Edward Berenson
Spring 2016
IFST-GA.2810 and Hist-GA.1212
Office Hours: Tuesday. 4-6 PM
Topics in French Culture and Society: The French Empire
This course examines the history of French colonialism from the French Revolution to
the aftermath of the Algerian War. It considers the effects of imperialism and colonialism
on both the colonies themselves and mainland France. We will examine slavery and its
abolition, colonial conquest and violence, civilizing missions both secular and religious,
the culture of colonialism, citizenship and subjecthood, war and empire, and the meaning
of decolonization.
In addition to the weekly readings, the course requires two short essays of 1,500-2,000
words each. The first is due just before spring break, the second at the end of the
semester. These are not research papers but rather analytical essays devoted to the course
readings. A choice of topics will be provided.
The following books are available in the NYU Bookstore and on reserve at Bobst. Most are
available as e-books as well. All other readings are posted on Classes.
*Frederick Cooper, Colonialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, History
*Jennifer Pitts, A Turn to Empire: The Rise of Imperial Liberalism in Britain and France
*Jeremy Popkin, A Concise History of the Haitian Revolution
*Laurent Dubois, A Colony of Citizens
*Benjamin Stora, Algeria, 1830-2000
*Benjamin Brower, A Desert Named Peace
*Alice Conklin, A Mission to Civilize: The Republican Idea of Empire and France and
West Africa
*J.P. Daughton, An Empire Divided: Religion, Republicanism, and the Making of French
Colonialism, 1880-1914
*Edward Berenson, Heroes of Empire: Five Charismatic Men and the Conquest of Africa
*Emmanuelle Saada, Empire’s Children: Race, Filiation, and Citizenship in the French
Colonies
*Patricia Morton, Hybrid Modernities: Architecture and Representation at the 1931
Colonial Exposition
*Eric T. Jennings, Free French Africa in World War II: The African Resistance
*Matthew Connelly, A Diplomatic Revolution: Algeria’s Fight for Independence and the
Origins of the Post-War Era
*Todd Shepard, The Invention of Decolonization: The Algerian War and the Remaking of
France.
Topics and Reading Assignments
Week I. (Jan. 26) Introduction to the Course
Week II. (Feb. 2) Perspectives on Colonialism
*Frederick Cooper, Colonialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, History, chs.
1,2,6
*Jennifer Pitts, A Turn to Empire: The Rise of Imperial Liberalism in Britain and
France, Princeton 2006, chs, 1-2 and pp. 163-219
Week III. (Feb. 9) Caribbean Slavery and the Haitian Revolution
*Jeremy Popkin, A Concise History of the Haitian Revolution, chs. 1-5
*Laurent Dubois, A Colony of Citizens: Revolution & Slave Emancipation in the
French Caribbean, 1787-1804, Intro and chs. 1, 6, 7
Week IV. (Feb. 16) Conquest and Colonialism in Algeria I
*Benjamin Stora, Algeria, 1830-2000, Introduction
*Jennifer Sessions, By Sword and Plow, Intro and chs. 1, 5
Week V. (Feb. 23) Conquest and Colonialism in Algeria II
*Benjamin Brower, A Desert Named Peace, Introduction and Part I
*David Prochaska, “Making Algeria French and Unmaking French Algeria,”
Journal of Historical Sociology Vol. 3 No. 4 (December 1990)
*Prochaska, “History as Literature, Literature as History: Cagayous of Algiers,”
The American Historical Review, Vol. 101, No. 3 (Jun., 1996), 670-711
Week VI. (March 1) Civilizing Missions: The Republic and the Church
*Alice Conklin, A Mission to Civilize: The Republican Idea of Empire in France
and West Africa, Princeton, 1997, Intro and chs 1,7
*J.P. Daughton, An Empire Divided: Religion, Republicanism, and the Making of
French Colonialism, 1880-1914, chs. 1-3
*Elizabeth A. Foster, Faith in Empire, Introduction and Ch. 2
Week VII. (March 8) First Paper Due
Week VIII. (March 15) Spring Break
Week IX. (March 22) The Culture of Colonialism in France
*William Schneider, An Empire for the Masses: The French Popular Image of
Africa, ch. 3
*Edward Berenson, Heroes of Empire, Introduction and chs. 2, 6, 7 and Epilogue
*Tony Chafer and Amanda Sackur, Promoting the Colonial Idea: Propaganda
and Visions of Empire in France, chs. 9-11, 13
Week X. (March 29) Creating Frenchness: Citizens and Subjects at Home and Abroad
*Alice L. Conklin, “Redefining “Frenchness:” France and West Africa,” in Julia
Clancy-Smith and Frances Gouda, Domesticating the Empire. Race, Gender, and
Family Life in French and Dutch Colonialism
*Emmanuelle Saada, Empire’s Children: Race, Filiation, and Citizenship in the
French Colonies, Introduction and Chs. 1-4
*Saada, “The Republic and the Indigènes,” in Edward Berenson, et al, The French
Republic
Week XI. (April 5) Celebrating the Empire
*Patricia Morton, Hybrid Modernities: Architecture and Representation at the
1931 Colonial Exposition
Week XII. (April 12) Africa and the Second World War
*Eric T. Jennings, Free French Africa in World War II: The African Resistance,
Introduction and Parts I and II
Week XIII. (April 19) Intellectuals and the Algerian War
*Stora, part 1
*Mouloud Feraoun, Journal 1955-1962: Reflections on the French-Algerian War
*Albert Camus, Resistance, Rebellion, and Death
Week XIV. (April 26) The Algerian War as Global Event
*Matthew Connelly, A Diplomatic Revolution: Algeria’s Fight for Independence
and the Origins of the Post-War Era
Week XV. (May 3) Decolonization
*Todd Shepard, The Invention of Decolonization: The Algerian War and the
Remaking of France