large percentage of your grade in this course will be based on your ability to analyze the information you have read, synthesize it into your own point of view and then present and defend that point of view to your peers. __ Written assignments: __ All longer papers should be word processed. This helps you edit and spell check. All papers should be double spaced with margins left and right. In college you will be expected to type ALL work. All written work must be done in ink. __I do not accept work via email under any circumstances.__

__Late Work Policy:__ Punctuality is an important life skill. I expect that your assignments will be completed and turned in on time. __All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day that they are due. If your assignment is not turned in to me at that time it is considered late. For every day that an assignment is late it is a 25% point reduction.__ After four days, your grade for that assignment is a zero. If your assignment is due on Friday and you turn it in on Monday, you will receive half credit as two days have passed since the due date. __If the assignment is a major assignment and the due date was given in advance and you are absent on the day the assignment is due you are expected to bring a doctor’s note explaining your absence.__ Otherwise you must provide a note from your parents certifying that you were ill on the due date. Long term assignments turned in late without a written excuse will suffer the corresponding lateness penalty (25% per day). __ Cheating __ : Any form of cheating will result in serious consequences, beginning with, but not limited to getting a zero for that work. If you want to know how serious a zero is, try averaging 6 grades of 88 -- averages to 88%, versus five grades of 88 and one zero – which averages 73%! Now average 4 quarters of 88% (still 88%) versus three quarters of 88 and one of 73. – the whole year drops to 84.5% for just one mistake. If that happens, I will feel sorry for you, but I will not listen to pleas from you or your parent to change the grade. If I catch you cheating I will report you to the Student Affairs Office. __ Plagiarism: __ By eleventh grade you should have a clear idea of what is your own thinking and what belongs to someone else. There is a middle area called common knowledge. If you are writing a report that says when Woodrow Wilson was born, you do not need to footnote that, even if you got it from another source. It is common knowledge. If you find a single source that says Woodrow Wilson was a vegetarian you want to footnote that. This gives credit to your source and protects you if the source was wrong. There will be a handout on bibliographies, footnotes and plagiarism. Penalties for plagiarism are the same as for other forms of cheating. Check the student handbook for further consequences.

__ Grading: __ Class Participation: 20% Homework: 20% Tests: 20% Projects and Longer Assignments: 20% __Exam (or Final Paper): 20%__ Total 100%


 * __ Course Outline __**


 * __ Unit 1: Colonial History to 1750 (1 Week) __**

Brinkley **. ** Ch. 1, 2, and 3 American History Handout Packet I 1. Emergence of the “American” 2. Regional patterns of settlement and development of society Motives and methods of British colonization Push-pull factors bringing colonists to the New World Comparison and contrast of Southern, middle, and New England colonies Political, economic, social, and religious patterns Cultural differences between Americans and Europeans Colonial Graphic Organizer DBQ: Colonial and Native American Relations (in groups) // The New World // (2005) dir. Terrence Malick // 1492: Conquest of Paradise // (1992) dir. Ridley Scott // Christopher Columbus: The Discovery // (1992) dir. John Glen // The Crucible // (1996) dir.Nicholas Hytner
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 * __ Unit 2: Empire in Transition (1 Week) __**

Brinkley Chapters 4 American History Handout Packet II 1. Loosening ties between ties between colonies and Europe 2. French and Indian War 3. Examination of Colonial causes of dissent. 4. Colonists reevaluate their relationship with Great Britain and with each other. Great War for Empire Britain’s relationship with Native Americans Stamp Act, Townshend Program, Boston Massacre Boston Tea Party Lexington and Concord Multiple Choice and DBQ Test Debate: To Sway King George III (colonial representatives against the King’s advisors and Parliament) // The Last of the Mohicans // (1992) dir. Michael Mann Unit 3: American Revolution ( 1 Week) __** Brinkley Chapter 5 American History Handout Packet III 1. The American Revolution as a conservative or a radical movement 2. New relationships: among the new states and with foreign nations 3. Impact of colonial experience on post-independence government Mercantilism—costs and benefits for Britain and colonies British imperial policy, post- 1763 Emerging colonial cooperation and decision for independence Impact of military events on diplomatic relations Government under the Articles of Confederation—Successes and failures Washington and establishment of federal authority: Whiskey Rebellion DBQ: The Articles of Confederation Powerpoint Presentation: Aspects of the Revolution // The Patriot // (2000) dir. Roland Emmerich // The Crossing // (2000) dir. Robert Harmon
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 * __ Unit 4: Constitution and the New Republic (1.5 Weeks) __**

