The History of Philanthropy in the United States
Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis
History H516, Section #30809 - 3 credits
Spring 2012, Wednesdays, 6pm-8:40pm, CA 235
Instructor:Dr. Nancy M. RobertsonOffice: Cavanaugh Hall 503T
Office Hours:Wednesdays, 4:15pm - 5:15pmphone/voice mail: 317/274-8017
or by appt.e-mail: PLEASE use ONCOURSE
fax: 317/278-7800in a pinch,
put H516 in the subject line.
Course Description and Rationale:
Rather than attempting a comprehensive account of the history of philanthropy in the United States, this course will focus on debates over wealth and poverty as a way to explore issues in U.S. history ranging from the relation between government and the economy to activism for and by African Americans to the role of women in the voluntary sector. These issues were debated not only in the past, but also by present-day writers who seek to analyze the past in order to understand the present and shape the future. Many of today’s political and economic debates look at the relation between the wealth of individuals and the wealth of the country as well as the question of who deserves what. An underlying aspect of the course is to analyze philanthropy as a social relation between various groups of people who have differing and, at times, competing goals. While I have divided the material more or less chronologically, I have also selected material to reflect specific themes (suggested in the session titles).
This class is a graduate course with demanding reading and written assignments and it will explore methodological as well as content issues. There will be some lecture to provide (historical) background, but classes will largely be discussion. Students should come prepared to talk about the issues raised by the readings and lectures, their own research and writing, and their understanding of their colleagues’ projects. As graduate students, class members are expected to incorporate insights from other classes and disciplines. Students will develop, research, and write an original work utilizing both primary and secondary materials. In addition, students will exchange work with classmates for review.
Educational Objectives:
Examining similarities and differences between the past and present assists both scholars and policymakers in understanding the contingency of what is happening now and what they will face in the future. By analyzing events, values, activities, social change movements, people, etc. from the past, students will improve their ability to reflect on the historical and social context for the present. The expectation is that students will gain a better understanding of contemporary American society and the debates over the role of philanthropy (broadly defined).
Educational Objectives (cont.):
Readings, lectures, discussions, and written assignments are designed to help students learn how to analyze documents from the past, take a position on a historical question, use evidence to support it, and express their insights to others. The peer paper critiques will demonstrate the student’s ability to constructively assist colleagues in improving their work.
Books to be Purchased:
!John M. Barry, Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997).
!Jacob A. Riis, How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1890; New York: Dover, 1971).
!Walter I. Trattner, From Poor Law to Welfare State: A History of Social Welfare in America, 6th ed. (New York: Free Press, 1999) [referred to on the syllabus as Trattner].
!Anzia Yezierska, Arrogant Beggar (Durham: Duke University Press, 1996).
Other Books to be Read/Referred to:
!Robert H. Bremner, American Philanthropy, 2nd ed. (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1988).
!Louisa May Alcott, Work: A Story of Experience (Boston: Robert Brothers, 1873; New York Penguin Books, 1994); other editions are acceptable.
It is available electronically at
!A recent college-level U.S. history textbook; I will have some to lend.
Resources on Library Reserve:
Barry, Riis, Trattner, and Yezierska will be put on Reserve in the University Library; most will need to be recalled so there will be a delay. I STRONGLY encourage you to rely on these copies only as back-up. The following will also be put on Reserve when they are returned:
!Robert H. Bremner, American Philanthropy, 2nd ed. (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1988).
!Lawrence J. Friedman and Mark D. McGarvie, ed. Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility in American History (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003).
!James A. Henretta. et al., America’s History, 7th edition (Boston, St. Martin’s, 2011).
- There may be others (and they will be announced in class or posted on ONCOURSE).
Materials available Electronically:
Most other readings will be posted (usually as a pdf file) on ONCOURSE. Others will be available through J-STOR or as web links. Material on ONCOURSE generally “disappears” about two weeks after the class for which it was assigned. I will try to post material for several weeks ahead so you have many chances to print them out. My expectation is that you will print out materials and bring to class.
