History 4830.001 The Old South Office Hours:

Professor: Harland Hagler Wooten Hall 246

Fall 2012 MWF 2-2:50p.m. and

Wooten Hall 216 by appointment.

MWF 1-1:50p.m. Phone: (940) 565-3394

E-mail:

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” William Faulkner, Southern novelist.

“History is lived forward but is written in retrospect. . . . We know the end before we consider the beginning, and we can never wholly recapture what it was to know the beginning only.” C. V. Wedgewood, British historian.

“Seeking historical truth may be damaging to your health, because people feel they already know what the truthis. For them, these truths are unquestionable.” Thongchai Winichakul, Thai historian.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:

The immediate goal in this course is to present the essential facts and ideas of the specific era being covered in such a way as to hopefully interest students and encourage critical thought and analysis of the material covered. A fundamental question when studying the antebellum, U. S. South, is to try to determine when and why eleven to fifteen states (depending on one’s answer) came to be identified by others and identified themselves as The South and, ultimately, to attempt to form their own nation.

Except for the few who plan to become history teachers and scholars, history is not a “practical” or professional field of study. For most students the value of studying history lies in the insight it provides to understanding the present and the human condition throughout time. In addition, the study of history, especially through the use of essay questions, encourages students to think critically, to analyze, and to synthesize; these are skills which are useful in all facets of life.

REQUIRED READINGS:

James Axtell. The Indians’ New South: Cultural Change in the Colonial Southeast.

Frank L. Owsley. Plain Folk of the Old South.

Sally G. McMillen. Southern Women: Black and White in the Old South.

Randolph B. Campbell. An Empire for Slavery: The Peculiar Institution in Texas, 1821-1865.

Eric H. Walther. The Fire-Eaters.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS, EXAMINATIONS, PAPERS, AND THE GRADE FOR THE COURSE:

The final grade for the course will be based on a total of 400 points. There will be three examinations (all essay and identification/short answer) including the final exam; the exams will count100 points each. There are two required papers worth 50 points each: one paper will be over Axtell’s The Indians’ New Southand the other over McMillen’s Southern Women: Black and White in the Old South.

POINT SYSTEM FOR GRADES:

A = 360-400 D = 240-279

B = 320-359 F = 0-239

C = 280-319

Attendance will be taken into consideration in the case of borderline grades. No student will receive a grade lower than his or her total points; however, in the case of borderline grades a student with excellent attendance and/or a steady progression of improved grades over the semester may receive a grade slightly higher than his or her specific points.

MAKE UP EXAMINATIONS must be arranged with Professor Hagler as soon as possible after missing the scheduled examination. Make up examinations will be different from and more difficult than the regularly scheduled examinations. Make up exams are given in the HistoryHelpCenter (Wooten Hall 220) which is open Mondays through Thursdays 8a.m. to 9:00 p.m.and Fridays 8a.m. to 5p.m. The HelpCenter closes promptly at the above times so be sure to arrive in plenty of time to take the exam. While make ups are administered in the HelpCenter you must first arrange the date and time of the exam with me. ALL MAKE UP EXAMS MUST BE TAKEN PRIOR TO DEAD WEEK: which means the last day to take a make up exam this semester is Friday, November 30th.

READING ASSIGNMENTS, DUE DATES OF PAPERS/REVIEWS, AND APPROXIMATE DATES OF EXAMINATIONS:

Wednesday, August 29th to Friday, September 14th: read Axtell’s The Indians’ New South, all – paper due: Monday, September 17th/

NOTE: Friday, September 14th there will be no class: Reading Day.

Wednesday, August 29th to Friday, September 28th: read Owsley’s Plain Folk of the Old South, all. FIRST EXAMINATION: Friday, September 28th.

THE LISTED LECTURE TOPICS WILL BE COVERED BETWEEN THE DESIGNATED DATES FOR EACH EXAM. NOTE; SOME OF THE LECTURE TOPICS LISTED WILL TAKE LESS THAN ONE CLASS PERIOD TO COMPLETE AND OTHERS WILL TAKE MORE THAN ONE CLASS PERIOD TO COVER THE TOPIC.

