Dr. Kennedy
Office: Strong Hall 410
Hours: MW 10-11:30 and TR 11:30-12:30
Email: kathleen.kennedy@missouristate.edu
Phone: 417-836-5511
UNC 397: Violence in Early America
This seminar will examine the meaning of violence in early American society and culture. It
operates from the premise that while violence may be transhistorical and transcultural, the
meanings attached to violence change over time. In early America, violence was endemic and
central to Americans understanding of their place in society as well as who belonged or did not
belong in that society. To examine the meanings and function of violence in early American
societies, we will explore two key processes: colonialism and slavery. These topics allow us to
examine conflicting cultures of violence and how those conflicts shaped American identities as
well as key categories of difference such as race and gender. By focusing on a few incidents
within these broad topics, we will be able to have deep conversations about the historical causes
of violence, the ethics of violence and the unique challenges faced by scholars seeking to account
for violence and pain it causes. Each student will have the opportunity to develop a final project
around his or her interests.
Learning objectives:
Skills:
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Identify a thesis in a secondary work
Analyze a primary document
Identify, analyze and synthesize historical arguments
Develop your own arguments about the history of violence in early America in both oral
and written form.
Specific Learning Objectives:
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Develop an understanding of what constitutes violence in specific historical
circumstances
Develop an understanding of how and why different early American cultures have
defined and deployed violence
Develop an understanding of how violence has affected individuals and societies in early
America
Develop an understanding of how violence constructs hierarchies of differences in early
America
Develop an understanding of how categories of difference such as race and gender are
constituted through and in opposition to violence in early America
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Develop an understanding of the ethical problems faced by those who write about
violence, pain and trauma
Required Texts: You should purchase or otherwise obtain the following texts. Many of the
readings we will do in this class can be downloaded from blackboard or found online. The study
of history is a reading and writing intensive, so you should be prepared to read and write every
week. In some cases, I will assign to individual students particular readings that they will read
more deeply than others in the class to keep the readings manageable. As your read secondary
materials keep in mind that you are reading for the main argument and how the author develops
his or her argument rather than specific facts or details.
Jill Lepore, The Name of War
Toni Morrison, Beloved
Herman Melville, Benito Cereno (Bedford Edition)
Lance Blyth, Chiricahua and Janos
Other Readings that are available online or through the library via ebook:
Mary Rowlandson, Sovereignty and Goodness of God (online)
Stephanie Smallwood, Saltwater Slavery (ebook available through the library)
Various articles and reading excerpts available online and/or posted on blackboard
Assignments: I will post more information on each individual assignments well as a grading
rubric on blackboard as the semester continues. Specific due dates are on the class schedule
below.
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Analysis Papers (3 at 100 pts each). These papers will ask you to analyze two or more
texts.
Discussion (200 pts) This grade will be based on the quality of your participation in class.
You will receive the most credit for comments that are grounded in the readings and that
attempt to make sense of the readings.
Summary Papers (100 pts) and Discussion Board (100 pts). Summary papers will be
assigned occasionally when we divide the readings. For the longer monographs, I will
divide the readings, assigning each individual student to a particular chapter while having
the class do some common reading. In that case, you will write a brief summary of the
chapter and post it to the discussion board at least 24 hours before the class and be
prepared to discuss your particular chapter in class. Each student will also be in charge
of particular readings and class meetings. In this case, you will be responsible for posting
a reader response at least 24 hours before class that will stimulate a discussion of that
material. That reader response must include some questions for discussion. Unlike
summaries, reader response papers are more analytical and are designed to encourage
dialogue.
Final Projects (300 pts): You will have some choice as to the type of final project you
elect to complete. Examples include, a research paper, a historiography or secondary
source analysis, a longer analysis paper that synthesizes the course material. You will
need to commit to a final project by March 29th.
Grading:
Your grade is determined by the number of points you acquire:
1,000-930........A
929-900..........A899-870..........B+
869-830..........B
829-800..........B799-770..........C+
769-730..........C
729-700..........C699-670..........D+
669-600..........D
599-0............F
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day on which they are assigned. I penalize
late papers 10 percent per day late, and I only accept them at my discretion. I will not accept
any late papers after I have finished grading the papers regardless of whether I have returned
them. I do not accept papers via email. I will give no incompletes or paper extensions without a
University recognized excuse.
