Wyoming History

Western Wyoming Community College
Wyoming History - HIST 1251 NT
Spring 2010

Instructor: A. Dudley Gardner Ph.D.
Contact Information: Office: 1226 Rock Springs campus                Phone: 307-382-1746
               Email:  dgardner@wwcc.wy.edu
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 428 D-525
2500 College Drive
Rock Springs, WY  82901
Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: You need to either have a COMPASS reading score of 71 or higher, or an ACT Reading Score of 20 or higher, or HMDV 1000 (C or better) to take this course.

Transferability:  Keep this course outline for future transferability issues with other schools.  Students planning to attend another school should check with that institution concerning transferability, since transferability is up to the discretion of each institution.

Textbooks:
http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/wyo_hist/
Beyond the Missouri: The Story of the American West, by Richard Etulain
Red Desert: A History of a Place

Additional Reading: http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/RobertsHistory/readings_in_wyoming_history1.htm

Course Description:  This course is a survey of Wyoming history with an emphasis on ideas and the development of institutions, and the role minorities and women played in the development of the state. Instruction will be provided on the provisions and principles of the United States and Wyoming Constitutions. Focus will be on Wyoming history, culture, diversity, government, and Constitution (both U.S. and Wyoming). 

This course is based on both the discussions and the website at http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/wyo_hist/
You will need to have access to the Internet and Blackboard to successfully complete this course. Blackboard (http://bb.wwcc.wy.edu) is used as the platform for classroom discussion. 

This is an internet course (NT) designed to teach you not only Wyoming History, but more about the world in which you live.

As with all course, this class is a work in progress.  Expect some changes. The schedule and procedures set forth in this syllabus/outline are subject to change.  Students will be notified of any changes. The times you review your discussions, and when your tests and assignments are due will not change, nor will what is expected of you.  However, there may be updates, so please periodically check the website for changes.  I will also email you when I make changes. 

Course Objectives:
There are many objectives in this course. We will examine the role of Native Peoples in the region and how they contributed to the economic and cultural foundations of the area. With the arrival of the horse the First Nations in future Wyoming began to dramatically change. We will examine this change in terms of how Plains Indian culture came to dominate the region.  Then we will examine the arrival of Europeans and Americans and how they interacted with Native Americans on equal footing.  Euro-Americans altered the landscape.  The construction of trading posts, homesteads, and later railroads set Wyoming apart from some areas. The railroad, for example, preceded settlement of the area. In fact settlement and building of towns followed the railroad. Coal mines opened in areas that had never seen settlements, because the railroad required fuel. The nature of the future states settlement patterns created a society distinctively American but uniquely Wyoming in outlook. The result was a society that used the United States Constitution as basis for law but expanded the principles in Wyoming to create one of the more unique democracies in the world. This course acquaints the student with the distinctive nature of Wyoming’s political culture. It looks at how this culture is similar and dissimilar to the region and the nation.

Course Goals:
History is the study of the past.  This is a simple but complex definition. The seconds you took to read this line is the past; the formation of the planet is the past. In essence from the near past to billions of years ago stretches the time period we call the past. That past includes an infinite number of events. It includes the mundane, like washing your car or truck and it includes the earth changing events like the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, Japan. The challenge is what events do you pick from the past to study? This class’s goal is to study a slice of time in Wyoming that dates from prehistory to the present.  What we will study from that time period makes this class unique.

This is a survey course in Wyoming History. Wyoming prides itself on being among the first political entity to give the majority of women the right to vote and hold office.  The state also held a political belief that all races are equal. The actually reality differed from this ideal but still the state held to a concept of equality for all.  In this class we will look at the states ethnic diversity, and views on equality. We will note the contradictions and evaluate whether the states promise of equality actually became a reality. To do this we must focus on the states institutions and Constitution. The Wyoming Constitution went beyond the guarantees of the US Constitution. The document promised equality to women, all races, and all creeds. It insured a free education to its citizens’ children. It guaranteed academic freedom.  But in its most sweeping dictum the founding framers declared: “Power is inherent to the people.” This course will examine the principles and concepts of how American Democracy became articulated in state Constitutions.

This course is designed to meet the state Statutory Requirements as per W.S. 21-9-102. The following outcomes were agreed to by the Wyoming State Legislature.

Course Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate the formal and informal principles, processes, and structures of the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions and political systems,
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the historical development and cultural context of these constitutions and political systems, and
3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between understanding of the institutions by which they are governed and their roles as responsible citizens in a democratic system.

