HIST 4368/5368
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1865
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Department of History
Fall 2014
Dr. Barclay Key (btkey@ualr.edu)
Stabler Hall 407
MWF, 11-11.50 p.m.
“I think that a man at any moment of action is the living sum of his past…that man at the
very moment at which he is doing something, he did that particular thing exactly in that
way because of the hundred years before him that made him…because he is the sum of his
ancestors and his condition, his times.” William Faulkner (1957)
First Things
Welcome to HIST 4368/5368, African-American History to 1865! I am glad that you have chosen to
take this course, and I look forward to discussing and learning African-American history with you. Please know
that I have high expectations of myself as your instructor, as the one who bears the responsibility for helping
you learn and think about the past. Likewise, I have high expectations of you. More than just attending class
and completing assignments, you will be expected to listen carefully and critically to voices within the
classroom and from the people whose histories we explore. Furthermore, I have high expectations with regard
to your reading and writing. I insist that you read closely and write well and will be pleased to assist you in
these tasks. By maintaining high expectations of each other, I am confident that we will learn much about
history and perhaps about ourselves.
The narrative of U.S. history is inextricably bound to African-American history. We simply cannot
understand one without the other. Thus, we have a serious task before us, if we wish to know and understand
the U.S. Let us open our minds to new ideas, new stories, and new ways of considering the past!
To that end, we must cultivate our interest in people’s stories. Everyone has a story to tell. Today, our
lives are defined by the stories that we create daily. Perhaps you have stories to share, both joyful and painful,
about your family, about your friends from high school, about your travels, about your religion, or about your
experiences at work or in college. In a sense, our identities are defined by the stories we live and create for
ourselves. The same is true for history. Our subjects, the people we study, have stories to tell about their lives.
Historians tease these stories out of available sources, explain why they are important, and debate their
meaning and significance. Such activities broadly define my goal for us: learning stories about African
Americans and discussing their significance for understanding U.S. history.
Historical narratives involve groups of people and individuals. The same will be true of this course. At
times, we will discuss numbers—the number of slaves who experienced the Middle Passage, for example—but
we will also give attention to individual stories and what they might mean for understanding African-American
history. When we generalize with statistics, we encourage you to consider the individuals who compose those
statistics and what stories they might share, if given the opportunity. When we consider individuals, we will
want to experience their lives with them, as best we can, and engage their world, imagining the options that
were before them and discussing why they made the choices that they did. At the same time, we will want to ask
critical questions of their narratives and the specific contexts from which they spoke. Or, as one of my favorite
college professors often said, “History is context. History is context. History is context.”
As you might imagine, history can be contentious, and there will be occasions in this course when we
will have disagreements among ourselves. Of course, I expect everyone to listen and carefully consider other
opinions as your own ideas take shape. If you disagree with someone, you will have an opportunity to explain
why. Together, we will improve our historical understanding and sharpen our critical thinking skills.
Catalog Description
An overview of the African-American experience from slavery to Civil War and emancipation,
examining political, cultural, social, legal, constitutional, and economic developments. Dual-listed in the UALR
Graduate Catalog as HIST 5368. Three credit hours.
Course Description and Format
Lectures, reading assignments, discussions, and audiovisual materials will facilitate our exploration of
African-American history from the origins of American slavery in the Atlantic world to the end of the Civil War.
Due to the constraints of a survey course and the immense amount of material that we could potentially
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analyze, we will give special attention to these topics: the concept of “race” and its significance in U.S. history;
the relationships between African Americans and governments (local, state, and federal); the evolution of
slavery and the variety of slave experiences; the ways in which African Americans resisted slavery and
discrimination; and the emergence of African-American culture(s). We invite you to add topics to this list
during the semester.
The schedule at the end of the syllabus outlines the (roughly) chronological path we will follow. Please
note that attendance is mandatory, and missing a class for any reason will adversely affect your participation
grade. Careful reading, thoughtful and coherent writing, and active participation in discussions will be
necessary for success in this course.
Course Objectives
At the end of the semester, students will be able to
 incorporate African-American history into their narratives of U.S. history;
 trace the evolution of “race” and its significance in U.S. history;
 describe the varieties of slave experiences in North America;
 evaluate relationships between African Americans and local, state, and federal governments;
 assess the demise of slavery in the U.S. and the creation of historical memory about slavery;
 explain the origins of the Civil War as they relate to slavery;
 describe significant aspects of African-American culture that existed before 1865; and
 conduct research and write historical narratives, book reviews, and document analyses.
