African American History since 1877
HIST 251
CRN 32362
Spring 2008
Professor R. Sullivan
This course surveys African American history from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the post-civil rights era in the late twentieth century. It begins by situating African Americans in the context of American society in the late nineteenth century with a focus on the legal and social restrictions they increasingly faced, as well as the violence. The response of the African American community—its leaders, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens—to these legal, economic and social restrictions is the focus of this course. It surveys the institutions, ideas and people who continued the struggle for full legal, economic and social equality for African Americans in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, culminating with an examination of the organized civil rights movement of the fifties and sixties, its decline and aftermath.
Lectures : Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00 pm, Living Learning Center, South, Room 101
Discussion Sections: Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 or Thursdays, 1:00-2:00
Information on Contacting Dr. Sullivan:
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00-12:00, and by appointment, gladly given.
Office: 362 McKenzie
Office phone: (541) 346-5907
Email: reginas@uoregon.edu
Information on Discussion Sections :
Graduate Teaching Fellows: Jurgen Ruckaberle & Eliot Fackler
GTF email addresses: jruckabe@uoregon.edu; efackler@uoregon.edu
Section Day & Time: Thursdays @ 12:00 or Thursdays @ 1:00
Place: 373 McKenzie or 471 McKenzie
GTF Office Hours: Ruckaberle: Tuesdays, 9:00-12:00
Fackler: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:30-4:30
Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00
GTF Office Location: Ruckaberle: 340R McKenzie Fackler: 340B McKenzie
Required Readings:
The main textbook for this class is Clayborne Carson et al., The Struggle For Freedom: A History of African Americans , Volume 2, Since 1865 (concise version). Packaged with this textbook is a set of primary documents, compiled by Roy E. Finkenbine, Sources of the African American Past, 2 nd Ed. These textbooks are available for purchase at the bookstore and copies have been placed on reserve in the library. (If you choose to buy these texts from another outlet, please note that they are more expensive when not packaged together.)
In addition to these required texts, I also recommend that you purchase A Pocket Guide to Writing In History, 4 th Ed., by Mary Rampolla. It is also available at the bookstore and is on reserve in the library.
We will also occasionally have readings that I will post on Blackboard as well as place on library reserve. These are noted in the syllabus.
Please note : If students choose not to purchase the textbooks, they are still responsible for bringing copies of the readings to discussion sections when assigned. Copies of all the textbooks are on reserve in the library. We will be working with these readings in sections and it is important for each student to have her or his own copy.
Student Responsibilities:
For most of the term, you can expect to attend two lectures (on Tuesday and Thursday) and a discussion section (which will meet on Thursdays before lecture).
The textbook provides the basic background reading—the facts that are the foundation of history. I chose this particular text because it is well-written and concise. I find it to be an engaging text, and I think you will as well. Assignments for the textbook are listed below. In lecture and discussions and on quizzes and exams, you will be held responsible for the basic knowledge that you can derive only from reading Carson's text. Please do not fall behind in textbook reading.
Course lectures underscore the main themes of this class— the interpretations that build on the facts of history. You are expected to attend lectures. Please arrive on time as I will begin promptly. If you complete the assigned readings before class, you will be able to following the lectures more easily. Students are expected to take notes during lecture and participate in all activities during class meetings. You may not tape lectures. You may use a computer in class for taking notes only . If you appear to be using your computer for other purposes than note taking, you will asked to stop and will not be allowed this privilege in the future.
Discussion sections are scheduled before our Thursday lecture meetings. Before each section you are required to complete a reading assignment, usually from the Finkenbine textbook or from materials posted on Blackboard. You will also be asked to respond to these readings with a short writing assignment each week. You are expected to prepare for and attend all discussion section meetings.
Honorable and Courteous Behavior:
In a large lecture class, such as this, good manners are especially important.
• Courtesy during class: It is disruptive to arrive late or to leave early. If you know that you must leave early, explain the situation in advance to me or to your GTF. If you must leave early, please do so quietly. If you happen to arrive late, be respectful and quietly take the nearest seat. Excessive talking or other disruptive behavior in lecture cannot be tolerated as it impacts my ability to teach and students' ability to learn. If you are disruptive, you will be asked to leave. All electronic devices must be turned off for the duration of class. You may not use cell phones or any other electronic device during class meetings. Computers are allowed only for taking notes. If you use your computer for other activities during lecture, you will be asked to stop and penalized.
