United States History to 1865

This course is a general survey of United States history from before European exploration through the Civil War, emphasizing major political, economic, social, and cultural developments. You will be introduced to both traditional Early American history and to the “new social history” that focuses on Native Americans, women, African Americans, and other ordinary people.

The majority of the readings are primary sources written by people who participated in the events they describe. Students will learn not only about history but also about historians—their methods, biases, and debates with other historians.

This course fulfills the GHS requirement of the Carolina Core as well as the state-mandated Founding Document curriculum.

Learning Outcomes

In this course you will learn to:

• Use the principles of historical thinking to assess the relationships between modern US society and its historical roots.
• Use principles of historical thinking to understand human societies, specifically through the history of the United States to the end of the Civil War.
• Define and summarize major events, developments, and themes of United States history until the end of the Civil War.
• Evaluate significant themes, issues, or eras in United States history until the end of the Civil War.
• Demonstrate basic skills in the comprehension and analysis of selected sources, among them the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the Emancipation Proclamation, and their relevance in the context of historical knowledge.
• Develop interpretive historical arguments drawing on primary and/or secondary sources.
• Recognize the differences between original historical source material (primary sources) and later scholarly interpretations of those sources (secondary sources).