Brinkley Chapter 6 American History Handout Packet IV 1. Development of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights 2. The conflict between national power and states’ rights 3. Hamilton vs. Jefferson 4. Dealing with the opposition: Alien and Sedition Acts 5. The emergence of political parties and the factors that divided them Constitutional Convention Controversies and Compromises Ratification Hamilton’s Financial Plan Alien and Sedition Acts Founding Fathers Fact Sheets Multiple Choice and DBQ Test Panel Discussion: Hamilton and Jefferson “On the National Bank” // 1776 // (1972) dir. Peter H. Hunt
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 * __ Unit 5: Jefferson and the Rise of Nationalism __**** (1.5 Weeks) **

Brinkley Chapter 7 and 8 American History Handout Packet V 1. Establishment of precedents 2. British–French conflict and its impact on American politics 3. The peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. 4. The growth of nationalism. Changes in Party Positions: Jefferson’s “Revolution of 1800” Louisiana Purchase Marshall Court rulings and precedents War of 1812: Causes, Conduct, Consequences Era of Good Feelings and the Rise of Nationalism Monroe Doctrine DBQ: The Louisiana Purchase Powerpoints on the Marshall Court
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 * __ Unit 6: Jackson and the Age of Reform (1.5 Weeks) __**

Brinkley Chapters 9 and 10 American History Handout Packet VI 1. The emergence of the “Common Man” in American politics 2. Geographical and economic expansion 3. Reform movements and the American character. Election of 1824 and the founding of Jackson’s Democratic Party Jackson’s Administration: Spoils System Nullification Bank War Cherokee Removal Manifest Destiny and the War with Mexico Immigration; social, political, and economic developments; and Reform movements, 1820 -1850 Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr’s view of Jacksonianism Debate: Does Andrew Jackson deserve to be on the $20 bill? Multiple Choice and DBQ Test // The Alamo // (2004) dir. John Lee Hancock // One Man’s Hero // (1999) dir. Lance Hool
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 * __ Unit 7: Slavery and Sectionalism (2.5 Weeks) __**

Brinkley 11, 12, and 13 Douglass all American History Handout Packet VII 1. Westward expansion 2. Antebellum life 3. Slavery and Sectionalism 4. Prelude to Civil War Impact of territorial expansion on the politics of the slave issue Slavery as a social and economic institution The politics of slavery Missouri Compromise Abolitionists Compromise of 1850 Kansas–Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas Dred Scott Decision Lincoln–Douglas Debates John Brown’s Raid Election of 1860 Slavery Attacked and Slavery Defended document analysis Antebellum Powerpoints // Roots // (1977) dir. Marvin Chomsky and John Erman // Amistad // (1997) dir. Steven Spielberg
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 * __ Unit 8: Civil War and Reconstruction (2.5 Weeks) __**

Brinkley Chapter 14 and 15 American History Handout Packet VIII 1. Secession and war 2. Reconstruction issues and plans 3. The struggle for equality 4. Redemption governments
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** Content: ** The home front, North and South Mobilizing manpower, finances, public opinion Social, economic, and political impact of war Presidential vs. congressional Reconstruction plans and actions 1877 Compromise and Home Rule Booker T. Washington’s and W.E.B. Du Bois’s leadership styles and Programs Eric Foner’s view of Reconstruction Civil War Powerpoints Letters from the Civil War Multiple Choice and DBQ Test // The Blue and The Grey // (1982) dir. Andrew MacLaglen // North and South // (1985) dir. Richard Heffron // Civil War // (1990) dir. Ken Burns // Glory // (1989) dir. Edward Zwick // Gettysburg // (1993) dir. Ronald Maxwell // Gods and Generals // (2003) dir. Ronald Maxwell Brinkley Chapter 16 American History Handout Packet IX 1. Westward expansion 2. Chinese in the West 3. Western tribes 4. Changing Western Economy Western Tribes Hispanic Southwest Chinese migration and American reactions Cowboys Reservation system Conflicting Needs: ranchers, farmers, miners, homesteaders and Native Americans Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis Native Americans Powerpoints // Geronimo: An American Legend // (1993) dir. Walter Hill // Dances With Wolves // (1990) dir. Kevin Costner // Open Range // (2003) dir. Kevin Costner // Tombstone // (1993) dir. George Cosmatos
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 * __ Unit 9: Westward Expansion and the Fate of the American Indians (1 week) __**
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 * __ Unit 10: Industrialization, the Rise of Cities, and the Agrarian revolt (2 Weeks) __**

