Course
This course is designed as an introduction to the major themes and arguments in U.S. history from the colonial period to the present as well as an exploration of the different kinds of evidence that are available to historians. This is not an easy course; it is, rather, a reading and writing course that will provide you with the general knowledge and skills commonly identified as appropriate to a one-semester introductory course. Unlike upper division courses this course tends to be a bit more fact oriented but not entirely so. You may or may not improve your Jeopardy performance but will, I hope, learn the usefulness and pleasures of history. To get the most from the course, therefore, the reading assignments should be completed before the date they are due so that you will have time to digest the material thoroughly in preparation for discussion and subsequent writing assignments. You will have to use your time wisely.
Book
The following book is required for the course. The text is available in the Campus Bookstore.
Nation of Nations
Blogs
You are required to obtain a Plus-level subscription to Typepad, a blog. TypePad is available at: http://www.typepad.com. All of your writing assignments and projects will be posted to your Typepad blog. The cost is $8.95 per month or roughly $27.00 for the semester (the cost of a modest textbook). The best thing to do is sign up for a free trial; this will furnish you with a month's free service. At the end of the semester, you can cancel your subscription. Or, you may discover that you like blogging so much that you retain your subscription.
A word about design. Good design helps your blog visitors find what they are looking for and read it once found. Certain design elements contribute to readability and legibility. For your TypePad blog, you can choose any design in Classic, Bold Colors, Cool Colors, Pale Palettes categories except Folio, Beckett, Sunburned, and Porpoise. These are just plain difficult to read, and I do not want to go blind. You should not choose anything from the Special Interest group. When you choose a layout, choose a two or three column layout. Avoid the mixed media layout; they are not appropriate for history.