United States History to 1877

Course Description

AMH2010 – United States History to 1877 is a 3-credit lecture course in the History: American taxonomy of Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). The course surveys United States history from before European contact through the end of the Reconstruction Era in 1877. Topics include indigenous peoples of North America, the European background and colonial period, the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution, the early Republic, sectionalism and westward expansion (Manifest Destiny), the institution of slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Students develop skills in historical analysis, critical reading of primary and secondary sources, evidence-based writing, and the application of historical thinking to contemporary issues.

AMH2010 is part of Florida's state-mandated General Education Core in Social and Behavioral Sciences and contributes to Civic Literacy requirements (Florida Statute 1007.25, 1007.55). The course is offered at 44 Florida public institutions and transfers as equivalent across the state. Students must earn a grade of C or better for the course to satisfy Gen-Ed and Gordon Rule requirements. Per Florida Statute 1007.25, course content is taught objectively as objects of analysis, observed from multiple perspectives, without endorsement of particular viewpoints.

Learning Outcomes

The required outcomes below align with the Florida General Education Social and Behavioral Sciences area objectives codified in Florida Statute 1007.25.

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the factual details of substantive historical episodes from pre-Columbian America through the end of Reconstruction.
• Identify, analyze, and explain foundational developments that shaped American history from before European contact to 1877 using critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the primary ideas, values, and perceptions that have shaped United States history through 1877.
• Demonstrate competency in civic literacy, including familiarity with the founding documents (Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers) and the development of American political institutions.
• Identify, describe, and explain social institutions, structures, and processes, including how social roles and status (race, class, gender, region) affected different groups in early American history.
• Apply historical methodology to analyze primary and secondary sources, evaluating evidence and constructing interpretations.
• Apply qualitative analysis to examine the processes by which individuals and groups made personal, political, and societal decisions in historical contexts.
• Assess and analyze ethical perspectives in individual and societal decisions throughout U.S. history.
• Communicate historical understanding clearly and effectively in written form, with appropriate citation of evidence.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on institutional emphasis, students may also:

• Examine specific aspects of Florida history within the broader U.S. context (Spanish Florida, territorial period, statehood, Civil War in Florida, Reconstruction in Florida).
• Conduct independent research using historical newspapers, archives, and other primary sources.
• Analyze historiographical debates — how historians have interpreted key events and how interpretations have changed over time.
• Examine the history of underrepresented groups — Native Americans, African Americans, women, immigrants, working classes — in early American history.
• Engage in document analysis using digital primary source platforms (American Yawp Reader, Library of Congress, National Archives, JSTOR Daily).
• Apply historical reasoning to contemporary debates about civic participation, constitutional interpretation, and historical memory.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Pre-Columbian America and Indigenous Peoples: Major Native American societies and civilizations of North America before 1492; the Columbian Exchange and its consequences for indigenous and European peoples.
• European Exploration and Colonization: Spanish, French, Dutch, and English colonization; St. Augustine (the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the U.S., founded 1565); Jamestown (1607); Plymouth (1620); Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Colonial Society: Development of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies; colonial economies; the development of slavery in the British North American colonies; colonial religion (Puritanism, the Great Awakening); intercolonial wars (King Philip's War, French and Indian War).
• Road to Revolution: Imperial reorganization after 1763; Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Coercive Acts; the Continental Congresses; the Declaration of Independence (1776).
• The American Revolution: Major military events; the Articles of Confederation; the role of common soldiers, women, African Americans, and Native Americans in the Revolution.
• The U.S. Constitution and the Early Republic: The Constitutional Convention (1787); the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debate; ratification and the Bill of Rights; the Washington and Adams administrations; political parties (Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans); the Alien and Sedition Acts.
• The Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Eras: The Louisiana Purchase (1803); the War of 1812; the Era of Good Feelings; the Missouri Compromise (1820); Jacksonian democracy; Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears; the Bank War.
• Antebellum America: Market revolution; immigration (German and Irish); the Second Great Awakening and reform movements (temperance, women's rights, abolition); slavery and the cotton economy; the Underground Railroad.
• Manifest Destiny and Sectional Crisis: Westward expansion; Texas independence and annexation; the Mexican-American War (1846-1848); the Compromise of 1850; the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854); Bleeding Kansas; the Dred Scott decision (1857); the rise of the Republican Party.
• The Civil War (1861-1865): Causes; secession; major military campaigns and battles; the Emancipation Proclamation (1863); the home fronts; politics of the war (Lincoln, Jefferson Davis); the end of the war.
• Reconstruction (1865-1877): Presidential vs. Congressional Reconstruction; the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments; Black political participation in the South; the Freedmen's Bureau; Black Codes and Jim Crow's beginnings; the Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction.

