Course Form
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
History
Course Title
Prefix and Course
#
The World of the American Revolution
HSTA 372
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces)
The American Revolution
Summarize the change(s) proposed
Would like the designated course number above.
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Requestor:
Christopher Pastore
5/1/12
Phone/ email :
406-243-2369
chris.pastore@umontana.edu
Program Chair/Director:
John Eglin
Other affected programs
Dean:
Christopher Comer
Are other departments/programs affected by this modification Please obtain signature(s) from the
because of
Chair/Director of any such department/
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
program (above) before submission
(b) perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
III: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into
section V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
Common Course Numbering Review (Department Chair Must Initial):
YES
NO
Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere in the MUS? Check all relevant disciplines if
X
course is interdisciplinary. (http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp)
If YES: Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with existing course(s)? Please indicate
equivalent course/campus. 
If NO: Course may be unique, but is subject to common course review. Be sure to include learning outcomes
on syllabus or paste below. The course number may be changed at the system level.
See Attached syllabus
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
U 372 The World of the American Revolution 3 cr. (AM) Offered alternate years.
Delving into the history of the early modern Atlantic world, this course examines the transnational
ramifications of the American Revolution. Specifically, it examines the Revolution’s economic and
ideological origins, European involvement in the Revolutionary War, as well as the Revolution’s
impact on African American slavery and the slave trade. We will also consider its implications for
Haitian and Latin American independence. And finally, we will discuss the creation of the U.S.
Constitution, America’s struggle for political sovereignty, and the Revolution’s impact on Native
Americans, women and families, and conceptions of American identity during the Early National
period.
Justification: How does the course fit with the existing curriculum? Why is it needed?
This is the only course on the American revolution.
Are there curricular adjustments to accommodate teaching this course?
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Complete for UG courses (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment - see procedure 301.30
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx
Complete for Co-convented courses
Companion course number, title, and description (include syllabus of companion course in section V)
See procedure 301.20 http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx.
New fees and changes to existing fees are only approved once each biennium by the
Board of Regents. The coordination of fee submission is administered by Administration
and Finance. Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific conditions
according to Policy 940.12.1 http://mus.edu/borpol/bor900/940-12-1.pdf . Please
indicate whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
IV. To Delete or Change an Existing Course – check X all that apply
Deletion
Title
Course Number Change
From:
Level U, UG, G
Co-convened
To:
Description Change
Change in Credits
From:
To:
Prerequisites
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
YES
NO
X
From:
To:
Repeatability
Cross Listing
(primary
program
initiates form)
Is there a fee associated with the
course?
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. If co-convened course: companion course number, title, and description
(include syllabus of companion course in section V) See procedure 301.20
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx.
5. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering?
http://www.mus.edu/Qtools/CCN/ccn_default.asp
If yes, please explain below whether this change will eliminate the course’s common course
status.
6. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference procedure 301.30:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/
grad_council/procedures/default.aspx
(syllabus required in section V)
7. Other programs affected by the change
8. Justification for proposed change
YES NO
Have you reviewed the graduate
increment guidelines? Please check (X)
space provided.
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V. Syllabus/Assessment Information (must include learning outcomes)
Required for new courses and course change from U to UG. Paste syllabus in field below or attach and send
digital copy with form.
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
Semester:
Class Hours:
Location:
Instructor:
Office: Liberal Arts 261
E-mail: chris.pastore@umontana.edu
Phone: 406-243-2369
Office Hours:
HSTA 372
The World of the American Revolution
Much more than the creation of the United States from the thirteen original colonies, the American Revolution was
also an international transformation that reconfigured the British Empire, much of Western Europe, West Africa, Latin
America, and the Caribbean. By delving into the history of the Early Modern Atlantic world, this course will examine
the transnational ramifications of the American Revolution. Specifically, we will examine the Revolution’s economic
and ideological origins. We will examine European involvement in the Revolutionary War as well as the Revolution’s
impact on African American slavery and the slave trade. We will also consider its implications for Haitian and Latin
American independence. And finally, we will discuss the creation of the U.S. Constitution, America’s struggle for
political sovereignty and economic independence, and the Revolution’s impact on Native Americans, women and
families, and conceptions of American identity during the Early National period.
Required Books (available at the University of Montana bookstore):

Colin G. Galloway, The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America (New York:
Oxford, 2006)

Sheila L. Skemp, Benjamin and William Franklin: Father and Son, Patriot and Loyalist (Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin, 1994)

David Hackett Fischer, Paul Revere’s Ride (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994).

Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy, An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British
Caribbean (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000)

Laurie Halse Anderson, Chains: Seeds of America (New York: Atheneum, 2008).

Carol Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence (New York:
Vintage, 2006)

Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation (New York: Vintage, 2000).

Jack N. Rakove, Declaring Rights: A Brief History with Documents (Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s, 1998).
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
Wim Klooster, Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History (New York: New York University
Press, 2009).

