Title VI-A Year Two Project—North Africa
US-Moroccan Relations—Second Draft
1. Name:
Wei Yan
2. College:
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
3. Course Title and Number:
ENG 102—College Composition II
4. Semesters Course will be offered:
Fall 2009, Spring 2010, and Fall 2010
Delivery Method: a combination of lectures, class discussions, student team work, research,
and student presentation
Anticipated Enrollment: 26
5. Course Outcomes:
Upon completion of the project, students will be able to:

have a better understanding of Morocco (and North Africa), its culture, religion,
economy, and the relation with the United States and other countries;

formulate informed opinions about Morocco and North Africa and become aware of their
misconception and biases of Islamic culture;

have a clearer view of the role the United States plays in Morocco and North Africa;

find out which stereotypes and misconceptions people in Morocco and North Africa have
about the US and American culture;

Better appreciate foreign peoples and cultures, specifically Moroccans and Islam;

improve their critical thinking skills by incorporating different rhetorical strategies into
their research essays; and

transfer the skills acquired in the infusion process to other projects for continuing
education.
6. Narrative description of the project:
Before the module was inserted, the ENG 102 class was a combination of writing and
literature class that included short fiction, poetry, and drama, with the primary emphasis on
literary pieces by Western writers. Students had no opportunity to experience non-Western
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cultures, such as those of Africa. With the integration of the module, the short fiction and
poetry sections will be shortened so that more time can be allotted to the research project.
As students work through the three stages of the project—outline, annotated bibliography,
and final draft—they will become familiar with their chosen topic. In addition, they can
utilize the information gathered from the lectures on US-Moroccan relations during
different historical periods. Upon completing the project, students will develop a more
comprehensive perspective regarding American foreign policy and better appreciate the
relationship with other countries.
7. Basic outline of the learning unit:
I.
Lead-in
A. A simple Morocco quiz (e.g. Which famous movie has the name of a city of
Morocco?)
B. Students will be asked to write about their impressions of Morocco and share their
paragraphs with each other.
C. Compare and contrast students’ responses with the “Barbary” image in early
American literature
1. The subject matter is directly inspired by the capture by North African corsairs of
American citizens and the conditions of their life (and sometimes death) in
captivity.
2. The “Barbary” image was created by an American imagination fed by the fears
and insecurity of a young nation.
D. Introduction to Morocco:
1. Place in the world
2. History
3. Economy, politics, and religion
4. People
5. Language (Students will be provided a short glossary that contains basic Arabic
words. They can also go to the following website to practice their pronunciation:
<http://www.travlang.com/languages/cgi-bin/langchoice.cgi>.)
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II. How it started—the beginning of US-Moroccan relationship
A. In 1777 Morocco was the first state to recognize American independence and
declare that American vessels could freely enter Moroccan ports.
B. In 1786 the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, also called the Treaty of Marrakech, was
signed by King Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
1. The first treaty between any Muslim, Arab, or African state and the United
States.
2. Is still in effect and marks the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S.
history.
C.
In 1797 an American consulate was established in Tangier. (www.legation.org)
D.
In 1821 King Moulay Slimane, Sidi Mohammed’s successor, gave the United States
one of Tangier’s most beautiful buildings for its diplomatic headquarters.
1. The first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government
2. Officially used from 1821 to 1956
3. Now a museum—the oldest diplomatic building owned by the United States in
the world
Writing Assignment:
Students will be asked to write a short essay in which they explore the possible primary
forces that initiated the US-Moroccan relationship.
III. The U.S.-Moroccan Conflict of 1801-1803
A. Origin: the war between the United States and Tripoli
B. King Mawlay Sulayman’s willingness to help Tripoli led to the capturing of a
Moroccan ship by American warship (Philadelphia).
C. It led to the establishment of a long peace between the United States and Morocco.
D. It confirmed the technological superiority of Western nations, however small they
were.
E. It is the first and last serious crisis in the history of U.S.-Moroccan relations.
IV. Morocco and the American Civil War
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A. The Confederate war vessel Sumter was blocked off the Moroccan coast and
Confederate officers were made prisoners on Moroccan soil.
B. The Confederacy, though unofficially, was seeking to get recognized by other
nations such as Morocco.
Writing Assignment:
The students will be required to write a short paper on the ways Morocco handled the
1801-03 conflict and the Confederate war vessel Sumter.
V. The 1880 Madrid Conference
A. Background: the arbitrary and chaotic mismanagement of the Moroccan
government led increasing numbers of Moors and Jews to seek foreign protection.
B. Protection abuse: first granted to protégés—those employed by the legations or
consulates but later was extended to censaux—agents of foreign merchants as well
C. In 1877 the American consul at Tangier was charged by British of “having irregularly
granted protection to upwards of one hundred wealthy Moorish subjects engaged in
mercantile or agricultural pursuits, notwithstanding that the United States have no
trade with Morocco, and only one … citizen in that country.”
D. The controversy between France and Morocco: France insisted on the right to
determine the number of censaux and their selection from anywhere in the country,
and on having consular jurisdiction over them; Morocco rejected any selection of
censaux from the inhabitants of the interior of the country.
E. The American intervention: advised Morocco to endeavor to end the irregular
protection but yield on the selection of censaux; persuaded France to accept taxation
of the censaux.
F. Naturalization: The US argued that Moors who went abroad for naturalization and
returned to Morocco could demand all the rights of foreigners.
G. The importance of American participation in the Madrid Conference: the first one in
a major international conference devoted to European and African affairs. The day
