Honors American Cultures ~ Introduction
Welcome to your freshman year and thank you for accepting the
challenge of becoming an honors student in Social Studies.
According to dictionary definition, an “honors student” is a
student who has distinguished him/herself by academically going
above the requirements required by the average student. By choosing
an honors path, you are opening yourself up to many opportunities
to challenge your own thoughts and ideas and to be involved with
your peers who are academically motivated. The description of this
course is as follows:
Prerequisite Requirement: Successful completion of 8th Grade
Social Studies with a GPA of 85% / Teacher Recommendation (Grade 9
Only) Completion of Summer assignment is Mandatory
Following the same curriculum path as American Cultures, this
course provides additional opportunities to explore various time
periods and groups of people with an in-depth study of America from
1865 to present. This writing-intensive course allows students to
express ideas on the subject matter in both traditional and
non-traditional ways. Profound discussions will relate content to
current events. Historical novels provide outside information to
enhance student understanding of the time periods. In addition,
focus is placed on the examination of primary sources throughout
the American experience. Good attendance and work ethic are
necessary to be successful in this course.
This is an advanced 105 level course.
According to Texas A&M University, there are common
qualities found amongst honors students. These qualities
include:
•Curious & inquisitive nature
•Enjoy reading for leisure or enhancing knowledge
•Hard working - willing to study more and go above and beyond to
achieve success, which isn't necessarily measured by an A grade
•Enjoy debating with others
•Motivated to do and be more
•Truly enjoy learning
•Enjoy the hard courses because you like a good challenge
You will be required to complete summer work as a prerequisite
for this course. Please complete each of the three parts by the
noted due dates.
Unwillingness to complete this work will exempt you from
participation in the course and your schedule will be adapted
accordingly.
I look forward to working with you throughout the upcoming
school year as we endeavor to better understand our nation’s past
and how it continues to influence us today. If you have any
questions and/or concerns, please feel free to email me at
[email protected].
B. Tharp
Social Studies Educator
Assignment Part 1: Remind Sign-up
Using the information below, sign up for the class Remind by
Wednesday, May 29, 2019.
*This is your first grade! Be sure to sign up by this date. You
will receive future assignments/reminds
via this system. If you have any issues, be sure to contact me
at [email protected] prior to this date.
**Parents/Guardians are always encouraged to join as well.
PLEASE DO NOT USE NICKNAMES! IF YOU ARE ALREADY SIGNED UP WITH A
NICKNAME YOU WILL NEED TO TEXT ME YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME ONCE
SIGNED UP.
I will try to respond to any questions that you may have on
assignments or about the class through this this remind
communication during the pre-set office hours.
Assignment Part 2: Reconstruction of Post-Civil War America –
due by July 10, 2019
After the American Civil War, the government had to begin the
process of putting the nation back together. Upon watching the
videos, please respond to the writing prompts. You may choose to
restate the question or incorporate it into your answer. Please
include the letter of each question with the response. This part of
the assignment may be turned in digitally via email to
[email protected] or as a paper copy to the main office. Both
videos can be viewed at www.tharpsplace.weebly.com. The assignment
MUST include your name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjetWrsQb-E ~ The Story of
Reconstruction, CBS Sunday Morning, published April 7, 2019
A. The video begins with the story of Robert Smalls. Use
evidence from the video to explain how he could be considered a
“hero to the cause of African Americans”.
B. What ended Reconstruction? What did this mean for African
Americans in the South?
C. Revisionist historians have looked at our nation’s past in
recent years in a different way than ever before, often uncovering
never-before-told stories. For many decades, Reconstruction was
seen as a failure. Refute (make a case that disagrees with) this
statement using evidence from the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xy_MTa7k60 ~ American
Reconstruction (After the Civil War), Mometrix Academy, published
August 13, 2018
D. Contrast (tell the differences) Lincoln’s view of
Reconstruction with that of the Radical Republicans.
E. Explain 3 examples of what you believe were successes of
Reconstruction from the video.
F. Explain 3 examples of what you believe were failures of
Reconstruction from the video.
Assignment Part 3: Manifest Destiny & U.S. Westward
Expansion – due by the first day of school
Directions: Since our first unit will deal with America’s
expansion westward after the Civil War, I ask that you read the
attached article in the resource section of the packet and answer
the questions as a future honors student. You may choose to restate
the question or incorporate it into your answer. Please include the
letter of each question with the response. Be sure to answer all
parts of questions. QUALITY is important! Your responses should be
in sentence/paragraph form. Responses to questions should be typed
and can be emailed to me at [email protected] or a hard copy can be
brought to class on the first day of school. Work MUST include your
name. Be ready to discuss summer work in class.