Principles:

All courses designed and approved to satisfy the requirements of W.S. 21-9-102 will broadly address the following principles:
1. Historical foundations of the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions and government,
2. Awareness of the impact of political processes on individuals and the impact of individuals on political processes,
3. Ability to interpret politics and history through the U.S. and Wyoming constitutional lenses,
4. Awareness of the institutions of government,
5. Importance of political cultures to a democratic society,
6. Importance of civil societies to a democratic society,
7. Importance of civil liberties to a democratic society,
8. Importance of:
a. majority rule and minority rights,
b. rule of law and minority rights,
c. various external interest groups,
d. electoral process,
e. public opinion and interest groups,
f. evolution of constitutional interpretations,
g. balance of power,
h. relationship between the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions
i. role of government in development of economies.
9. Understanding of intergovernmental relations,
10. Considerations of philosophical foundations of representative   governments,
11. Awareness of other political philosophies and points of view,
12. Awareness of the distinctions of the U.S. and Wyoming constitutions, especially suffrage.

WWCC GOALS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS  (ASSESSMENT GOALS):
Western Wyoming Community College has identified five major goals for student success in order to assist students in developing abilities that will help prepare them to succeed in the world today and meet the challenges of the future. These goals are addressed in courses across the curriculum at WWCC and methods for instruction and assessment are varied.
- Communicate Competently
- Retrieve Information
- See Issues From Multiple Perspectives
- Solve Problems
- Develop Life Skills

In the section below you can see how we hope to achieve these goals in this class.

WWCC Goal	Relevance to this course	Method of Evaluation
Communicate Competently	This will be measured in your research paper and weekly emails that you produce in this class. You already have basic writing and reading skills here we will look for how well you set forth your topic and if you stay focused on the topic you are discussing.	Research Paper Weekly Emails
Retrieve Information	In your research paper you will have to find information about the topic that you are discussing. Where you will find this is in the library, in articles, and on line. You must cite your sources. And you cannot simply copy and paste your information into your text.  You need to get your sources from 3 to 5 different places. For example, one can come from the web, one from a magazine, one from a historic newspaper, one from a historic letter, and one from a book.	Research Paper
See Issues From Multiple Perspectives	A key element of this class is seeing things from a variety of perspectives. You need to know the opposing views on issues. You need to consider the impact of different laws and social actions on minorities, women, the handicapped, poor, disadvantaged, etc. This means in your essays, emails, and class room discussions show consideration to the diverse nature of our past. Please consider not just the impact an event had on one group but as many groups as possible. For instance, how did the declaration of Chinese Massacre in Rock Springs Wyoming affect the community, the state, and the future use of immigrant labor in the state?  What happened to the Chinese who survived the 1885 Massacre? What impact did the event have on the language of the 1890 Wyoming Constitution? Etc.	Research Paper Weekly Emails Tests
Solve Problems	Problems are most readily solved when you know the multiple dimensions of the problem. Using the example above, you need to consider things like what happened to Chinese who remained in Wyoming after 1885?  What opportunities did they have?  Why did many continue to work in the coal mines?  What happened to the Chinese in other towns like Cheyenne and Evanston? What happened to the Chinese children who were born in Wyoming If you answer these questions you can come up with your own solutions. But they are informed solutions. Meaning know the multiple dimensions of each issue and then you can solve the problem. You will be required to see the multiple dimensions of the historic issues and themes presented in this course.	Research Paper Weekly Emails Tests
Develop Life Skills	If you know the past you know the present. Or as the Chinese say: “we move forward by looking back.” The skill of not making the same mistakes over and over is difficult enough in our personal lives but not making errors over and over in our society is critical. We evolve as cultures through the process of trial and error but the thing that separates us from other species is the ability to transmit our institutions to our off- spring. The life skill of knowing the past to insure we don’t repeat the mistakes of that past is the aspiration of history as a discipline. It is a life skill we foster. But as can be seen the legacy of war we seem to not learn from the past. The question then is--are we doomed to repeat the past? Learning the life skill of not repeating past mistakes is a valuable ability.	Research Paper Weekly Emails Tests

Incomplete Policy:  The grade of “I” (Incomplete) may be given after the mid-point of the course when unexpected circumstances, such as illness or military service, make it impossible for a student who is passing the course with a “C” or better at the mid-point of the course to complete the remaining work by the end of the semester.  The purpose of an incomplete, therefore, is not to repeat the entire course but to complete no more than 50% of the work.  It is the student’s responsibility to initiate this process, but an Incomplete is assigned solely at the instructor’s discretion. Check the College Catalog for the entire policy.

Appropriate Student Behavior:  One of the College’s goals is to See Issues from Multiple Perspectives.  Therefore, part of this class will involve hearing and reading perspectives different from your own.  Everyone in class has a right to learn and express their views in a comfortable environment, so please be considerate of others' rights to hear, take notes or exams, express their ideas and participate in the class.  College policy 5420A states that "the College can immediately suspend or dismiss a student for disciplinary reasons if the college considers the student's actions detrimental to its educational purposes."

Students with Special Needs:  It is the responsibility of the student who qualifies for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who wishes to seek services, to contact Disability Support Services (DSS) each semester to apply for accommodations.  The DSS Specialist can be reached at (307) 382-1806, or via e-mail at kflaim@wwcc.wy.edu  The DSS office is in Room 2015 within the Student Development Center.   The DSS office will provide information regarding appropriate accommodations to the instructor of this course. 

