America at Mid Passage Carol Hunter

Spring 2000 TH 112

TH 221 Office Hours:

e-mail: Carolh

Overview

U.S. history is often divided at the Civil War as if the period before and the period after were two very different times. By studying the period from 1848 to 1914, we will gain a different perspective, seeing more clearly the continuities in certain major nineteenth century themes like industrialization, immigration, expansion and racism. However, this is also a period of great change: economically--as the nation moves from an agricultural to an industrial based economy, politically-- as third parties challenge the skewed distribution of wealth and power, socially--as the nation deals with the closing frontier, increasing racism and rising numbers of immigrants, and intellectually--with the thinking of people like Darwin, Marx, Freud, and others.

The Civil War, nevertheless, brought into central view the questions around which we will focus our discussion in this course. A major question, one that is fundamental to U.S. history, is how much diversity can and will the nation tolerate and still remain unified? A second, related question: is unity with diversity in this country predicated on participatory democracy and if so what factors are enhancing or destroying the likelihood of such democracy?

It will readily be seen that these are not merely academic nineteenth century questions, but ones which the nation and all of the various subgroups within the nation continues to face. In fact Robert Fisher suggests the present may be "most akin to the 1890s" (Fisher, Let the People Decide, p.220). We will address this possibility as we look at the ways in which the nation chose to deal with the problems caused by sectionalism, slavery, industrialization, urbanization, immigration, expansion and politics.

Objectives

1. develop the ability to synthesize various historical events into a coherent framework for discussion

2. understand why historians disagree over the interpretation of this period of the U.S. history and be able to give reasoned examples of this disagreement

3. insightfully analyze historical events in light of their connection to the present

Requirements and Grading

35% historiographic essays and debates

15% class discussion, including leading seminars

15% biographical essay or archives work

20% 2 short answer tests

15% final (essay test)

Required Reading

Vincent Harding, There is A River

Catherine Clinton, The Other Civil War

Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Mary Ryan, Civic Wars and Democracy

Robert McGrath, American Populism 1877-1898

Ken Burns, The Civil War

Primary source documents (handouts or online)

Standard US history text

Schedule

Jan 13 Introduction: The first turn of the century for a young nation: 1800 and beyond

Antebellum 1840-1860

Jan 18 Harding, skim chpt 1 read 24-100

Jan 20

Jan 25 Harding 101-171; Ryan 1-57

Jan 27

Feb 1 Clinton, skim chapt 1; read 21-71; Ryan 58-93

Feb 3

Feb 8 Ryan 94-131

Feb 10 Test I

Civil War and Reconstruction 1860-1877

Feb 15 Harding 195-276

Feb 17

Feb 22 Clinton 72-96

Feb 24 Mid-semester break

Feb 29 Harding 277-332; Ryan 135-180

Mar 2

Mar 7 Brown 1-102

Mar 9

Mar 14 Brown 103-196

Mar 16 Test II

Spring Break

Gilded Age and the turn of another century

Mar 28 Brown 241-313; Clinton 97-120

Mar 30

Apr 4 McMath 1-107; Clinton 147-165; 188-202

Apr 6

Apr 11 McMath 108-211

Apr 13

Apr 18 Ryan 183-258 skim 259-303 read Epilogue pp 305-316

Apr 20

Apr 25 final essay

Historiographic Debates

Our approach to the vast amount of historiography one should know will be communal--to divide and conquer. From among several major topics: politics, slavery and race, the Civil War, Reconstruction, immigration, labor, democracy, women, Native Americans (and more?) each student will be responsible for reviewing the thought and contribution of three or four authors. This does not necessitate reading every page of their works; but it does require you to read introductions, chapter summaries, endnotes and conclusions carefully, and to learn to recognize other clues offered in the book and in reviews of the book. Write your historiographic review essay in 7-10 pages, with proper bibliographic citations and then present your findings in a ten to fifteen minute class presentation. (Those taking the course for 4 credits will review six to eight authors and write a 18-20 page paper).

Biographical Essay

Each will be responsible for summarizing one 5-7 page typewritten essay (10-15 for 4 credits) on some figure from this period in U.S. history. Chose someone you have a genuine interest in, since your contribution will doubtless be more interesting. Research this person, using as many primary and secondary sources as feasible, and then write about this figure, place them in their proper historical context and discussing their contribution, significance or place in the nineteenth century.

Discussion/Seminar Leading

Both leader and participant should come to class prepared with an abundance of ideas and resources. The leader should be ready to generate questions that help us better understand the text and the events that are under study. Where appropriate, challenge us to make connections between other texts we have read and lecture material. The participants are responsible for coming to class with a prepared mind, having read the text and given it some thought.

Archives Project

From 19^th century primary source material in the Earlham archives, create a teaching lesson, suitable for a high school history class. In your write up, include lesson goals, materials, presentation, and evaluation procedures.