H490N, 2017, 1

H490N, CAPSTONE seminar for history majors:
Civil War and Civil Rights – THE Two Reconstructions
Prof. Paul Krause
Sec. 201, Buch B312, Mon., 2-4 pm / Sec. 202, Buch D207, Weds., 2-4 pm
Office Phone:604.822.5168 / Home Phone: 604.732.4690
E-mail:krause at mail dot ubc dot ca
Home Page – check this out for many relevant links in H331 & H335:

Office Hours: 1122 Buchanan Tower, Mon. & Weds., 12:30-1:30 pm

NB: Week 1, Jan. 2-6
Monday: UBC Closed, no class
Wednesday: Introduction & Organization – members of both sections should come to this, if possible. Location & Time: Buch D207, Weds., 2-4 pm
Writing prompt for next week, which applies to members of both sections, whether or not you are able to attend Wednesday’s joint seminar session: In an essay of no more than 750 words (3 pages), explain the central argument of Forever Free, from its prologue through chapter 4.

What will this class be like? What is it all about?

In the 19th and 20th centuries, few decades were more tumultuous and significant than the 'sixties and 'seventies. This course examines these years – the 1860s and '70s and the 1960s and '70s – by considering the two great reconstructions in U.S. History. The first reconstruction, which began during the Civil War, crystallized the hopes of millions of African-Americans who were determined to fulfill the government's ambiguous promises of freedom. The second reconstruction, usually called the Civil Rights Movement, in fundamental ways addressed some of the problems left unanswered or created by the first reconstruction. The second reconstruction also left unanswered many vexing problems.

In this seminar, students will be asked to assess thetwo American reconstructions and to investigate some of the questions that they raise. In doing this, you will be obligated to pay careful attention to the problems of race and gender and how they relate to the problems of freedom and democracy, economic and political. The seminar also addresses certain theoretical and practical questions about social and political insurgency and how they relate to the meanings of freedom and democracy.

The three core readings, which we will complete in the first part of the term, focus on groups as well as on representative men and women –some famous, but many who lived at a distance from the centre stage of history. By examining the lives of these selected individualsand groups, this seminar will ask youto confront the big issues of freedom and democracy in a general way prior to embarking upon your research papers and their much more particular treatments of these questions. The readings should help you identify a research problem, and I will be happy to help, as well. As you do the readings, be on the lookout for a question that you want to investigate. Ideally, the question should be quite particular and confined, but your answer to it – the final paper – should cast light on the larger issues of either of the two periods we will be studying. There are sample questions below that may help you identify a research problem.

Who can take this course? Are there any prerequisites?

Any fourth-year student who is majoring in History or who is an Honours student is welcome to enroll, although there is an enrollment limit. Having a background in U.S. and/or African-American History may be helpful. Because this is an upper-level seminar, there are appropriately higher expectations for work load and performance.

What are the goals and objectives of H490N?

Students who complete this course successfully will possess an understanding of many of the important questions that are raised by studying the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction and of the Civil Rights Movement. Each of the two books and one article that we will read has an interpretive scheme, and one of your first tasks will be to confront and criticise these schemes so that you can formulate your own interpretations – ones which will help you construct your own broad narratives of the two pivotal eras in U.S. History that we will examine. The creation of such a narrative – your personal narrative –stands out as one of the primary goals of H490N. By the end of our first month, each student ought to be able to explain the history of the two American reconstructions to someone who has not taken this course, and each student should be able to offer an argument, based on historical evidence, that supports his or her explanation. This argument will necessarily explore the relationship of race and of gender to freedom and democracy, and each student will have an opportunity to share her or his argument with the class and with the instructor, in oral as well as in written forms.

There are other, more specific goals. By the end of the term, students should be able to:

  • Discuss and analyze the successes and failures of Reconstruction and their contemporary significance.
  • Explain the origins of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and compare and contrast it to the first reconstruction in U.S. History.
  • Offer an interpretive argument about why, in 2017, racial inequities remain a part of U.S. society.
  • Most important, write an insightful, clear interpretive research essay that defines a problem or question and tries to answer it, by way of constructing a logical argument based chiefly on primary sources.

