Course Introduction

Instructor Introduction

Hello!  My name is Jim Stoddard.  I am very excited to be your instructor for U.S. History, 1492 to 1877.  I want to take this opportunity to welcome you all to this course!

I am a Marine Corps veteran and graduate of UCF. I earned my BA in History in 2016 and my MA in History in 2020. Currently, I am working on my PhD in Texts and Technology with a Public History focus. My research interests are military, veterans, and technology history. I'm also interested in memory and identity.

Outside of academics, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two kids, reading, playing games, and training jiu jitsu. 

Welcome! 

Course Introduction

The course covers a broad period of early American history, from before Europeans made contact with American Indians in the fifteenth century through the aftermath of the Civil War in the nineteenth century. We will necessarily move quickly, being selective in the topics covered rather than exhaustive.

The course will trace several themes including: the expansion of the political process, the changing lives of everyday Americans, the increasing tension between the North and the South, westward expansion, and the developing economy.

This course is intended to improve students’ skills in areas including: reading comprehension, information synthesis, critical thinking, and analytical writing.  Additionally, this course will introduce students to how to approach topics as a historian.

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