Brinkley Chapters 17, 18, and 19 American History Handout Packet X 1. Political alignment and corruption in the Gilded Age 2. Role of government in economic growth and regulation 3. Social, economic, and political impact of industrialization Gilded Age politics Industrial growth Governmental response Business tycoons: methods, accomplishments, and philosophies Rise of organized labor The new immigrants Social philosophies Cultural changes Agrarian discontent John Hicks’ theories on Populism as final struggle between industry and agriculture DBQ: Laissez-faire violations in the 1800s: group analysis DBQ: Agrarian Discontent Panel: Were 19th century Industrialists really Robber Barons? Multiple Choice test. // The Gangs of New York ( // 2002) dir. Martin Scorcese
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 * __ Unit 11: Progressives (2 Weeks) __**

Brinkley: Chapters 21, 22 American History Handout Packet XI 1. Role of government in regulating the economy 2. Role and effectiveness of third parties 3 Urbanization: problems and reforms 4. Teddy Roosevelt/Taft/Wilson: Role of leadership
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** Content: ** Election of 1896 Populist roots Urban middle-class reformers lead a call for change Muckrakers Women’s issues and roles Political corruption and reforms Consumer and environmental protection Business and labor issues Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson administrations lead/respond to Progressive movement Herbert Croly and //The Promise of American Life// Progressive interpretations of Samuel Hays and Robert Wiebe Progressives Powerpoint Presentations Robber Baron's Christmas
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 * __ Unit 12: Imperialism and World War I (2 Weeks) __**

Brinkley: Chapters 20, 23 Kennedy Pages 165-226 American History Handout Packet XII 1. The changing role of the U.S. in world affairs — from isolationism to World power 2. U.S. motives in World War I and post-war agreements 3. Presidential and congressional roles in policy management Reasons for new interest in world affairs U.S. on the world stage: Spanish–American War; Cuban situation and U.S. reaction; Philippine annexation—debate and results; Open Door Policy, Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” Diplomacy and Roosevelt Corollary and applications; Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy Neutrality, 1914– 1917 World War I as a war to “make the world safe for democracy” Interpretations of U.S. motives in World War I World War I at home: Economic impact; Women and minorities Wartime propaganda; Espionage and Sedition Acts Business and Labor relations Treaty negotiations and Senate rejection of Versailles Treaty Alfred Thayer Mahan Influenza Epidemic of 1918 Treaty of Versailles DBQ Multiple Choice Test // Sergeant York // (1941) dir. Howard Hawks // The Lost Battalion // (2001) dir. Russell Mulcahy
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 * __ Unit 1 __****__ 3 __****__ : 1920s–1930s (2 Weeks) __**

Brinkley: Chapters: 24, 25, 26 American History Handout Packet XIII 1. The 1920s: cultural conflicts: native vs. foreign; rural vs. urban 2. Revolution in manners and morals 3. The 1930s: the role of government in society and the economy 4. Political realignment The 1920s: Post-war recession and agricultural problems Intolerance KKK Immigration restriction Sacco and Vanzetti Prohibition and Organized Crime Jazz Age culture, Youth Rebellion, Literature of Disillusionment Business growth and consolidation, credit, advertising Boom and Bust in the Stock Market Hoover’s v. Roosevelt’s approaches to the Depression New Deal Legislation—Effectiveness and Criticisms Supreme Court Reactions and Court Packing Plan Extremist alternatives: Coughlin, Long, Townsend Political Party Alignment — the new Democratic Coalition Impact of the Great Depression on various population groups Debate: Was the New Deal an Effective response to the Great Depression? Multiple Choice, Essay, and DBQ Test Alphabet Agency Powerpoint Presentations // Citizen Kane // (1941) dir. Orson Welles // The Public Enemy // (1931) dir. William Wellman // Cobb // (1994) dir. Ron Shelton // Inherit the Wind // (1960) dir. Stanley Kramer
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 * __ Unit 1 __****__ 4 __****__ : World War II and the Homefront (1 Week) __**

