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The Making of the US President: A Short History in Five Elections
Beginner
Online
3 WeeksQuick Facts
| Medium Of Instructions | Mode Of Learning | Mode Of Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| English | Self Study | Video and Text Based |
Courses and Certificate Fees
| Certificate Availability | Certificate Providing Authority |
|---|---|
| yes | Coursera |
The Syllabus
Videos
- Setting the Scene 1: Federalists and Republicans
- Setting the Scene 2: Issues--Hamilton vs. Jefferson; the French Revolution
- Setting the Scene 3: The Election of 1796; the Quasi-War
- Adams and Pinckney
- Jefferson and Burr
- Hamilton
- The Electoral College
- Voting
- The 1800 Campaign 1
- The 1800 Campaign 2
- The Press and the 1800 Campaign
- The Electoral College Meets
- Deadlock in Congress
- Jefferson's Deal?
- The Inauguration
- The Revolution of 1800?
- Interview: Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter S. Onuf
- Interview: Joanne B. Freeman
- Interview: Gaye Wilson
Readings
- The New Nation
- Joanne B. Freeman, "The Presidential Election of 1800: A Story of Crisis, Controversy, and Change."
- [Optional Reading] Alexander Hamilton's attack on John Adams, October 24, 1800
- Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801
- Interviews with Historians
Practice Exercise
- Practice Quiz – The Election of 1800
Videos
- The Election of 1860
- Parties and Voting
- Conventions and Platforms
- Outcomes and Consequences
- Roundtable: The impact of the 1860 election
- Round-up discussion: Friday, October 28, Was the 1800 presidential election the 'nastiest' in American history?
Readings
- The Pre-Civil War Era & the Sectional Crisis
- Caleb Bingham (1853-1854)
- “Political Parties in the United States, 1820–1860”
- Abraham Lincoln and the Election of 1860
- 1860 Republican Platform
- Primary Sources: Secession
- “Presidential Election of 1860: A Resource Guide,” Library of Congress.
Practice Exercises
- Practice Quiz – The Election of 1860
- Week 1 Quiz - Nineteenth-Century Elections
Videos
- Introduction
- The Impact of Tet
- The New Hampshire Primary
- Presidential Primaries
- Democratic Primaries 1968
- Issues I: Law and Order
- Issues II: The Impact of Vietnam
- The Results
- Conclusion
Readings
- The Sixties, the 'Unraveling', and 1968
- Primary Sources – Responses to Vietnam: Walter Cronkite and the 'Wise Men'
- Primary Source – President Johnson's March 31st Speech
- Primaries
- Primary Sources about the 1968 Election – Party Platforms, Humphrey's Campaign, and Riots in Chicago
- Primary Sources: Humphrey/Johnson Discuss Vietnam, LeMay/Wallace Press Conference, and LBJ Halts Bombing in Vietnam
- Voting Map, Statistics, and Results
Practice Exercise
- Practice Quiz - The Election of 1968
Videos
- The making of the US president, 1980
- The history of presidential debates
- The Carter-Reagan presidential debate
- Conservative ascendancy and electoral eras
- The gender gap
- Roundtable Discussion: Week 2
Readings
- Context
- Secondary reading on liberalism's travails and the 1980 election
- Primary sources on the 1980 presidential campaign
- The development and significance of presidential debates on television
- Optional primary source: the Carter-Reagan debate
- Turning points and "realignments" in electoral history
- Exploring the "gender gap" in voting
- Data on the gender gap
Practice Exercises
- Practice Quiz – The Election of 1980
- Week 2 Quiz – Twentieth-Century Elections
Videos
- Mike Moffo on the making of the US president in 2008
- Jon Kelly on the making of the US president in 2008
- Nicol Rae on the making of the US president in 2008
- Roundtable on 2008 election
Readings
- Exploring the election of Barack Obama
- "Barack Obama: Campaigns and Elections"
- Background reading (optional): The American Yawp on recent US history
- Primary Sources – Campaign Commercials
- About Mike Moffo
- About Jon Kelly
- About Nicol Rae
Practice Exercise
- Practice Quiz – The Election of 2008
Videos
- Roundtable: Discusssion following the 2016 election
- Discussing Donald Trump's inaugural address
Readings
- Exploring the political battle via campaign commercials
- Roundtable discussion after the 2016 election
- Exploring Donald Trump's inaugural address in historical perspective
Practice Exercise
- Week 3 Quiz – The Election of 2016 and Historical Parallels