History 1405 will be a reading, discussion, and writing seminar designed for sophomore students and above. There will be no "lectures" or "exams," but instead a heavy reading load that will provide the basis for seminar discussions, and several writing assignments. Previous course-work in pre-Civil War American history is suggested but not required. This course is designed to broadly survey the history of the enslavement of Africans and African-Americans slavery in America.  In addition to developing a rather broad historical context for American slavery, the course will also discuss the writing of the history of slavery, or "historiography." It will seek to discover the parameters set by a historian's world that influenced the formation of her/his questions and thus produced varied interpretations. It will also analyze the different types of historical evidence used by historians to reconstruct the past of a group of people who left precious little behind in the way of written documents. And finally, the course will analyze the employment of various theoretical constructs by historians of slavery.

Books
Kolchin, Peter. American Slavery, 1619-1877. New York: Hill and Wang, 1993. In Course Calendar as "Kolchin.

Goodheart, Lawrence B., Richard D. Brown, and Stephen G. Rabe, eds. Slavery in American Society. 3^rd Edition. Problems in American Civilization. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 1993. In Course Calendar as "SAS."

Melton McLaurin. Celia, A Slave. New York: Harper Collins, 1993.

Marie Jenkins Schwartz.  Born in Bondage: Growing Up Enslaved in the Antebellum South.  Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.

Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001.

Field Trips
There will be three Field Trips associated with this class, the dates and times to be announced in the first class meeting.

1) Harpers' Ferry West Virginia, site of John Brown's failed slave rebellion
2) The Walker Farmstead on Laurel Mountain
3)The National Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati Ohio

Reading
As mentioned above, there will be an extremely heavy reading load in this course, and each class will be a discussion revolving around that reading.  Therefore, you must read the assignments in order for this class to work.  If you fail to read an assignment there is no reason for you to come to class that day--you will only be risking humiliation when you are called upon.

Participation
Since this class will live or die with your level of participation, I am requiring you to contribute to our conversations by according 20% of your grade (100 points) to participation.  I will make a seating chart and I will record each relevant contribution you make to our class discussion.  At term's end, the highest 10% will receive an A, the second 20% will receive a B, the middle 40% a C, the next 20% a D, and the lowest 10% an F for the participation grade.  If the class as a whole does well, then the scale will slide from A to D, or A to C, but that depends on all of you.  I know what you're all thinking now: "1. But it's not fair!  2. I'll feel stupid!  3. I don't like to speak in front of people!  4. You're mean old S.O.B.!"  Well, in response to those statements, I would say: "1. Life isn't fair, get over it.  2. If you were stupid you would not be in college, and I care about your intellectual development, not your  "feelings."  3. You may not like speaking in front of people but honing your oral communication abilities is one of the most important skills that you can take out of college and into the real world.  Things that are good for you are not always pleasant.  4.  I am a mean old S.O.B., refer back to response number 1."

Quizzes
There will be periodic quizzes on your reading material that will account for 20% of your grade (100 points).  Only persons with excused absences will be permitted to take "make-up" quizzes–no exceptions.  You will have one week to make up a quiz.  Excused absences will only be granted prior to the class you intend to miss. You are responsible for making up your quizzes.  I will make no attempt to remind you or track you down.  Any quizzes that you fail to make-up will be recorded as a zero at term's end.

Book Review
You will a 3-5 page typed book review of either Schwartz, Born in Bondage or McLaurin, Celia.  The book review will be graded on writing as well as content for a total of 50 points (10%).  Half of the class will review Schwartz (I will call you the "Field Hands") the other half will review McLaurin (they will be the "House Servants").  The "Field Hands'" review of Schwartz will be due on Monday, November 10, and the "House Servants'" review of McLaurin will be due on Monday November 29. Students who receive a D or F will be REQUIRED to re-write their paper.  Through the rewrite, they will be able to increase their score by one letter grade. This is NOT a punishment, but a way for you to improve both your grade and your writing skills. Students receiving a B or C will have the OPTION of rewriting their paper under the same terms as listed above.  For instructions on writing an effective book review, click on the "Book Review How To" link below.  

Book Review How To

Book Review Exercise
In order to prepare yourself to write this review you must do two things.  First, read the "Book Review How To" document linked above.  Second, you must use the Owen Library's web-site to access the Journal of Negro History, choose and read any 5 reviews from the most recent issue on J-Stor and submit a two-page typed summary of those reviews.  The summaries must include brief summaries of the books themselves as well as the reviewers' positive and negative criticism of the books.  You will bring this assignment, and be prepared to discuss the project, to class on October 20 for 25 points (5%).

To get to J-Stor, go to the Owen Library Web-site, click on E-Journals, then Databases A-Z (in small print at the top), then J-Stor, then Browse, then History, then Journal of Negro History.  You can then browse by date and volume.

