History 301: U.S. to 1763
U.S. History 1763 is a survey of the history of the North American colonies from the
beginning of European settlements (roughly 1600) to the French and Indian War, which ended
in 1763. The thirteen colonies were an integral part of the Atlantic world, which greatly
influenced their social, political, and economic growth. Equally important were internal
developments. Each colony developed in a unique way: some such as Virginia and South
Carolina were founded as economic enterprises while others such as Massa-chusetts and
Pennsylvania were created on a religious basis. This course will focus on the interactions and
social relationships among people, especially in regard to class, race and gender. Other topics
that this class addresses throughout the semester are cultural trends, economic developments,
and political thought as well as themes such as the rise of capitalism, Native America, the
colonies’ place in the Atlantic, slavery, and the comparisons of individual colonies to each
other.
This class is geared toward teaching and encouraging students to think critically,
independently and creatively about the past, present, and future. Both written assignments and
class discussion are essential for your success in this class. You are expected to contribute
actively to class discussions, which are a vital part of your final grade. If you feel that you
need additional help with writing your papers, I encourage you to contact the Fred Meijer
Center for Writing (www.gvsu.edu/wc or 331-2922).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The final grade will be based on the following components:
- participation (15%)
- reaction papers (20%)
- presentation (10%) and paper (20%)
- grammar exercises (5%)
- quizzes (10%)
- mid-term and final exam (20% = 10% each)
E-mail and Blackboard
At times I will communicate with you over e-mail or post messages on Blackboard. It is your
responsibility to check your e-mail and Blackboard for necessary information. Please make
sure that you either check your GVSU-account regularly or that you switch your other e-mail
to your preferred e-mail. To do this, you have to contact the Registrar’s Office at 616-3313327 or e-mail regdept@gvsu.edu and inform them of your e-mail. It is not possible anymore
to do it through your student profile on the web.
Participation
You are expected to attend class regularly and participate actively in discussions. Much of
class discussion will be based on the analysis of primary sources, which usually will be
available on Blackboard. You should print out these sources and be prepared to discuss them
in class. At times, I will divide you into smaller groups to work on the analysis of primary
sources or a given question. The results of such group work will count towards your overall
participation grade. If you are not prepared to participate in discussions, I reserve myself the
right to ask you to leave class.
Quizzes
I will give short weekly quizzes at the beginning of the class. These quizzes will cover lecture
material and readings. Study questions for each week are available on blackboard. If you are
late to class and miss a quiz, you will not be able to make it up. Only in exceptional
circumstances (such as a documented illness or otherwise excused absence that I am aware of
before class) will I allow you to make up a quiz.
Grammar Exercises
I also assigned Diana Hacker’s Pocket Style Manual, which includes on-line exercises in
grammar and writing style. As your instructor I am able to check up on you if you have
completed those exercises. Please follow the instructions for the log-in. If you are not logged
in, I will not receive your scores. I expect you to use what you learn from these exercises in
your papers. Your paper grades will decrease in relation to the amount of grammar and
spelling mistakes.
Reaction Papers
You will write four short reaction papers about the assigned books (500-750 words)
throughout the semester. These papers are not book reviews but should emphasize your own
opinion and assessment of the book. For more details on reaction papers, see hand-out
available on Blackboard. You should not use outside sources for these papers. If you decide to
use any outside sources, you are expected to cite them in the appropriate manner. If you fail to
give citations, you are engaging in plagiarism (see below).
Presentation and Paper Assignment
Presentation: You will give a presentation on and write a short paper about a topic of your
choice. For the presentation part of this assignment, I will divide you up into pairs. I will try
to divide you in a way that accommodates your interests. Together you will give a brief oral
presentation (not more than 10 minutes) in class. Each member of the group has to take part in
the presentation. You will have to meet with me to discuss your topic, your thesis and the
sources (both primary and secondary) you plan to use. We will have a class session that will
introduce you to historical databases online and other resources in the library.
Paper: After your presentation each of you will individually write a short paper (1000-1500
words) on your topic. For those of you who are future teachers, you have the option of doing a
combination of a lesson plan and a short paper. I will announce further details in class.
Peer Review: You are also required to comment on and critique a certain number of other
students’ presentations and the performance of your partner.
Mid-term and Final Examination
Both exams will consist of two parts: identification of terms (3 out of 5) and an analysis of a
primary source. Both exams will consist of two parts: identification of terms (3 out of 5) and a
short essay question. In the first part, you can demonstrate their mastery of important
historical terms addressed in lectures and discussions. In the second part, you are expected to
demonstrate your understanding of the overarching themes of the course.
Extra Credit
2007/08 marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Grand
Valley State University and several other local institutions are celebrating this anniversary
with a series of events. Attending events is strongly recommended and will significantly
contribute to your participation grade. Some of the events are listed on this syllabus. You can
find a complete listing of events at www.gvsu.edu/abolition.
Late Papers
If you hand in a paper after the deadline, you will loose 10 points per day unless you have a
valid reason for being late or discussed an extension with me well before the deadline.