• Courtesy in dealing with your instructors: The GTFs and I are eager to help you succeed in this course. Each week you will have opportunities in class and during our office hours to consult us. We are also available by appointment if you cannot make our office hours. The quickest way to reach us is via email. If you have an emergency, leave a message on my office phone or send an email.
• Courtesy in debate: Disagreement is an important part of intellectual discussion and debating issues is critical to a university education. Therefore, you should expect to disagree with the ideas or opinions of your fellow students when you meet in discussion sections. Please always disagree in a respectful manner and treat others as you would expect to be treated.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty of any type—plagiarism, fabrication or cheating—will not be tolerated in this course. The university's policy on academic dishonesty, taken from the Student Handbook, is as follows:
“Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Members of the university community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. To falsify the results of one's research, to present the words, ideas, data, or work of another as one's own, or to cheat on an examination corrupts the essential process by which knowledge is advanced.
It is the official policy of the University of Oregon that all acts of alleged academic dishonesty by students be reported to the Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards in the Office of Student Life (346-1141). It is contrary to university policy for an instructor to assign a disciplinary grade such as an "F" or zero to an assignment, test, examination, or other course work as a sanction for suspected academic dishonesty in lieu of following the procedures on academic dishonesty under the university's Student Conduct Code (OAR 571-21-068). Such an independent action violates the student's guaranteed legal right to due process and leaves the instructor vulnerable to a student grievance, an off-campus civil suit, and possible disciplinary action by the university.
Similarly, students are prohibited from proposing or entering into an arrangement with an instructor to receive a grade of "F" or any reduced grade in a course or on an academic exercise in lieu of being charged with academic dishonesty under the code.
It is also a violation of Oregon state law to create and offer to sell part or all of an education assignment to another person (ORS 165.114) or to falsify the authorship of a work product (ORS 165.037)”
Students with questions about this policy should consult the student handbook online at http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/programs/student_judi_affairs/index.htm. For specific information regarding plagiarism, see http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students/.
Course Requirements:
• Attendance & Class Participation: 10% of final grade
Students may miss three classes without impacting their course grade. If you miss more than three meetings, your grade will be affected. If you miss more than six classes, you will not pass this course. Attendance will be taken during lecture and at section meetings. In class meetings you will be expected to participate in all activities, including in-class writing assignments, small group work and discussions.
• Response Papers: 30% of final grade
Each week, before attending discussion section, you will complete a reading assignment and respond to a question about the readings provided in the syllabus. These papers are short, 300 words minimum to 500 words maximum, and will be graded on a twenty point scale. They should be typed, double-spaced and handed in at the beginning of section . If you do not attend section, you may not submit a paper unless you have a documented excuse for the absence . In other words, you may not turn in paper unless you attend your section meeting. Five papers are required. You may write only five or you may write eight and drop your three lowest grades.
• Exams: 60% (Midterm Exam, 30%; Final Exam, 30%) of final grade
You will take a Midterm and a Final Exam. The exams will cover all assigned course materials. The exams will contain identification questions and an essay. Three possible essay questions will be distributed before the exam, and the exam essay question will be chosen from these three on the day of the exam. The Final Exam will not be cumulative.
• Course Credit:
Credit for this course will be earned only as stated above. No provisions for extra credit will be offered.
On occasion, circumstances may arise which cause you to need to take a make-up exam or turn in a late assignment. To be eligible for special consideration, you must contact me or your Graduate Teaching Fellow before the day of the exam or due date of the assignment and explain your circumstances. The reasons should be limited to personal illness or family crises, both of which must be documented. Do not expect that you will be given the opportunity to make-up an exam or an assignment if you do not discuss your circumstances with me or your GTF well before an assignment is due.
Course Schedule
Week One: April 1 st -4 th
1. Tuesday Course Introduction
2. Thursday No section meetings.
3. Thursday The Reconstruction Era & its Ending
Assignment: Carson, ch. 12, pp. 253-80 [27 pgs.]
Week Two: April 8 th -11 th
1. Tuesday Post-Reconstruction: The Rise of Jim Crow
Assignment: Carson, ch. 12, pp. 253-80 [22 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: Finkenbine, ch. 9, pp. 96-115 [19 pgs.]
Rampolla, pp. 5-14, on evaluating sources [9 pgs.]
Rampolla, pp. 70-77, on plagiarism [7 pgs.]
• Response Paper #1: (300-500 words)
The primary sources in this chapter reflect the experience of African Americans in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries.