Course Requirements:
I will provide a longer description of each of the written assignments, but here is a brief overview. Please note that due dates are tentative.
!RESPONSES TO READINGS (R2R) due electronically by 8am on the day of class. Each week, there will be a series of questions posted on ONCOURSE for that week’s reading. I will count your five strongest answers (you may do 5, more than 5, or fewer than 5). You may pace yourself, but you need to do at least one by February 8th. R2Rs cannot be handed in after the class, but you may email them ahead of time if you will miss a class. The R2Rs will constitute 30% of your final grade.
FYI: generally I will return your R2Rs in class, but bring a copy to refer to during discussion.
!RESEARCH PAPER, with a number of components (all combined, it is worth 45% of the course grade):
- Interim steps (such as identifying the topic, the historical question, relevant sources, meeting with the instructor and the librarian)—worth 10%.
- A draft, due March 28th, for comment by classmates and instructor—worth 5%.
- An annotated bibliography and synopsis of your findings (particularly as they relate to course themes), presented either April 18th or 25th class—worth 10%.
- Final version, 15-18 pages, due by May 2nd at 6pm—worth 20%.
!PEER CRITQUE of classmates’ draft(that you will receive on March 28th);your comments will be due April 4th and part of class will be spent workshopping papers. Combined, they are worth10% of your final grade.
!CLASS ENGAGEMENT includes: contributing thoughtful questions or ideas for class discussion; completion of reading by the assigned date; regular attendance for the whole class session; ungraded written assignments (if any);etc. It counts for 15% of the grade.
You are permitted two (2) absences for course. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. You are, of course, responsible for staying on top of the material covered as well as any announcements; the latter will likely be posted on ONCOURSE, but you will need to contact a classmate to get at content. In the case of absences exceeding two, there may be an additional written assignment you that you can demonstrate mastery of the material and concepts covered in the class/es that you missed.
Being absent for the class during April 4th(when class members will discuss drafts of each other’s papers) will pose particular difficulties. They can be surmounted, but it will take extra work on your part. If you have a choice, please arrange to be in class that day.
Grading Policies:
Class discussions will go better and be more interesting and useful if students keep up with the reading (indicated on the schedule below for each class). I expect you to meet due dates for written assignments. Extensions for due dates for assignments are granted only if you contact me BEFORE the deadline. Extensions are not automatically given. You should be sure to get from me IN WRITING a note indicating that I agreed to the later date; include that note when you hand your paper in. Unless we have reached an alternate agreement, late papers will be marked down a ⅓ of a letter grade for each day they are late. That is: a paper that would have been an A, will be an A- if it is one day late and a C- if it is 7 days late, etc. I do distinguish between a 0 (for work not done) and an F that would still have some weight so it is worth your while to complete all assignments. Days means days of the week, not class sessions.
The grading scale for the course is:
A+ 97-100 A 93-96 A- 90-92
B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82
C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72
D+ 76-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62F 59 or lower
A goal of this course is to assist students in developing their analytical and writing skills. That means I count improvement in your work. If you want to rewrite an assignment, you MUST speak with me first. You must also hand in the original version when you submit the rewrite.
Developing your intellectual skills is possible only when you actually do the work assigned for this course. We will have a longer discussion of intellectual work, academic integrity, and plagiarism. Plagiarism and cheating will result in a grading penalty for the work in question and possible disciplinary action by the University (up to and including expulsion). The University’s policy on plagiarism is:
A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without an appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give due credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:
a. Quotes another person’s actual words, either oral or written;
b. Paraphrases another person’s words, either oral or written;
c. Uses another person’s idea opinion, or theory; or
d. Borrows facts, statistics, or other material, unless that information is common knowledge.
For more information, you can find the IUPUI Student Code of Conduct on-line at:
Grading Policies (cont.):
PLEASE NOTE: Submitting a piece of work to one class that is very similar to work you have submitted to another class (without prior approval) constitutes academic misconduct. If you are interested in expanding on a project you have submitted (or will submit) to another class, please contact me.