Required Reading
Books will be available on reserve in the library, or they may be purchased from the usual outlets. We
will read these items in the order that they are listed. These books will occasionally be supplemented with
assignments from the Internet or handouts.
 Jon Sensbach, Rebecca’s Revival: Creating Black Christianity in the Atlantic World (ISBN
9780674022577).
 Mark M. Smith, ed., Stono: Documenting and Interpreting a Southern Slave Revolt (ISBN
9781570036057).
 ONE of the following:
o Billy D. Higgins, A Stranger and a Sojourner: Peter Caulder, Free Black Frontiersman in
Antebellum Arkansas (ISBN 9781557288059).
o Albert Raboteau, Slave Religion: The “Invisible Institution” in the Antebellum South (ISBN
9780195174120).
o Marcus Rediker, The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom (ISBN
9780143123989).
 David Walker’s Appeal (ISBN 9780933121386). Also available at this link.
 ONE of the following:
o Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself (ISBN 9780312442668).
Also available at this link.
o David W. Blight, A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom, Including Their Own
Narratives of Emancipation (ISBN 978-0156034517).
 Ira Berlin, et al., Slave No More: Three Essays on Emancipation and the Civil War (ISBN
9780521436922).
Assignments
 Read actively: You must complete the assigned readings! Reading will provide the means for us to
“hear” people’s stories, and I have chosen books that will captivate your imaginations. Reading actively
will require you to engage authors and their subjects, asking questions of the texts and immersing
yourself in the worlds they describe.
 Regularly attend class: I expect you to be here! We need you to be here! How will we know what you
think, if you’re not present? Indeed, your absence may prevent a classmate from learning something
new or looking at a matter in a different perspective. Meanwhile, your participation grade depends in
part on your attendance. Also PLEASE NOTE that poor attendance will automatically lower your final
grade for the course. Nine or more absences, regardless of the circumstances, will reduce your
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final grade by one full letter (for example, a B becomes a C). Twelve or more absences, regardless of
the circumstances, will result in automatic failure. There is a DIRECT CORRELATION between good
attendance and good grades, so you should make every effort to have perfect attendance.
Actively participate in discussions: Not only do we want you here, but we want you to speak! You will be
expected to remain actively engaged in class discussions, sharing your thoughts about the people and
places we explore. You should also come to class prepared to ASK QUESTIONS of reading assignments.
I will do my best to keep a tally during the semester of students who participate. Attendance is one
point, while thoughtful comments or questions are worth two points. Therefore, by attending each class
and contributing a comment or question, you can earn a maximum of three points per class for a
semester total of ~135 points. P.S. I might call on you whether or not your hand is raised! [Insert evil
laugh here.]
Complete reading test: To get the semester off to a good start, we will gauge your reading of Rebecca’s
Revival with a little reading test on Wednesday, September 3. You can anticipate multiple choice
and true/false questions.
Complete these writing assignments:
o A History of the Stono Rebellion by [insert your name here]. You will have the opportunity
to write your very own history (in approximately 1,000-1,250 words) of a famous slave rebellion!
Use the primary and secondary sources in Stono: Documenting and Interpreting a Southern
Slave Revolt. Be imaginative. Be creative. Be prepared to face your (friendly) critics. This history
is due as an e-mail attachment to btkey@ualr.edu before class on Monday, September 15.
o A book review (700-750 words) will focus on A Stranger and a Sojourner OR Slave Religion
OR The Amistad Rebellion. Treat this essay as a professional review that might be published in a
historical journal. Consider the author’s thesis, objectives, and sources. Assess the book’s
structure, contributions to historical knowledge, and possibilities for further research. This
review is due as an e-mail attachment to btkey@ualr.edu before class on Wednesday,
October 1.
o An essay (700-750 words) will analyze David Walker’s famous Appeal, a document first
published in 1829 and banned in many places. This assignment invites students to grapple with
several issues that Walker raised. This analysis is due as an e-mail attachment to
btkey@ualr.edu before class on Wednesday, October 15.
o An encyclopedia entry (700-750 words) will summarize the life of one of the following
runaway slaves: Harriet Jacobs, Wallace Turnage, or John Washington. Use Incidents in the Life
of a Slave Girl or A Slave No More to assist you. This entry is due as an e-mail attachment to
btkey@ualr.edu before class on Monday, November 3.
o An essay (700-750 words) will explain the relationships between the Civil War and the
destruction of slavery. This assignment invites students to read Slaves No More and assess and
summarize the ways that the war undermined slavery and ultimately led to its demise. This
essay is due as an e-mail attachment to btkey@ualr.edu before class on Wednesday,
November 19.
