United States to 1877 Online Course

History 103 is a survey of early American history, including old world background, transformation of British institutions into American institutions, revolution, and the establishment of the Union with its temporary breakup in Civil War.

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Why take HIST 103: United States to 1877?

The course is designed to provide students with an introduction of the major political, economic, social, and cultural developments in United States history from the time Europeans and Africans first contacted the indigenous peoples of North America through Reconstruction. It has three interrelated objectives:

• introduce major themes, events, and personalities in the period to give you a basic framework for understanding the formation of early America.
• develop your ability to understand some of the interpretive problems that historians encounter and debate in explaining the past.
• develop critical thinking and related skills that you can deploy in other classes and in their own personal and professional lives.

Students have 3-9 months to complete 15 lessons. In each lesson you will read, watch author videos, utilize online flashcards, and take quizzes.  There are also four sections (units), with each section having a section response and a term paper. Most of the section responses and term papers allow the option of submitting a written paper or a video response. There are no proctored exams in this course. 

Course Outline

Section 1: An Old “New World”

• The Collision of Cultures in the Sixteenth Century 
• England and Its American Colonies, 1607-1732
• Colonial Ways of Life, 1607-1750
• From Colonies to States, 1607-1776

Section 2: Building a Nation

• The American Revolution, 1775-1783
• Securing the Constitution and Union, 1783-1800
• The Early Republic, 1800-1815

Section 3: An Expanding Nation, 1815-1860

• The Emergence of a Market Economy, 1815-1850
• Nationalism and Sectionalism, 1815-1828
• The Jacksonian Era, 1828-1840
• The South and Slavery, 1800-1860
• Religion, Romanticism, and Reform, 1800-1860

Section 4: A House Divided and Rebuilt

• Western Expansion and Southern Secession, 1830-1861
• The War of the Union, 1861-1865
• The Era of Reconstruction, 1865-1877

What is the required textbook for this course?

Students need to purchase one textbook including the online Inquizitive tools:

Shi, David Emory. America a Narrative History, 12^th Edition, Brief. Volume 1/Chapters 1-15. ISBN: 978-0-393-88253-7.

Norton Publishing has paperback, online or downloadable options available for purchase. The Norton site includes the required InQuizitive online tools. If purchasing through the UND bookstore or another third-party source, be sure the registration code for the InQuizitive online tools is included.

Two additional readings are provided (free) within the course:

• Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (orig. 1845).
• Blassingame, John W. "Using the Testimony of Ex-Slaves: Approaches and Problems." The Journal of Southern History 41, no. 4 (1975): 473-92.

How will the course appear on my transcript?

You may enroll at any time and have 3-9 months to complete this online course. The college credits you earn will be recorded on your transcript in the semester you register.

Why Take Online Classes at UND?

Here are a few reasons why you should take an online enroll anytime course at UND:

• Great customer service – Our registration team is ready to answer questions quickly so you can focus on your coursework.
• Affordable – UND's enroll anytime courses are priced at North Dakota's affordable, in-state tuition rate.
• Accredited – UND is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Easily transfer credits – Transferring credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which the credits are being transferred. In general, credits from schools/universities that are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission transfer to other regionally accredited institutions. UND's online courses appear on your UND transcript in the same way as other courses.

Flexible 100% Online Course

You'll take this online course at your own pace. Some students thrive in this environment, while other students may struggle with setting their own deadlines. If you have successfully taken an independent study or correspondence course previously, UND’s enroll anytime courses may be right for you. Still not sure? Take our online quiz to help determine if online enroll anytime courses are right for you.

Course information including tuition, technology requirements, textbooks, lessons and exams is subject to change without notice.