HIST 156 at the University of Maryland Global Campus is a three-credit survey of the United States from colonial times to the end of the Civil War. The catalog says the establishment and development of national institutions are traced.
The stated aim is to locate, evaluate and use primary and secondary sources and to interpret current events and ideas in a historical context. Students often struggle with moving from a summary of events to an argument supported by sources.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | HIST 156 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Credit note | Students may receive credit for only one of HIST 156 or HUMN 119 |
| Subject area | History: colonial era, early republic, Civil War |
| Typical work | Discussion posts, primary source analysis, essays, a research assignment (check your syllabus) |
What HIST 156 Covers
The catalog gives a span and an aim. Typical survey content for colonial times to 1865 is grouped below; your syllabus sets the schedule.
| Theme | What you work on |
|---|---|
| Colonial societies | Settlement, labor, religion and relations with Native peoples |
| Revolution and founding | Independence, the Constitution and early national institutions |
| Expansion and reform | Territorial growth, economic change and reform movements |
| Slavery and sectional conflict | The growth of slavery, political compromise and secession |
| Civil War | The war and its outcome as the end point of the course |
| Sources and interpretation | Locating, evaluating and using primary and secondary sources |
Key Skills Explained
Locating and Evaluating Sources
Locate sources through library databases, then evaluate them: who produced the source, when, and for what audience? The same event can look very different in a planter's letter and in the testimony of an enslaved person.
Illustration: A colonial official's report and a settler's diary may describe the same dispute differently; a good paper explains why and what each leaves out.
Primary and Secondary Sources
A primary source is from the time. A secondary source is a historian's account. Use primary sources as evidence and secondary sources for interpretation and context.
Interpreting the Present Historically
The catalog asks you to place current events and ideas in context. Link a specific past development to a specific present debate, and explain the connection with evidence for both.
Illustration: A debate over federal versus state power can be traced to arguments at the founding, with the limits of the parallel stated.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
The catalog does not list assessments; these are typical for the course aims. Confirm in your syllabus.
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion posts | Engagement with readings | Cite the reading and add your own interpretation |
| Primary source analysis | Evaluating evidence | Author, audience, date and purpose first, then meaning |
| Essay | Argument and evidence | State a thesis and support it with sources from the period |
| Research assignment | Locating sources | Frame a narrow question and keep a source log |
Working with Primary Sources
Since the course aim stresses sources, a repeatable method saves time.
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| Identify | Who created it, when and where? |
| Context | What was happening at the time? |
| Purpose | Why was it made and for whom? |
| Reliability | What might the author leave out or exaggerate? |
| Use | What claim does it support in your paper? |
Repeat the method for each source and your analysis paragraphs become easier to write.
Turning a Broad Prompt into a Thesis
Survey prompts are broad on purpose. Here is an invented example of narrowing one, to show the method rather than to supply an answer.
| Stage | Example |
|---|---|
| Broad prompt | Discuss the causes of the American Revolution |
| Narrowed question | How did disputes over taxation and representation turn colonial protest into a demand for independence? |
| Working thesis | Protest became revolution when colonists concluded that Parliament would not accept their view of representation, and each new measure confirmed that conclusion. |
| Evidence to find | Colonial resolutions, pamphlets and petitions, plus one scholarly account of the debate |
A thesis like this can be tested and revised. If the evidence does not support it, adjust the claim rather than the evidence.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Summary instead of argument. A rubric asking you to interpret needs a thesis.
- Unreliable sources. Prefer scholarly works and archives to general websites.
- Presentism. Judge actors by their context first.
- Loose citation. Follow the style your instructor requires, consistently.
- Skipping institutions. The catalog stresses national institutions, so explain how they formed.
Study Tips for HIST 156
- Keep a timeline from the colonial period onward and add to it weekly.
- Log each source with author, date and key quote.
- Draft your thesis first and revise it after research.
- Use the UMGC Library for primary source collections.
- Write one sentence on how each reading connects to a present-day issue.
How We Help with HIST 156
Send the assignment prompt, rubric, readings and instructor feedback. A history writer can prepare a custom essay, explain a primary source, or review your draft. The essay structure guide covers the basics.
GradeEssays is independent and not affiliated with the University of Maryland Global Campus. Our work is a study and reference aid: use it to understand the material, then complete and submit your own work under UMGC's academic integrity policy.
Every order is written from scratch and plagiarism-checked, comes with free revisions within the scope of your original request, and is refunded in full if it is late.
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Frequently Asked Questions
From colonial times to the end of the Civil War, per the UMGC catalog.
The catalog says credit is given for only one of them.
It continues the story from the Civil War onwards.
Use the style your instructor specifies and cite the archive or collection as well as the document.
We can suggest search strategies and review your source list, and explain how to use what you find.
No. We provide tutoring, custom answers and feedback only.