History 152Spring 2014
History 152A
AMERICAN EXPERIENCES I: ORIGINS TO 1877
MWF 10:00 to 10:50, Commencement Hall 270
Spring 2014
William BreitenbachOffice: Wyatt 141
Office phone: 879-3167Office hours:
E-mail: WF 11:00 to 12:00
Web: 11:00 to 12:00
Nations reel and stagger on their way; they make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things. And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all this, so far as the truth is ascertainable?
—W. E. B. Du Bois, “The Propaganda of History”
In history there are no control groups. There is no one to tell us what might have been. We weep over the might have been, but there is no might have been. There never was.
—Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses
History 152 has two aims. The first is to familiarize you with the history of the United States in the years before 1877. As we study this period, our emphasis will be not only on the events that occurred but also on the beliefs and motives of the people who shaped the events. We'll focus on these themes: (1) the intertwined experiences of Native Americans, African Americans, and Euro-Americans; (2) the complicated process by which Americans came to be Americans, gradually creating for themselves a distinctive national identity, culture, and ideology; (3) the continuing struggle of the American people to balance their commitment to freedom, equality, and opportunity with their desire for order, stability, and community. The themes are interrelated because the peculiarities of American identity emerged out of the historical encounters of these three peoples. Moreover, the very definition of the American nation—a republican government based on the principles of popular sovereignty, liberty, and equality—raised questions about just who “the people” were, how their individual liberty could be squared with the general good, whether they would make the opportunities of American life equally available to all, and whether they could associate together in harmonious communities of their own creating. By investigating these themes, we’ll attempt to understand how and why Americans came to form the kind of government and society they did during their Revolution, and then how and why they applied the principles of the Revolution as they did during the nineteenth century.
If one aim of the course is to set you thinking about the aforementioned issues, the other is to introduce you to history as a discipline of study. History 152 is a broad and wide-ranging freshman-level course in which no prior knowledge or skills will be assumed. As such, it is suitable for students who intend to take only one course in history. In this class you will become apprentice historians. The reading assignments will expose you to various kinds of historical sources, and the class discussions will teach you to recognize and assess the interpretive quality of historical explanation. Moreover, the course will give you the chance to try your hand at the historian's task of making sense of the past. You will scrutinize original sources, devise critical and creative strategies of analysis, construct convincing historical arguments, and evaluate the arguments advanced by other historians. By the end of the term, if you work hard and keep your wits about you, you will have learned a lot about America's past and improved your ability to read closely, think logically, speak cogently, and write persuasively.
READINGS
Books (available at the University Bookstore)
Robert A. Divine et al., The American Story, 3rdOR4thed., vol. 1 (Pearson Longman) [The syllabus gives page assignments for both the 3rd and 4th editions.]
William Breitenbach, History 152 Readings Packet [You’ll need your own copy of this book.]
Black Hawk, Life of Black Hawk (Dover)
Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias (Oxford)
Pauli Murray, Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family (Beacon)
Usefulmaterials on library reserve:
Neil R. Stout, Getting the Most out of Your U.S. History Course
Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 6th ed.
Michael Harvey, The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
Laurie G. Kirsner and Stephen R. Mandell, The Pocket Holt Handbook [advice on grammar, mechanics, writing essays, paper format, footnotes, etc.]
Write the "A" College Exam Answer [advice on studying for and taking essay exams]
Moodle website
A few readings have been posted on the Moodle website for this course. You can login to Moodle at I’ll also place on Moodle the syllabus, paper assignments, exam prep sheets, and other useful information and advice.
PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS
Class participation
This will be a discussion class. That means everyone needs to show up on time with the reading assignment completedand ideas to talk about. To help you get ready for class, I have provided “prep” questions in the syllabus for each session. I urge you totake notes, reducing the main points of each reading and class discussion to what you can write on a 3x5 index card. Bring the day’s assigned books to class, so you can refer to particular passages during discussions.
In class it’s your job to put your ideas out there for classmates to endorse, challenge, and transform. Be willing to ask questions, confess confusion,take a stand,andchange your mind when presented with better evidence or reasoning. Listen attentively and respond respectfully to what your classmates have to say. Speaking directly to them (rather than through me) is a way of showing that you take them and their ideas seriously. Staring at an electronic screen without typing notes or looking up at speakers shows that you don’t.
Your regular participation will be important in determining both the success of the course and the grade you receive in it. After every class, I’ll evaluate your contribution to other students’ learning. Students who make outstanding contributions will get a 4, those who contribute significantly will get a 3, those who attend and listen but say little will get a 2, those whose behavior makes it harder for themselves or others to learn (e.g., by arriving late, eating noisily, texting, erecting a laptop wall, etc.) will get a 1, and those who miss class will get a 0 for the first four absences and -2 for all subsequent ones.
There will be five unannounced quizzes and one “make-up” quiz (which all class members may take). The quizzes will be graded on a scale of 4 to 0. The best five quiz scores will be added to the daily participation scores. At the end of the semester, these daily scores and quiz scores will be used to calculate a participation grade, which will count for 20% of the course grade.