Tutoring:  You do have access to an editorial tool at Smarthinking.com (http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/dist_ed/smarthinking8.jpg). This is an online tutoring service free to all students at WWCC. Please contact Nancy Johnson at 307-382-1880 or njohnson@wwcc.wy.edu if you need assistance.

Please continue reading below for what is specifically expected from you in this course.

Instructions for Spring 2010
The best way to begin this course is to email me at dgardner@wwcc.wy.edu
This will let me know you are enrolled and help you begin the process of taking this course. I am here to help and with a few exceptions will write back to you within 2 to 3 working days.

The Basic Requirements for this Course:  You will be responsible for discussions and assignments posted on Blackboard, as well as for weekly email journals, one research paper, and 3 exams. This course should be fun but also work, and I will work with you to successfully learn more about Wyoming’s people and government. We will work together to help you learn, but note it is your responsibility to contact and interact with your instructor via the Internet.

Weekly Email Journals:  You must email me once a week at dgardner@wwcc.wy.edu to let me know how you are progressing in the class. An example of a weekly email can be found by clicking here. In sum, email the instructor each week with a summary of your readings and what you have viewed in the discussion.  Your emails need to be 2 to 3 paragraphs long. All of this is done with WWCC’s Goals for Student Success in mind.  These goals are listed above in this syllabus. The weekly summary will provide a summary of what you have read and viewed in the discussions each week. An example of a good weekly review can be found by clicking here. 

Assigned Weekly Readings: To successfully complete this course, you will have to read all textbook assignments, as well as the Web text located at http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/wyo_hist/  
Reading assignments are listed in Table 3 in this syllabus. Please visit the website link – Weekly Readings – for updated reading assignments. 

Research Paper:  You will be required to turn in a term paper via email on any topic you want to address in Wyoming’s history. Please turn in the topic of your research paper by February 6th via email.  Your research paper can be on any Wyoming topics. It needs to be 10, double-spaced pages long, and cited in the style you work best in. Just be consistent in your citation style.

Exams:  To gauge how much you learn in class, you will take three tests.  I will give you reviews before each test. Past tests are posted and linked to the content page.  You will have to take 3 tests

Grade breakdown:
3 tests - 45%
weekly emails - 30%
discussion (6) 15%
term paper-10%
Class participation is an important part of your grade. This portion of the grade is determined by interaction via email and discussions.

Grading Scale:
90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
Below 60% = F                    There is no rounding in the class

Table 1. Major Units of Study/Schedule of Assignments.
Class Meeting Themes	Dates	Assignment	Discussion
First Nations a look at the Native Peoples in Wyoming	January 23
The Arrival of the Horse in Wyoming, a look at the landscape from 1700-1800	January 30
Native People Spaniards, Frenchmen, and Englishmen-the first contacts	February 6	Send in topic for research paper	1
The Louisiana Purchase	February 13
Trappers and Traders-Wyoming as a Middle Ground	February 20	Test 1	2
The Trails Across (Oregon California Mormon Trails)	February 27
The Railroad and Hell on Wheels Towns	March 6
The Rise of Self Governance	March 13	Research Paper	3
The American Constitution	March 27
State Constitutions/Wyoming	April 3	Test 2 Constitution Exam	4
Coal Mines and Extraction (the immigrants and industry)	April 10
Homesteading	April 17		5
Prelude to War and the Great Depression	April 24
Cold War Wyoming	May 1		6
The 1973-1983 Energy Boom –the 1980’s Bust
The New Energy State Wyoming 1990-the Present	May 8	Final Exam

Table 2. Discussion Summary.
Discussion #	Discussion Questions for Discussions Boards
1	What impact did the horse have on Wyoming’s first nations?
2	What nations first claimed Wyoming?
3	What was the impact of the fur trading era on Wyoming?
4	Why was the railroad significant to Wyoming?
5	What is the significance of the U.S. Constitution?
6	What is the significance of the Wyoming Constitution?

Table 3. Reading Assignments.
Week	Web http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/wyo_hist/   Read sections by:	Pages in Beyond the Missouri	Pages in Red Desert	Email what you have learned by:
1	Shoshoni		85-137	January 23
2		6-38	231-252	January30
3				February 6
4	Fort Bridger	121-148		February 13
5	Cherokee Trail		137.189	February 20
6		148-179	189-216	February 27
7	Chinese		216-230	March 6
8	Chinese		253-292	March 20
9	Constitutions and Exam	179-209		March 27
10	Wyoming Constitution	273-299	292-304	April 4
11			305-338	April 10
12	Great Depression			April 17
13	Japanese	362-391		April 24
14		391-421	339-362	May 1
15	West and Space		362-374	May 8