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360-3 Special Topics of the American Civil War

3 hrs. Social Sciences Core/Depth Study or Electives
Instructor: Dr. Maurice Melton
733 First Avenue
Columbus, GA 31901
Maurice.Melton@asurams.edu
(229) 430-4877

*Six months completion date

Important Contract Policies

Purpose

Through this course students will have the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of the American Civil War, discover and become adept at using primary research sources from the era, and through their research, develop a detailed knowledge of a topic of individual interest.

Learning Objectives

Students will:
  1. Broadly study, research, and question such topics as the cause of the Civil War; the political, economic, and social intent of the contending parties; the relative strengths and weaknesses of the United States and the Confederacy; the economic impact of the war on the 2 sides; its social effect on peoples red, white, and black; and reasons the event continues to affect the American psyche.
  2. Specifically, students will become acquainted with and learn to use primary source materials to discover facts, and develop a framework from which to make analytical decisions on questions involving the war.
Methodology

Student Participation:

Students will read text and supplemental materials (both hard copy and Web based) on specific subjects, and research the subjects in primary and secondary sources. A series of questions will be posited on the course Web site. Commentary on these questions is required of each student. Students will stay in contact with the Contract Director via email, regular mail, or phone calls to discern the order of reading materials and the scheduling and taking of tests.

Research:
  1. Students will complete 1 research assignment on a general topic relative to the war. Some examples of general topics are: Some Causes of the War; Communities & the War; Widows, Orphans, & the State; Slaves & Free Persons of Color in the North & South; Writers in the War (Twain, Bierce, Lanier, etc.); The Suppression of Civil Liberties; A Significant Battle or Campaign; Prisoners of War, etc. Students may submit for faculty approval personal suggestions for a broad topic to study.
  2. Students will complete 1 research assignment on a specific topic of the student's own choosing (again, with faculty approval).
Tests:

2 tests will be given, a mid-term and a final exam. These may be administered over the Web, or hand-written or word-processed under a proctor's oversight, depending on the best circumstances for the student. Students will be advised as to the parameters of each test with regard for outside material and material covered in the texts.

Please see course reserve materials for more detailed methodology. This is available as an online course reserve. Go to http://www.lib.ua.edu, click on "course reserves" and select "Maurice Melton." Note: the contract is in pdf format. You will need to download Adobe's free reader at http://www.adobe.com. If you need help, please call us at (205)348-6000.

Resources

Students may choose 1 of the 3 texts below as a source for a general overview of the war. Familiarity with more than 1 is encouraged.
  1. Davis, William C. The Civil War: A Historical Account of America's War of Secession. New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1996.
  2. McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford UP, 1988.
  3. Hattaway, Herman, and Archer Jones. How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1983.
Required Supplemental Reading (all 3 required):
  1. McPherson, James M. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War. New York: Oxford UP, 1997.
  2. Jones, Archer. Civil War Command and Strategy: The Process of Victory and Defeat. New York: The Free Press, 1992.
  3. McMurry, Richard M. Two Great Rebel Armies: An Essay in Confederate Military History. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1989.
Web site:

The University of Alabama uses WebCT as its online delivery platform. Components of this course will be placed on--and will take place on--the course Web site. Background and communications information; syllabus; learning suggestions; questions and student discussion; and hot links to selected outline Civil War sites will be included on the course Web site. For students without Internet connection, other arrangements may be made.

Evaluation

Evaluation will be comprised of the following:

Collaborative Discussion 25%
Mid-term Exam 25%
Course Research Papers 25%
Final Exam 25%
Total 100%

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