COURSE POLICIES:

In the realm of marks, your success will depend upon careful reading and note-taking, a willingness to take intellectual risks, and a desire to explore what the US novelist and critic Ralph Ellison once labeled the “tradition of forgetfulness…, of denying the past, of converting the tragic realities of ourselves but most often of others, even if those others are of our own group, into comedy.”

Participation in the seminars is an essential part of your success. What does participation mean? It means active engagement with your colleagues; it means asking questions and listening carefully to others; it means trying to answer questions and having the courage to share your ideas; it means coming to class prepared – that is, coming to the seminars with having completed the reading.

If you are shy or predisposed to maintain silence in a group, you will not be penalized; just drop by my office to let me know that you find public speaking to be a difficulttask. No questions will be asked. All those who find a way to speak in public are eligible for a maximum of 10 bonus points/marks, but bear in mind that such points/marks will be awarded on the basis of the quality, and not the quantity, of your contributions, and especially on how well you can respond with integrity, courage, and empathy to your colleagues – especially when you may disagree with them. If you cannot speak in public, please consult with me about alternative ways to receive bonus marks. I am sure that something can we worked out in such instances.

Each of us shares the responsibility for how well H490N will work. Accordingly, we need to build an environment where everyone feels welcome, and where all our ideas are respected and where they can be explored and criticized. This means above all that it is our shared responsibility to ensure that everyone in the class is comfortable in it, and that no one feel ill-at-ease for reasons of age or gender, economic standing, political preference, race, ethnic or religious background, national origin, or sexual orientation. It therefore follows that jokes at anyone’s expense other than that of the instructor are not permitted. You can always make fun of me, as I am a willing and easy target, but please refrain from making fun of other colleagues. What may seem like a harmless joke to you may not be a joke to someone else, and the results of the unintended but nonetheless real hurt and pain of a putative joke are almost always impossible to obliterate. Please be careful.

The issues of workplace safety and of sexual assault and predation are of paramount importance, at UBC and elsewhere. We therefore are required to adhere to codes of behaviour – in and out of the classroom and indeed wherever we encounter each other – that respect the emotional and physical integrity of all colleagues which, as news reports remind us on a daily basis, continue to be breached. My expectation is that all of us will abide by the guidelines for appropriate conduct outlined by UBC, as well as by these more directly stated standards of H490N. The Department of History continues to struggle with difficulties relating to problems associated with sexual predation and harassment, and I welcome your suggestions, public or private, about how to improve. Regarding such matters, I have some understanding of how to negotiate the bureaucracies at UBC; should you have need of assistance regarding the problem of predation and assault, I stand ready to direct you to empathic and informed persons on campus who can provide professional support. In this, I can assure you of utter confidentiality.

UBC has a policy on the matter of respectful environments for students, faculty, and staff. It is available here: And you may find some of UBC’s recent updates on the issue of sexual assault and workplace safety here: The university has stated that it is in the process of revising its policies on sexual assault. Check out the updates here: Additional links to recent problems at UBC may be found at this page on my web site: I will be updating this page, and others, on a regular basis.

No one likes to deal with marks, but they are a fact of our university lives. In H490N, you will be rewarded for consistently doing your work over the course of the entire term, as your essays, presentations, and final research papers, as well as their components, should provide you with an ample opportunity to enhance your final mark.

Please remember that marks are merely an evaluation of your work, and not a comment on your intelligence. They are not an evaluation of you as a person. And they are not a comment on how hard you have worked. It is possible in this class to work very hard – the hardest you have ever worked in a class at UBC – and still receive a “B” or a “C.” Curiously, perhaps, the more you concentrate on marks and on the results, the less well you may do. In learning, it is the process that matters and, I believe, it is the process which in the end determines the results. So, work hard, take notes when you read –I can help with strategies about this – and ask questions. If you can do this, the results should take care of themselves.

If you are experiencing difficulties with the readings, please come see me. We can discuss any material you find difficult and/or, if you like, some general strategies for doing the work in H490N. Don’t wait until March; drop by early in the term. I am always are happy to meet with students. Really.

Really.

WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDANCE,
DEADLINES, AND INTEGRITY?