Basic Rules for a Successful Seminar:
1. All students are expected to participate in each class meeting to receive credit for that
class. Each student may claim up to three passes during the semester; that is, you may
come to class and listen rather than participate in the discussion about the readings
without penalty. Save these passes for times during the semester when you are
overwhelmed. You must claim these passes before the class begins. I will call on you if
you are not participating and have not claimed a pass.
2. Come to class on time. Please avoid leaving in the middle of class unless it is an
emergency.
3. You will receive credit for their ideas not your opinions.
4. The instructor and other students will ask you to refer to the readings to support their
ideas. Be sure to bring copies of the readings to class so we can look at specific passages.
5. Be aware of your body language. Do not slouch, cross your arms, roll your eyes or look
bored while others are talking. Lean in while you are talking and address your comments
to the entire class. Avoid interrupting and dominating if others are trying to speak.
6. Students are expected to disagree with each other and the professor but must do so in a
polite and constructive manner. Refer to the idea rather than the person. “I disagree with
that idea” or “I have a different reading of the material” rather than a you statement.
7. Students should expect that other students and the professor will disagree with them.
They should be ready to explain why their ideas are valid and develop their ideas during
the course of the discussion.
8. If you take offense to a particular idea, think about why you are offended rather than
simply reacting. Develop a counter argument that explains why that idea is problematic
rather than the person expressing it. Avoid labeling and dismissing such ideas. For
example, calling an idea simply “racist,” “sexist,” “politically correct” or “un-American”
is lazy; think about why you believe that idea reinforces certain hierarchies that trouble
you.
9. Students who demean others or their ideas will be warned. This is part of the learning
process, and I promise to try to avoid embarrassing you. Continued rudeness towards
your colleagues may lead me to drop you from the class.
10. Because this is a small seminar, I am certain that we will be able to have effective
discussions. If you do not find our discussions effective, please come to class with ideas
on how to improve them.
Course Schedule:
Each class meeting we will plan to work through one or more readings. Therefore it is important
that you come to class having read the materials assigned to you and the class as a whole. If you
are having difficulty reading the material, develop a list of questions to ask. .
We may adjust this schedule slightly if we fall behind. No assignments will be moved forward
however.
Date and Topic
Week One (Jan 12 & 14):
Introduction
Reading Assignments
Matthew Jennings, New
Worlds of Violence,
Introduction and Chapter One
(blackboard)
Week Two (Jan. 19 & 21):
Native American Cultures of
Violence
Wayne E. Lee, “Peace Chiefs
and Blood Revenge”
(blackboard)
And
and
William Starna and Ralph
Watkins, “Northern Iroquoian
Slavery” (blackboard)
Kathleen Donegan, “’As
Dying, Yet Behold We Live’
and “Catastrophe”
(Blackboard)
And
Week Three (Jan 26 & 28):
Colonial Cultures of
Violence: The Puritans and
Catastrophe
Reminders
Week Four (Feb 2 and 4):
Captivity and Catastrophe
(primary sources)
Week Five (Feb. 9 & 11):
Captivity, Race, Gender and
Trauma (historical
Interpretations)
Week Six (Feb. 16 & 18):
Writing about War
James Schramer and Timothy
Sweet, “Violence and the
Body Politic (blackboard)
Mary Rowlandson,
Sovereignty and Goodness of
God
(online)
And
Kathryn Zabelle Derounian,
“Puritan Orthodoxy and The
‘Survivor Syndrome’ in Mary
Rowlandson’s Indian
Captivity Narrative”
(blackboard)
Janice Knight, “Telling it
Slant” (blackboard)
and
Audra Simpson, “Captivating
Eunice: Membership,
Colonialism, and Gendered
Citizenships of Grief”
(blackboard)
Jill Lepore, The Name of War
(pgs to be announced)
Week Seven (Feb. 23 & 25):
The American Southwest and
Communities of Violence
Blyth, Chiricahua and Janos
(pgs to be announced)
Week Eight (March 1 & 3):
The Violence of Atlantic
Slavery
Stephanie Smallwood,
Saltwater Slavery,
Introduction and Chapters 3
and 6 (e-book)
Work on papers and catch up
on readings
Week Nine (March 8 & 10):
Spring Break: No Classes
Week 10 (March 15 and 17):
The Gendered Violence of
Slavery
Hartman, “Seduction and the
Ruses of Power” (blackboard)
and
Hortense Spillers, “Mama’s
Baby, Papa’s Maybe”
(blackboard)
and
Analysis Paper 1 Due Feb 16
Week 11 (March 22 and 24)
No class on March 22 and
Spring Holiday
Week 12 (March 29 and 31):
Critiquing Violence
Week 13 (April 5 &7)
The Right to Violence
