TTh 11AM-12:15PM; Runs from 8/17/2026 - 10/9/2026; 8 weeks
A survey of the history of the United States from the cultures present when Europeans arrived in the late 15th century through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Emphasis is placed on political as well as economic, cultural, and social forces which have shaped the American past. This course satisfies the U.S. Constitution requirement for graduation.
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Critical Thinking
Course Description: This course examines the political, economic, cultural, and social development of the United States from the pre- Columbian era through the end of the Civil War. It discusses the dynamics of class, race, gender, and religion, and how they affected this development. Using both primary and secondary sources, students will analyze concepts and frame ideas, while exploring significance, thematic connections and challenges in the evolution of the U.S.
Course Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
· Distinguish between primary and secondary sources as the foundation of modern historical scholarship.
· Formulate historical arguments, both orally and in writing, and defend them using evidence and critical thinking.
· Develop an awareness of the contingent relationships among social, political, religious, cultural, and economic variables throughout U.S History.
· Integrate and apply an understanding of the ways in which historical events and constructs are connected to contemporary societal issues (political and governance systems, social and economic inequities, climate change, etc.)
Faculty Contact Information
Tues 1-2:30pm; Wed 2-3:30pm; or by appointment (zoom or in-person)
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Distinguish between primary and secondary sources as the foundation of modern historical scholarship
- Interpret primary sources critically by analyzing their historical contexts;
- Formulate historical interpretations, both orally and in writing, and defend them critically with reference to primary and secondary sources
- Demonstrate an understanding of the various political, social, and economic movements within the United States, including the origins and development of its peoples and cultures to 1877
- Two Worlds Meet
- Colonizing the New World
- The Founding of New England
- The Expansion of English North America
- Colonial Slavery
- The English Imperial System
- The Battle for North America
- The Colonial Crisis
- The Revolutionary War
- Building a Republic
- Creating the Constitution
- The Federalist Era
- The Jeffersonian Republic
- Western Expansion and the War of 1812
- The New North
- The Expanding Republic
- The Age of Jackson
- The Reform Movement
- The Origins of the Women's Rights Movement
- The Old South
- Manifest Destiny
- The Fate of the Union
- Secession and Preparing for War
- The War of the Rebellion, 1861-1863
- The War of the Rebellion
- Reconstruction, 1863-1865
- Reconstruction, 1866-1867
- Reconstruction, 1686-1877
Course Text: OpenStax U.S. History Textbook
Course Structure and Learning Approach:
Each week we will meet and have a mix of lecture, discussion, videos, and in-class activities. Students should attend lectures, take notes, read assigned materials before each class, ask questions, and engage in class discussions.
Grades will be based on the following:
Assignment | Points |
Attendance/ Participation | 100 |
Quizzes (4) | 100 |
Midterm Module | 125 |
History Detective Project | 150 |
Self-Reflective Essay | 25 |
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Scale:
A: 500-450
B: 449-400
C: 399-350
D: 349-300
F: 299- Lower
Evaluation and Assessment Methods:
Attendance and Participation (100pts): You will be expected to attend every class, and thoughtfully engage in class discussions, group discussions, and in-class activities to ensure maximum class success. If a class is missed, you are still responsible for assigned readings, films, and other materials discussed in class. You should borrow notes on lectures and discussions from a classmate and contact me if you are unable to attend a class.
Quizzes (100pts): There are 4 quizzes required in this course. The quizzes will be in the form of short- answer based surrounding assigned reading material, lectures, and in-class activities. One quiz can be made up when a student has an excused absence. You are responsible for requesting to make up the quiz and instructor will provide a topic for the student to write a 1.5 page essay and turn in within 5 days of quiz date.
Midterm Module(125pts): The Midterm Module is intended to evaluate your ability to interpret historical evidence, develop historical arguments, and synthesize course content rather than simply memorize facts. The module is open-book and open-note and will be available in Canvas during Week 4. Students are expected to complete all components independently using course materials and their own original work.
The Midterm Module consists of:
- Knowledge Check Quiz (40 points): A Canvas quiz covering key people, events, concepts, and historical themes from Weeks 1–4.
- Historical Essay (60 points): Write a well-organized essay that demonstrates historical analysis and critical thinking using evidence from the course readings, lectures, and primary sources.
- Primary Source Analysis (25 points): Analyze a historical document or image using the skills learned in the first half of the course.
History Detective Project (150 pts): This project is your opportunity to investigate a historical question that genuinely interests you. Throughout the second half of the course, you will explore a person, event, movement, or issue from U.S. History to 1877 and develop a historical argument supported by evidence.
Rather than simply reporting facts, you will investigate a historical mystery or debate by asking questions, evaluating sources, and drawing your own conclusions. Your goal is to answer the question, "What really happened, and why does it matter?"