In order to maintain academic integrity for all class members, I will utilize whatever resources I can, including electronic systems like (TurnItIn.com) to identify potential violations.
A grade of “incomplete” is troublesome for everyone. The University’s policy is that they are only for students who have completed 75% of the course requirements and have been prevented by significant or unanticipated circumstances from finishing them. I generally do not give them.
Resources:
There is a University web page that will let you know if the campus is closed for snow:
can also call: 317/278-1600
The ability to take good notes is a useful skill and one that improves with practice. I, therefore, ask that students do not record my lectures. If language proficiency is an issue, please contact me as soon as possible. If a physical disability prevents you from taking notes without a tape recorder, please contact the office of Adaptive Educational Services at
Have them contact me. You can also reach them at 274-3241 or
The Office’s mandate is to assist students with disabilities in securing the accommodations necessary for an effective learning experience. If you have special educational needs, I encourage you to contact them.
One of my goals is to help you develop your writing. Generally, as long as I can understand what you write in the informal assignments (like the reading responses), I will concentrate on your analysis, clarity, and persuasiveness. I may flag writing issues, in which case I encourage you to take advantage of the Writing Centers on Campus so that you can address the issues in your more formal writing assignments. As will be clear from my evaluation sheet, I expect strong writing from advanced students.
At the Writing Center, graduate students are entitled to work with a faculty member and to have an hour long session so be sure to state your status when making an appointment or signing up. You will find the centers in CA 427 (phone 274-2049) or in the Information Commons (UL 2151) in the Library (278-8171). You can also reach them at:
You might also check the page specifically for Graduate Students:
There is also a Writing Center Hotline at 278-9999.
Logistics:
Information for this class will be posted on ONCOURSE. This will include announcements to the class, readings, changes in the syllabus or due dates, some handouts, e-mail, etc. I expect that all students in this class will access ONCOURSE regularly. I will post materials for class by noon the preceding Friday. You should set your ONCOURSE options to let you know when you have ONCOURSE mail. If you have any difficulties with ONCOURSE, please contact me as soon as possible. You can also check UITS to see if there is a system-wide problem:
Generally I prefer to use ONCOURSE as the electronic means for contact, but in some cases it is necessary to use regular email. If you contact me through email, be sure to put H516 in the subject line. If you are writing regarding confidential matters, please use your IUPUI account. Monday through Friday, I will try to respond to e-mail or voice mail within 48 hours.
I realize that many of you prefer to use another provider for e-mail and web work. The University encourages you to set up your IUPUI account to forward information to your other accounts. It means that you can easily access information from the University. If you need help setting up the account or forwarding mail, contact:
I have voice mail and you are welcome to call me. If you leave a message, speak slowly and clearly, provide a phone number, and state times when you will be at that number.
If you submit an assignment to me outside of class, you need to bring a copy the next time you come to class (except for R2Rs). If you do not hear from me (that I got your work) within 24 hours, contact me again.
I cannot stress too heavily the usefulness of planning ahead, saving work on your computer OFTEN, making backups, and printing out your paper early. Keep a back-up copy of any written work that you do not want to rewrite.
The Dean’s Office has requested that faculty warn students that “ultimately, they are responsible for activity on their computer accounts.” Be so advised.
SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS
If there are revisions in the syllabus [or handouts], they will be given out in class and posted on ONCOURSE. It is your responsibility to keep track of the changes, especially when you miss a class. Articles will generally be posted on ONCOURSE as a pdf file, unless otherwise noted.
Jan. 11th: INTRODUCTION
Introductions, overview of course objectives, requirements, themes, and the syllabus.
Why study history?
What does it mean to “Think Like a Historian”?
What is this field called philanthropic studies?
Are Americans different? And, if so, How So?
Why is work good?
