DRAFT SYLLABUS IN PROGRESS (updated 9/2013)

HIST 118: the Victorian Empire

Fall 2014—Course Syllabus

Professor:Aeleah SoineEmail:

Meeting time:Office: Galileo 311

Office Hours: Classroom:

Course Description—

This course will take students on a geographic, historical, and thematic “tour” of the British Empire during the long reign of Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901). We will explore the intertwined nature of imperial and national identities in “the empire on which the sun never set,” including political contestations over citizenship, race, and belonging; industrialization and class conflicts; changing gender roles and sexual mores; military and diplomatic conflicts; medical and scientific knowledge; and the flourishing of popular literature and culture in such places as India, China, Australia, Ireland, North America, and Africa. Readings and assignments will draw upon literature, images, films, and both scholarly and primary texts from and about the Victorian Era in order to explore theoretical and historical questions about the purpose, motivations, and impact of such imperial ties on Victorian subjects—in Britain and around the world.

Course Objectives—

  • Analyze primary and scholarly sources to reflect a broad range of comparative global perspectives in their historical and historiographic contexts.
  • Recognize the influence of Victorian intellectual, political, and artistic movements on modern global history and contemporary politics and culture.
  • Think critically about the dynamics of nineteenth-century, Euro-centered global imperialism from why it was pursued to how it was sustained, what were the long-term effects, who benefited, and by whom were the costs paid.

Books—

  • Antoinette Burton, Politics and Empire in Victorian Britain: A Reader (Palgrave MacMillan, 2001).
  • Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days (Oxford, 2008).
  • Nigel Dalziel, The Penguin Historical Atlas of the British Empire (Penguin, 2006).
  • Catherine Hall and Sonya Rose, ed. At Home with the Empire: Metropolitan Culture and the Imperial World (Cambridge, 2007).
  • Jonathan Schneer, London 1900: The Imperial Metropolis (Yale, 1999).
  • One of the following:
  • Fiona MacDonald, You wouldn't want to be a Suffragist! (Franklin Watts, 2008)
  • Fiona MacDonald, You wouldn't want to be a Victorian Servant! (Children's Press, 2006)
  • John Malam, You wouldn't want to be a 19th century Coal Miner in England! (Children's Press, 2006)
  • John Malam, You wouldn't want to be a Victorian Mill Worker! (Children's Press, 2006)
  • John Malam, You wouldn't want to be a Victorian School Child! (Hodder's Children's Press, 2002)

*Disabilities Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services Coordinator at (925) 631-4164 to confidentially discuss accommodation guidelines and available services. For individuals with qualifying disabilities, SDS will extend reasonable and appropriate accommodations that take into account the context of the course and its essential elements. Additional information may be found at:

Expectations for Activities and Participation—(40% of course grade): includes class attendance, evidence of preparation before class, frequency and quality of contributions to class discussion, contributions to small group activities, and overall engagement with materials, activities, and people. Qualitative evaluation will be measured using the following three criteria:

  • Preparation. Read all assigned texts carefully and bring them with to class.Note words/sentences/sections or ideas/concepts/events that are you find unclear, difficult to understand, or that you suspect there may be more meaning to than what you can glean.
  • Engagement. Class attendance is more than just showing up. Students are expected to actively participate in lectures, discussions, and activities by asking questions when something is not clear, promoting critical thinking and discussion by drawing upon course materials, lectures, and contributions from classmates. Individual contributions and responsibility for the quality of group activities will be considered through instructor observation as well as self- and peer-evaluations. Electronic devicesare allowed for accessing course materials only, misused electronics and other sources of distraction are not allowed and may result in loss of participation points or being asked to leave.
  • Respect. Students should be open to and respectful of other students’ views. Discussions should be kept relevant to the course material and issues at hand; they should NOT include personally directed comments or attacks, use of negative stereotypes, or broad generalizations about groups of people. Inappropriate use of language, including but not limited to cursing, name-calling, racial/ethnic/sexual/ religious prejudice, and offensive use of slang or body language will not be tolerated! Students who disrupt the safe space of the classroom will receive a one-on-one warning, loss of participation points, and dismissal from class for repeat incidents. Please see me privately if you feel inappropriately targeted in this class or by its members.

