HIST 0049. The American West
Units: 3
Advisory: Eligibility for English 1A
Hours: 54 lecture
History of the movement of the American people from the eastern coast of North America to the Pacific Ocean, including the history of the trans-Mississippi West from the 16th century to the present. Included will be the numerous historical issues associated with the region, including cultural contact and conflict, economic development, visions and meanings of the West, human interaction with nature and the environment, relationship between western states and the federal government, tourism, the growth of the sunbelt cities, and the shifting nature of race, class, gender, and power in the region. (CSU, UC)
HIST 0049 - The American West
http://catalog.sierracollege.edu/course-outlines/hist-0049/
Catalog Description DESCRIPTION IS HERE: Advisory: Eligibility for English 1A Hours: 54 lecture Description: History of the movement of the American people from the eastern coast of North America to the Pacific Ocean, including the history of the trans-Mississippi West from the 16th century to the present. Included will be the numerous historical issues associated with the region, including cultural contact and conflict, economic development, visions and meanings of the West, human interaction with nature and the environment, relationship between western states and the federal government, tourism, the growth of the sunbelt cities, and the shifting nature of race, class, gender, and power in the region. (CSU, UC) Units 3 Lecture-Discussion 54 Laboratory By Arrangement Contact Hours 54 Outside of Class Hours Course Student Learning Outcomes Analyze the role of geography in major political, economic and social changes. Compose coherent, persuasive academic historical arguments using correct academic citation methods. Differentiate primary and secondary sources and how each are used to make historical claims. Investigate major political, economic and social changes with emphasis on culture, race, class, gender and/or ethnicity. Course Content Outline 1. The Native American background a. The Bering Straits thesis b. Native American diversity c. Native American values 2. The European entry into North America a. European exploration b. The Spanish frontier c. The French frontier 3. The English colonial frontier a. Settlement on the Atlantic seaboard b. Relations with Native Americans c. Imperial conflicts 4. Comparison of the European frontiers in North America 5. The birth of the United States a. The War of Independence b. Western campaigns against the British and their Indian Allies c. The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution d. U.S. government policies and the frontier e. Land speculation in the West 6. The Trans-Appalachian West a. The Scots-Irish b. Slavery and the southern frontier c. The Trail of Tears d. Religion and the "First West" 7. The Trans-Mississippi frontier a. The Louisiana Purchase b. Lewis and Clark c. The Mountain Men d. Trails West e. The Oregon question f. Texas and the Mexican War of 1846-48 g. The California Gold Rush and the mining frontier h. The Mormons and other religious denominations i. The sectional question and the Civil War j. The Cattlemen k. The Transcontinental Railroad l. Miners and mine owners, labor conflict in the West m. Labor unionism, Western feminism and the “Oriental Question” n. The Sod House Frontier: The Farmer and His Wife o. Western populism p. The Western Melting Pot: Minorities q. The Decline of Native American culture r. The 1990 Census and "The End of the Frontier" 8. The Twentieth Century a. "The New West": An overview b. World War One, the “Wobblies” and Western radicalism c. The Rise of Agribusiness, “Factories in the Fields” d. The Great Depression e. Labor revolt, in the fields and on the waterfront f. World War Two g. Japanese incarceration h. Urbanization i. The tourist industry j. Water wars k. The environmental movement l. Immigrants and the immigration debate m. Los Angeles 1992 9. The Far West a. Alaska b. Hawaii 10. The Mythic West a. The West of the Imagination b. Film c. The West and the historians Course Objectives Course Objectives 1. Interpret primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument which uses them, as appropriate, for support. 2. Utilize analytical categories of race, class, gender and ethnicity to evaluate the development of the American West. 3. Evaluate the growth of the American West in a global context. 4. Explain the major economic, technological, and scientific developments of the American West and their historical significance. 5. Analyze major political trends, attitudes, conflicts, and events and explain their historical significance within the context of the American West. 6. Explain the major social and cultural developments in the American West, their causes and effects, and their historical significance. Methods of Evaluation Classroom Discussions Essay Examinations Objective Examinations Reports Reading Assignments 1. Read a selection of primary source documents about the experiences of settlers travelling the Oregon Trail and analyze their interaction with Native Americans in the Trans-Mississippi West. 2. Read Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America and examine the central role the the railroad industry relative to the complex development of industry in the late 19th Century. Writing, Problem Solving or Performance 1. Write a 7-10 page research paper covering a topic in the History of the American West. The paper project will be comprised of four steps which are explained below: a. Write a prospectus where you explain your topic area of interest, the question you will address, and why you find it compelling. Your prospectus must be approved before you can move on to the research paper outline. b. Write a research paper outline where you structure the paper after completing a significant amount of your research. The outline will include an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement. c. Write the research paper, using Chicago Manual of Style guidelines, making sure you include footnotes, a title page and bibliography. 2. Write a critical review of one of the following monographs in the History of the American West. Your review must include both a summary of the contents and a critical analysis of the text. The review must be double-spaced and at least 500 words in length. Richard White, "The Organic Machine: The Remaking of the Columbia River Peter Cozzens, "The Earth is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West" Patricia Nelson Limerick, "The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West" Dick Kreck, "Hell on Wheels: Wicked Towns Along the Union Pacific Railroad" Geoffrey O'Gara, "What You See in Clear Water: Indians, Whites, and a Battle Over Water in the American West Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) Methods of Instruction Lecture/Discussion Distance Learning Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.
Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID)
...0002 HIST 130 HIST 0017A HIST 140 HIST...0048 MUS 180 MUS 0049 MUS 180 MUS...
