Early American History (HIST201)

Summer 2007 (6/25 - 7/22)

Instructor: Polly Good E-mail: pgood@uoregon.edu

Office: 340F McKenzie Phone: 346-2160

Office Hours: 2:30 - 3:00 (Mon-Thurs) or by appointment

Introduction

Early American history is the story of colonization (week 1), revolution (week 2), and nation building (weeks 3 & 4). In this course, we will explore the social, cultural, economic, and political lives of early Americans (through roughly 1830). Their experiences varied depending on time and place and were often determined by race, gender, and class. Students will explore these experiences by reading and interpreting a variety of primary source documents (e.g., personal letters, public speeches, songs, and newspapers advertisements) as well as essays by historians. A textbook will provide the historical context in which to place the primary sources and essays. The goal of the course is for students to think critically about these essays and documents to create a meaningful historical narrative.

Course Workload

This course is equivalent to a HIST201 course offered during the non-summer quarters, and therefore, the readings and requirements are as academically rigorous as a 10 week course. By taking this course, students are agreeing to perform this workload in an abbreviated time.

Required Reading

Textbook (available in bookstore or reserve at Knight Library)

Give Me Liberty ! An American History Vol.1 by Eric Foner

Journal Articles (available electronically on Blackboard or hard copy on reserve at Knight Library)

1 “Taking the Trade: Abortion and Gender Relations in an Eighteenth-Century New England Village ”

Cornelia Hughes Dayton , The William and Mary Quarterly ,(January 1991), 19-49.

2 “Introduction”

Annette Gordon-Reed in Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings (1997), 1-5. AND

“Engaging Jefferson : Blacks and the Founding Father”

Annette Gordon-Reed, The William and Mary Quarterly , (January 2000), 171-182.

3 “The Baltimore Riots of 1812 and the Breakdown of the Anglo-American Mob Tradition”

Paul A. Gilje, The Journal of Social History , (Summer 1980), 547-564.

4 “Sweep O! Sweep O!: African-American Chimney Sweeps and Citizenship in the New Nation”

Paul A. Gilje and Howard B. Rock The William and Mary Quarterly , (July 1994), 507-538.

5 “Marriage, Morals, and Politics in the Election of 1828"

Norma Basch The Journal of American History (Dec., 1993), 890-918.

Course Requirements

Response Papers

Student will be responsible for writing FIVE short response papers (see guidelines below). All students will submit a response paper for the article, “Taking the Trade,” by Cornelia Hughes Dayton and the film, Mary Silliman's War . While students are required to read all articles, they must submit a response paper for three of the four remaining articles. Students may submit a response paper for all four of these articles and drop their lowest response paper grade. Response papers are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated in the schedule of readings and due dates listed in this syllabus. There will be NO extensions for response papers.

Exams

There will be an in-class midterm and final exam. The midterm and final exams will consist of identifications, primary source document interpretation, and essay questions. The final exam will consist of one essay question covering the material from the second half of the course and one cumulative essay. A makeup exam may be scheduled for extreme circumstances. Arrangements for a makeup exam must be made in advance.

Participation

In addition to the written requirements, class participation will be factored into the student's final grade. This grade will include attendance AND student's participation in the discussion of assigned articles and in-class primary source documents exercises.

Grade Distribution

Mid-Term Exam 20%

Final Exam 20%

Response Papers 50%

Class Participation 10%

Guidelines for Response Papers

Response papers should be one single-spaced, typed page (12-point font and one inch margins) and include your informal (i.e., no footnotes or quotations) reaction to the material. These response papers will have two parts. For the articles, you will briefly summarize the argument or thesis of the article (which includes a short discussion of the author's sources) and respond to a specific question provided by the instructor (and posted on Blackboard). For the film, you will briefly summarize the film and respond to a specific question provided by the instructor on the day of viewing the film. For due dates, see the schedule of readings and dues dates listed in this syllabus. Papers will be graded on how well they reflect a careful reading of the article, the summary of the argument, discussion of sources, and the quality of response to the question.

Schedule of Reading and Due Dates

Week One

6/25 Chapter One: A New World

6/26 Chapter Two: American Beginnings, 1607–1650

6/27 Chapter Three: Crisis and Expansion: North American Colonies, 1650–1750

6/28 Article: “Taking the Trade” ( Dayton )

Response Paper Due at Beginning of Class – Dayton article (all students submit)

Week Two

7/2 Chapter Four: Slavery, Freedom, and the Struggle for Empire, to 1763

7/3 Chapter Five: The American Revolution, 1763–1783

Chapter Six: The Revolution Within

Viewing of Film in Class: Mary Silliman's War

7/4 No Class

7/5 Chapter Seven: Founding a Nation, 1783–1789

Response Paper Due at Beginning of Class – Mary Silliman's War (all students submit)

Week Three

7/9 Midterm Exam

7/10 Chapter Eight: Securing the Republic, 1790–1815

7/11 Articles: ‘Introduction” and “Engaging Jefferson ” (Gordon-Reed)

Response Paper Due at Beginning of Class – Gordon-Reed Articles

7/12 Article: “The Baltimore Riots of 1812: (Gilje)

Response Paper Due at Beginning of Class – Gilje Article

Week Four

7/16 Chapter Nine: The Market Revolution

7/17 Article: “Sweep O! Sweep O!” (Gilje and Rock)

Response Paper Due at Beginning of Class – Gilje and Rock Article

7/18 Textbook, pp. 316 – 321 (Nation, Section, and Party)

Article: “Marriage, Morals, and Politics in the Election of 1828" (Basch)

Response Paper Due at Beginning of Class – Basch Article

7/19 Final Exam