(Recorded Course) American History, Part One: Age of Exploration through the Civil War and Reconstruction with John "Chuck" Chalberg, PhD

Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course! See the sidebar to the right for signup information.

In this upper-level American history course, you will learn about the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Pre-Civil War times with a dynamic “guest” who may “appear in person” -- possibly Patrick Henry.

Special Notes: Includes an optional writing component. This is Part One of a two-part course. 

Total Classes: 12

Duration: 55 minutes per class

Prerequisite: None

Suggested Grade Level: 11th to 12th grade (or advanced 9th and 10th grade)

Suggested Credit: 1 full semester of American History

Instructor: John C. "Chuck" Chalberg, Ph.D.

Instructor Email: chuck.chalberg@gmail.com

Course Description: This course will cover American history from the late 15th century through the American Civil War and postwar reconstruction. We will cover colonial development, the road to the American Revolution, the revolutionary war and its aftermath, constitution building, the early national period, the War of 1812, the Jacksonian era, the pre-Civil War reform movements, the road to the Civil War, wartime issues, and postwar reconstruction. Along the way, there may be a few guest appearances by figures from American history, including Patrick Henry.

Course Outline:

  • Week One: Exploration and Early Colonization

  • Week Two: The Shaping of British North America

  • Week Three: The Road to the American Revolution

  • Week Four: The American Revolution and Its Aftermath

  • Week Five: The Experiment Begins

  • Week Six: From Jefferson to Jackson

  • Week Seven: The Culture of Democracy

  • Week Eight: The Old South and Slavery

  • Week Nine: The Gathering Storm

  • Week Ten: Secession and the Onset of the Civil War

  • Week Eleven: The Civil War

  • Week Twelve: Reconstruction

Course Materials: The Land of Hope by Wilfred McClay. ISBN 978-1594039379 (https://amzn.to/37YfKxp)

Homework: Students will read approximately a chapter per week. There will be weekly quizzes based on both the reading and the lectures, auto-graded by the computer for immediate feedback. For upper-level students or students who want to go the extra mile, Dr. Chalberg will assign an additional five writing assignments of 500 to 600 words each. Expect to spend three to four hours per week on reading and homework outside of class lectures.