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COURSE SYLLABUS FOR HISTORY 393-04
American Indian History
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
Fall 2008
~Course Information~
-Professor: Dr. Nathaniel Millett
-Class Meeting Time: M/W/F 1:10-2
-Location: 128 Xavier Hall
~Professor Contact Information~
-Office Number: 335 Humanities Building
-Email: nmillet1@slu.edu or ncmillett@yahoo.com
-Telephone: 7245
-Office Hours: MWF 11-12 or by appointment
~Course Description~
‘American Indian History,’ will examine the experiences of Native Americans from PreContact to the present day. The course will use social, cultural, political, and military
history to understand America’s deeply complex Native past. We will also focus on
interactions between Native Americans and whites, blacks, and other groups. One of the
main goals will be to place American Indian history squarely within the broader narrative
of American history.
~Course Goals~
‘American Indian History’ will familiarize you with a general narrative of Native
American History. It will also develop and sharpen a number of important skills such as
reading, writing, rhetoric, public speaking, and analysis.
~Course Structure~
While a number of methods of instruction will be utilized, ‘American Indian History’ is
primarily designed as a discussion based class. It is absolutely imperative that
you come to every single class having carefully done the assigned reading and be
prepared to discuss this reading.
~Attendance~
It is essential to attend class on a regular basis. For every un-excused absence (ie
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an absence that is not supported by documentation) one point will be removed from
your final grade. In the end, this is not much, but it can be avoided very easily.
~Internet Sources~
Absolutely zero unless you have my approval. Otherwise a five point deduction from the
paper’s final grade for every unapproved internet reference.
~Grades~
-Mid-Term Exam: 20%
-Final Exam: 20%
-Research Paper: 20%
-Presentation: 10%
-Book Review: 10%
-Participation: 20%
Mid-Term/Final Exams: In both exams you will be presented with ten essay
questions of which you must answer any three. The exams are not cumulative,
but rather test you on either half of the course material. They are of equal length and
equal weight. Both exams will be preceded by a review session at which I will hand out
study guides. The exams are designed to test your knowledge and command of the
material. The easiest and best way to prepare is to stay thoroughly up-to-date with the
reading, documents, discussions, and lectures.
-Research Paper: (8-12 pages/12 pt/1.5 spacing) This is a research paper
in which you will exam an area of American Indian history of your choosing. It is due at
the last class meeting in December. At some point during term you must: 1) Set a
title/question and get my approval 2) compile a bibliography of at least five printed
secondary sources that you have access to and will allow you to answer the question
(Note: absolutely NO internet sources) 3) Give me at least two ‘status updates.’ Failure to
meet any of these deadlines will result in a five point deduction from the paper’s final
grade.
-Book Review: (2-3 pages/12 pt/1.5 spacing) I have listed a number of books that can be
reviewed; each of which can be chosen by one student. The review should address the
book’s subject, thesis, structure, strengths/weaknesses, and anything else which you feel
is important.
-Presentation: Each student will be responsible for a 20-25 minute presentation on the
book which they have chosen to review.
-Participation: Is based on your oral contribution to class on a daily basis. It does not
have to be stunningly original nor non-stop, but you need to demonstrate that you are
prepared and able to make a positive contribution to class discussion. It is imperative that
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you come to class having done the assigned reading. This is a very important part of
your grade which if you chose to ignore and not participate will result in a ‘F.’
~Late Work/Missed Exams~
-Late work will be deducted one letter grade per day including weekends. If you
miss an exam you must provide official documentation that verifies that it was
impossible for you to attend the exam or you will receive a ‘zero.’ Do not submit written
work as an email attachment.
~Plagiarism/Cheating~
-If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing on any assignment, you automatically
fail the course and I will do everything possible to make sure that the university
takes the fullest measures possible to punish you. The bottom line is very simple in
regards to cheating: do not do it because the consequences are simply not worth it.
~Approachability/Extra Help/Concerns
-If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me in class,
via email, on the phone, or during office hours.
~Books that Must be Purchased Immediately from the Campus Book Store~
Colin Calloway, First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History
Gregory Nobles, American Frontiers: Cultural Encounters and Continental Conquest
Daniel Richter, Facing East from Indian Country
Bibliography for presentations/review: If you decide that you want to review and present on a
book that is not on the list, you must get my approval.
Daniel Richter, The Ordeal of the Longhouse: The Peoples of the Iroqious League in the Era of
European Colonization
James Axtell, The Invasion Within: The Contest of Cultures in Colonial North America
James Brooks, Captives and Cousins: Slavery, Kinship, and Community in the Southwest
Borderlands
William Cronon, Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England
Alfred Crosby, The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492
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Alan Gallay, The Indian Slave Trade: The Rise of the English Empire in the American South
Ramon Gutierrez, When Jesus Came the Corn Mothers Went Away: Marriage, Sexuality, and
Power in New Mexico, 1500-1846
Francis Jennings, The Invasion of America: Indians, Colonialism, and the Cant of Conquest
Richard White, The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Upper Great Lakes,
1650-1815
Colin Calloway, New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America
Gregory Dowd, A Spirited Resistance: The Native American Struggle for Unity, 1745-1815
Kathleen DuVal, Native Ground: Indians and Colonists in the Heart of the Continent
Peter Mancall, Deadly Medicine: Indians and Alcohol in Early America
James Merrell, The Indian’s New World: Catawbas and their Neighbors from European Contact
through the Era of Removal
Douglas Hurt, The Indian Frontier
Francis Prucha, The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indians
Ned Blackhawk, Violence Over the Land: Indians and Empires in the Early American West
Joanne Nagel, American Indian Ethnic Renewal: Red Power and the Resurgence of Identity and
Culture
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~Class Schedule~
I have numbered the class meetings from one to forty one instead of dating them.
This way is easier if we ever miss class and have to readjust the syllabus. The listed
reading assignments are meant to be done BEFORE class. All due dates are listed as well.
I.
Introduction
II.
Calloway Chapter One, p. 14-36
III.
Calloway Chapter One, p. 37-62
IV.
Calloway Chapter Two, p. 76-107
V.
Richter Chapter One
VI.
Richter Chapter Two
Book Selection Due
VII.
Richter Chapter Three
VIII. Calloway Chapter Two, p. 108-139
IX.
Video
X.
Presentation One
XI.
Calloway Chapter Three, p. 154-180
XII.
Nobles Chapter Two
XIII. Richter Chapter Three
XIV. Richter Chapter Four
XV.
Video
XVI. Calloway Chapter Three, p. 181-205.
XVII. Presentation Two
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XVIII. Richter Chapter Five
XIX. Presentation Three
XX.
Mid Term Review Session
XXI. Mid Term Exam
XXII. Presentation Four
XXIII. Study Day-No Class
XXIV. Calloway Chapter Four, p. 218-243
XXV. Richter Chapter Six
XXVI. Nobles Chapter Three
XXVII. Calloway Four, p. 244-282
XXVIII. Video
XXIX. Presentation Five
XXX. Calloway Chapter Five, p. 290-316
Book Reviews Due
XXXI. Nobles Chapter Four and Five
XXXII. Nobles Chapter Six
XXXIII. Calloway Chapter Five, p. 317-367
XXXIV. Presentation Six
XXXV. Calloway Chapter Six, p. 372-404
XXXVI. Calloway Chapter Six, p. 404-420
XXXVII. Calloway Chapter Seven, p. 438-470
XXXVIII. Calloway Chapter Seven, p. 473-502
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XXXIX. Video
XL. Presentation Seven
XLI. Final Exam Review
Research Papers Due
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