Brief Description of Course: This course is a study of the earliest contacts between Europeans and Americans, the establishment of European settlements in America, and the development of colonies in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Textbooks: The paperbacks required for this course are:

         Alan Taylor, American Colonies: The Settling of North America

         Edmund S. Morgan, The Puritan Dilemma

Attendance: Attendance will be taken and recorded. Good attendance is encouraged because it tends to improve one's performance on tests. Students are responsible for all information discussed in class and are also expected to be on time and to conduct themselves with decorum and courtesy in the classroom.

Advisement: Office: 113 Rogers-Stout Phone: 439-4748

                        Office Hours: 9:15-12:30 TR, and by appointment

                        e-mail: Schmittd@etsu.edu

Term Paper: Each student will be required to do a research project on some aspect of early American history of interest to you. The student will choose a subject in consultation with the instructor and develop a thesis statement.  The student will then compile an annotated bibliography on the subject using both primary and secondary sources. The first draft of the bibliography, which will be reviewed and commented upon by the instructor and then returned for revision, will be due in Week 9 of the semester. The final draft will be due in Week 14 of the semester.

Book Reviews: Two book reviews of 4-5 typed pages each will be due during the semester. Spelling and grammar should be perfect. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. A list of acceptable outside reading will be posted. Since only one student will be allowed for each book, make your choice as soon as possible. Substitutions can be made if prior approval is secured from the instructor. Due dates will be announced in class.

Exams: There will be three exams, the last of which will be during the regularly scheduled final exam period. The exams will be combinations of long essay, short essay, and identifications. Spelling and grammar at a college level is expected. All make-ups will be given during the final week of classes.

Grading Scale: A : 92.0-100     B-: 80.0-81.9     D+: 68.0-69.9

                        A-: 90.0-91.9     C+: 78.0-79.9     D : 60.0-67.0

                        B+: 88.0-89.9     C : 72.0-77.9     F : -59.9

                        B : 82.0-87.9     C-: 70.0-71.9

Final Grade: The final grade will be determined by the following formula:

40% - test scores

25% - book reviews

25% - research project

10% - class participation

Accommodation: If there is any student in this class who has need for test-taking or notetaking accommodation, please feel free to come and discuss this with me.

Week 1: Introduction and Age of Exploration

Week 2: Native Americans and the Encounter

Week 3: The Clash of Cultures: Europeans in America

Week 4: The Founding of Virginia and the Early South

Week 5: Indians, Tobacco, & Bacon's Rebellion

Week 6: The English Commercial Empire

First Examination

Week 7: Rise of Puritanism and Founding of New England

Week 8: Puritan Culture and Communities

Week 9: The Expansion of New England

Week 10: The English Restoration and the American Colonies

Week 11: The Frontier in America

Week 12: Witchcraft and the Decline of New England Puritanism

Week 13: The Glorious Revolution and the American Colonies

Week 14: The Middle Colonies: New York and Pennsylvania

Week 15: Toward the 18th Century: America in 1700

Week 16: Final Examination

    More detailed information is available on D2L and on the instructor's webpage.