Syllabus
History 4860
The Civil War and Reconstruction
First Summer Term 2001
Professor: Dr. Gregg Cantrell
Office: 233 Wooten Hall
Phone: 565-3340 (office)
E-mail: cantrell@unt.edu.
Website: http://www.hist.unt.edu/*cantrell/cantrell.html
Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs, 1:00-2:00, and by appointment. I will be here many other hours and will be happy to meet with you any time. However, if it's not during my official office hours, it's a good idea to call first and make sure I'm there. I am in class Mon.-Thurs. 8:00-9:50 and 10:00-11:50.
Statement of Intent: This course will involve study of selected topics in the political, economic, military, diplomatic and social history of the United States from 1860 to 1877. (This is not primarily a course in Civil War military history, although some attention will be given to the fighting of the war.) The objectives of the course will be to explore the political and ideological causes of the war; the Northern and Southern economic, political and military systems; the reasons the North won and the South lost; the changes that the war brought to American society; the impact of the war on subsequent race relations and civil rights; and the successes and failures of Reconstruction. Most important, the course will explain why the Civil War era was such a critical watershed in American history.
Exams and Attendance: There will be two major exams (a mid-term and a final). The mid-term is worth 30% of your semester grade. The final exam is worth 40%. In addition, there will be three book quizzes, each counting 10% of your semester grade. There are no extra-credit opportunities. The mid-term exam will consist of ten multiple-choice questions, five short "I.D."-type questions, and one long essay. The multiple-choice questions are worth 3 points each, the IDs are worth 5 points each, and the big essay worth 45 points. The final exam has the same format as the mid-term, except that there are two big essays, one of which is comprehensive (the first essay will be worth 20 points and the comprehensive essay will be worth 25 points).
Attendance will be taken each day. Although points are not deducted for absences, in borderline cases good or bad attendance will be the decisive factor in determining whether to assign the lower or higher grade. Make-up exams will be administered at the professor's convenience for those who miss an exam for a university-approved reason (see UNT regulations). In the case of an exam missed due to illness, you must document your illness with a written doctor's excuse. If you are going to miss an exam for ANY reason, you must let me know ahead of time unless you are too ill to use a telephone. The format of make-up exams is left up to the professor's discretion.
Required reading: You must purchase the following:
Melvin McLaurin, Celia, A Slave
James McPherson, What They Fought For
Michael Les Benedict, The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson
Optional (but highly recommended) reading: You would be well served to obtain a copy of a good general history of the Civil War--especially if you anticipate missing any classes during the semester. I recommend James McPherson's Ordeal by Fire or (also by McPherson) Battle Cry of Freedom. Other serviceable titles include: Donald, Baker & Holt, The Civil War and Reconstruction; Charles Roland, An American Iliad; Brooks Simpson, America's Civil War; George T. McJimsey, The Dividing and Reuniting of America; William Barney, Battleground for the Union. Although it is possible to do just fine in this class without purchasing one of these books, they will serve as handy reference tools and study aids for you.
DO NOT delay purchasing the three required books. The bookstore may run out of copies, or may return unbought ones to the publisher after the beginning of the semester. It is YOUR responsibility to obtain your books!
TENTATIVE* SCHEDULE OF CLASSES, TOPICS, AND ASSIGNMENTS
Dates Topics or activities
June 4-19 Prelude to war: economics, ideologies, slavery and antislavery
Political parties, the political crisis of the 1850s, and the election of 1860
Secession, the failure of compromise and the Ft. Sumter crisis
The Confederate and Union governments
Financing the war
Wartime diplomacy
Raising the armies.
June 11 Book quiz over Celia
June 20 Mid-term exam.
June 25 Book quiz over What They Fought For
June 21-July 5Policy, strategy and command
Theaters, weapons, tactics, units, and generalship
Blacks in the Civil War
Campaigns and battles
The end of the war and the problems of peace
Andrew Johnson and Presidential Reconstruction
Congress takes over
The Radical Republicans
Social and economic reconstruction.
July 3 Book quiz over Andrew Johnson
July 6 Final exam.
*Please note that this schedule is tentative; dates of exams could change if we get ahead or behind. Any changes in the printed schedule will be announced at least two class period in advance. It is your responsibility to know when quizzes and exams are being given.
Words of advice and warning:
This is a heavy reading load if you put if off until the night before the exams and quizzes. The key to doing well is to read some every day. That will also enable you to participate in class discussions and understand the books better. You cannot do well on the exams without having read each book. The second key to doing well is to come to class faithfully; the exams draw heavily from the lectures, and much of the lecture material is not to be found in your books. The third key to doing well in this class is to ask questions when you don't understand something. The only dumb question is the one you didn't ask! If the question can't be answered to your satisfaction in the class period, come see me in my office. I'll be happy to explain something that was unclear the first time around. And please don't hesitate to challenge something I've said in class--I may be wrong!
Special Accommodation Request Procedure
Any person with special circumstances covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act should register with the Office of Disability Accommodation, Suite 318A, University Union Building, and also inform the instructor. Reasonable adjustments will be made to accommodate the special needs of students with disabilities where such adjustments are necessary to provide equality of educational access. Professor Donald Pickens is the History Department's liaison to the Office of Disability Accommodation and can provide further information and/or assistance.