Complete final exam: You will have a comprehensive final exam that poses broad questions, enabling
you to show off your new understanding of African-American history. The exam will consist of essay
questions, so each student should bring a blue book. The final exam will be Friday, December 12.
A Note on Writing
Please understand that I have the highest expectations for your writing assignments. Poor grammar,
misspelled words, and the like will not be tolerated. I will be glad to assist you in writing good papers, but I
also urge you to utilize the University Writing Center. See http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/ for details.
Students with Disabilities
Your success in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you
have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an accommodation, please
contact me privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how
to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates
reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established
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through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s), and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability,
please contact me and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information,
please visit the DRC website at http://ualr.edu/disability/.
Miscellaneous Rules That I Feel Compelled to Include Even Though You’re Adults
 Class will begin promptly at 11 a.m. Compulsive tardiness will not be tolerated.
 I will not accept late papers, so please carefully note due dates.
 Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please consult with me if you have any questions about what
constitutes plagiarism, as excuses (including, and perhaps especially, ignorance) will not be accepted.
You may also wish to consult the university’s policies on academic integrity, available at
http://ualr.edu/deanofstudents/index.php/home/academic-integrity/.
Contact Information
I teach from 10am to 12.50pm on MWF but am regularly in my office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Feel
free to drop in or make an appointment.
E-mail: btkey@ualr.edu
Office: 604N Stabler Hall
501.569.8782
Hours: MWF, 1-2pm
Grading
Participation
Reading test
Writing assignments
Final exam
20%
5%
55%
20%
A 92-100
B 83-91
C 74-82
D 65-73
F
0-64
Tentative Schedule of Class Meetings
DATE
TOPIC
M, August 18 Introductions
W, August 20 Race: The Power of an Illusion
F, August 22 Origins of the transatlantic slave trade
M, August 25 Slavery in North America
W, August 27 Slavery in North America
F, August 29 Slavery in North America
M, September 1 LABOR DAY—CLASSES CANCELED
W, September 3 Rebecca’s Revival
F, September 5 Slavery in North America
M, September 8 Slavery in North America
W, September 10 Slave revolts
F, September 12 Slave revolts
M, September 15 Stono
W, September 17 Free People of Color
F, September 19 Black Americans in the Revolutionary Era
M, September 22 Black Americans in the Revolutionary Era
W, September 24 Slavery in the USA
F, September 26 Slavery in the USA
M, September 29 Antebellum slave markets
W, October 1 Antebellum experiences
F, October 3 Christianity
M, October 6 Islam
W, October 8 The colonization question
F, October 10 David Walker’s Appeal
M, October 13 FALL BREAK—CLASSES CANCELED
W, October 15 Organized abolitionism
PAPERS AND TESTS
Reading test
History of Stono Rebellion
Book review
Essay on David Walker
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F, October 17
M, October 20
W, October 22
F, October 24
M, October 27
W, October 29
F, October 31
M, November 3
W, November 5
F, November 7
M, November 10
W, November 12
F, November 14
M, November 17
W, November 19
F, November 21
M, November 24
W, November 26
F, November 28
M, December 1
W, December 3
F, December 5
M, December 8
F, December 12
Organized abolitionism
Organized abolitionism
Sectional crises of the 1850s
1857
Causes of the Civil War
Causes of the Civil War
Slave narratives
Slave narratives
African Americans in the Civil War
African Americans in the Civil War
Who freed whom?
Who freed whom?
A Slave No More, Chapter 1
A Slave No More, Chapter 2
A Slave No More, Chapter 3
The Thirteenth Amendment and beyond
Public memory and African-American history
THANKSGIVING BREAK—CLASSES CANCELED
THANKSGIVING BREAK—CLASSES CANCELED
Pedagogy and African-American history
Traces of the Trade
Traces of the Trade
FINAL EXAM
Encyclopedia entry
Essay on slavery and war