Bertolt Brecht, “A Worker Reads History” (1935)
Arthur M. Schlesinger, “Biography of a Nation of Joiners” (1944)
Merle Curti, “American Philanthropy and the National Character” (1958)
Peter Dobkin Hall, “A Historical Overview of Philanthropy, Voluntary Associations, and Nonprofit Organizations in the United States, 1600-2000” (2006)
Jan. 18th: BACKGROUND, FRAMEWORKS, and TERMS
The Challenge: Review Merle Curti, “American Philanthropy & the National Character”
(1958) -- J-STOR
John D. Rockefeller, 3rd, “The Third Sector” (1978)
Robert Bremner, Editor’s Preface and Introduction (optional, but advised) (1960/1988)
Bremner, “Important Dates” (1988)
Walter Trattner, prefaces (read in chronological order: 1973-1998) and ch. 1(1998).
Jan. 25th: BUILDING “A CITY UPON A HILL”
Trattner, Chapters 2-3
Bremner, Chapters 1-2 (optional, but helpful)
Read closely Hall, “A Historical Overview” (2006), 32-35.
The Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Company (1629)
John Winthrop, “A Modell of Christian Charity” (1630)
Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana (1702) [excerpts]
Cotton Mather, Bonifacius: An Essay upon the Good (1710) [excerpts]
Benjamin Franklin, “The Way to Wealth” (1758)
By Monday January 30th, 12 noon, you will need to email Fran Huehls () and myself ideas for your term paper.
Feb. 1st: SOCIAL REFORM:
SOCIAL JUSTICE, SOCIAL ORDER, SOCIAL CONTROL?
and RESOURCES
We will be joined by Dr. Fran Huehls to introduce you to Library resources.
Trattner, Chapter 4
Bremner, Chapters 3-4 (optional, but advised)
Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835/1840) [excerpts]
Dorothea Dix, TBA
Franklin Pierce, “Veto Message” (1854)
Mary P. Ryan, “The Power of Women’s Networks” (1979)
review Hall, “A Historical Overview” (2006), 35-42
Feb. 8th: RICH MAN’S WAR, POOR MAN’S FIGHT, WOMAN’S WORK
Trattner, Chapter 5 to p.86.
Bremner, Chapter 5(optional, but advised)
Louisa May Alcott, Work (1873), TBA
George Fredrickson, “The Sanitary Elite: The Organized Response to Suffering” (1965)
review Hall, “A Historical Overview” (2006), 40-43.
YOU MUST HAVE DONE at least ONE (1) R2R by THIS CLASS MEETING.
Feb. 15th: THE MORALITY and POWER of WEALTH and the WEALTHY
Bremner, Chapters 6-7, to p.108 [REQUIRED]
Trattner, Chapter 5, pp.81-2, 87-end
Grover Cleveland, “Veto Message” (1887)
Andrew Carnegie, “Wealth” (1889)
William Jewett Tucker, “The Gospel of Wealth” (1891)
A Workman, “The Workingman’s Prayer” (1894)
Five Cartoons (1892, 1892, 1905, 1913, 1914)
Vida D. Scudder, “Ill-Gotten Gifts to Colleges” (1900)
Mary Harris Jones, “In Rockefeller’s Prisons”
“You Don’t Need a Vote to Raise Hell” (1925)
review Hall, “A Historical Overview” (2006), 43-48.
Feb. 22nd: THE MORALITY and POWER of POVERTY and the POOR
Trattner, Chapter 7
Carnegie, “The Best Fields for Philanthropy” (1889)
Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890) [excerpts]
Sharlene Hesse-Biber, “The Ethnic Ghetto as Private Welfare” (1979)
Joel Schwartz, “The Moral Environment of the Poor” (1991)
Feb. 29th: WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
Trattner, Chapter 8
Bremner, ch. 7, p.108-end
Jane Addams, “The Subtle Problems of Charity” (1899)
“Some early undertakings at Hull House” (1910)
Logo for the Women’s Trade Union League (1903)
Anzia Yezierska, Arrogant Beggar (1927/1996)