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LECTURE TOPICS COVERED FOR THE FIRST EXAMINATION:

  1. Introductory Lecture: Where is the South? When and why did a “South” as a distinct section come into existence?
  2. The Romantic “plantation” tradition, or, “Moonlight and Magnolias.”
  3. Alternative explanations for southern distinctiveness and the search for a “central theme” in southern history.
  4. U. B. Phillips, Francis Butler Simkins, and C. Vann Woodward.
  5. Climate and geographic regions within the South.
  6. When does the South as a self-conscious, distinct section come into existence: John R. Alden, Carl Bridenbaugh, and Charles S. Sydnor.
  7. Factors working for and against a unified, self-conscious South.
  8. Factors shaping southern life and culture: the English heritage and the Country Gentleman Ideal.
  9. Tradition and myth versus reality.
  10. The Celtic influence on the antebellum South?
  11. Agrarianism: Southern agriculture and the South and the Jeffersonian agrarian ideal.The extent of slave holding: planters, yeomen farmers, and poor whites.

FRIDAY, September 28th: The first examination. This exam will cover the reading in Owsley’s Plain Folk of the Old South, and the above lecture material.

Friday, September 28th to Friday, November 2nd: read Campbell’s An Empire for Slavery, all. SECOND EXAMINATION: Friday, November 2nd.

LECTURE TOPICS COVERED FOR THE SECOND EXAMINATION:

  1. Historical origins of slavery.
  2. Origins of slavery in the English colonies: Indentured Servitude, Racism, and Chattel Slavery.
  3. West African background of enslaved Americans.
  4. Major interpretations of slavery in the English colonies and the U. S.
  5. How enslaved people reacted to their situations in the antebellum South.
  6. Urban and industrial slavery in the antebellum South.
  7. “Free” Blacks in the antebellum United States: North and South.

FRIDAY, November 2nd: The second examination. This exam will cover the reading in Campbell’s An Empire for Slavery, and the above lecture material.

PAPER DUE: October 1st to Friday, November 9th: read McMillen’s Southern Women: Black and White in the Old South, all.

PAPER DUE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9th:

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Friday,November 9th to Wednesday, December 12th: read Walther’s The Fire-Eaters, all, for the final exam.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Wednesday, December 12th, 10:30a.m. to 12:30p.m.

LECTURE TOPICS COVERED FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION:

  1. Political development in the 1820s and 1830s.
  2. The Lower South discovers States’ Rights.
  3. Who controlled the South politically?
  4. Regional divisions within the South: Up-Country versus Low-Country.
  5. The religion of the Plain Folk becomes the dominant religion of the South.
  6. Territorial expansion and the slavery question.
  7. Factors that caused the change in southern attitudes toward slavery.
  8. The freedom of thought struggle and the rise of a pro-slavery defense.
  9. The fragmenting of religious and political institutions resulting from slavery controversies.
  10. The Causes of the Civil War.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Wednesday, December 12th, 10:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. The final exam will cover the assigned reading in Walther’s The Fire-Eaters and the above lecture material.

PLEASE NOTE: DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION:

The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.

SUMMARY OF DUE DATES FOR PAPERS AND EXAMINATIONS:

Monday, September 17th -- paper due over Axtell’s The Indians’ New South.

Friday, September 28th – First Examination.

Friday, November 2nd – Second Examination.

Friday, November 9th – paper due over McMillen’s Southern Women: Black and White in the Old South.

Wednesday, December 12th, 10:30a.m.-12:30p.m. – Final Examination.

OVER

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THE FOLLOWING CONDUCT IS EXPECTED OF EACH STUDENT IN THE CLASS:

(a)TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES UPON ENTERING CLASS.

(b)DO NOT TEXT MESSAGE DURING CLASS.

(c)DO NOT LEAVE CLASS EARLY WITHOUT PRIOR EXPLANATION TO THE PROFESSOR (except in an emergency). If you leave class early without prior permission you will be counted absent.

(d)DO NOT TALK DURING THE LECTURES; if you have a question or something to say raise your hand and you will be acknowledged.

(e)DO NOT READ OR DO OTHER ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE CLASS. THIS INCLUDES BEING ON THE INTERNET IF YOU ARE USING A COMPUTER.