This course offers an introduction to the history of the United States by examining three revolutions in its formation and development. The course begins by examining the American Revolution, including the writing and ratification of the Constitution of the United States. Between 1765 and 1787 the American colonies first re-thought their attachment to the British Empire, then successfully fought for their independence from Britain, and finally created a new form of government that put the United States on a new path of independence and republicanism. The second revolution saw the emergence of a democratic culture in the 1830s and 1840s. This included a new conception of the people's role in politics, government, literature, culture and community. The course ends by examining the third revolution, which centred on the Civil War (1861-1865), the end of slavery and the beginnings of what Abraham Lincoln called "a new birth of freedom" - one that would eventually enable the inclusion of African-Americans into the broader destiny and community of the United States.
The course will explore these revolutions with the help of three perspectives: history, political science and literature. These perspectives will be built into the lecture and tutorial programs, thus equipping students to undertake either a History or an American Studies major.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the history of the United States between 1765 and 1876.
- Evaluate different perspectives on that history provided by the methods and materials used by historians, political scientists and literature specialists.
- Demonstrate strong research, writing and analytical skills.
- Be able to critically reflect upon the insights provided by a multi-disciplinary approach to the subject matter of the course.
- Understand and demonstrate the significance of the three American Revolutions of the period for the development of the modern United States.
- Show improvement in their close reading and oral presentation skills.
Indicative Assessment
1,000 word document exercise (20%) [assesses Learning Outcomes 2, 3, and 4]
2,500 word essay (30%) [assesses Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5]
Tutorial participation (10%) [assesses Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6]
Final examination (40%) [assesses Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4, and 5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The course is offered on campus via lectures (which will be streamed) and tutorials.
Two one-hour lectures and one hour-long tutorial per week. Lectures will be taped/streamed.
Students will be expected to spend an average of seven hours per week outside these contact hours to prepare for tutorials, research and write the written work, and to prepare for the final examination.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
A reading brick will be made available at the beginning of semester.
Preliminary Reading
David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, Thomas A. Bailey, The American Pageant Vol.1, to 1877. Thirteenth Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Assumed Knowledge
HIST 1206 is a first year course which requires no pre-requisites or assumed knowledge.
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2604 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $3576 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.