Optional Topics

• Florida History to 1877: Spanish colonial Florida; the British period (1763-1783); the Adams-Onis Treaty (1819); territorial Florida; the Seminole Wars; statehood (1845); Florida in the Civil War (battle of Olustee, blockade); Reconstruction in Florida.
• Comparative Colonial Studies: Comparing British, Spanish, French, and Dutch colonization patterns; the Atlantic World framework.
• African American History to 1877: The Middle Passage; slavery and resistance; free Black communities; the abolition movement; African American military service in the Civil War.
• Women's History to 1877: Colonial women; the Republican Mother; women in reform movements; the Seneca Falls Convention (1848); women's roles in the Civil War.
• Native American History to 1877: Tribal sovereignty; treaty relations; removal and dispossession; resistance movements; the Indian Wars.
• Working Class and Labor History: Indentured servitude; artisans and the early labor movement; immigration and ethnic communities.

Resources & Tools

• Primary Textbooks: The American Yawp (free, open-access, americanyawp.com) — increasingly the default text for Florida college U.S. history courses; America: A Narrative History by Tindall and Shi (Norton); Give Me Liberty! by Eric Foner (Norton); The American Promise by Roark, Johnson, Cohen, et al. (Macmillan).
• Document Readers: Going to the Source by Brown and Shannon (Bedford/St. Martin's); After the Fact by Davidson and Lytle (McGraw-Hill); The American Yawp Reader (free, primary-source companion to American Yawp).
• Course Platforms: Canvas LMS (most institutions); Perusall (collaborative annotation platform, used by UF); Turnitin or SafeAssign for academic integrity.
• Primary Source Archives: Library of Congress (loc.gov); National Archives (archives.gov); Avalon Project at Yale Law School (avalon.law.yale.edu); Documenting the American South (docsouth.unc.edu); Smithsonian Institution; Florida Memory (floridamemory.com — Florida-specific historical archive); Chronicling America (newspaper archive at loc.gov/chroniclingamerica).
• Academic Resources: JSTOR (institutional access through Florida college libraries); Project MUSE; FSCJ ENC1101 LibGuide and similar institutional research guides; OAH Magazine of History.
• Florida-Specific Resources: Florida Historical Society (myfloridahistory.org); Florida Public Archaeology Network; Florida Memory; State Library and Archives of Florida.

Career Pathways

AMH2010 develops historical literacy and civic competency that supports a wide range of academic and professional pathways:

• Associate in Arts (A.A.) Transfer Pathway – Required Gen-Ed Social Sciences course satisfying the social-science core for transfer to all Florida public universities; contributes to Florida Civic Literacy graduation requirement.
• History Major – Foundation for the history B.A. major; required at all Florida public universities.
• Pre-Law and Legal Studies – Critical reading, evidence analysis, and constitutional historical context are foundational for law school preparation.
• Education Pathways – Required for K-12 social studies teacher preparation; Florida Department of Education social studies endorsement.
• Public History and Cultural Heritage – Foundation for careers with museums, historical societies, the National Park Service (Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Everglades NP, Big Cypress National Preserve), state parks, archives, and historic preservation organizations.
• Government and Public Administration – Foundation for careers in federal, state, and local government; foreign service; political analysis; public policy.
• Civic and Nonprofit Sector – Foundation for careers with civic organizations, advocacy groups, journalism, and political campaigns.

Special Information

Gen-Ed Core, Civic Literacy, and Gordon Rule

AMH2010 satisfies Florida's General Education Core Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement (Florida Statute 1007.25) and contributes to the Civic Literacy graduation requirement (Florida Statute 1007.55). It also fulfills the Gordon Rule writing requirement (Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.030). Students must earn a grade of C or better for the course to satisfy these requirements.

Florida Civic Literacy Exam

Per Florida Statute 1007.55, students entering Florida public colleges and universities for the first time in Fall 2021 or later must both complete a course covering U.S. government and constitutional history (such as POS2041 or AMH2010 with civic literacy designation) and pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) before graduation. AMH2010 contributes to civic literacy preparation but does not by itself satisfy both halves of the requirement.

Florida Statutory Content Considerations

Florida law (Florida Statute 1007.25) requires that all topics in this course be taught objectively as objects of analysis, observed from multiple perspectives, without endorsement of particular viewpoints. No lesson is intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel a particular feeling, perception, or belief. Students are encouraged to employ critical thinking and to rely on data and verifiable sources.

Honors Sections

Many Florida institutions offer Honors sections of AMH2010 with smaller class sizes, more rigorous primary-source analysis, additional research papers, and broader engagement with historiography.

Workload and Time Expectations

Students should expect 6-9 hours of weekly out-of-class work, including textbook reading (typically 30 pages per week from American Yawp or equivalent), primary-source analysis, online quizzes, 2-3 short essays or analytical papers, and 2-3 mid-term examinations plus a final examination. Many courses include a final research paper using primary sources, often with a Florida history component.