Expectations for Exams and Writing—(60% of course grade): including two quizzes (or more if necessary), one comprehensive final exam, and three assigned papers with opportunities for rewriting and expanding previous written work in order to practice writing as a process:

  • Quality. Papers should demonstrate an original, focused, and thesis-driven engagement withthe questions, themes, and texts specified by the assignment.
  • Format. Assignments are expected to meet all specifications upon submission, including but not limited to a uniquely descriptive title, 1 inch margins, 12pt standard Times New Roman font, standard double-spacing without extra spaces between paragraphs, and a header of no more than 4 single spaced lines. Failure to meet length requirements or use of formatting techniques to lengthen or shorten papers, inappropriate use of quotations, and/or not addressing all objectives of a question will result in significant grading penalties. Websites such as Wikipedia, online study guides, personal webpages, and commercial sites advertising products are almost never appropriate! When in doubt, ask.
  • Integrity.All written and oral assignments are expected to be the sole product of the person(s) whose name is attached with complete and accurate attribution of credit for any references to the ideas, quotations, or contributions of others.Academic dishonesty (including but not limited to plagiarism, turning in someone else’s work, and lack of proper citation) is a violation of the Saint Mary’s College Academic Honor Code and will be referred to the Academic Honor Council. For more information on plagiarism or academic dishonesty, see the Academic Policies section of the Student Handbook.

Grading—

A940-1000 pointsA-900-939 points

B+ 870- 899 pointsB830-869 pointsB-800-829 points

C+ 770- 799 pointsC730-769 pointsC-700-729 points

D+ 670- 699 pointsD630-669 pointsD-600-629 points

F 0-599 points

Potential Sources of Points—

150+ points--Class Attendance and Participation

  • Attendance (up to 3 pts/day): As adults, you are responsible for managing your individual priorities.Being present and actively engaged in the class is a fundamental requirement for successful completion of this course. Students receive up to 3 points per class meeting (1 pt for physical presence, 2 pts for coming on-time and prepared).
  • Participation is a major component of the class requirements.It represents your overall level of engagement in the course, in-class activities, and the quality as well as quantity of discussion contributionsand respectfully attentive behavior.Students receive points in the range of 0-3 for active engagement and participation on any given day, with 1= not negatively impacting class dynamic, to 2=satisfactory participation, and 3=rarely given extraordinary participation or contribution to class.
  • A remaining 25 points will be awarded holistically on the basis of the students overall participation and contribution to learning environment over the course of the semester.

100 points—Quizzes(up to 50 points each)

  • Scheduled quizzes intended to check comprehension of basic concepts, geography, and chronology discussed in readings and in class. Unannounced quizzes may be given throughout the course of the semester if it appears to the professor that students are not completing the assigned reading or are not coming to class prepared and engaged.

500 points—Papers(see separate handouts for more detailed information on each assignment)

*must complete at least one in each category, due according to contract dates

  • Film or Book Review (up to 50 points each, limit one of each)
  • Museum Exhibit Review (up to150 points—physical, 50 points—online)
  • Primary Document Interpretations (up to 20 points each, limit one per class meeting up to 10 total—no half credit option)
  • Scholarly Debate Review (up to 100 points)

100 points--Everyday Life Group Presentation and Individual Paper

200 points--Take-Home Final Exam

Semester Schedule

Readings from the booklist are listed with the author’s last name in bold. All other readings will be posted to the Moodle site at least one week in advance.

Week 1 (): Introductions, the Georgians, and the Victorian Succession

TuDalziel,pp. 8-9, 38-41. “Significance of the British Empire,” Part II: “The Late Georgian Empire, 1763-1837.”

Selected documents from Georgian Era (in-class)

*In-class:The Young Victoria (film, Part 1)—handout worksheets

Th[M]Readings from Victorian Web (online:

  • George P. Landow, “Victorian and Victorianism”
  • David Cody, “Queen Victoria”

[M] Lytton Strachey, excerpt from Ch. IV: “Marriage,” in Queen Victoria (1921).

