Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

United States 1607-1876 (Face-to-Face)

HIST 2700-01

Course: HIST 2700-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: HSOC
CRN: 32362

Course Description

A political, social, and economic survey of the period, emphasizing the forces for American Independence, the development of the Constitution, the emergence of Jacksonian democracy, and the causes and aftermath of the Civil War. This is a designated Service-Learning course. (Fall, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll

Required Texts

 The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook.  

Victoria Bissell Brown, Timothy Shannon, eds. Going to the Source, Volume I: to 1877. Fifth Ed. Macmillan, 2020.   

Learning Outcomes

 
Learning Outcomes


  • KNOWLEDGE: Students will demonstrate their acquisition of factual and conceptual knowledge about this period of history. They will gain this knowledge through lectures and readings. They will demonstrate their knowledge in weekly discussions and in the midterm and final exams. 


  • INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS: The professor will model historical inquiry and analysis in lectures and discussions, and students will analyze historical events and interpretations in our Friday small group discussions, their commonplace books, and in the midterm and final exams. 


  • ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Students will hone their speaking and listening skills in our Friday small group discussions and they will hone their writing skills in the Commonplace Book Assignment as well as the midterm and final exams. 

Course Requirements

Weekly Textbook Quizzes | 10%
Commonplace Book | 10%
Friday Discussion Participation| 30%
Final Exam  | 25%
Midterm Exam | 25%

Course Outline

Week One -- Thinking Historically
Week Two -- Indigenous America 
Week Three -- Colliding Cultures
Week Four -- British North America
Week Five -- Colonial Society
Week Six -- Beginnings of the American Revolution
Week Seven -- American Revolution
Week Eight -- The New Nation/ Constitution 
Week Nine -- The Early Republic 
Week Ten -- The Market and Cotton Revolutions
Week Eleven -- Democracy, Religion, and Reform in 19th Century America
Week Twelve -- Manifest Destiny and Sectional Crisis
Week Thirteen -- Civil War
Week Fourteen -- Reconstruction 
Week Fifteen -- Final Exam 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

 History 2700 is an in-person class. It meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for every week of the semester. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the professor lectures or engages the students in various team work activities for learning. On Fridays, there will be discussions based on the primary source materials in the Going to the Source Volume I, course reader. 

Mondays and Wednesdays

 Since this is an in-person class, the lectures and team work activities on Mondays and Wednesdays are only available to those in class. If you must miss one of these classes, you are still responsible for the material we cover in those classes. The material covered in lectures will not simply be a repeat of the textbook. Therefore, if you miss a lecture, you will need to borrow a classmate's notes and copy them. 

Fridays

On Fridays, we will discuss the primary sources in the Going to the Source volume I course reader. Participation will be assessed on those days. To receive participation points, you need to do more than simply attend class, but rather participate through attentive listening, active note taking, avoiding non-class related distractions, discussing course materials with your fellow class mates. There is no substitute for class discussion. You cannot simply "make up" the material. However, you may miss ONE discussion per semester, but you will still be responsible for the material. So do the reading and borrow a class mate's notes in case of absence. 

 

Beyond the one excused absence for discussion that everyone in the class receives automatically, students will not receive any credit.  It is impossible to make up in-class discussions, except for a serious illness or death in the family, in which case see the professor as soon as a problem becomes apparent. Do not wait to seek guidance. 

Midterm and Final Exams -- Dates

The Midterm and Final Exams will take place on the dates below. These are announced on the first day of classes and listed in the syllabus. Students must plan an adjust their schedules accordingly so that they take the exams on the dates listed and at the class time. There are no early exams. There are no make up exams, unless there is a serious illness or death in the family. Medical documentation will be required in these cases.

Midterm Exam -- Monday, September 29 -- In Class 

Final Exam -- Wednesday, December 10 -- In Class

Attendance Policy

  

Mondays and Wednesdays

Since this is an in-person class, the lectures and team work activities on Mondays and Wednesdays are only available to those in class. If you choose to miss one of these classes, you are still responsible for the material we cover in those classes. The material covered in lectures will not simply be a repeat of the textbook. Therefore, if you miss a lecture, you will need to borrow a classmate's notes and copy them. 

Fridays

On Fridays, we will discuss the primary sources in the Going to the Source volume I course reader. Participation will be assessed on those days. To receive participation points, you need to do more than simply attend class, but rather participate through attentive listening, active note taking, avoiding non-class related distractions, discussing course materials with your fellow class mates. There is no substitute for class discussion. You cannot simply "make up" the material. However, you may miss ONE discussion per semester, but you will still be responsible for the material. So do the reading and borrow a class mate's notes in case of absence. 

 
Beyond the one excused absence for discussion that everyone in the class receives automatically, students will not receive any credit.  It is impossible to make up in-class discussions, except for a serious illness or death in the family, in which case see the professor as soon as a problem becomes apparent. Do not wait to seek guidance. 

Midterm and Final Exams -- Dates

The Midterm and Final Exams will take place on the dates below. These are announced on the first day of classes and students are expected to take the exams on the date and at the class time. There are no early exams. There are no make up exams, unless there is a serious illness or death in the family. Medical documentation will be required in these cases. Otherwise, students who do not take the exams at the appointed time will receive a "0."

Midterm Exam -- Monday, September 29 -- In Class 

Final Exam -- Wednesday, December 10 -- In Class 

Course Fees

Program Fees for courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences: $4/ credit hour 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.