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Syllabus 3
American Studies 1-A
Professors Apthorp, Kurzweil, Underdal
Course Description: American Studies 1A/1B provides an integrated, interdisciplinary introduction to the origins and development of American civilization. We examine American culture from a variety of perspectives; we seek to understand American values, ideas and institutions holistically and to help you to appreciate the complex strands of our heritage. We hope that this will help you to make better-informed decisions whatever your future may hold.
This semester, after a brief introductory study of Puritanism and of the American Enlightenment, we will concentrate on three periods in American history: 1) the era of the Revolution and of the Early Republic, 2) the Jacksonian era, and 3) the period of the Civil War and of Reconstruction. We will pay particular attention to the following themes: the effects of technology on American society, the relationship of the individual American to the larger society, the pluralist nature of American society, and the role of women and other "minorities."
Required Texts:
Paul Lauter, et al., The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume 1 Randy Roberts and James S. Olson, American Experiences, Volume 2 (2nd ed.) Leonard Dinnerstein and Kenneth T. Jackson, eds., American Vistas, Volume 1 (5th ed.) Michael Perman, ed., Perspective on the American Past, Volume 2. Course Reader (Available from Maple Press, 412 E. Santa Clara)
Lecture Sequence:
In the reading assignments listed below, "Heath" refers to the Heath Anthology, "Roberts" refers to American Experiences, "Dinnerstein" refers to American Vistas, and "Perman" refers to Perspectives on the American Past; the Course Reader assignments are identified by author and title.
Aug. 28: Course Introduction Aug. 30: Puritanism Heath: Winthrop, 188-203. Dinnerstein: Morgan, 18-31. Koehler, "The Salem Village Cataclysm." Sept. 4: Faith and Experience: Women and Native Americans in Puritan New England Heath: Bradstreet, 256-279; Rowlandson, 317-342. Dinnerstein: Axtell, 32-62 Sept. 6: The Enlightenment and the First Great Awakening Heath: Franklin; Edwards. Sept. 11: Causes of the Revolution, I Dinnerstein: DePauw, "Land of the Unfree." Roberts: Martin, 106-117. Bailyn, "The Logic of Rebellion." Sept. 13: Causes of the Revolution, II Heath: Paine, 936-937, 940-951; Jefferson, 957-971. Sept. 18: The Constitution, I Roberts: Commager 118-128. Dinnerstein: Banning, 100-111. Sept. 20: The Constitution, II Heath: Federalist No. 10, 1013- 1018; An Anti-Federalist Paper, 1018-1021. Hamilton, Encouragement of Manufacturers. The Constitution of the United States Sept. 25: FIRST MIDTERM EXAM Sept. 27: Developments in Manufactur- ing, Agriculture, Technology and Transportation, I Cronon, "Indians, Colonists, and Property Rights." Pursell, "Cyrus Hall McCormick and the Mechanization of Agricul ture." Oct. 2: Developments in Manufactur- ing, Agriculture, Technology and Transportation, II Dinnerstein: Dublin, 208-226. Archdeacon, "Natives and New- comers." Oct. 4: The American Adam and the Hudson River School Roberts: Gorn, 234-251. Heath: Native American Tradi- tions, 22-52 Oct. 9: Slavery in American Life Heath: Douglass, 1637-1673. Oct. 11: Slave Culture Heath: Douglass, 1673-1704; Jacobs, 1723-1750. Oct. 16: Black Protest Heath: Walker, 1781-1791. Roberts: Levine, 165-179. Oct. 18: The Second Great Awakening Weisberger, "Religion on the Frontier." Smith-Rosenberg, "Beauty, the Beast, and the Militant Woman." Oct. 23: The Jacksonian Era Roberts: King, 214-221. Dinnerstein: Satz, 191-207. FIRST PROJECT DUE OCT. 23 Oct. 25: Transcendentalism I Heath: Emerson 1471-1475; Thoreau, 1981-1991, 2012-2016. Oct. 30: Transcendentalism II Heath: Thoreau, 1967-1981, 2016- 2031. Nov. 1: Manifest Destiny Acuna, "Legacy of Hate." Steiner, "Huie Kin." Nov. 6: SECOND MIDTERM EXAM Nov. 8: Women at Midcentury I Roberts: Welter, 150-164. Heath: Stowe, 2311-2323, 2352- 2354; Truth, 1908-1913. Nov. 13: Women at Midcentury II Heath: "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions," 1893-1899; Grimke, 1834-1838. Gilman, "The Yellow Wallpaper." Nov. 15: Native American Voices Roberts: Olson, 192-211. Heath: Apes, 1753-1760; Boudinot, 1760-1769; Seattle, 1769-1772. Nov. 20: Pre-Civil War Politics Foner, "Free Labor: The Republi- cans and Northern Society." Hofstadter, "John C. Calhoun: The Marx of the Master Class." Nov. 27: Melville Heath: Melville, 2405-2431, 2447- 2465. Nov. 29: Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman Heath: Dickinson; Whitman, 2788, 2804-2807. Dec. 4: Reconstruction and the New Labor System in the South I Roberts: Trelease, 330-339. Jones, "Freed Women? The Civil War and Reconstruction." SECOND PROJECT DUE DEC. 4 Dec. 6: Reconstruction II Perman: Woodward, 14-24. Dinnerstein: Daniel, 307-319. Dec. 11: The Rise of Big Business and Monopoly Perman: Chandler, 38-48; Noble, 49-62. |