*In-class: Young Victoria (film, Part 2)

Week 2 (): England and Empire

TuHall and Rose, pp. 1-25, 30b-31. Ch. 1: “Introduction: Being at Home with the Empire.”

[M] Bernard Porter, The Absent-Minded Imperialists: What the British Really Thought about Empire, pp. 1-24.

ThDaziel,pp. 42-43, 50-51, 84-91.Pt. III: “Trade and Enterprise” and “On the Move;” Pt. IV: “Imperial Themes,” “World Wide Web,” and “The Ties that Bind.”

Verne, Around the World in 80 Days, pp. 1-43.

*Personal Assignment Sheet Due!

Week 3 (): Touring the Empire (East)

TuDaziel,pp. 58-59, 78-79. Pt. II: “Indian Riches: The East India Company’s Conquests,” and Pt. III: “The Raj: The Heyday of British India.”

Verne,Around the World in 80 Days, pp. 43-80.

[M] AmitavGhosh, Sea of Poppies, pp. 141-146, 160-165.

Primary Documents:

  • Burton, pp. 18-20. Thomas Macaulay, “Minute on Education in India” (1835).
  • [M]MountstuartElphinstone, “Indian Customs and Manners,” (1840).

ThDaziel,pp. 70-71. “Eastern Promise: Imperial Trade and the Far East.”

Verne,Around the World in 80 Days, pp. 81-121.

[M]AmitavGhosh, River of Smoke, pp. 169-175, 466-470, 476-486, 494-504.

Primary Document:

  • [M]Commissioner Lin: Letter to Queen Victoria (1839)

Week 4 (): Touring the Empire (West)

TuDaziel,“British West Indies: Exploitation and Emancipation,” pp. 56-57.

Hall and Rose, pp. 191-208a. Cora Kaplan, “Imagining Empire, History, Fantasy, and Literature.”

[M]Amelia Opie, The Black Man’s Lament; or, How to Make Sugar (1826)

Primary Sources:Burton, pp. 31-34, 45-54.

  • Mary Prince, from The History of Mary Prince (1831)
  • W.A. Archibald, “The Sugar Question” (1847)

ThDaziel, “The White Dominions: Canada and Australasia,” pp. 82-83.

Verne,Around the World in 80 Days, pp. 122-259.

*Quiz 1!

Week 5 ():Imagining and Experiencing the Empire

TuDalziel, Part III: “The Victorian Empire, 1837-1901,” pp. 60-69.

Hall and Rose, pp. 32-41a, 43c-45, 52b, and 212-229.

  • Catherine Hall, Ch. 2: “At Home with History: Macaulay and the History of England.”
  • Antoinette Burton, “New Narratives of Imperial Politics in the Nineteenth Century.”

Scholarly Paper Due!

ThHall and Rose, pp. 101-121. Jane Rendall, “The Condition of Women, Women’s Writing and the Empire in Nineteenth-century Britain.”

[M] Anna Clark, “In the Victorian Twilight,” Desire: A History of European Sexuality, 123-141.

Primary Documents:

  • [M]Caroline Norton, Letter to the Queen on Lord Chancellor Cranworth’s Marriage and Divorce Bill (1855).
  • Burton, pp. 153-156. PanditaRamabai, from The High-Caste Hindu Woman(1888).

Week 6 ():Exhibiting the Empire

TuDaziel, “Exhibiting the Empire: Imperial Exhibitions to 1953,” pp. 96-97.

[M] Kylie Message and Ewan Johnston, Ch. 2: “The World within the City: The Great Exhibition, Race, Class, and Social Reform,” in Britain, the Empire, and the World at the Great Exhibition of 1851,ed. Jeffrey A. Auerbach and Peter H. Hoffenberg,pp.27-47.

Primary Document:Burton, pp. 85-89.

  • Henry Mayhew, 1851: The Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. CurstySandboys.