when America might hope to influence foreign affairs merely by example of noninvolvement was passing.
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VI. World War II
A. In 1942 Allied (US& GB) forces invaded North Africa to liberate it from indirect GermanItalian control through Vichy France.
B. In 1943 the Allies held a major conference in Casablanca, attended by Prime
Minister Winston Churchill or Great Britain, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt of
the United States, along with the leader of the Free French forces, Charles de Gaulle.
C. President Roosevelt also hosted a dinner in honor of King Mohammed V and his son
(later King Hassan II), which helped validate Morocco’s goal of independence from
France.
Writing Assignment:
The students will be asked to ponder over the American presence in Morocco during the
Second World War and write a short essay explaining the motives.
VII. The Attitude of US during the Franco-Morocco Conflict (1950-1956)
A. Origin of the conflict
B. The anti-colonialist tradition of the United States
C. American interest in Morocco
D. The strategic considerations of NATO
VIII.
Cold War
A. Morocco generally supported the United States and the Western European nations,
while most other Arab countries were either neutral or sided with the Soviets.
B. The United States elevated the status of its representatives in Morocco from
diplomatic agent to ambassador.
C. In 1957 Mohammed V met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington, and,
soon after, Vice President Richard M. Nixon visited the king to discuss bilateral
cooperation.
D. Mohammed V’s son and successor, Hassan II, traveled to the United States at
various times to meet Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and
Clinton.
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IX.
US-Moroccan Military Relations after the Green March of 1975
A.
Background of the Green March
B.
The Carter Administration played the role of a disinterested party to the
Western Sahara dispute.
C.
The Reagan Administration lifted the military limitations that the Carter
Administration placed on Morocco.
Writing Assignment:
Students will be asked to write a short essay to analyze and explain either the ambiguous
American attitude during the Franco-Morocco Conflict (1950-1956) or the fluctuation in its
military relations with Morocco.
X. US-Moroccan Ties in the New Millennium
A. King Mohammed VI made his first official visit to the United States in 2000.
B. US financial assistance for domestic, social, and economic programs from 1999 to
2001 was $88.1 million.
C. United States North Africa Economic Partnership
1. It promotes the Maghreb as a destination for U.S. business and the United States as
a market for Moroccan export.
2. Approximately 30 American franchises, such as Pizza Hut and McDonald’s, have
arrived in Morocco.
D. Morocco has granted the U.S. armed forces rights of transit through its airfields
(which may also serve as an alternative landing site for the space shuttle). It also
allows the U.S. Navy port visitation rights.
Writing Assignment:
Students will be asked to write a short essay to discuss the impact of globalization and
Americanization on a Muslim society.
XI. Peace Corps and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
A. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been active in Morocco
since 1953.
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B. The Peace Corps arrived in Morocco in 1963 and now has more than 130 volunteers
working in healthcare, education, agriculture, and environmental programs.
1. Cross-Cultural Achievements
2. Transfer to Technology
Writing Assignment:
Students will be asked to write a short essay on the role of Peace Corps in Morocco. Is it
political, economic or both?
XII. California and Morocco Colonial-Era Environmental Exchanges
A. Morocco to California
1. Apricot
2. Retama Bush (Genista monosperma)
B. California to Morocco
1. Citrus
XIII. Contemporary Moroccan Writing and Western cinematic depiction of Morocco
A. Leila Abouzeid's Year of the Elephant (1989)
1. the first novel by a Moroccan woman to be translated from Arabic to English
2. post-independence disillusionment
3. rejection of the notion that liberation for Muslim women can only be found in
European feminist models, most of which dismiss Islamic culture and values
B. Babel (2006)
1. Tagline: If You Want to be Understood...Listen
2. How the barriers of language and culture serve to divide us: even people who speak
the same language cannot communicate.
3. Reveals our most fundamental commonalities and connectedness: the smallest
action in a remote country can have a ripple effect worldwide.
Writing Assignment:
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Students will be asked to write a short essay on issues of post-colonialism, feminism, or
communication/globalization. How could people of different races achieve a better
understanding?
8. Copies of the assignments:
For the final project, students will be asked to write a research paper on one of the
following topics. They can also choose topics from class lecture and discussion or other
topics approved by the instructor.
1.
How would you define US-Moroccan relations before WW II?
2. What could be done to improve US-Moroccan relations? In what ways?
3. Explore your change of attitude toward Morocco before and after you take this class.
4. Based on the past relations between US and Morocco, what could be the future of
friendship and cooperation?
Students will go through three steps (Outline, Annotated Bibliography, and Final Draft) to
accomplish this assignment. These steps will serve as the guidelines and ensure that the
paper will not be off the topic and thus meet the requirement for this assignment.
9. Student evaluations (rubrics) of these assignments:
A. Outline (2%)
B. Annotated Bibliography (6%)
C. Final Draft (12%)
The Annotated Bibliography entries should all contain two parts. The description of the two
(2) parts of each annotation follows:
1. Proper MLA Citation of the Source.
2. Summary of Source: One or two paragraphs should summarize/analyze the material that
you foresee using in your paper (such material would include quotations, summations, and
in-text citations). The purpose of this form is to eliminate your need to return to original
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sources when you write your paper. It is not a summary of everything the author says in the
work; it is instead a focused summation of what you like or dislike about the article and
what information in the article is relevant to your topic.
Outside Sources:
Items selected should be from different types of sources. In your final paper, you must have
at least eight sources, three different types of sources, and only two of your sources can
come from the Internet. Here is an incomplete list of possible types of sources.

