Welcome to HIST-1361-E01: American History to 1876

Image for Week 15

This photograph shows “contrabands” working for the Union Army at a supply depot in Alexandria, VA in 1863. The term “contraband” was applied to slaves who escaped from the South during the Civil War, particularly those who became affiliated with the Union Army. The use of the term contraband is somewhat ironic. It seems to have arisen early in the war when Union General Benjamin Butler refused to return escaped slaves to their owners in the South. In labeling them “contrabands of war,” Butler was defying current US law that required that slaves be returned to their owners. He was also equating the escaped slaves with property confiscated in the course of a war. However, by labeling the escaped slaves “contrabands,” Butler was also providing a path by which the former slaves could remain under the protection of the Union Army. Many “contrabands” eventually joined the US Army.

To Get Started in this Course

Before you do anything else in the course, I encourage you to look at the following pages that contain important information on the course mechanics:

Click here to access the Course Description, Materials and Goals
Click here to access the Course Structure and Policies
Click here to access the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Policies and Deadlines

Click here to access a PDF file with the complete syllabus and course schedule. You can download and print a copy of the syllabus if you wish.

You can also see a list of the assignments in the course on the Syllabus link to the left, in due date order.

Course Content

When you're ready to get started on the content of the course, go to the Modules page. Use the Modules page as your starting point for all work in this course -- it's the easiest way to see the structure of the course. The Modules page is organized by week.

Begin your work for each week by going to the Assignments page for that week. The Assignments page is always the first item under each week. (Click here to access the Assignments page for the first week of the course.)

If you're new to this whole online thing, you might want to read about getting the hang of this course. If you're new to Canvas, you may be interested in the Canvas Guides (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Stay Connected

Be sure to set up your notification preferences for Canvas in your Account (your Account button is in the upper left corner of this page). By default, you will receive notifications from Canvas to your campus email account. However, you can choose to receive messages from Canvas in additional locations: additional email accounts and/or messages to your cellphone. You can also customize how often you receive notifications from Canvas. (By the way, the settings that you establish in your Account will apply to ALL of your courses in Canvas.)

Getting Help

Grumpy Cat syllabus.jpg At any time during this course, if you run into questions or have concerns,

First, check out the syllabus or other general information for the class mentioned above -- chances are the answer is there! ==>>
Next, if your question is general and may apply to other students, please post your question on the Questions forum. That way I can post an answer that is available to everyone in the course
Finally, reach out to me with a Canvas message using the Inbox.

If you have technical issues or questions, please reach out to either the Canvas 24/7 help desk or CU Online.

Canvas 24/7 Support:

Phone: 855.631.2250
Email: support@instructure.com
Click "Help" in the top right of Canvas to access live chat or email support

CU Online Help Desk:

Phone: 303.315.3700
Email: cuonlinehelp@ucdenver.edu

Communications with Instructor

The best way to reach me is by Canvas message or email. I will always do my best to respond within 24 hours (not including holidays and Sundays). Phone calls can be set up by appointment only; please send me a message to arrange a phone call. I also have an office on the Auraria campus, and would be glad to meet with you in person.

I have also set up a Questions forum that is available to all of us for general course questions . You can participate in and should keep tabs on the Questions forum throughout the course.

The Instructor

My name is Susan Gustin and I will be the instructor for this course. I enjoy teaching this first half of US history because we can really see both continuity and change during this time period. On the one hand, the United States underwent astonishing change from the time of European colonization through the Civil War. On the other hand, we still wrestle with issues that were present from the founding -- a lot of continuity!

Learn more about me on my profile .