*Great Exhibition Online

ThNo Class! “The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant Garde, 1860-1900,” Legion of Honor Museum Exhibit in San Francisco.

Week 7 (): Victorian Culture

TuHall and Rose, pp. 251-274. James Epstein, “Taking Class Notes on Empire.”

Burton, pp. 55-58. William Lovett and John Collins, “Chartism: A New Organization of the People” (1840).

*Group A Presentation (Coal Miners)

Th[M] Elizabeth Buettner, Empire Families: Britons and Late Imperial India, pp. 25-71.

[M] Anna Davin, Growing Up Poor: Home, School, and Street in London, pp. 199-217.

*Group D Presentation (Child Mill Workers)

Week 8 ():Displays and Disturbances

TuHall and Rose, pp. 166-190. Joanna de Groot, “Metropolitan Desires and Colonial Connections: Reflections on Consumption and Empire.”
Primary Sources:Burton, pp. 65-68, 257-259.

  • Isabella Beeton, from The Book of Household Management (1861)
  • R.A. Steel and G. Gardner, The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook (1888).

*Group C Presentation (Servants)

ThDaziel,“Searching for Souls: Protestant Missions to 1914,” pp. 102-103.

Hall and Rose, pp. 143-165. Susan Thorne, “Religion and Empire at Home.”

Primary Document:

  • [M] Obituary of Charles Robert Darwin, The Times (21 and 24 April 1882).

Week 9 (): Spring Break, no Class

Week 10 (): Mid-Century Imperial Conflicts

TuDaziel,pp. 80-81, 104-105. “The Great Game: Russia and British India,” and “Colonial Wars: The Army and Imperial Defence.”

Burton, pp. 98-102. Richard Cobden, from Russia and the Eastern Question (1854).

[M] Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Charge of the Light Brigade” (1854).

[M]Frances Duberly, Ch. 4: “Balaclava, October-November 1854,” Mrs. Duberly’s War: Journal and Letters from the Crimea, ed. Christine Kelly, pp. 75-112.

Primary Sources:Burton, pp. 89-98.

  • Harriet Martineau on Florence Nightingale (1910)
  • Mary Seacole, from The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacolein Many Lands (1858).

Th[M]Proclamations of Rebellion by Rani Lakshmibai ofJhansi, Feroze Shah, and Bahadur Shah, reprinted in Freedom Struggle in Uttar Pradesh, ed.S.A.A Rizvi.

[M]Charles Creighton Hazewell, “The Indian Revolt,” The Atlantic Monthly Vol. 1, No. 2 (December 1857): 217-222.

[M] Mary A. Procida, “Re-writing the ‘Mutiny’,” Married to the Empire: Gender, Politics, and Imperialism in India, 1883-1947, pp. 111-135.

Burton, pp. 102-104. Karl Marx on the events of 1857.

Week 11 ():New Frontiers and Anxieties

Tu[M] Joseph McLaughlin, Ch. 2: “Holmes and the Range: Frontiers Old and New in A Study in Scarlet,” Writing the Urban Jungle: Reading Empire in London from Doyle to Eliot, pp. 27-52.

[M]Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, excerpt from A Study in Scarlet or Sign of Four

ThDaziel,pp. 72-73, 76-77.“The Scramble for Africa,” “Egypt and the Route to the East”

Primary Sources: Burton, pp. 232-235, 204-211.

  • Henry Stanley, from Through the Dark Continent (1879)
  • Sir Richard Temple, “Principles of British Policy in Egypt” (1882)
  • Annie Besant, “Egypt” (1882)

*Quiz 2!

Week 12 (): Danger and Diseases

TuHall and Rose, pp. 53-73a, 75d-76. Laura Tabili, Ch. 3: “A Homogeneous Society? Britain’s Internal ‘Others,’ 1800-Present.”

Schneer, “The Nexus of Empire,” pp. 37-63.

[M] Judith Walkowitz, excerpt from City of Dreadful Delights(1992), pp. TBA.

Th[M] Philippa Levine, Ch. 3: “Colonial Medicine and the Project of Modernity,” Prostitution, Race, and Politics: Policing Venereal Disease in the British Empire, pp. 61-90.

