JEFFERSON COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
HST205
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
3 Credit Hours
Revised by:
Scott Holzer
Revised Date: January 2017
Dr. Terry Kite, Chair, Social Science & Business Division
Dr. Shirley Davenport, Dean, Arts & Science Education
HST205 African-American History
I.
II.
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
A.
Prerequisite: reading proficiency
B.
3 semester hours credit
C.
African-American History is a general survey of the major political,
economic, social, and cultural themes in the African-American experience
from the 1500’s, with the beginning of the African Diaspora, to modern,
contemporary times. African-American History will partially fulfill the social
science requirement for the A.A. and A.S. degrees.
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES/CORRESPONDING ASSESSMENT MEASURES
Expected Learning Outcomes
Examine, analyze, and assess the important
political, social, cultural, and economic issues
that have defined African-American freedom
in the American experience
Assessment Measures
Class discussion
Documentary analysis
Primary source document analysis
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Describe the important events, individuals,
Class discussion
creative expression, and ideas in the African
Documentary analysis
American experience
Primary source document analysis
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Outline and explain the primary political, social,
Class discussion
economic, environmental, and cultural influences Documentary analysis
that have shaped and defined Western Civilization Primary source document analysis
and its institutions, traditions, ideas, and peoples
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Explain how the African American experience
Class discussion
reflects, exemplifies, and contradicts the broader
Documentary analysis
American experience
Primary source document analysis
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Explain the complexities and important issues
that shape and involve the concepts of race
and race relations over the course of American
history; analyze the diversity of ideas, actions,
and creative efforts that have historically
existed within the African-American
community
Place the major events of African American
history in a historical framework, while
demonstrating the use of critical thinking
techniques, such as reading, writing, problem
solving, analysis, and synthesis, with the ability to
demonstrate these critical thinking skills orally
and in writing
Explain how African-American history
influences the contemporary world
III.
Class discussion
Documentary analysis
Primary source document analysis
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Class discussion
Documentary analysis
Primary source document analysis
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
Class discussion
Documentary analysis
Primary source document analysis
Quizzes
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Periodic examinations
COURSE OUTLINE
A.
Unit I: African origins, colonial slavery, and the early American republic
1.
Western Africa: peoples and cultures
2.
The Atlantic slave trade
3.
Colonial slavery
4.
Slavery in the age of Revolution
5.
African-Americans and the new American republic
B.
Unit II: American slavery
1.
Westward expansion
2.
Antebellum slavery
3.
Free blacks
4.
Sectionalism
5.
The Civil War
6.
Reconstruction
C.
Unit III: African-American freedom in Jim Crow America
1.
The rise of the Jim Crow system
2.
The Age of Booker T. Washington
3.
W.E.B. DuBois and the question of the color line
4.
The World War I experience
5.
The Harlem Renaissance and the 1920’s
D.
V.
Unit IV: African-American freedom and the transformation of America
1.
The New Deal
2.
World War II
3.
The Cold War
4.
The Civil Rights revolution
5.
The African-American experience in post-Civil Rights America
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
John Hope Franklin and Evelyn Higginbotham. From Slavery to Freedom: A History of
African Americans, 9th Edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
A.
Other required readings
B.
Daily access to course Blackboard page
C.
Access to newspapers, periodicals, and the internet
D.
Notebook
SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCES
A.
Library resources
1. Present offerings
2. Journals
3. Video/audio tapes
4. LUI
5. Other
B.
Internet resources linked to course Blackboard page
METHODS OF EVALUATION
A.
Periodic examinations, consisting of written essays and objective questions
B.
Class participation
C.
Reading analysis
D.
Special projects, as required
E.
Essay assignments
F.
Quizzes
G.
Attendance and class participation
H.
Extra credit, not to exceed 10% of total course points
Grading Scale
A – consistent excellence in academic work
B – superior academic work
C – average academic work
D – below average academic work
F – failing and/or missing 15% or more of class meetings
IX.
ADA AA STATEMENT
Any student requiring special accommodations should inform the instructor and the
Coordinator of Disability Support Services (Library; phone 636-481-3169).
X.
ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT
All students are responsible for complying with campus policies as stated in the Student
Handbook (See College website: http://www.jeffco.edu/jeffco).
XI.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students. Any one of these four
options may result in the student being removed from the class and an administrative
withdrawal being processed: (1) Student fails to begin class; (2) Student ceases
participation for at least two consecutive weeks; (3) Student misses 15 percent or more
of the coursework; and/or (4) Student misses 15 percent or more of the course as
defined by the instructor. Students earn their financial aid by regularly attending and
actively participating in their coursework. If a student does not actively participate,
he/she may have to return financial aid funds. Consult the College Catalog or a
Student Financial Services representative for more details.
XII.
OUTSIDE OF CLASS ACADEMICALLY RELATED ACTIVITIES
The U.S. Department of Education mandates that students be made aware of expectations
regarding coursework to be completed outside the classroom. Students are expected to
spend substantial time outside of class meetings engaging in academically related
activities, such as reading, studying, and completing assignments. Specifically, time spent
on academically-related activities outside of class, combined with time spent in class
meetings, is expected to be a minimum of 37.5 hours over the duration of the term for
each credit hour.