After reading the documents, do the following: First, in one paragraph, analyze how Mamie Fields, Pauli Murray, and Richard Wright learned “race” and responded to the environment they faced as children in the Jim Crow South. Draw ONE general conclusion about their experience based on the primary documents.
In the second paragraph, draw a conclusion based on all the documents. What conclusion can you draw about the broader experience of African Americans in the late 19 th century from these primary sources?
3. Thursday Strategies for Uplift & Resistance
Assignment: Carson, ch. 12, pp. 303-10 [7 pgs.]
Week Three: April 15 th -18 th
1. Tuesday African Americans & the “Progressive” Era
Assignment: Carson, ch. 13, pp. 311-29 [18 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: Finkenbine, ch. 10, pp. 118-30 and pp. 142-4 [14 pgs.]
Rampolla, pp. 88-95, on plagiarism [7 pgs.]
Rampolla, pp. 61-8, the conventions of historical writing [7 pgs.]
Rampolla, pp. 96-100, on using quotations [4 pgs.]
• Response Paper #2: (300-500 words)
Historians call the period from 1890 to 1915 the “Progressive” era. But they also note that this was not a time of progress for African Americans, but was, instead, a time of great difficulty. In this chapter, you will read four strategies for change proposed by African Americans leaders in this period. After reading these selections, consider the ideas presented by each writer. Then decide which thinker or thinkers offers the strongest strategy or strategies. Then argue for your position, supporting your conclusions with specific evidence from the reading assignment.
3. Thursday African Americans & Progress in the early 20 th Century
Assignment: Carson, ch. 13, pp. 329-38 [9 pgs.]
Week Four: April 22 nd -25 th
1. Tuesday World War I and The Great Migration
Assignment: Carson, ch. 14, pp. 339-66 [27 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: On Blackboard: Primary sources from Black Protest and the Great Migration , ed. Eric Arnesen (NY, 2003), pp. 45-66 [21 pgs.]
• Response Paper #3: (300-500 words)
After reading the primary sources on Blackboard, do the following: Write a paper in which you draw two conclusions about the movement of African Americans out of the South. Use the evidence provided to support your conclusions.
3. Thursday The Harlem Renaissance & the “New Negro”
Assignment: Carson, ch. 14, pp. 357-66 [9 pgs.]
Week Five: April 29 th -May 2 nd
1. Tuesday Radicalism in the Inter-War Period
Assignment: Carson, ch. 15, pp. 367-81 [14 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: From Finkenbine, ch. 12, pp. 147-9 (top), and on Blackboard, primary sources from the twenties and thirties: From Major Problems in African-American History (MPAAH), eds. Holt & Brown, (NY, 2000), pp. 252-7; from Bayard Rustin, Strategies for Freedom, (NY, 1976), pp. 2-13; and from African American Political Thought, 1890-1930 , ed. C. Wintz (NY, 1996), pp. 301-6. [24 pgs.]
Rampolla, pp. 34-7, on taking history exams [3 pgs.]
• Response Paper #4: (300-500 words)
These primary sources reflect the experiences and ideas of African Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. What conclusions can you draw from this evidence about the experience of African Americans and their response to the struggles they faced in this period? Draw two conclusions and use the evidence provided to support your analysis and ideas.
3. Thursday The “Black New Deal” & the Decline of Radicalism
Assignment: Carson, ch. 15 381-94 [13 pgs.]
Week Six May 6 th -9 th
1. Tuesday Midterm Exam
2. Thursday A mid-term break: No sections or lecture meetings this week.
Week Seven May 13 th -16 th
1. Tuesday World War II and Resistance in the 1940s
Assignment: Carson, ch. 16, pp. 395-422 [27 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: From Finkenbine, ch. 13, pp. 156-9; primary sources on Blackboard, from MPAAH , pp. 261-4; from Rustin, pp. 14-21; and from Pauli Murray, Song in a Weary Throat , (NY, 1987), pp. 137-47. [23 pgs.]
• Response Paper #5: (300-500 words)
During the 1940s, African Americans began to build the foundation for the mass movement that emerged in the 1950s. After reading the primary sources, what changes do you see occurring in the techniques and ideas of African Americans in this decade? Identify two key changes in the techniques and ideas that African Americans employed to fight discrimination and support your conclusions by using specific evidence from the primary sources provided above.
3. Thursday Organized Resistance Against Jim Crow Laws, the Legal Strategy
Assignment: Carson, ch. 17, pp. 423-34 [11 pgs.]