Jill Lepore, The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the Battle Over American History
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010).
Course Goals:





To develop a sense of chronology about America and the broader Atlantic world during the seventeenth,
eighteenth, and early nineteenth centuries.
To understand how historians have understood the American Revolution and how that understanding has
changed over time.
To gain a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, and political implication of the American Revolution.
To gain an understanding of how historians work—their questions, methods, and perspectives.
To develop your own skills in writing, reading, and reasoning.
Reading:
The reading should be done before each class, and you should come to class prepared for discussion with questions
in mind. Any readings not in one of the above books will be posted to Moodle.
Writing:
In this course, you will write the following:
1. Four 300-word responses to the assigned reading, to be handed in at the end of four pre-determined classes. (I
will circulate a sign-up sheet.). This is to help you focus your thoughts and contribute to the discussion. The
reports should be 2 to 4 paragraphs in length. You should aim to make an analytical point about the text under
discussion, not to describe its contents. Find an “angle” on the reading and develop it briefly. I will give you the
opportunity to draft your first report. (I will provide feedback and allow you to resubmit an edited copy.) All
subsequent reports will be simply submitted for a grade. NOTE: Twice during the course of the semester (once
during the first half and once during the second) you will give a brief, informal presentation to the class,
explaining the analytical point you discussed. These presentations will be factored into your participation grade.
2. You will write a 10-page research paper on any topic related to the American Revolution. I will provide detailed
information on these papers in class.
Exams:
There will also be a mid-term exam for which you should expect to write 10 pages.
Attendance and Participation:
This class will be a mix of lecture and discussion, so I expect you to be active participants. I reserve to right to call
on people to jump start discussion. Discussion is an important part of learning. In discussion you learn to make a
good case for yourself, and you open yourself to alternate ideas and challenges. Because it is so important, a
student who fails to participate will receive, at best, 12 out of 20 points.
Excuses:
A missed exam or late paper can be made up only if you make prior arrangements with me, or if you have a note
from a doctor, your dean, or residence life. I reserve the right to check on the validity of any note. You must
complete all assignments to pass the course.
Grading Distribution:
Reading Response 1
Reading Response 2
Reading Response 3
Reading Response 4
Mid-term take-home exam
Final paper
Final paper presentation
Attendance/Participation
5%
10%
10%
10%
20%
20%
5%
20%
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Incompletes:
I am strongly opposed to giving incompletes except in emergencies.
Students with Disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability and wish to discuss reasonable accommodations for this course, contact me
privately to discuss the specific modifications you wish to request. Please be advised I may request that you provide
a letter from Disability Services for Students verifying your right to reasonable modifications. If you have not yet
contacted Disability Services, located in Lommasson Center 154, please do so in order to verify your disability and to
coordinate your reasonable modifications. For more information, visit the Disability Services website at
http://life.umt.edu/dss or call (406) 243-2243.
Academic Honesty:
Honesty is a core value of this class. It is required that you conduct yourself with integrity. This means that each
member will adhere to the principles and rules of the University and pursue academic work in a straightforward and
truthful manner, free from deception or fraud. Any attempt to deviate from these principles will be construed as acts
of academic dishonesty and will be dealt with according to the rules of due process outlined in the University of
Montana student conduct code, a copy of which is available at http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php.
Assignment Schedule:
Week 1: Introductions and the Declaration of Independence
January 25
In Class: Deconstructing the Declaration of Independence
Assignment:
 Buy books and begin reading.
 Make sure you have access to Moodle.
 Be prepared to sign up for the dates on which you will submit your reading responses and lead
submission dates next week. (Check your calendar. Once you sign up for a date to hand in a reading
response, those dates will be firm.)
Week 2: Defining the British Atlantic World
February 1
Reading:




Alison Games, “Atlantic History: Definitions, Challenges, and Opportunities,” American Historical Review
111, no. 3 (June 2006): 641-757.
David Armitage, “Three Concepts of Atlantic History,” in Armitage and Braddick, eds., The British
Atlantic World (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002), 1-27.
Alan Taylor, “The Atlantic” in American Colonies (New York: Viking, 2001), 301-337.
T.H. Breen, “An Empire of Goods: The Anglicization of Colonial America, 1690-1776” Journal of British
Studies 25 (October 1986): 467-499.
Week 3: British America and the Origins of the Imperial Crisis
February 8
Reading:


Colin G. Galloway, The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America (New York:
Oxford, 2006), 3-111, 150-164.
Jack Rakove, Declaring Rights, Chapters 1-3.
Week 4: The Imperial Crisis: Centers and Peripheries
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February 15
Reading:


Sheila L. Skemp, Benjamin and William Franklin: Father and Son, Patriot and Loyalist (Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin, 1994).
Jack Rakove, Declaring Rights, Chapters 4-5.
Week 5: The Outbreak of War
February 22
Reading:

David Hackett Fischer, Paul Revere’s Ride (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), pp. TBA.
Midterm: Midterm take-home exam question posted.
Week 6: Declaring Independence
February 29
 Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776), Isaak Kramnick, ed. (New York: Penguin Classics, 1986), 81112.
 Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
1997), 47-96.
 David Armitage, "The Declaration of Independence and International Law," William and Mary Quarterly,
3rd ser., 59 (Jan. 2002): 39-64.
Week 7: Dividing the Empire
March 7
Reading:

Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy, An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British
Caribbean (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000), pp TBA.
Midterm: Midterm Exam Due in Class
Week 8: Slavery
March 14
Reading:

Laurie Halse Anderson, Chains: Seeds of America (New York: Atheneum, 2008).
Week 9: Gender and Sexuality
March 21
Reading:

Carol Berkin, Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence (New York:
Vintage, 2006)
Week 10: Creating a Republic
March 28
Readings:
 Jack N. Rakove, Declaring Rights: A Brief History with Documents, Part II
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Week 11: NO CLASS, SPRING BREAK
Week 12: Creating a Republic II
April 11
 Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation (New York: Vintage, 2000).
Week 13: Creating a Nation
April 18


Martin Bruckner, The Geographical Revolution in Early America: Maps, Literacy & National Identity
(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006), 51-141.
Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (New
York: Verso, 1983), pp. 1-46.
Week 14: The Spread of Revolution
April 25
 Wim Klooster, Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History (New York: New York University
Press, 2009).
Final Presentations:
Week 15: The Memory of Revolution
May 2

Jill Lepore, The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the Battle Over American History
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010).
Final Presentations:
FINAL Paper: Final Research Paper due Monday May 7, 12 Noon.
Revised 8-23-11
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