History 1301 (PCM)
B-Level Objective
To make a B in this course you must have an OVERALL TEST AVERAGE OF 80% on ALL 5 TESTS AND write a critical book review.
NOTE that the Book Review is NOT allowed unless you qualify with an average of 80%. You cannot use the Book Review in order TO RAISE your average up to 80%. The Book Review is done over and above the course average of 80%.
Rationale: This analytical book review will critically examine an important scholarly book covering some aspect of United States History to 1877. The purpose of the review is twofold: first, to acquaint the student with a classic volume of historical scholarship and second, to allow the student to think critically about an important facet of American history and then to organize your thoughts in clear, cogent prose. You should not view this simply as a hurdle which you must overcome in order to earn a grade of "B" (Option #1) in this course, but rather approach it as an opportunity to expand your creativity in thinking and writing, two very important aspects of any individual's necessary life skills. Therefore, be advised that I consider this a VERY important aspect of this course and your reviews will be read and graded VERY carefully.
Form: Each book review will be approximately 1500 typewritten or word-processed words long. The main objective of this analytical book review should be to comprehensively cover the three sections of the following book review outline:
Part I: This is a brief outline of the contents of the book. In the space of one or two paragraphs you should be able to convey the parameters of the book's contents. DO NOT simply reproduce the book's table of contents.
Part II: Here is the place for a careful summary of the author's thesis. The thesis is the primary idea the author is trying to prove and convince the reader to accept as valid. You must first identify the thesis and then show how the author either substantiates or fails to substantiate this thesis. You should quote portions of the book in order to answer this part of the review, and you will need to cite page numbers for these quotations. This will undoubtedly take you a page or two to do a good job.
Part III: This is your personal evaluation of the book and is the most important part of your analytical book review. Here is where you describe your reaction to the book and put its contents in a comparative perspective with your textbook. Some of the questions you must answer include: Do you agree or disagree with the book's conclusions? Why or why not? Did the book support or contradict what you read in your textbook on the same subject? (You MUST quote some of the relevant passages from both books, citing page numbers.)Did you detect any biases on the part of the author? What was the author's background and why did he or she write the book? How in your opinion could the book have been improved? You must be specific and keep in mind there are NO perfect books. Did you enjoy reading this book? Why or why not? Would you recommend it to others?
Grading: The book review will be graded "ACCEPTED" or "NOT ACCEPTED." Recognize that a paper rife with misspellings and grammatical errors will not be considered acceptable. If you submit your book review before the deadline date in the syllabus and it is graded "NOT ACCEPTED" you may revise it and resubmit it prior to the deadline date. NO ANALYTICAL BOOK REVIEWS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DEADLINE.
The book review may be e-mailed to me or sent via intercampus or US mail or handed to me.
Books: The following books, all of which are found in the ACC libraries and
most are available in the UT and Austin Public libraries, may be read for the
analytical book review. If you wish to substitute another book for one of these
titles, YOU MUST RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTOR'S PRIOR APPROVAL.
Richard Abbott. The Republican Party & the South
Robert Abzug. Passionate Liberator
Jean Baker. Mary Todd Lincoln
Virginia Bernhard. Southern Women, Histories & Identities
John Boles. Black Southernors
Catherine Dinker Bowen. The Most Dangerous Man in America
Fawn Brodie. Thomas Jefferson
Irving Brandt. The Fourth President
Carl Bridenbaugh. Cities in the Wilderness
Greg Cantrell. Stephen F. Austin: Empressaio of Texas
Catherine Clinton. Devil's Lane: Sex and Race in the Early South
Jack Coombe. Thunder Along the River
Thomas Connelly. The Marble Man
Wesley Craven. The Colonies in Transition
George Dangerfield. The Awakening of American Nationalism
George Dangerfield. The Era of Good Feelings
William Davis. Jefferson Davis
William Davis. Three Roads to the Alamo
Angie Debo. Rise and Fall of the ChoctawRepublic
Alexander DeConde. This Affair of Louisiana
David DeWitt. The Impeachment & Trial of Andrew Johnson
W.E.B. DuBois. Black Reconstruction in America
William Dwyer. The Day is Ours
Paul Escott. After Secession
James Flexner. The Traitor and the Spy
James Flexner. The Young Hamilton
James Flexner. Washington: The Indispensible Man
Robert Fogel & Stanley Engerman. Time on the Cross
William Fowler. Rebels Under Sail
Eugene Genovese. Roll, Jordan, Roll
Joseph Glatthar. Partners in Command
Gwendolyn Hall. Africans in Louisiana
Don Higginbotham. The War of American Independence
Robert Ilisevich. Galusha A. Grow
Robert Johannsen. To the Halls of the Montezumas
Winthrop Jordan. The White Man's Burden
Linda Kerber. Women of the Republic
Michael Kitzer. Tripoli and the United States at War
Gerda Lerner. The Grimke Sisters
Phyllis Levin. Abigail Adams
Gerald Linderman. Embattled Courage
Piers Mackesy. The War For America
Dumas Malone. Jefferson and His Time [any volume]
William Marvel. Burnside
Richard McCaslin. Tainted Breeze
Drew McCoy. The Last of the Fathers
Marvin Meyers. The Jacksonian Persuasion
Gary Nash. Quakers and Politics: Pennsylvania, 1681-1726
Gary Nash. Red, White, and Black
Allan Nevins. Ordeal of the Union Vols. 1, 2, or 3
Allan Nevins. The War For the Union, Vols. 1, 2, 3, or 4
John Niven. Martin Van Buren
Mary Beth Norton. Liberty's Daughters
Edward Pessen. Jacksonian America
Merrill Peterson. The Great Triumverate
George H. Phillips. Indians and Indian Agents
John E. Pomfret. Founding the American Colonies
David Potter. The Impending Crisis
William Randall. Benedict Arnold
Elizabeth Reis. Damned Women: Sinners & Witches in Puritan New
England
Robert Remini. Andrew Jackson & the Course of American Democracy
Robert Remini. Andrew Jackson & theCourse of Freedom
Robert Remini. Henry Clay
Charles Royster. A Revolutionary People at War
Richard Sewell. Ballots For Freedom
Craig Simpson. A Good Southernor
Thomas Slaughter. The Whiskey Rebellion
Marshall Smelser. The Winning of Independence
Kenneth Stampp. And the War Came
Larry Tise. Proslavery
Peter Thomas. Tea Partyto Independence
Hans Trefousse. The Radical Republicans
John Weems. To Conquer a Peace
Lynne Witney. Dearest Friend
Peter Wood. Black Majority