HIST 2650 - CL History of American Democracy
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 06, CRN 43837,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Martha Pallante
Email: mipallante@ysu.edu
Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | The Declaration of Independence | Thomas Jefferson | NA |
| Required | The Constitution of the United States | Continental Congree | NA |
| Required | Federalist Papers (No. 10, 39, 42, 51, 78 | Jams Madison and Alexander Hamilton | NA |
| Required | The Wealth of Nations | Adam Smith | NA |
| Required | The Emancipation Proclamation | Abraham Lincoln | NA |
| Required | Gettysburg Address | Abraham Lincoln | NA |
| Required | Letter from Birmingham Jail | Martin Luther King | NA |
| Required | US History | openstax | NA |
Additional Required Reading beyond the state mandates
Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity” (1630)
Maryland’s “Act of Religious Toleration” (1649)
from Statues of Virginia (1667-1682)
from Haudenosaunee “Great Law of Peace” (c. 1750)
Articles of Confederation (1777)
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Owen, “Discourses” (1825)
from De Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835)
“Declaration of Rights & Sentiments” (1848)
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Stephens, “Cornerstone Speech” (1861)
The Reconstruction Amendments (1865-1870)
Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View on Indian Affairs”(1879)
from Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890) [images]
from Turner, “The Sig. of the Frontier” (1893)
DuBois, “Returning Soldiers” (1919)
Roosevelt, “The Four Freedoms” (1941) [audio]
Nixon, “The Kitchen Debate” (1959) [audio/visual]
Hernandez v. Texas (1954)
The Port Huron Statement (1962)
from Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963)
selections of protest music [audio]
Schlafly, “What’s Wrong with ‘Equal Rights’ for
Women” (1972)
Carter, “Crisis of Confidence” (1979) [audio/visual]
Reagan, First Inaugural Address (1981) [audio/visual]
Buchanan, “Address to the RNC” (1992)[audio/visual]
Bush, State of the Union (2002) [audio/visual
All materials for this coures are available in BlackBoard. No purchases are required.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity” (1630) Maryland’s “Act of Religious Toleration” (1649) from Statues of Virginia (1667-1682 |
1. Origins of the United States | Quiz- 26 August |
| 8/31 | from Haudenosaunee “Great Law of Peace” (c. 1750) Declaration of Independence |
Comparative Source Assignment-31 August Primary Source Analysis-4 September |
|
| 9/7 | Articles of Confederation (1777) | 2a Founding the Republic- | Quiz-2 September |
| 9/14 | Northwest Ordinance (1787) Constitution of the United States |
Comparative Source Assignment-14 September Primary Source Assignment-18 September |
|
| 9/21 | The Federalist Papers (1787-1788) No. 10: faction/partisanship No. 39: republicanism No. 42: powers of Congress/states No. 51: federalism/checks and balances No. 78: independent judiciary | 2b Founding the Republic- | Quiz -21 September Comparative Source Assignment-23 September Primary Source Assignment-25 September |
| 9/28 | Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776) Owen, “Discourses” (1825) from De Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835) |
3: American Capital | Quiz-30 September |
| 10/5 | “Declaration of Rights & Sentiments” (1848 Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857 |
Comparative Source Assignment- 5 October Primary Source Assignment-9 October |
|
| 10/12 | Stephens, “Cornerstone Speech” (1861 Lincoln, The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address (1863) |
4: Union and Liberty in Crisis | Quiz-14 October |
| 10/19 | The Reconstruction Amendments (1865- 1870) Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View on Indian Affairs” (1879 |
Comparative Source Assignment-19 October Primary Source Analysis-a-22 October Primary Source Analysis-b-23 October |
|
| 10/26 | rom Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890) [images] from Turner, “The Sig. of the Frontier” (1893) DuBois, “Returning Soldiers” (1919 |
5: Democracy at Home and Abroad | Quiz- 28 October |
| 11/2 | Roosevelt, “The Four Freedoms” (1941) [audio Nixon, “The Kitchen Debate” (1959) [audio/visual |
Comparative Source Assignmen-4 November Primary Source Analysis-6 November |
|
| 11/9 | Hernandez v. Texas (1954) The Port Huron Statement (1962) King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963) |
6: Pursuit of the American Promise | Quiz-10 November |
| 11/16 | from Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963) selections of protest music [audio] |
Comparative Source Assignment 18 November Primary Source Analysis - 20 Novermber |
|
| 11/23 | Schlafly, “What’s Wrong with ‘Equal Rights’ for Women” (1972) Carter, “Crisis of Confidence” (1979) [audio/visual] Reagan, First Inaugural Address (1981)[audio/visual] |
7: Modern America | PRETEST FOR FINAL-23 Novermer Quiz - 24 November |
| 11/30 | Buchanan, “Address to the RNC” (1992) [audio/visual] Bush, State of the Union (2002) [audio/visual] |
Primary Source Analysis - 4 December Comparative Source Assignment- 2 December |
|
| 12/7 | Final Exam | retest if necessary |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.