Books (see the library online catalog)

Print articles (There will be a library session that explains how to do research in our
library.)

Print articles online (There will be a library session that explains how to do research
in our library.)

Magazines

Newspapers

Web pages (be careful! Evaluate the credibility and validity of individual web pages.
Cite the URL -- the web address that appears in the “address” line of your web
browser.)
The Final Draft contains the following elements:

The issue should be clearly defined and should be one of the topics approved by the
instructor.

At least eight sources from a variety of media should be used in support of the
writer’s position. (Please refer to “Outside Sources” above for details.)

The draft should have a clearly identified audience and purpose—after reading the
draft, it should be clear to whom the writer is writing and why he/she is writing.

The draft is logically organized, with a clear thesis, reasons, and evidence.

The writer has created a balanced paragraph structure.

The writer uses variety in sentence length and type.
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
A separate Works Cited page following MLA documentation.

The total word count should be around 1500 words (within 100).

The draft should exhibit reasonable error control.
10. Overall assessment of this module:
Standard post-test assessments will be used.
11. Use of technology necessary:
A. PowerPoint
B. Internet
12. Bibliography of the resources used by students for this module:
Allison, Robert. The Crescent Obscured: The United States and the Muslim World, 1776-1815. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1995.
Bookin-Weiner Jerome B., and Mohamed El mansour, eds. The Atlantic Connection: 200 Years of
Moroccan-American Relations 1786-1986. Rabat, Morocco: Edino, 1990.
Cassanos, Lynda Cohen. Morocco. Philadelphia, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2004.
DiPiazza, Francesca. Morocco in Pictures. Minneapolis, MN : Twenty-First Century Books, 2007.
Edwards, Brian T. Morocco Bound : Disorienting America's Maghreb, from Casablanca to the
Marrakech Express. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2005.
Fordyce, Deborah. Welcome to Morocco. Milwaukee, Wis.: Gareth Stevens Pub., 2004.
Glabuer, Ettagale, and Jason Laure. Morocco. New York: Children's Press, 1999.
Kavanaugh, Dorothy. Morocco. Philadelphia, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007.
Pennell, C.R. Morocco Since 1830: A History. New York: New York University Press, 2001.
Seward, Pat. Morocco. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2006.
Internet:
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http://www.travlang.com/languages/cgi-bin/langchoice.cgi
http://www.state.gov/p/nea/ci/mo/
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac97
http://mondediplo.com/2006/01/12asahara
http://www.arabicnews.com/
13.
Bibliography of the resources I used in the development of this module:
All of the above in addition to the following:
Boele, Vincent, ed. Morocco: 5,000 Years of Culture. London: Lund Humphries Publishers, 2005
Damis, John. U.S.-Arab Relations: the Moroccan Dimension. National Council on US-Arab Relations, 1986.
Swearingen, Will. Moroccan Mirage: Agrarian Dreams and Deceptions, 1912-1986.Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press, 1987.
Internet:
http://www.uam.es/otroscentros/medina/morocco/morgengeo.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html
http://www.maroc.ma/PortailInst/An/home
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco
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