Cincinnati Christian University
Foster School of Biblical Studies, Arts & Sciences
HIST 175 – The American Civil War Experience (3 semester hours)
Term: Fall 2013 Meeting Times: MWF 10 – 10:50
Prof. Rick Cherok Prof. Jim Snyder
Office Phone: (513) 244-8198 Office Phone: (513) 244-8153
Course Syllabus
DESCRIPTION: This course will provide an overview of the events leading up to the American Civil War,
examine the war itself, and look at the conditions of life for soldiers in the war. It will explore the
political, military, constitutional, economic, and social events affiliated with the Civil War.
RATIONALE: The American Civil War is arguably the most significant event in the history of the United
States. This course offers students an opportunity to explore the nature of this struggle, the reasons for
the war, the lives of those who were a part of the war era, and the war’s influence on the development of
modern American society.
OBJECTIVES: The student will be able to…
• Explain the events that precipitated the sectional conflicts and the ultimate outbreak of the American Civil War.
• Identify the central personalities, incidents, and locations associated with the Civil War and its era.
• Participate in analytical discussions about some of the central issues, questions, and concerns related to the American Civil War.
• Demonstrate an understanding of Civil War life and the influence of the war on modern life.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Attendance – Your attendance in this class is absolutely essential. Class absences are strongly
discouraged. Excessive absences may result in a grade reduction or class failure.
2. Take notes on all class lectures.
3. Read assigned sections of the course textbook: Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson.
4. Complete a five-page research project (choose one of the options below):
a. Watch the entire Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary and write a critical review of the film’s artistic and historic content.
b. Read one of Jeff Shaara’s Civil War novels and write a critique of the novel that compares it to the information contained in McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom.
c. Read and review a history book dealing with some aspect of the Civil War (Note: the book must be approved by the professors prior to the completion of this assignment).
d. Visit a designated Civil War Battlefield (i.e., approved by the professors) and write an essay explaining what you learned with this visit.
e. Visit an approved Civil War museum and write an essay describing what you saw and learned.
5. Participate in all class discussions, activities, assignments, and/or special programs.
6. Complete a mid-term examinations and a final examination – A class visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield may replace the mid-term examination.
GRADING PROCEDURE: Letter grades will be determined in accordance with the percentages
Listed in the college catalog. Individual grades will be based on the following criteria:
a. Mid-Term and Final Examinations 60% (30% each)
b. Research Project (Five-Page Essay) 20% -- Due November 18th
c. Seminar/Event Participation 10%
d. Class Attendance & Participation 10%
Course Schedule
(The Professors reserve the right to make any Course Schedule changes that they deem necessary or appropriate)
Week 1 Introduction (Cherok)
Week 2 Slavery & Sectional Conflict (Cherok)/1848-1860 (Cherok)
Week 3 Lincoln, Secession, & Fort Sumter (Cherok)/Seminar 1
Week 4 Manassas & All-Out War (Cherok)/Arms & Equipment (Snyder)
Week 5 Soldier Life (Snyder)/Military Structure (Snyder)
Week 6 Shiloh/Antietam (Snyder)
Week 7 Fredericksburg (Snyder)/FALL BREAK
Week 8 Chancellorsville (Snyder)/Union & Confederate Leadership (Snyder)
Week 9 Seminar 2/MID-TERM EXAM
Week 10 Gettysburg (Snyder)
Week 11 Gettysburg Address & Draft Riots (Cherok)/Vicksburg (Snyder)
Week 12 Chickamauga (Snyder)/Grant’s Command & Northern Politics (Snyder)
Week 13 Wilderness (Snyder)/Ohio in the Civil War (Snyder)
Week 14 THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 15 Atlanta Campaign (Snyder)/Appomattox Court House (Cherok)
Week 16 Aftermath of the War (Cherok)/Seminar 3
Week 17 FINAL EXAM
◦ Seminar 1 – What Caused the War? Did Lincoln Want The War to Begin?
◦ Seminar 2 – What Role Did Leadership Play in the War? Why Did They Fight?
◦ Seminar 3 – Emancipation Proclamation & Gettysburg Address: Any Significance? What if the
Confederacy had Survived? Could the South have Won?
ð Failure to complete ALL assignments will result in failure of the course ï
Class Guidelines:
1. Arrive in class prior to the start of class and be prepared for class work (have paper, pens, etc.).
2. Students who arrive in class late will mark “tardy” on the attendance sheet. Excessive tardiness will not be tolerated, three tardies is equivalent to one unexcused absence (a student may be considered tardy only if he/she arrives within the first fifteen minutes of class).
3. It is your responsibility to mark the attendance sheet. If you do not sign it on the day of the class, you will be marked absent (do not come to me the next day and tell me you were present but have been marked absent).
4. Students who leave class early (without permission from the professor) will be marked absent.
5. Be attentive in class. Sleeping, talking, and/or disturbances of any kind will not be tolerated (you will be marked absent for the day). Excessive inappropriate activities will result in the lowering of your grade or failure in the class.
6. Using computers (or other electronic devices) in class for anything other than taking notes will result in automatic and immediate dismissal from the class and failure of the course.
7. Do not leave trash, papers, or debris in this classroom (keep the classroom clean!).
8. Turn in all papers on the assigned dates. All assignments must be completed to pass the course, but assignments turned in late will receive no credit.
9. Take all exams on the scheduled examination dates.
10. Turn off all cell phones before the start of class.
11. Contact the professor if you have problems, need additional clarification of information, require help with the course requirements, or seek some other form of assistance.
“The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here,
but it can never forget what they did here.”
—Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863)