HIS 105
THE UNITED STATES TO 1877

INTRODUCTION

History has been defined as a study of all that men and women have thought or done. This definition establishes an extremely large range; nothing can be left out. For convenience, historians divide the past into various time periods, or, as in the case of American history, into national studies. This course deals with the United States from the discovery of America through Reconstruction.

It is an attempt to not only find out what happened but also why. Because such a great deal happened and because there are many explanations as to why certain events took place, a course of this nature limits itself to basic material and significant interpretations. Your primary concern will be to consider who, what, when, where, and significance. In other words, you will be expected to emphasize facts more than interpretations, but you will also have the opportunity to consider and evaluate what the facts mean to American history.

The relevance of history to the present is one of the first questions to be asked. History deals with the past, but it would be impossible to understand the present without having some knowledge of the past. Suppose that you suddenly developed a case of amnesia. What would you know of yourself? What would you do? Your personal experiences determine what you are today; that is, your history makes you what you are in the present. The history of a nation or a civilization does the same thing.

Since history does not occur in a vacuum and men and women do not act without cause, history may be better understood if you consider it from a cause and effect relationship. Certain forces cause men and women to act in one of several ways. A cause creates a particular effect which in turn generates a demand for further change, and so on, to the present. The study of American history is the study of change--the study of cause and effect. You will see this most clearly as the course unfolds and you do your lessons.

This course offers three (3) hours of academic credit.

MID-COURSE TEST AND FINAL EXAMINATION

The student will take a Mid-Course Test and Final Examination at a physical location in a college or university setting. Detailed instructions and Mid-Course Test and Final Examination applications are included in the online syllabus. Information regarding tests and procedures can be found in General Information.

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Michael Namorato is a professor of history. He received his B.A from Iona College and his M.A. and Ph.D from Michigan State University

TEXTBOOKS

The Ole Miss Bookstore currently stocks the textbooks needed for Independent Study courses. Click here to order textbooks online. Select the term, department, and course number. Select “I Study” for the section number. To order by phone, call 662-915-7137 and be sure to indicate that you are ordering textbooks for an Independent Study course.

To apply for the course, go here.

If you need assistance or have additional questions please email us at indstudy@olemiss.edu.