Week 14 (April 19 & 21):
Right to Violence
Week 15 (April 26 and 28):
Remembering the History of
Suffering
Week 16 (May 3 & 5):
Remembering the History of
Suffering
Finals Week
Harriet Jacobs, Incidents In
the Life of a Slave Girl
(excerpts)
Work on Research and
Proposal for Final Project;
Catch up on Reading
Karen Halttunen,
“Humanitarianism and the
Pornography of Pain,”
(blackboard)
and
Elizabeth Clark, “The Sacred
Rights of the Weak,”
(blackboard) “
Herman Melville, “Benito
Cereno”
and
Lydia Marie Child,
“Slavery’s Pleasant Home”
(online)
John Brown’s Courtroom
Speech
And
Readings TBA
Beloved
Beloved
and
Saidiya Hartman, “The Time
of Slavery” (blackboard)
Final Project Due
Analysis Paper 2 due March
29th
Analysis Paper 3 due May 5
Final Project due May 12th by
9 am
Policies:
Email :
Email is an excellent way to communicate with me, and I prefer it to the phone. Remember a
few rules of courtesy when you email me or any of your professors.
1. Use the appropriate salutation. Hey Prof, hey you and my first name do not convey the
professionalism on which you will depend to succeed both at MSU and in a very
competitive job market.
2. Be concise, but make sure you provide all of the necessary information for me to answer
your question.
3. If you are angry or frustrated when you email, think carefully before you send the email.
It is always better to wait a few hours before sending an email than to write something
out of anger that is now on permanent record. Again be professional.
4. Federal privacy laws forbids me from discussing grades and performance with anyone
other than you. For this reason, I do not give out grades nor do I discuss a grade over
email. I am happy to answer questions about assignments over email, but I will not read
entire drafts of papers that way. At times I may ask you to come see me if the answer is
complicated. Also remember that I do not access my email 24/7. While I will often
answer questions in the evenings and on weekends, especially when assignments are due,
you should not expect an answer during those times. Please give me at least one work
day to answer your question.
5. Sign your email and since I will hit the reply button, be sure that you are emailing me
from an address that is your own.
6. You are responsible for checking your email of record every day. I email important
information to the class and not receiving the email is not a university acceptable excuse.
7. Do not be offended if my replies are brief. If you have a question, I am glad that you
asked. My reply simply reflect the large number of email I receive each day.
Attendance:
Because this is a seminar and small class regular attendance is necessary for both your success
and that of the class. Students are expected to attend all classes unless they have a University
recognized excuse. Students who miss more than two classes will be penalized ten points per
class missed unless all of your misses are accompanied by a University recognized excuse and
proper documentation.
Extended absences:
As most of you know prolonged illnesses such as the present challenges for all of us. To prevent
a large outbreak, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, you should stay home. In a large
GUR class, cooperation, honesty and advanced planning is necessary to allow you to complete
the class should you have a prolonged illness. In order to guarantee the smooth functioning of
this course and you to finish the class should you become ill, I have instituted the following
policies. These policies may be changed if necessary.
1. Students are responsible for self-reporting the flu and other illnesses. In other words, if
you believe you are contagious, stay home. If it turns out you did not have the flu, come
back to class and let me know you were mistaken, but don not claim you were ill if you
just did not come to class for a week or failed to finish an assignment on time. Extended
absences and requests for extensions will require a doctor’s excuse.
2. You are responsible for informing me that you will need to miss class as soon as you are
able, but certainly before you return to class and before the assignment you miss is due.
Waiting until the end of the semester or even until you return to class to tell me you were
sick is not adequate.
3. Students who miss more than one week of class because of an excused absence will be
given the option of make-up work the nature of which will be determined by me. This
make-up work will generally consist of a brief written assignment on that week’s
readings.
4. In extreme instances, I may agree to drop an assignment and redistribute points.
5. If I get sick, I will notify you via email and post instructions on the web. If I miss more
than a day of class, I will post an assignment on the web to make-up for the classes you
will miss.