Self-Reflective Essay (25pts): You will complete a written reflection discussing what you learned through your research, how their understanding of U.S. history has changed, and how their topic connects to contemporary issues.
Extra Credit:
History Detective Presentation (Extra Credit Option): You will create a 5–7 minute narrated presentation (PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Canva with voice narration) summarizing the findings of their research paper. Presentations should clearly explain the historical argument, supporting evidence, and significance of the topic.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
College Policies, Resources and Supports
College Policies
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation
Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the
Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
Resources
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit
Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
• Clubs and organizations
• Counseling and referral services
• Office of disability services
• Student complaint policy
• Transfer services
3 KCC Syllabi
• Tutoring services, etc.
Copyright & Syllabus Disclaimer
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further
information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
AI Policy
Text- generating software (such as ChatGPT, iA Writer, Marmot or Botowski) should be avoided. These programs should not be used to evade doing your own work and/or copy text/ideas without proper citation.
In addition, AI programs can have implicit bias, and even present incorrect information.
Week | Class Dates | Topics | Learning Materials |
Week 1: Indigenous North America & European Exploration
| Aug. 18–20 | Module 1 Aug. 18: Course Introduction, Syllabus, Course Expectations, History Detective Project Overview. Aug. 20: Indigenous North America, Cahokia, European Exploration, Columbus, and the Columbian Exchange. | Readings: OpenStax Chapter 1: The Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492 Chapter 2.1–2.3: Early Globalization and Columbus Video: Cahokia Mounds |
Week 2: Colonial America & the Atlantic World | Aug. 25–27 | Module 2 Aug. 25: Europeans and Native Americans, the Spanish Empire, Colonization, and Resistance. Aug. 27: English Colonization, Jamestown, New England, Slavery, Race, and the Atlantic World. | Readings: Chapter 2.4–2.5: Spanish Exploration and Colonization Chapter 3-4 Videos: Gaspar Yanga; The Truth About Pocahontas; American Holocaust: When It's All Said and Done I'll Still Be an Indian; Salem Witch Trials; Amistad (selected clip). Primary Source (optional): 6. Accusations of witchcraft, 1692 and 1706 |
Week 3: Revolution & the Founding of the United States | Sept. 1–3 | Module 3 Sept. 1: French and Indian War, Road to Revolution, and the American Revolution. Sept. 3: Declaration of Independence, George Washington, Results, Articles of Confederation, Constitutional Convention, and the Bill of Rights. | Readings: Chapters 5-6. Chapter 7.1–7.3: Creating Republican Governments Primary Source (optional): Pontiac Calls for War (1763), Thomas Paine, Common Sense, Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, Braintree, Mass (March 31, 1776) |
Week 4: The Early Republic & Jacksonian America | Sept. 8–10 | Module 4 Sept. 8: Thomas Jefferson, the War of 1812, and the Early Republic. Sept. 10: Jacksonian Democracy, Indian Removal, and the Market Revolution. | Readings: Chapter 7.4–7.6 Chapters 8-10 Video: Jon Meacham on Thomas Jefferson. Assignment: Midterm Module due September 13th |
Week 5: Slavery & the Peculiar Institution | Sept. 15–17 | Module 5 Sept. 15: The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in Antebellum America. Sept. 17: Resistance, Enslaved Communities, and the Expansion of Slavery. | Readings: Chapters 11-12. Videos: Africans in America; Amistad (selected clip); Twelve Years a Slave Primary Source: excerpt from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustava Vassa, the African (1789) |
Week 6: Reform, Expansion & Sectional Conflict | Sept. 22–24 | Module 6 Sept. 22: Reform Movements, Abolition, Women's Rights, and Religious Revival. Sept. 24: Manifest Destiny, Texas, and the Mexican-American War. | Readings: Chapters 13-14 Primary Sources: F. Douglass, What to the Slave... |
Week 7: Sectional Crisis & the Civil War | Sept. 29–Oct. 1 | Module 7 Sept. 29: Sectionalism, the Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Causes of the Civil War, Secession, and the Election of 1860. Oct. 1: The Civil War, Emancipation, and the Experiences of Women and African Americans during the War; | Readings: Chapters 15-16
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Week 8: Reconstruction & the Legacy of the Civil War | Oct. 6–8 | Module 8 Oct. 6: Reconstruction, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, the Freedmen's Bureau, and the End of Reconstruction; Student Presentations Oct. 8: Legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction; Student Presentations | Readings: Chapter 17 Videos: Eric Foner on Reconstruction; Civil War Memory. Assignments: History Detective Project Due October 10th; Self-Reflective Essay due October 10th; Student Presentations (optional) |
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.