What we do in our seminars will help you make sense out of our readings and thereby how to frame your research problem, which is the core of this course. Therefore, attendance is mandatory. If you have a valid reason for missing a class, please let me know in advance. The only valid reason is if you, or if someone in your family, has a documented medical emergency.

My e-mail is: krause @ mail dot ubc dot ca. If you become ill or have any sort of crisis that interferes with your work, please let me know so that we can discuss strategies for dealing with the situation and possible exceptions to our regular deadlines.If you do not inform me of the extraordinary circumstances that you may be facing, all work must be completed on time. You will find me sympathetic and flexible if you find yourself in a difficult situation; however, if you do not inform me, in advance, you will be expected to complete your work on time. Late submissions are the equivalent of non-submissions.

As the university has explained, “Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.).” The official policy of the university holds that it accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre and/or the office of Access and Diversity.If you require special assistance or accommodations for this course, pleasecontact me as soon as possible with your information from the office for Access & Diversity.

The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let me know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, UBC has declared, “cannot assume they will be accommodated….”

For the most up-to-date explanation of the university’s policies regarding academic concessions, see this page on the web:

Consistent attendance, conscientious reading, and attentive and civil participation are essential parts of your work in this course. In this realm, as in all others, strict adherence to the principles of academic integrity is expected. Plagiarism, in any form, will not be tolerated. For guidance, in addition to the web sites listed on my “writing page,” see the UBC Calendar. The following sites also may be helpful: and

In the realm of academic integrity, you are expected to refrain from cheating, lying, or engaging in acts of plagiarism. All written work in H490N should be prepared and completed by each individual student. If you borrow someone’s words or ideas, they should be cited in the proper manner. For guidance on writing and on professional integrity, in addition to the web sites listed on my “writing page” ( You may also want to check out UBC’s policies on academic misconduct:

Above all, please remember that all authors own their ideas, words, and research; you therefore must give appropriate credit, typically in the form of quotations and footnotes, when using the work of another scholar. Plagiarism, whether or not it is “intentional,” is a serious violation of UBC’s standards; violations of the standards will be prosecuted. If your work is late, if you feel under pressure, do anything but cheat, please. Do not jeopardize your career and your good name for the sake of a mark in H490N. It is just not worth it. If you rely upon the ideas of another scholar, make certain that you give appropriate credit to the scholar.

Additionally, take great care when using resources on the Web. Many can prove helpful, but a significant number, however, can be misleading – including, of course, Wikipedia. Be certain that unattributed sentences gleaned from the Web do not find their way into your written submissions for H490N. Failure to be vigilant about this matter inevitably will raise serious questions about academic integrity.

Additional helpful links:

UBC Access and Diversity supports students of all sexual orientations and gender identities, please see: UBC’s grading policies can be found at: for peer coaching, writing tutors, and other resources, please see the UBC Learning Commons, the Department of History has a Writing Centre, available at: and see the following site for additional resources:

Specific Guidelines & Requirements for Marks

All assigned written work must be:

Handed in at the beginning of class.

Prepared only on a typewriter or a computer. (Do not submit handwritten essays. Do not submit faxes or e-mails. Neither I nor the History Department can accept e-mail submissions.)

Double-spaced and formatted in a simple, easy-to-read, 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

Set so that they have margins of one inch on both sides, and at the top and bottom.

Numbered by pages.

Stapled in the upper left corner; do not use paper clips or creative folding.

Backed-up, always, at regular intervals. (I recommend every three minutes.) Use a flash drive, a zip disk, a network storage service, and/or a hard copy. Computer or printer crashes or problems are not acceptable reasons for late submissions.

Late submissions are the equivalent of non-submissions, unless there is a documented exigency. There are no extensions in H490N. Each non-submission of a weekly assignment will result in a deduction of 5% from your final mark. Non-submission of the final research paper will result in a failure for the course.

Written and Oral Assignments: Building Toward the Final Paper

Each student will have five short essays to prepare and also will be asked to make a number of brief oral presentations. The short essays, which will focus on our shared readings, will be due in weeks 2 through 6 of the term. The details about these assignments will be discussed during our firstmeetings.After the initial sessions that focus on our shared texts, the written and oral assignments will be pegged to your individual research projects.

Note the approximate weight of the following requirements: