Syllabus
UNE Summer Session
HIS 266: History of Drugs in the Americas – 6 Weeks
Credits - 3
Description
This course examines how drugs have shaped societies and cultures in the Americas—from the United States to the southern mountains of Peru and Bolivia—in the last hundred or so years. We will begin by considering the social and cultural origins of drugs, as well as how societies have applied and regulated them, before proceeding to assess their social, cultural, and political implications.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Learning Outcomes:
Each student will be able to:
- Identify major issues in the social history of drugs in the Americas
- Evaluate primary sources relevant to the history of drugs in the Americas
- Compare how different drugs became popular across various moments in history
- Present their ideas on the history of drugs in written form
- Think historically.
Assignments
Film Notes: You must submit notes for assigned movies and documentaries on Brightspace. I have chosen films that will entertain you while (more important) give you a sense of the particular time, place and people that we are learning about. You must pay attention and refer to the films in your written work. After the film, we will have a conversation about how the films touch on issues we are learning about. This will be your chance to share your thoughts with your classmates.
Papers: You will be required to write two response papers. They must be no less than five pages, excluding any reference material. I will take points off for papers shorter than five pages. The papers are opportunities for you to reflect on what you have read and what we have discussed on the Discussion Board. I will assess take-home papers on the basis of content, clarity, structure and grammar.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Paper 1: 25 % | 25% |
| Paper # 2: 25 % | 25% |
| Discussion Posts, 40% | 40% |
| Movie Notes, 10% | 10% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Robert F. Alegre, Ph.D.
Online Office Hours: ZOOM, by appointment. Please feel free to email anytime. I will get back to you within 24 hours or less.
July 2, 2025 – August 8, 2025
Week 1: PROHIBITION (July 2 – July 6)
Read Courtwright, Introduction and 9 – 31; Read Courtwright, 152 – 210
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GECsin42oS0
Week 2: CANNABIS (July 7 – July 13)
Courtwright, 31 – 69; Courtwright, 70 – 134
Martin Lee, 1-37. Feb. 17: Lee, 80 – 115; Lee, 339-383
VIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SZzgfyXhJI
Week 3: OPIATES (July 14 – July 20)
Quinones, Part I, III, and III
PAPER ON PROHIBITION IS DO ON SUNDAY, July 20. ANYTIME BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
WEEK 4: OPIATES (July 21 – July 27)
Quinones, Part IV and V
WEEK 5: COCAINE/WAR ON DRUGS (July 28 – August 3)
Gordon Mortimer, “The History of Coca,” and Joseph Gagliano, “The Coca Debate in Colonial Peru” (HANDOUT)
VIEW: ON NETFLIX, Cocaine, Corruption, and Conspiracy.
Week 6: PHARMACEUTICALS (August 4 – August 8)
Courtwright, 135 – 165.
Watch documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed: https://www.amazon.com/All-Beauty-Bloodshed-Nan-Goldin/dp/B0B7CJVP32
FINAL PAPER IS DUE FRIDAY, August 8. ANYTIME BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
Student Resources
Summer Session Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
UNE Libraries
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Further Assistance
Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.
If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.
Policies
Please email me if you would like to communicate about the readings or the assignments. If you are going to need extra time to submit a paper or a post, please let me know.
Summer Session & Academic Engagement Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm EDT of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion by 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday of the first week, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation.
Proctored Examinations
Your course may have proctored exams. For all proctored exams, an external camera is required. Please see the course for the exact exam requirements, test-taker guidance, proctoring format, and allowances (such as calculators or whiteboards, as indicated in the course).
Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements.
Course Length
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.
Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 12 weeks.
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar.
- Course due dates, start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact summersessiononline@une.edu with any questions.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course.
Transcripts
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the College. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.