Week Eight May 20 th -23 rd
1. Tuesday Marching Toward Freedom: The Struggle in the 1950s
Assignment: Carson, ch. 17, pp. 434-48 [14 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: Finkenbine, ch. 15, pp. 178-94 [17 pgs.]
• Response Paper #6: (300-500 words)
After reading these sources from participants in the organized Civil Rights Movement, draw two conclusions about the movement and/or the participants based on the evidence provided in this assignment.
3. Thursday Marching Toward Freedom: The Struggle in the Early Sixties
Assignment: Carson, ch. 18, pp. 450-60; and, on Blackboard, Q. Taylor, “ The Civil Rights Movement in the American West: Black Protest in Seattle, 1960-1970,” The Journal of Negro History , vol. 80, no. 1, (Winter, 1995): 1-14. [24 pgs.]
Week Nine May 27 th -30 th
1. Tuesday The Civil Rights Movement in the mid-to-late Sixties
Assignment: Carson, ch. 18, pp. 461-78 [13 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: Finkenbine, ch. 16, pp. 196-208; and on Blackboard, from Rustin, pp. 21-4 [14 pgs.]
• Response Paper #7: (300-500 words)
In the late sixties, the civil rights movement divided over tactics. Non-violent resistance gave way in the face of the brutality civil rights workers faced in the South. After reading the primary sources, give your assessment of this change in tactic. What do you make of Bayard Rustin's criticism of this change? Draw two conclusions about this trend in African American thought and tactics, based on the evidence provided above.
3. Thursday “Black Power” & Black Nationalism
Assignment: Carson, ch. 19, pp. 479-97 [18 pgs.]
Week Ten June 3 rd -6 th
1. Tuesday African Americans After the Civil Rights Movement
Assignment: Carson, ch. 19, pp. 497-505; ch. 20, pp. 506-28 [30 pgs.]
2. Thursday Discussion Sections
Assignment: Finkenbine, ch. 17, pp. 210-225 [15 pgs.]
• Response Paper #8: (300-500 words)
The documents in this final chapter represent the concerns of African Americans since 1968. After reading these documents, draw two conclusions about the African American community since 1968 and use the evidence to support your analysis.
3. Thursday The Struggle Continues: 1992 and beyond
Assignment: Carson, ch. 21, pp. 529-54 [15 pgs.]
Final Exam
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
1:00 pm
Addendum to Syllabus
• Response Papers
Each week you will read primary sources, either from the Finkenbine textbook or posted on Blackboard. Materials posted on Blackboard are also available on reserve in the library. Before beginning the readings, be sure to review the paper assignment in the syllabus. These questions should guide your thinking as you read.
After you have completed the reading, you will write a short paper in which you address the questions provided in the syllabus. These papers should be between 300 and 500 words in length. Do not write significantly more or less than this range. The papers should be typed, doubled-spaced and written with attention to the general rules of style, grammar and spelling. Papers with significant spelling, grammar or stylistic errors will be returned for rewriting. The return of a paper due to too many errors will result in a three-point reduction from the paper's ultimate grade. These assignments should be handed in at the beginning of each discussion section. Students will have the opportunity to write eight papers throughout the semester, and each will be worth twenty points. Overall, students are required to write five of the eight assigned papers. Students may skip writing three papers or drop their three lowest scores at the end of the term. If you do not attend a discussion section, you lose the opportunity to turn in a paper. Late papers will not be accepted unless you have a legitimate excuse as per the course policy. See p. 2 of the syllabus.
When writing Response Papers, please take care to answer the questions that are asked. Do not simply summarize the readings or give your random thoughts about them. Instead, the paper should specifically address the questions provided in the syllabus. If the paper does not address these questions, it will be returned for rewriting or receive a “zero” grade. The purpose of writing Response Papers is to practice the skills of analysis and assessment that historians use in their craft. So you should read the documents closely and come to your own conclusions based on the evidence. (Your work should not be shared with classmates as this often leads to plagiarism.) Explain, by referencing the documents, how the primary source evidence supports the conclusion or conclusions that you have drawn. If you ever have questions about the readings or the questions, contact your GTF or Dr. Sullivan. We will be happy to assist you in any way.
• Examinations
There will be two exams in this course, a Midterm and a Final. The exams will contain identification questions and an essay. Three possible essay questions will be distributed to students the week before the exam. The day of the exam, I will select one essay question (from the three possible) for students to address. Students should bring examination booklets to class on the exam days. The Final Exam will not be cumulative.
