HIST 2650 - CL History of American Democracy
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 08, CRN 43839,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
Log in to view more
Instructor
Joseph Alessi
Email: jpalessi01@ysu.edu
Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required |
https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/6-1-britains-law-and-order-strategy-and-its-consequences
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/full-text
https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/9-introduction
https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/27-introduction
https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/29-3-the-civil-rights-movement-marches-on
https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/31-1-the-reagan-revolution
Reagan_First_Inaugural_Address.docx
No required purchases; all materials are open-access.
Students are required to read and demonstrate mastery over all of the following:
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Constitution of the United States
- Five of the Federalist Papers (No. 10, 39, 42, 51, 78)
- Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
- The Emancipation Proclamation
- The Gettysburg Address
Letter from Birmingham Jail
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
Log in to view more
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Origins of the United States | 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) The Declaration of Independence (1776) | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 8/31 | Revolutionary Governments | Articles of Confederation (1777) Northwest Ordinance (1787) Constitution of the United States | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 9/7 | Revolutionary Governments Continued | The Federalist Papers (1787-1788) No. 10: faction/partisanship No. 39: republicanism No. 42: powers of Congress/states No. 51: federalism/checks and balances | Comparative Source 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 9/14 | Economic Transformations | Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776) Owen, “Discourses” (1825) from De Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835) “Declaration of Rights & Sentiments” (1848) Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 9/21 | Union and Liberty in Crisis | Stephens, “Cornerstone Speech” (1861) Lincoln, The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address (1863) The Reconstruction Amendments (1865-1870) Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View on Indian Affairs” (1879) | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis-a 50 Points Primary Source Analysis-b 50 Points |
| 9/28 | Democracy at Home and Abroad | 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] | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 10/12 | Pursuit of the American Promise | Hernandez v. Texas (1954) The Port Huron Statement (1962) King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963) from Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963) selections of protest music [audio] *administer practice Final Exam | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 10/19 | Modern America | 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] | Comparative Source Assignment 20 Points Primary Source Analysis 50 Points |
| 12/7 | Final Exam | Exam 100 Points |
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.