Absences
When a student misses more than 20% of the classes (in this course, that’s more than 8 absences), I have qualms about putting a grade on a transcript testifying to the world that the student has performed adequately in my course. In such cases, I may ask the Registrar to withdraw the student from the course, which will result in a grade of W or WF, depending on the time of the semester and/or the quality of the work that has been completed to that point.
Papers and examinations. There are four major writing assignments in this course. Paper assignment sheets and exam prep sheets will be provided well before the due dates.
- a5-pagepaper, due at Wyatt 141 by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 14 (counts 20%).
- a midterm examination, given during class on Wednesday, March 12 (counts 20%).
- a5-page paper, due at Wyatt 141by 4:00 p.m.on Monday, April 14 (counts 20%).
- a final examination, held in our regular classroom on Wednesday, May 14, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. You must take your final examination at this scheduled time (counts 20%).
Grading
Grade ranges are A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79),
C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), and F (below 60). I will round up to a higher letter grade when the numerical score is within 0.2 points of the cut-off (e.g., 89.8 to A-).
Studying and writing help
The Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching is located in Howarth 109. Its mission is to help all writers, whatever their level of ability, become better writers. To make an appointment, call 879-3404, email , or drop by Howarth 109.
Harvard University’s Writing Center has a website with useful advice on writing academic essays: Click on “Writing Resources” and then on “Strategies for Essay Writing” to find eighteen online “handouts.”
Late work and missing work
Normally I grant make-ups, extensions, or “Incomplete” grades only for weighty reasons like a family emergency or a serious illness. If you are facing circumstances beyond your control that might prevent you fromfinishing a paper or taking an exam on time, talk to me in advance of the deadlineabout the possibility of getting an extension. (Extensions are prospective, not retrospective; that is, an extension granted after the deadline does not cancel the penalty already assessed.) As appropriate, provide written documentation supporting your request from a medical professional; the Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services; the Academic Advising Office; the Office of Student Accessibility and Accommodations; or the Dean of Students Office.
Late papers should be slipped under my door at Wyatt 141. If Wyatt is locked,send me the paper by email in order to stop the penalty clock, but then subsequently give me an unaltered hard copy. Late papers will be marked down3.5 points on a 100-point scale (⅓ of a letter grade) if turned in during the first 24 hours after the deadline. If turned in during the second 24 hours, there will be an additional penalty of 6.5 points (another ⅔ of a letter grade). For each additional 24-hour period, the paper will lose 10 points (a full letter grade), until the points reach 0.
Other policies
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, contact Peggy Perno, Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodations, at 105 Howarth Hall, 253-879-3395. She will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation are confidential.
Students who want to withdraw from the course should read the rules for withdrawal grades in the Academic Handbook (link provided below). Monday, March 3, is the last day to drop with an automatic W; thereafter it ismuch harder to avoid a WF. Students who are dropped for excessive absences or whoabandon the course without officially withdrawing will receive a WF.
Students who cheat or plagiarize, help others do so, deface or steal library materials, or otherwise violate the university’s standards of academic integrity will get an F for the course and will be reported to the Registrar. Before turning in your first paper, read the section on “Academic Integrity” in the Academic Handbook (link provided below). Ignorance of the concept or consequences of plagiarism will not be accepted as an excuse.
In these and all other matters, I follow the policies in the current Academic Handbook, at
Classroom Emergency Response Guidance
Please review university emergency preparedness and response procedures posted at There is a link on the university home page. Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings.
If building evacuation becomes necessary (e.g. earthquake), meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so he can account for your presence. Then wait for further instructions. Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by a university emergency response representative.
If confronted by an act of violence, be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety. Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom doors and windows, closing blinds, and turning off room lights. Lie on the floor out of sight and away from windows and doors.Place cell phones or pagers on vibrate so you can receive messages quietly. Wait for further instructions.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Do the reading assignments before the class meeting for which they are listed. Bring this syllabus and the day’s assigned books to class. Plan to spend a couple of hours preparing for each class.
Week One
1. Wed., Jan. 22: The Shock of the New
Theodore de Bry, engravings of Native Americans from the 1590s (viewed in class)
2. Fri., Jan 24: First Impressions
History 152 Syllabus (This is your agreement with me. Read it!)
Divine, American Story, xxi-xxiii, 1-11, 14-29 [4e: xxii-xxiv, 1-11, 14-28]
History 152 Readings Packet:
Thomas Hariot, Brief and True Report, 3-6
Robert Johnson, Nova Britannia, 6-8
Prep:What were the expectations, intentions, and goals of the English? What view did the English have of the Indians? Did the English truly desire a biracial community?
Week Two
3. Mon., Jan. 27: Cultural Collisions: The English and the Indians______
Divine, American Story, 30-41 [4e: 29-39]
History 152 Readings Packet:
John Smith, Proceedings of the English Colony, 8-9
Edward Waterhouse, Declaration of the State of the Colony, 10-12
Prep:Why did English hopes for a harmonious biracial community collapse by 1622? How can we use Smith’s document to get at Powhatan’s view of the English? What conclusions can you draw from Waterhouse’s response to the 1622 attack?
