THE FOLLOWING ARE REQUIRED READING AND AVAILABLE IN THE BOOKSTORE
Milner, Butler, Lewis. Major Problems in the History of the American West. SECOND EDITION
White, Richard. "It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own;" A New History of the American West.
Peavey, Linda & Smith, Ursula. Frontier Children.
Moses, L.G. Wild West Shows and the Images of American Indians, 1883-1933.
PURPOSE
This course will survey the American West from a variety of perspectives.
Included are issues and topics currently under debate concerning the meaning,
implications and imagery of the American West and its impact on diverse
groups of people throughout its history. Class discussion will be stressed
in this course, as opposed to the more traditional lecture format of lower
division history courses.
WEEK ONE
February 4
Introduction to the American West
WEEK TWO
February 11
What, Where and Who is the West? Part I
(WHITE, ch. 21; MILNER, ch. 1, 13 )
WEEK THREE
February 18
A "New World" Evolves
(WHITE, ch. 1, 2; MILNER, ch. 2, 3)
WEEK FOUR
February 25
Steps to Acquisition: Exploration and Reconnaissance
(WHITE, ch. 5; MILNER, ch.
4)
WEEK FIVE
March 4
Steps to Acquisition: Conquest
(WHITE, ch. 3, 4, 7; MILNER,
ch. 5)
WEEK SIX
March 11
****First Midterm****
WEEK SEVEN
March 18
Transforming the Land
(WHITE, ch. 6, 8, 9; PEAVEY, pages
1-59)
WEEK EIGHT
March 25
Community, Settlement and Cultural Conflict
(WHITE, ch. 12; MILNER, ch. 7 [except
West essay], 10; PEAVEY, pages 60-147)
SPRING BREAK: APRIL 1
WEEK NINE
April 8
Wild, Wild Western Society
(WHITE, ch. 13; MILNER,
ch. 6 [except White essay], 8, 9 )
WEEK TEN
April 15
Water and the Feds
{WHITE, ch. 15, 16; MILNER,
ch. 11, 14[except Cawley essay] )
WEEK ELEVEN
April 22
The World and the American West
(WHITE, ch. 10, 11, 17, 18; MILNER,
ch. 12[except Gamboa essay] )
WEEK TWELVE
April 29
****Second Midterm****
WEEK THIRTEEN
May 6
Imagining the West
(MILNER, ch. 15; MOSES, ch.
1 through 7)
WEEK FOURTEEN
May 13
What, Where and Who is the West? Part II
(MOSES, ch. 8 through 12)
FINAL EXAM: MAY 20
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS
Students will evaluated on the basis of their performance on the following:
1. Attendance..................................100 points
1. Weekly reading reviews...............120 points.
2. Midterm exam I........................... 80 points
3. Midterm exam II..........................100 points
3. Final exam...................................100 points.
500 points total
GUIDELINES FOR READING EVALUATIONS
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO WRITE TEN EVALUATIONS OF DAILY READING ASSIGNMENTS.
EACH WILL BE LONGER THAN ONE PAGE IN LENGTH, TYPED AND DOUBLE-SPACED.
PAPERS MUST BE TURNED IN DURING CLASS ON THE DAY THE READING
IS DUE.
FAILURE TO TURN IN ANY EVALUATION ON TIME WILL RESULT IN YOUR FINAL
LETTER GRADE BEING LOWERED FOR EACH MISSED ASSIGNMENT.
ATTENDANCE
I will take attendance at the beginning and the end of each class. You
must be there both times to receive attendance points.