Primary Sources: Burton, pp. 126-130, 164-168.

  • East India Contagious Diseases Acts (1868)
  • Elizabeth Andrew and Katharine Bushnell, The Queen’s Daughters in India (1899)

*Scholarly Paper Due!

Week 13 (): Challenging Imperial Relationships

TuDaziel, “A Free Ireland: Ireland’s Long Road to Independence,” pp. 118-119.

Hall and Rose, pp. 77-100. Christine Kinealy, Ch.4: “At Home with the Empire: the Example of Ireland.”

Schneer, “Part II: Alternative Imperial Londons”—Choose one of the following:

  • “London’s Radical and Celtic Fringe,” pp. 162-183.
  • “DadabhaiNaoroji and the Search for Respect,” pp. 184-202
  • “Roots of the Pan-African Conference, pp. 203-226.

ThHall and Rose, pp. 230-250, 275-297.

  • Clare Midgley, “Bringing the Empire Home: Women Activists in Imperial Britain, 1790s-1930s.”
  • Keith McClelland and Sonya Rose, “Citizenship and Empire, 1867-1928.”

Primary Document:Burton,pp. 156-160.

  • Millicent Garrett Fawcett, “The Women’s Suffrage Bill,” (1889).

*Group B Presentation (Suffragists)

Week 14 ():Victorian Legacy and Edwardian Crisis

TuDaziel, “South African Supremacy: The Anglo-Boer Wars,” pp. 74-75.

Schneer, “The Khaki Election of 1900,” pp. 229-263.

Primary Documents: Burton, pp. 285-310.

  • A.T. Witgman, “The Boers and the Native Question” (1900)
  • J.A. Hobson, from Imperialism: A Study (1902)

*Anglo-Boer War Museum Exhibit

ThDaziel, Part V: “Climax and Decolonization, 1901-97” and “Imperial Defence I: The First World War,” pp. 106-109, 112-113.

[M]David Powell, Edwardian Crisis:Britain, 1901-1914,pp. vii-ix, 1-9, 163-176.

[M]Primary Document:

  • Robert Baden-Powell, excerpt from Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (1908), pp. 9-21c.

Final Exam—

Student Information Sheet

HISTORY 116: Victorian Empire

Soine—Spring 2012

Name: Hometown:

Academic Year: Major(s):

How much and what kind of experience do you have with the following:

  • British history, literature, and/or culture?
  • Other history courses?
  • Foreign Languages, Studies, Travel?

What topics, readings, themes, and/or assignments do you find to be the most and least interesting on the syllabus?

Are there any topics, persons, events, or themes that you would be interested in exploring more in relationship to the topics and themes indicated on the syllabus?

How familiar and/or confident are you working with primary (historical) sources and/or maps?

Do you have any initial questions, concerns, or suggestions about the syllabus or the style of the course?

______’s Assignment Sheet

Week / Date / Primary Documents (List) / Other Assignments (List) / Scheduled Exams
1A / 2/7
1B / 2/9
2A / 2/14
2B / 2/16
3A / 2/21
3B / 2/23
4A / 2/28
4B / 3/1 / Quiz 1 (50)
5A / 3/6 / Jamaica Scholarly Review (100)
5B / 3/8
6A / 3/13
6B / Museum Field Trip (150 pt)
7A / 3/20 / Coal Miners Presentation (150)
7B / 3/22 / Child Mill Worker Presentation (150)
8A / 3/27 / Domestic Servants Presentation (150)
8B / 3/29
9A / No Class!
9B / No Class!
10A / 4/10
10B / 4/12
11A / 4/17
11B / 4/19 / Quiz 2 (50)
12A / 4/24
12B / 4/26 / Indian Revolution/Mutiny Scholarly Review (100)
13A / 5/1
13B / 5/3 / SuffragistsPresentation (150)
14A / 5/8 / Boer War Exhibit Review (50)
14B / 5/10
Final / Final Exam (200)

HIST 118, p. 1