week 14: The Civil War

Our final week explores the Civil War and its legacy. We will discuss the events of the war, its immediate aftermath, and recent commemoration.

Reading: Clark, Chap. 6

Points of Entry:

The Civil War:

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

Civil War Battlefields:

http://www.civilwar.org/

Reconstruction Era:

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/index.html

List and analyze 2 quotes from the reading.  What are some of the arguments? How are they related to the larger themes of the week discussed in class?

Additional Questions:

Could the Civil War have been avoided? What would the U.S. look like if compromise was reached?

What would the U.S. look like if Reconstruction was fulfilled and not ended in 1877?

What does recent commemoration of the Civil War say about its legacy?

What are your final thoughts for the class?  

Week 13: The Great Divergence and the Civil War

This week we will explore the local, regional, and global undercurrents shaping the "Great Divergence" on the eve of the Civil War. Topics include social reform movements, the revolutions of 1848, and abolitionism.

Readings: David Walker's Appeal

Points of Entry:

The Appeal online -

http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/walker/menu.html

Revolutions of 1848 -

http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/history/1848/revolution_of_1848.html

Abolitionist Movement -

http://www.cerritos.edu/soliver/American%20Identities/Black%20abolitionists/black_abolitionists.htm

The Civil War:

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

Civil War Battlefields:

http://www.civilwar.org/

Reconstruction Era:

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/index.html

List and analyze 2 quotes from the reading.  What are some of the arguments? How are they related to the larger themes of the week discussed in class?

Week 13: Global Migrations and U.S. Identity (1840-1860)

This week we'll explore the great immigrant and emigrant migrations that shaped Antebellum America and the West. We will also look at the impacts of the Gold Rush and Mexican-American War.

Points of Entry:

Gold Rush -

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/

Mexican-American War -

http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/index_flash.html

Overland Migration Trails -

http://overlandtrails.lib.byu.edu/trailmap.html

Irish Immigration -

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/irish-immigrants.htm

List and analyze 2 quotes from the reading.  What are some of the arguments? How are they related to the larger themes of the week discussed in class?

Week 12: Manifest Destiny (1830-1860)

This week we will explore the relationship between westward expansion, slavery and American identity. We will also discuss the wars against Mexico.

Clark (chap.5)

Points of Entry:

Panic of 1837

http://www.thehistorybox.com/ny_city/panics/panics_article5a.htm

Manifest Destiny -

http://www.civics-online.org/library/formatted/texts/manifest_destiny.html

U.S.-Mexican War -

http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/md_introduction.html

The Alamo -

http://www.thealamo.org/main/index.php

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/alamo/

Antebellum Period -

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart2.html

Thoughts/Questions for blog discussion:

List and analyze 2 quotes from the reading.  

What are some of the arguments?

How are they related to the larger themes of the week discussed in class?

week 11: Defining Citizenship

This week we will explore how the early U.S. defined and understood citizenship. This period experienced both an expansion and retraction of how citizenship came to be understood. We will also explore the Second Great Awakening and its impact on U.S. identity.

Readings - The Cherokee Removal A Brief History with Documents (intro.; chaps. 1-2) 100 pp.

Points of Entry:

Thomas Jefferson and Early U.S. Scientific Inquiry:

http://www.ansp.org/museum/jefferson/

Lewis and Clark Expedition and Early Expansion:

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/lewisandclark/lewisandclark.html

http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/

http://publications.newberry.org/frontiertoheartland/

Early U.S. Immigration:

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/

19th Century Children:

http://www.merrycoz.org/CHILDREN.HTM

Sunday School Books:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/sundayschool/

Trail of Tears National Historic Trail:

http://www.nps.gov/trte/

Questions:  

List and analyze 2 quotes from the reading.  

What are some of the arguments?

How are they related to the larger themes of the week discussed in class?