Background information for Manifest Destiny
A. Explain the concept of Manifest Destiny in your own
words.
The Painting, Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way
B. Based on the background information about the painting, why
might the artist have included the chosen scenes in the border
surrounding the painting? Why might those specific people have been
chosen?
C. How many distinct “scenes” or groupings of people can you
find in this painting? Pick at least three and describe what you
think is happening in each “scene.” Why does the artist include
them?
D. The background landscape is loosely based on reality. It
combines aspects of several parts of the overland journey of the
pioneers. Describe the landforms you see. Why do you think the
artist combined different landforms in this way?
E. The final version of this painting is installed in the U.S.
Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Considering its location, what
is the “big message” Leutze communicates? How does the content and
style of the vignettes amplify this message?
Primary Source, New York Morning News, December 27, 1845.
O’Sullivan
F. How does O’Sullivan support his argument that Oregon should
belong to the United States? Would that same logic work today for
claiming ownership of a piece of land? Why or why not?
G. Describe how elements (Providence/God,
self-government/self-reliance, destiny of growth, etc.) of
O’Sullivan’s argument are illustrated in the symbolic details of
Leutze’s painting.
Literary Element, Letter from John C. Frémont to his wife,
Jessie Benton Frémont, dated January 27, 1849.
H. From Frémont’s letter, describe the possible dangers of
traveling overland to the American West. Why do you think people
were willing to endure so much hardship to cross the country?
I. Where do you see evidence in the artwork of dangers similar
to those Frémont described in his letter? What artistic “tricks”
does Leutze use in his composition (arrangement of people, objects,
light, setting, etc.) to counter those dangers?
Resources for Assignment 3
Resources can also be found at www.tharpsplace.weebly.com under
the Honors American Cultures tab.
Background Information for Manifest Destiny
The phrase “manifest destiny” originated in the nineteenth
century, yet the concept behind the phrase originated in the
seventeenth century with the first European immigrants in America,
English Protestants or Puritans. Manifest destiny is defined as
“the concept of American exceptionalism, that is, the belief that
America occupies a special place among the countries of the world.”
The Puritans came to America in 1630 believing that their survival
in the new world would be a sign of God’s approval. As their ship
the Arbella neared shore, group leader John Winthrop gave a sermon
entitled “A Modell [sic] of Christian Charity,” in order to prepare
his fellow passengers for what lay ahead. His sermon stressed the
importance of this experimental religious settlement in the new
world, and how it would come to serve as an example for all
settlements thereafter, stating “For wee [sic] must consider that
wee [sic] shall be as a citty [sic] upon a hill. The eies [sic] of
all people are upon us.” Winthrop also recalled God’s instruction
in the Bible about the need to expand and prosper, “Be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.” The ideology
of manifest destiny continued through the eighteenth-century as
victorious America won independence from Great Britain, an event
that many occasioned to be preordained and lauded by God and an
example of American exceptionalism.
U.S. Territorial Expansion
The European settlers who came to America in search of a new
life believed that land acquisition was crucial to their future
prosperity. Following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 from France
and the subsequent exploration of that western territory by
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the nation’s appetite for
expansion grew. The Louisiana Purchase, which tripled the size of
the young country, effectively started a chain reaction for U.S.
territorial expansion. The next fifty years of American history saw
the nation increase its land holdings exponentially: in 1845 Texas
was incorporated into the U.S.; Britain’s 1846 treaty with the U.S.
gained the young nation the disputed Oregon territory; California,
Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah were incorporated following
the 1848 war with Mexico; and finally, in 1853, the Gadsden
Purchase completed the last contiguous land purchase in the
continental U.S., finalizing the southern borders of New Mexico and
Arizona as we know them today.
John Winthrop: (1587-1649) English Puritan lawyer who led the
first wave of Puritan immigrants to America in 1630.
Louisiana Purchase: (1803) purchased from France during
President Thomas Jefferson’s administration, the region of the
United States encompassing land between the Mississippi River and
the Rocky Mountains.
Meriwether Lewis: (1774-1809) American explorer, soldier, and
politician. He is most well-known for his role in the Lewis and
Clark Expedition, exploring the land acquired in the Louisiana
Purchase.
William Clark: (1770-1838) American explorer and soldier. He
best known as one-half of the exploring team of Lewis and Clark.
Following the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark were charged by
President Thomas Jefferson in 1804 to explore the newly acquired
territory west of the Mississippi River. For the next two years the
expedition explored and mapped the western territory, studying
plant and animal life, and establishing trade with Indian
tribes.
American exceptionalism: the theory that the U.S. is inherently
different from other countries.