• Advice
I have provided a great deal of information in this syllabus. Please read it carefully and keep it with you throughout the term. All of the assignments are included in this syllabus and you should refer to it often. Do not email me or your GTF for assignments. We will refer you to the syllabus. If you lose your syllabus, you can download a copy from the “course documents” section on Blackboard.
• Academic Learning Center
Many students find college-level courses to be challenging. As a result, the university provides significant resources to assist student. The Academic Learning Center provides many wonderful resources to help students succeed. They hold courses and workshops as well as provide one-on-one tutoring on grammar skills, paper writing, test taking, and time management—among others. Have a look at their website for more information: http://www.uoregon.edu/~als/services/services.html. Additional services are also available for students who are first generation college students or for those eligible for certain types of federal aid. Visit the Academic Learning Center, 68 Prince Lucien Campbell, or call (541) 346-3226 .
• Plagiarism and Its Costs
Plagiarism is stealing the words, ideas, or thoughts of another person and treating them as your own. Students often plagiarize from books (by using an author's words without quotation or attribution), but students can also plagiarize from each other. Just last term I found plagiarism between two students and had to refer them to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Never, ever email or share your written work with others in this course. Doing so violates the rules of student conduct and can easily result in plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense and, as a result, will bring serious consequences. (See the Student Handbook for the policy on academic dishonesty at http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/programs/student_judi_affairs/index.htm.) If you ever have any questions about plagiarism, please refer to the Rampolla textbook or speak with me or your GTF. You may also consult the university's website on plagiarism: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students.
Changing a word or two in a sentence does not suffice to avoid plagiarism . For example, if you wrote that "It is important to note that changing a word or two in a sentence does not suffice to avoid plagiarism ," you would be guilty of that very crime. Don't do this! If you do happen to fall into this error of "petty plagiarism" only a few times, you will be penalized. I will take two points off for each occurrence. After three such occurrences, I will take administrative action.
Here are some more examples of petty plagiarism:
On page 108, Spielvogel writes: "Alexander is one of the most puzzling great figures in history."
Petty Plagiarism: "Alexander is seen by historians as a puzzling great figure ."
Petty Plagiarism: " Alexander is one of the most peculiar great figures in history ."
Legitimate rephrasing in your own words: "Alexander is an enigmatic figure."
Legitimate rephrasing in your own words: "Alexander is hard for historians to understand."
To protect your own work from plagiarism by classmates, do not provide your written work to any student in this course. I had to discipline five students in one term for plagiarism between friends. I also had to discipline four students for plagiarizing from the course textbooks. To protect your grade and to ensure that you are not referred for university discipline, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.
• Writing Clearly
You can have the best ideas in the world, but if you cannot present them effectively, you won't get far. This is true in history classes, and it is true in life. If your reader is confused by your writing or distracted by petty errors of spelling or grammar, then you won't get your point across. In other words, to present your ideas effectively, you must write clearly and avoid errors. Learning to write well is a fundamental part of your university education. Remember this as you write papers for this course. Pay attention to grammar. Pay attention to spelling. Pay attention to the structure and rhetoric of your writing. Here is some quick advice:
- Rampolla explains the general conventions of historical writing on pp. 63-69.
- If you aren't comfortable with the rules regarding comma usage, you may review them here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_comma.html.
- Try to avoid run-on sentences, incomplete sentences and awkward sentences. These detract from your work. Short clear sentences are always better than long awkward ones.
- Don't overuse direct quotations. Use quotations to illustrate your point. Otherwise, use your words to explain your ideas. This strengthens your argument and allows your voice to come through in your writing. See Rampolla for additional discussion on how to use quotations correctly, pp. 77-81.
• Grading Scale
93-100 A 77-79 C+ 59 and below F
90-92 A- 73-76 C
70-72 C-
87-89 B+
83-86 B 67-69 D+
80-82 B- 63-66 D
60-62 D-
After reading this syllabus, please sign below to confirm that you understand the rules and requirements of this course.
I, _______________________________________________________________, have read the above syllabus, and I understand the rules and the requirements of this course.
Detach this page and return to instructor.
After reading this syllabus, please sign below to confirm that you understand the rules and requirements of this course.
I, _______________________________________________________________, have read the above syllabus, and I understand the rules and the requirements of this course.