Analytical Essay
You will read three journal articles from the Journal of Negro History relating to one of the following topics: The Atlantic Slave Trade, the Origins of African Slave Trade, Slavery and Politics, Slavery and Religion, Slavery and Families, Slavery and Violence, Slavery and Resistance... or choose a topic of your own.  Those articles must be in issues printed since 1970.  You will also choose at least three essays from Goodheart, Slalvery in American Society that fit your topic.  You will also be required to discuss Kolchin's American Slavery.  If applicable, you should use Schwartz or McLaurin as well.  The essay will be documented with endnotes in the form determined by the Chicago Manual of Style, detailed in Rampolla.  Like the book review, I will divide you into two groups: "Field Hands" and "House Servants."  There will be separate due dates for each group.  The essay will be 5-8 pages in length, will be worth 100 points (20%) and will follow the "Analytical Journal Article Review Essay Guidelines" linked below:

Analytical Essay Guidelines

The analytical essay will have a peer review process. I will subdivide the "Field Hands" and "House Servants" into smaller groups of four or five: Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Henry "Box" Brown.  In these small groups, you will meet outside of class to read and critique each other's paper.    "House Servants" should have a completed draft turned in to your teammates before October 20.  "House Servants" will read and critique each others work before October 27.  You will write a one page, single-spaced critique of each of your peers' essays, judging their thematic analysis, summary, analytical comparison, organization, writing style, and grammar for 25 points (5%), and present it to them at your group meeting (at a time and place chosen by you all outside of class time before October 27). "Field Hands" should have a completed draft turned in to your teammates before October 27.  "Field Hands" will read and critique each others work before November 3.  You will write a one page, single-spaced critique of each of your peers' essays, judging their thematic analysis, summary, analytical comparison, organization, writing style, and grammar for 25 points (5%), and present it to them at your group meeting (at a time and place chosen by you all outside of class time before November 3).   You may use the plastic box labeled "Slavery" outside of my office door as a drop-off/pick-up bin.  "House Servants" will turn in your one-page peer review paper to me on October 27, and "Field Hands" on November 3.  "House Servants" will hand in their first draft to me on November 10.  "Field Hands" will hand in their first draft to me on November 15.  I will grade them and return before Thanksgiving, and you will have until the end of the term to revise if necessary.

Deadlines for all Papers

Writing All Papers
All written assignments--book reviews and analytical essays--will be graded on the "Total Package," that is grammar, organization, style and composition in addition to content– summary, thematic analysis, and analytic comparison (for the analytical essays).  Please refer to "The Bare Basics of Writing" form linked below:

The Bare Basics of Writing

Final Essay
You will be required to write a final essay to be turned in on Wednesday, December 15 at noon.  It will be a take home final, the questions for which will be distributed on the last day of class, Wednesday December 3. It will be typed and must conform to the standards outlined above.  The Final will comprise 100 points (20%).  

This class will operate on a points system composed of 500 points.  At term's end, 450=A, 400-449=B, 350-399=C, 300-349=D, and 299 and below=F.  The points will be accorded as follows:

Attendance
You will be permitted only three un-excused absences.  You will lose one letter grade for each un-excused absence after the third.  No one will pass this course who has missed more than six classes, excused or unexcused, unless the excuses amount to a "severe case of personal hardship."  Jon "the Hammer" Gonder, the Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs, and I will determine what constitutes a "sever case of personal hardship."

Late Work
Late work is absolutely unacceptable and will merit a zero.  Period.  However, all assignments must be turned in, no matter how late, in order to pass the course.  Anyone with uncompleted assignments at term's end will fail the course.  This happens almost every term.  Don't try it.

Incompletes
Only students with "severe cases of personal hardship" will be permitted a grade of "I" or "G" at term's end with the permission to finish the coursework at a later date.  

Cheating
Any attempt to offer anyone else's work as your own at any time will merit a zero for that assignment, a G grade for the course, and will automatically begin the proceedings for an F in the course and for your expulsion from this university in accordance with the Academic Integrity Guidelines found in your student handbook.

Disabilities
Students with disabilities who may be requesting academic accommodations for this course should notify the course instructor and Theresa M. Horner, LRC Disability Services Coordinator, as early as possible in the term. The Disability Services Coordinator will verify the disability and determine reasonable accommodations for the course. To schedule an appointment or to learn more about disability services at UPJ, please call ext. 7109 or stop by the Learning Resource Center in 133 Biddle Hall.

Returning Papers and Grades
According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, each student of the age of majority (18) has the right to absolute privacy concerning their academic grades.  If that privacy is breeched, the instructor and the institution are liable and may be sued by the injured student.  Therefore, I will only return graded papers to their owners, face to face, and I will only discuss scores and grades with students face to face.  I will not discuss scores or grades over the telephone, e-mail, fax, conventional mail, hologram, or through a spiritual medium.  The only totally secure method to maintain your right to privacy is to handle all grade reporting in person.  THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

Finding Out About Your Final Grade
I will not report your final exam grade to you until the grades have been turned in and sent to you in the mail by the Registrar's Office.  DO NOT PESTER ME with the question, "Do you have our finals graded yet?"

Professorial Prerogative
I reserve the right to make any reasonable changes to this syllabus that I deem necessary at any time for any reason of my choosing.  Failure to comply with any revisions to the syllabus will not be excusable due to absence on the day the changes were announced.  You are responsible for everything that transpires in the classroom every class meeting.

Course Calendar

 
Links