Gadsden Purchase: the U.S. acquisition of a region in
present-day Arizona and New Mexico via a treaty signed on December
30, 1853 between the United States and Mexico. The purchase’s
purpose was so that the U.S. could build a southern route for the
Transcontinental Railroad. This was the last territorial
acquisition in the contiguous United States.
Puritans: members of a sect of English Reformed Protestantism
who sought to rid the church from all Roman Catholic practices.
They practiced and advocated for greater strictness in religious
discipline and for the simplification of doctrine and worship.
Large-scale Puritan migration from England to America occurred from
1620 to 1640.
Background of the Painting (See image on next page)
HINT: view color version at www.tharpsplace.weebly.com under the
Honors American Cultures tab
Emanuel Leutze’s painting was an initial study done for a larger
mural to be placed in the U.S. Capitol Building. Aside from the
painting itself, small scenes within the ornate border link the
pioneers to a long line of biblical, mythical, and historical
figures who were considered “explorers.” On the left edge, Leutze
included Moses parting the Red Sea; the Greek myth of Jason and the
Argonauts with Jason’s ship, the Argo, sailing home with the Golden
Fleece on its sail; and the Three Wise Men traveling to Bethlehem.
On the right border, we see Christopher Columbus, the “Spies of
Eshcol” (who explored Canaan before the Israelites journeyed
there), and Hercules splitting a mountain to form the twin pillars
of Gibraltar. At the bottom, portraits of explorers Daniel Boone
and Captain William Clark surround a view of San Francisco Bay, the
ultimate reward that awaits these exhausted pioneers.
This painting represents the concept of Manifest Destiny, the
belief, popular in the mid-nineteenth century, that Americans were
destined by God to settle the continent westward to the Pacific
Ocean. At the top of the canvas, an eagle holds a scroll inscribed
with the painting’s title, taken from a 1726 poem by the Irish poet
George Berkeley. Two Native American figures appear within the
border, pushed out from the center by the eagle’s powerful wings.
The emptiness of the golden western landscape, which in actuality
was home to Native American tribes at the time, suggests the mass
expulsion of Native populations from their homelands before the
Civil War.
*This painting was a study for a larger mural, completed in
1862, for the U.S. Capitol Building. The final mural features
several changes the artist made, including the addition of a free
African American boy in the foreground. He likely added the figure
after reading Lincoln’s preliminary Emancipation Proclamation,
issued September 1862.
The Painting
EMANUEL GOTTLIEB LEUTZE (1816–1868)
Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (mural study, U.S.
Capitol), 1861
oil on canvas, 33 1∕4 × 43 3∕8 in.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Primary Source Connection
Pair the artwork with the excerpt below from John Louis
O’Sullivan’s editorial on the U.S. annexation of Oregon Territory
(at the time claimed by Great Britain) from the New York Morning
News, December 27, 1845. O’Sullivan, an American columnist and
editor, is credited with coining the phrase “Manifest Destiny.” The
concept had existed for a long time, but when he used it in two
editorials in July and December 1845 — promoting the annexation of
the Texas and Oregon Territories — the phrase caught on immediately
and resonated deeply with the American people.
To state the truth at once in its naked simplicity, we are free
to say that were the respective cases and arguments of the two
parties, as to all these points of history and law, reversed—had
England all ours, and we nothing but hers—our claim to Oregon would
still be best and strongest. And that claim is by the right of our
manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the
Continent which Providence has given for the devolpment [sic] of
the great experiment of liberity [sic] and federative
self-government entrusted to us. It is a right such as that of the
tree to the space of air and earth suitable for the full expansion
of its principal and destiny of growth— such as that of the stream
to the channel required for the still accumulating volume of its
flow.
Literary Connection
Pair the artwork with a letter, excerpted below, from John C.
Frémont to his wife, Jessie Benton Frémont, dated January 27, 1849.
John Frémont made his reputation leading survey expeditions into
the West, particularly California. Jessie Frémont made her
reputation as a writer, recording their travels as engaging
narratives for a public hungry for information about the exotic
West. The letter was published in her 1878 memoir, A Year of
American Travel, which recounts her journey to meet her husband in
California.
About the 11th of December we found ourselves at the north of
the Del Norte Cañon, where that river issues from the St. John’s
Mountain, one of the highest, most rugged, and impracticable of all
the Rocky Mountain ranges, inaccessible to trappers and hunters
even in the summertime. Across the point of this elevated range our
guide conducted us, and having still great confidence in his
knowledge, we pressed onward with fatal resolution. Even along the
river-bottoms the snow was already belly-deep for the mules,
frequently snowing in the valley and almost constantly in the
mountains.
Resources adapted from http://americanexperience.si.edu