Brinkley: Chapter 28 American History Handout Packet XIV 1. Roosevelt as a wartime leader, allied partner, post-war planner 2. Impact of war on the Homefront: focus on women and minorities 3. Internment
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** Content: ** U.S. response to aggression—neutrality legislation, Lend-Lease Act Pearl Harbor and U.S. response Atomic Bomb Home Front: Relocation of Japanese Americans; Women and Minorities in the Workplace Wartime Diplomacy and Cooperation Debate: To Drop the Bomb? Propaganda and Cartoons: Review sets of World War II Era cartoons and propaganda posters. Student will create a cartoon, propaganda poster, or short propaganda film of their own. // Patton // (1970) dir. Franklin Schaffner // Saving Private Ryan // (1998) dir. Steven Spielberg // The Thin Red Line // (1998) dir. Terrence Malick // A League of Their Own // (1992) dir. Penny Marshall // Tuskegee Airmen // (1995) dir. Robert Markowitz // Fat Man and Little Boy // (1989) dir. Robert Joffe’
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 * __ Unit 1 __****__ 5 __****__ : Post War Society and Global Threats (1 week) __**

Brinkley: Chapter 29 American History Handout Packet XV 1. Emergence of the Cold War 2. The Policy of Containment 3. Consensus, conformity, and rebellion Truman’s administration: focus on 1948 election and its impact; Truman Doctrine; Marshall Plan; NATO; Korea Eisenhower’s administration; focus on McCarthyism; challenges in Asia DBQ: The Marshall Plan and Eisenhower’s Military Industrial Complex Multiple Choice and Free Response Essay Test // Devil In A Blue Dress // (1995) dir. Carl Franklin // Citizen Cohn // (1992) dir. Frank Pierson // Guilty By Suspicion // (1991) dir. Irwin Winkler
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**__ Unit 1 __****__ 6 __****__ : Domestic Issues (the 60’s onward) (1.5 Weeks) __**

Brinkley: Chapters 30, 31, 32 American History Handout Packet XVI 1. Continued impact of New Deal on government’s role in society 2. Struggle for civil liberties and civil rights 3. Impact of Cold War themes on domestic policy 4. Demographic, cultural, and political changes Civil Right in the spotlight: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kennedy/Johnson administrations: focus on Civil Rights Movement: Popular and government response War on Poverty and Great Society programs Impact of Vietnam on the Homefront Counterculture Election of 1968 Changes in the economy and political realignment in 1970’s and 1980’s Michael Harrington //The Other America// DBQ: Civil Rights Great Society and Vietnam Powerpoint Presentations // Separate But Equal // (1991) dir. George Stevens Jr. // Ali // (2001) dir. Michael Mann // JFK // (1991) dir. Oliver Stone // Mississippi Burning // (1988) dir. Alan Parker // Malcolm X // (1992) dir. Spike Lee
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 * __ Unit 1 __****__ 7 __****__ : Cold War Foreign Policy—Kennedy to Reagan and beyond (1.5 Weeks) __**

Brinkley: Chapter 30, 31, 32 American History Handout Packet XVII 1. Post-war foreign policy informs domestic issues 2. Ideology vs. strategic self-interest in policy formulation Kennedy’s foreign policy: spotlight on Cuba and Vietnam Johnson: spotlight on Vietnam Nixon/Ford: spotlight on Vietnamization Carter: spotlight on Human rights policies and Camp David Accords Iran Revolution and hostage crisis Reagan: “The Evil Empire” and the End of the Cold War Contemporary scene
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** Major Assignments and Assessments: ** Multiple Choice, Free Response and DBQ Test // Platoon // (1986) dir. Oliver Stone // Born on the Fourth of July // (1989) dir. Oliver Stone // Thirteen Days // (2000) dir. Roger Donaldson
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 * __ Unit 1 __****__ 8 __****__ : The U.S. and the Post-Cold War World (0.5 week) __**

American History Handout Packet XVIII 1. Globalization and impact on domestic front 2. Unilateralism and multilateralism Political realignment Multiculturalism Terrorism and its impact on foreign and domestic policy
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Debate: Is the “War on Terror” an effective response to 9/11?
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