Schmoll's History 232: March 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

232 ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK

INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK

Welcome to the Electronic Textbook for History 231/231. In an attempt to provide you with the most up-to-date information in a cost-effective package (free is cost-effective, right?), this quarter's textbook will be entirely digital. If we come to a portion of the course that is confusing for you, such as the American Revolution of the Cold War, you can peruse the sites in this electronic text or print out and highlight the portions that are particularly perplexing and bring them to class or to my office hours. The sites here have all been tested for clarity, but you should read them critically. Remember, a website, unlike a book in print, is malleable. The site may be taken offline (notify me), may change significantly in appearance or form (notify me), may suddenly become a nightmare of pop-ups (notify me), or may simply have been misjudged by the Electronic Textbook Editorial Board and may not be useful for this course in which case you should notify me. In any of these cases, notify me, and I’ll reassess the site.

Like a book in print, you should read these sites critically. The sites, also like a textbook, have a particular point of view; they argue something. It’s up to you as a reader to determine what is being argued and what your own stance is regarding that argument. Don’t be fooled into believing that the $75 textbook used in other courses is somehow more academic or offers a story that is closer to the truth. Here’s an example. The following is a paragraph that treats the subject of Cherokee Indian Removal: “The Cherokee, on the other hand, were tricked with an illegitimate treaty. In 1833, a small faction agreed to sign a removal agreement: the Treaty of New Echota. The leaders of this group were not the recognized leaders of the Cherokee nation, and over 15,000 Cherokees -- led by Chief John Ross -- signed a petition in protest. The Supreme Court ignored their demands and ratified the treaty in 1836. The Cherokee were given two years to migrate voluntarily, at the end of which time they would be forcibly removed. By 1838 only 2,000 had migrated; 16,000 remained on their land. The U.S. government sent in 7,000 troops, who forced the Cherokees into stockades at bayonet point. They were not allowed time to gather their belongings, and as they left, whites looted their homes. Then began the march known as the Trail of Tears, in which 4,000 Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, and disease on their way to the western lands. By 1837, the Jackson administration had removed 46,000 Native American people from their land east of the Mississippi, and had secured treaties which led to the removal of a slightly larger number. Most members of the five southeastern nations had been relocated west, opening 25 million acres of land to white settlement and to slavery.”*

Now, here is a paragraph on the same subject from another source.
“The Cherokee remained in Georgia for two more years without significant violence. Then in 1835, a small, unauthorized part of the tribe signed a treaty selling all the tribal lands to the state, and Georgia rapidly resold the land to whites. But most Cherokees refused to move, so in May 1838, the deadline for voluntary evacuation, federal troops sent by Jackson’s successor, Martin Van Buren, arrived to deport them. Under armed guard, the Cherokees embarked on a 1200 mile journey west that came to be known as the Trail of Tears. Nearly a quarter of the Cherokees died en route from the hardship. Survivors joined the fifteen thousand Creek, twelve thousand Choctaw, five thousand Chickasaw, and several thousand Seminole Indians also forcibly removed to “Indian Territory” (which became, in 1907, the state of Oklahoma).”* Can you tell which one of these is better? Which one is more accurate? Which one is free and which one cost $75? If you were able to decipher which was which, congratulations. Here’s the point. There’s nothing inherently better with a textbook in print. Many history teachers rely too heavily on the textbook. This electronic textbook is here for you when you need it. If it’s not enough and you need more help, come see me. In fact, that’s a good rule for the whole course. Be active! Ask for help! Enjoy the quarter!

* The first selection is from the following PBS site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1567b.html. The second selection is from James Roark et al,.The American Promise: A Compact History (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007), 277.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Welcome to History 232

Greetings! This is our blog site. Here you will find lecture outlines for every lecture, some of the pictures that we see, study guides for the midterm and final, essay topics and guidelines, and other vital course information.

Monday, March 30, 2009

232 ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK

INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Welcome to History 232

Schmoll's History 232

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5 Relevant Writing Moments for History Essays