4. Wed., Jan. 29: Death and Servitude in Early Virginia______
Divine, American Story, 49-61 [4e: 48-58]
History 152 Readings Packet:
Three Demographic Tables, 13-14
Capt. Thomas Dale’s Laws, 15-17
Virginia Company, Letter to the Governor, 17-18
Richard Frethorne, Letter to His Father and Mother, 18-20
Prep:In what ways were Dale’s Laws a response to the conditions of life revealed by the other documents? Why is it not surprising that slavery eventually arose in Virginia?
5. Fri., Jan. 31: The Emergence of Slavery______
Divine, American Story, 11-14, 68-76 [4e: 11-14, 65-72]
History 152 Readings Packet:
Virginia Slavery Legislation, 20-23
Olaudah Equiano, Interesting Narrative, 24-25
Prep:How did slavery differ from indentured servitude? Why do historians care about whether racism caused slavery or slavery caused racism. What do the laws show?
Week Three
6. Mon., Feb. 3: Winthrop and Puritan Social IdealsLast day to drop without record
Divine, American Story, 41-49 [4e: 40-47]
History 152 Readings Packet:______
John Winthrop, Model of Christian Charity, 26-28
John Winthrop, Speech to the General Court, 29-30
Prep:Which colony would be more likely to succeed—Virginia or Massachusetts? Why? Compare Winthrop’s Model to Dale’s Laws. What was Winthrop’s purpose in delivering his Model? Who was his intended audience? Did the argument in his Speech to the General Court contradict the argument in his Model?
7. Wed., Feb. 5: Shepard’s Religious Experience: The Way to Salvation______
Divine, American Story, 62-68 [4e: 59-65]
History 152 Readings Packet: Thomas Shepard, Autobiography, 31-33
Prep:What was the appeal of Puritanism? Why was Shepard dissatisfied with each new stage of his religious awakening? Is there alogical (or perhaps a psychological) connection between Winthrop’s social ideals and Shepard’s religious experience?
8. Fri., Feb. 7: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis: The Way to Damnation______
Divine, American Story, 76-85 [4e: 72-80]
History 152 Readings Packet:
Deodat Lawson, Brief and True Narrative of Witchcraft, 34-39
The Case against Sarah Good, 40-43
Samuel Parris, Christ Knows How Many Devils There Are, 44-46
The Confession of William Barker, 47
The Petition of Mary Easty, 48
Prep:Why did the witchcraft crisis occur? Why did it occur in the way that it did? Did the witchcraft crisis reveal the abandonment or the persistence of Winthrop’s ideals?
Week Four
9. Mon., Feb. 10: Nathan Cole and the Great Awakening______
Divine, American Story, 86-95, 99-102 [4e: 81-90, 94-97]
History 152 Readings Packet: Nathan Cole, Spiritual Travels, 49-53
Prep:Compare the Great Awakening to the witchcraft crisis. Was the Great Awakening a conservative or a radical event? Would Winthrop have approved of Cole?
10. Wed., Feb. 12: Benjamin Franklin and the Way to Success______
Divine, American Story, 95-99, 102-17 [4e: 90-94, 97-111]
History 152 Readings Packet: Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, 54-59
Prep:In what ways was Franklin like and unlike the Puritans? How did his project for achieving moral perfection differ from Puritans’ conversion experiences? Who was the greater threat to Winthrop’s values—Cole or Franklin?
11. Fri., Feb. 14: Paine’s Work of Destruction and Construction ______
Divine, American Story, 117-39 [4e: 111-33]
History 152 Readings Packet: Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 60-64
Declaration of Independence, in Divine, American Story, Appendix A3-A5 [4e: A1-A3]
Preamble to the Constitution, in Divine, American Story, Appendix, A6 [4e:A4]
Prep:What were the practical, cultural, and psychological obstacles to declaring independence? How did Paine’s pamphlet help Americans overcome them? Compare Paine’s ideas about government and liberty with Winthrop’s. What can account for the astonishing shift in values? Why did the Paine trust the people?
FIRST PAPER DUE: Friday, February 14, by 4:00 p.m. in my office, Wyatt 141.
Week Five
12. Mon., Feb. 17: Domestic Revolutions______
Divine, American Story, 139-54 [4e: 133-48]
History 152 Readings Packet:
Gen. Nathanael Greene, Letter to Catharine Greene, 65
Abigail Adams and John Adams, Three Letters, with Addenda 66-68b
Esther DeBerdt Reed, The Sentiments of an American Woman, 69
New Hampshire slaves, Petition to the New Hampshire Legislature, 84-85
Prep:Was the Revolution revolutionary for women? Were they better or worse off once “the People” ruled themselves as republican citizens? How did the New Hampshire slaves make use of revolutionary ideas in their petitions for freedom?
13. Wed., Feb. 19: The Assault on Aristocracy______
Divine, American Story, 154-64 [4e: 148-57]
History 152 Readings Packet:
Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams on Aristocracy, 78-79
Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 80
William Manning, The Key of Libberty, 81-84
Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, 86
Prep:How do these documents reveal the radical effects of the Revolution? Which document is most radical? Was the Revolution’s main goal liberty or equality?
14. Fri., Feb. 21: Constituting a Federal Republic______