Impact of the Railroad on Wyoming History (HONORS 4152, Section 3)
Time: M, 3:10-4:25 p.m., W, noon-1 p.m., and two Saturdays (field trips)
Room: History 156 (History Lounge)
Instructors: Robert Godby (ECON) Phil Roberts (HIST)
Offices: Ross Hall 12 History 365
Contacts: 766-3843 766-5311
rgodby@uwyo.edu philr@uwyo.edu
Office Hours: MW 11 am - noon T, W, 11-12:30,
or by appointment. or by appointment.
Dr. Rob Godby, co-instructor of the course, is shown with several members of the class during a field trip to Ames Monument, east of Laramie, a memorial built to honor the two brothers, Oakes and Oliver Ames, who were important forces in financing the transcontinental railroad. The monument, a pyramid of 60 feet in height, is now a historic site.
Course Description: This is an interdisciplinary course, taught in seminar form, focusing on the history of the Union Pacific Railroad—the context leading to its construction, the land grants and other modes of financing, its eventual construction and the role it played in the development of the American West. The building of the Union Pacific Railroad across Wyoming is, arguably, the watershed event in the history of the State as its arrival in 1867 facilitated the creation of the Wyoming Territory one-year later. Immigrants from around the world who came West to settle along the first transcontinental railroad formed their own unique communities. The railroad also prompted economic development, first by the settlement it spurred, creating an agricultural economy, and then allowing mining, the development of a service sector and other activities that were reliant upon rail and later transport networks. Students will be expected to read extensively from both primary and secondary sources. A major component of the course will include field trips throughout the semester.
Course Objectives: Student exposure to instructors from different fields in the social sciences and humanities will create an interdisciplinary experience that emphasizes the various perspectives and overlap of economics and geography. We hope to emphasize application of the ideas of these two disciplines to a context familiar to students by reconsideration of the society they live in. The goal of the course is to have students learn how to apply skills from each of these disciplines simultaneously to experience and interpret the impact of the building of the Union Pacific Railroad on the history of Wyoming. Students will also learn how to conduct and produce unique historical research describing some aspect of the impact of the railroad on Wyoming history.
Readings: Students will be assigned common readings as well as individual readings throughout the semester. Some of the common readings will come from the following (other sources also will be assigned from time to time):
Klein, Maury (1987) Union Pacific: the Birth of a Railroad 1862-1893, Doubleday New York, NY
Bain, David (1999) Empire Express, Viking New York NY
Pacific Railway Acts, 1862, 1865 (can be found online at various sites)
Casement Correspondence (held in collections at the American Heritage Center)
Frontier Index (Various Issues, available through University Library microfilm)
Sanborn Maps of UP Towns (AHC or University Library)
A more detailed reading list and outline of topics will be distributed in the first few weeks of class.
Grading Policy and Requirements: Assessment will be based on both instructor evaluation of student work. All students need to have access to a computer. Students will be expected to have an account on the U.W. computer system and be able to access e-mail and the Internet. E-mail and/or a class web-site will be used to make class announcements. Students will be expected to have completed all required readings, and will be expected to submit al course assignments on time. No exceptions to stated deadlines will be allowed on an individual basis.
Student Evaluation: Written assignments will be the primary means of student evaluation using the grading scheme below. Dates and deadlines for tests and assignments may be subject to change but any changes will be announced in class.
Final Exam (at scheduled time in exam week): = 20%
Readings and other Assignments:
5 assignments @ 10% each = 50%
Research Project/Portfolio: = 20%
Participation/Attendance
In-class attendance and discussion = 10%
Total = 100%
All work will be evaluated considering the following criteria:
· Demonstration of understanding of topics considered
· Clarity of presentation
Quality of analysis, research and argument
Grading is not done on a curve, and the final letter grade you will receive will be based on the following scale: 90-100% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; below 60% = F; using the grading scheme outlined above.
Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend all classes. If you miss a class meeting, you are expected to obtain notes and other material on your own from someone else in the class.
Field Trips: There will be three class field-trips that will run outside typical class hours, including two to take place on Saturdays. Trips are tentatively scheduled for Monday, September 11th during the afternoon and running longer than the official class time, Saturday September 23rd during the day, and Saturday October 28 or November 4th. Students are expected to attend these trips in their entirety. Travel will be coordinated in class.
Missed Tests, Late Papers and Incompletes: Any missed test will result in a grade of zero for that test. Late assignments will not be accepted in this course and will be assigned a grade of zero. Exceptions will only be granted when accompanied by an excuse from the Office of Student Life or other source as deemed acceptable by the instructors. Make-up tests will not be allowed, and students must be present at the final examination. No early examination writings will be permitted. Note: Doctor's notes are not acceptable unless students have contacted the instructors in advance they will not be present in class.
Classroom Decorum: UNIREG 29, Change 1, states that the student has obligations as well as rights in the classroom. Your obligation in this classroom is to act in a mature manner conducive to enhancing a learning atmosphere. You are expected to limit talking or activities that might disturb or otherwise distract others (including the professor). You are also expected to not interrupt other students in any way if they are asking questions or making comments to the instructor and class. Please take these obligations seriously.
Academic Dishonesty: Also known as "cheating" and/or "plagiarism," academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course. Any case of academic dishonesty in this course will be prosecuted in accordance with UNIREG 802 Rev. 2. Academic dishonesty can result in a permanent "F" in this course. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) cheating on tests, copying the work of others in the class or from previous classes, plagiarism or other use of published materials without complete citations, or fabrication of referenced material.
Disclaimer: Any of the above information regarding grading, schedules, or other portions is subject to change when deemed necessary by the instructors. Students will be notified verbally in class or by e-mail if and when such changes occur.
Assignment for Sept. 6:
Read: Frederick Jackson Turner, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FRONTIER IN AMERICAN HISTORY