Plagiarism
Any material that you use or any idea that is not your own you have to cite in your papers
(Chicago Style, see Hacker, p. 184-193). If you fail to do so, you are engaging in plagiarism.
This is a serious matter and can lead to severe consequences. You will receive a failing grade
(0 points) on the assignment you plagiarized. You might possibly fail the entire course and be
reported to the dean depending on the severity of your offense.
The following books are available in the bookstore:
Peter Wood, Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina
Carol Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England
Marcus Rediker, Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age
William Fowler, Empires at War: The French and Indian War
Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual (4th edition)
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES/ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1:
Introduction/Three Worlds Collide – Europe
Readings:
- Christopher Hill, “Masterless Men” (chap. 3), in The World Turned
Upside Down, p. 39-56 (available on blackboard)
Week 2:
Three Worlds Collide – Native America
Readings:
- Neal Salisbury, “The Indians’ Old World: Native Americans and the
Coming of Europeans,” William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd ser., vol. 31
(Jan. 1974), p. 27-54 (available on blackboard)
- James Axtell, “The White Indians of Colonial America,” William and
Mary Quarterly, 3rd ser., vol. 32 (Jan. 1975), p. 55-88 (available on
blackboard)
- Daniel Richter, “War and Culture: The Iroquois Experience,” William
and Mary Quarterly, 3rd ser., vol. 75 (Oct. 1983), p. 528-559 (available
on blackboard)
Please e-mail me topics you are interested in by January 16 so that I
can divide you up into pairs.
Week 3:
Three Worlds Collide – Africa
Readings:
- John Thornton, “The Origins and Early History of the Kingdom of
Kongo, ca. 1350-1550,” International Journal of African Historical
Studies, vol. 34 (2001), p. 89-120 (available on blackboard)
Extra Credit: Rev. Dr. E. Obeng, “’Sankofa:’ Contemporary Ghana and
the Historiography of the Slave Experience,” Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.,
Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center (downtown campus)
Week 4:
Virginia and the Rise of Slavery
Readings:
- Wood, Black Majority, Part I and II
Proposal for Presentation/Paper due on January 30.
Week 5:
South Carolina
Readings:
- Wood, Black Majority, Part III and IV
- for Thursday: John K. Thornton, “African Dimensions of the Stono
Rebellion,” American Historical Review, vol. 96 (Oct. 1991), p. 11011113 (available on blackboard)
Reaction Paper on Wood due on February 6 in class
Week 6:
New England
Readings:
- Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman, chap. 1-3
Extra Credit (Feb. 12): Kevin Bales, “Disposable People: New Slavery in
the Global Economy,” Monday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m., Cook-DeWitt Center
Week 7:
Witchcraft in New England
Readings:
- Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman, chap. 4-7
Reaction Paper on Karlsen due on February 20 in class
Week 8:
Review Session and Mid-Term
Review Session for Mid-Term (Feb. 27)
Mid-Term Exam (March 1)
Extra Credit (Feb. 28): Lauren Dubois, “The Revolutionary Abolitionists
of Haiti,” Wednesday, February 28 at 7 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium,
DeVos Center (downtown campus)
Week 9:
Spring Break (March 4-11)
Week 10:
Pennsylvania and Maryland
Readings:
- Markus Rediker, Villains of All Nations, chap. 1-4
Presentations on Thursday (4 per session)
Week 11:
Piracy in the Atlantic World/Great Awakening
Readings:
- Markus Rediker, Villains of All Nations, chap. 4-8, Conclusion
Reaction Paper on Rediker due on March 20 in class
Extra Credit: Orlando Patterson, “What Was Lost, What Survived: Consequences of the Middle Passage in the United States and the Caribbean,”
Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center
(downtown)
Week 12:
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
Readings:
- Antonio Bly, “Crossing the Lake of Fire: Slave Resistance during the
Middle Passage, 1720-1842,” Journal of Negro History, vol. 83
(Summer 1998), p. 178-186 (available on blackboard)
- chapter from Marcus’s book
Presentations on Thursday (4 per session)
Week 13:
Slavery in British North America
Readings:
- Philip Morgan, “Work and Culture: The Task System and the World of
Lowcountry Blacks, 1700-1880,” William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd ser.,
vol. 39 (Oct. 1982), p. 563-599 (available on blackboard)
- Allan Kulikoff, “The Origins of Afro-American Society in Tidewater
Maryland and Virginia, 1700-1790,” William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd
ser., vol. 35 (April 1978), p. 226-259 (available on blackboard)
Presentations on Thursday (4 per session)
Week 14:
Empires at War – French and Indian War
Readings:
William Fowler, Empires at War,
Presentations on Thursday (4 per session)
Week 15:
Empires at War – French and Indian War
Readings:
April 19
William Fowler, Empires at War,
Review Session
Reaction Papers on Fowler due in class on April 17
Extra Credit: Marcus Rediker, “The Floating Dungeon: A History of the
Slave Ship,” Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos
Center (downtown)
April 26
Final Exam