Cellphone Policy:
As a member of the learning community, each student has a responsibility to other students who
are members of the community. When cell phones or pagers ring and students respond in class
or leave class to respond, it disrupts the class. Therefore, the Office of the Provost prohibits the
use by students of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar communication devices during
scheduled classes. All such devices must be turned off or put in a silent (vibrate) mode and
ordinarily should not be taken out during class. Given the fact that these same communication
devices are an integral part of the University’s emergency notification system, an exception to
this policy would occur when numerous devices activate simultaneously. When this occurs,
students may consult their devices to determine if a university emergency exists. If that is not
the case, the devices should be immediately returned to silent mode and put away. If you consult
a cell phone during and exam or quiz, you will receive zero points; if you text during class, you
will be marked absent for that class.
Emergency Response Information
Students who require assistance during an emergency evacuation must discuss their needs with
their professors and Disability Services. If you have emergency medical information to share
with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please
make an appointment with me as soon as possible.
For additional information students should contact the Office of Disability Services, 836-4192
(PSU 405), or Larry Combs, Interim Assistant Director of Public Safety and Transportation at
836-6576.
For further information on Missouri State University’s Emergency Response Plan, please refer to
the following web site: http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/erp.htm.
Emergency Storm Shelter and Evacuation Information:
In the event of an emergency or incident in the classroom, the faculty member is often the
first university representative or authority figure recognized to be in charge until
emergency first responders arrive. At the first class meeting, students should become
familiar with a basic emergency response plan through a dialogue with the instructor that
includes a review and awareness of exits specific to the classroom and the location of
evacuation centers for the building. For your convenience, this information has been
provided by the Office of the Provost and Safety and Transportation and appears below.
Students with disabilities impacting mobility should discuss with their instructor the
approved accommodations for emergency situations and additional options. Faculty must
include information related to emergency response in their syllabi (see
http://www.missouristate.edu/provost/syllabi.htm). For more information contact Safety
and Transportation (417-836-5509) or consult the Emergency Quick Reference Guide and
Campus Emergency Response Plan.
Shelter Information (in case of severe weather).
Building
Shelter Information
Evacuate the fourth floor using north and south stairs.
Strong Hall Faculty office wing occupants may shelter in interior halls of their area.
All other occupants move to basement level using north and south stairwells.
Evacuation Instructions (in case the building needs to be evacuated for events such as fire, gas
leak, etc.)
Building
Evacuation Information
Strong Hall Northeast to Glass Hall Room 101; Overflow to rooms 102 and 108
Dropping a class:
It is your responsibility to understand the University’s procedure for dropping a class. If you stop
attending this class but do not follow proper procedure for dropping the class, you will receive a
failing grade and will also be financially obligated to pay for the class. For information about
dropping a class or withdrawing from the university, contact the Office of the Registrar at 8365520.
See Academic Calendars (www.missouristate.edu/registrar/acad_cal.html) for deadlines.
Statement of nondiscrimination:
Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution, and maintains a
grievance procedure available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated
against. At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or concerns about possible
discrimination to the Office for Equity and Diversity, Park Central Office Building, 117 Park
Central Square, Suite 111, (417) 836-4252. Other types of concerns (i.e., concerns of an
academic nature) should be discussed directly with your instructor and can also be brought to the
attention of your instructor’s Department Head. Please visit the OED website at
www.missouristate.edu/equity/.
Statement on disability accommodation:
To request academic accommodations for a disability, contact the Director of Disability Services,
Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417) 836-4192 or (417) 836-6792 (TTY),
www.missouristate.edu/disability. Students are required to provide documentation of disability
to Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations. Disability Services refers some types
of accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, which also provides diagnostic
testing for learning and psychological disabilities. For information about testing, contact the
Director of the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, (417) 836-4787,
http://psychology.missouristate.edu/ldc.
Statement on academic dishonesty:
Missouri State University is a community of scholars committed to developing educated persons
who accept the responsibility to practice personal and academic integrity. You are responsible
for knowing and following the university’s student honor code, Student Academic Integrity
Policies and Procedures, available at
www.missouristate.edu/assets/provost/AcademicIntegrityPolicyRev-1-08.pdf and also available
at the Reserves Desk in Meyer Library. Any student participating in any form of academic
dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.