History 3620
African-American
History, 1600-1877
Southern
|
Fall 2005 |
3 Credits |
Dr.
Earl Mulderink |
|
Office Hours: T-R, 10-11:30; T, |
Tuesdays,
|
mulderink@suu.edu |
|
Centrum 225 |
|
435/865-8323 |
Course Description
This course is an introductory survey that examines the
historical experiences of African Americans and their contributions to
Required Reading Assignments
Your course reading assignments require you to purchase, read, and reflect upon several books available at the SUU Bookstore. All readings are required, and each week's assignment should be read prior to the first class session each week.
· Darlene Hine et al, The African-American Odyssey, Vol. I, Third edition (2006)
· Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Written by Himself, edited by Robert J. Allison (1995).
· Kenneth S. Greenberg, ed., The Confessions of Nat Turner and Related Documents (1996)
· Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Second ed., edited by David W. Blight (2004)
Examinations, Assignments, and Grading
Your grade will be computed as follows:
· Group Project (Olaudah Equiano OR Nat Turner) 20%
· Midterm Examination 25%
· Final Examination 25%
· Movie Review (2-3 pages; highest grade counts) 20%
· Participation/Attendance/Other 10%
The grading scale is based on the following: A, 93-100; A-, 90-92; B+, 87-89; B, 83-86; B-, 80-82; C+, 77-79; C, 73-76; C-, 70-72; D+, 67-69; D, 63-66; D-, 60-62; F, 0-59.
This course features a number of written and oral assignments that will provide variety and develop different skills. There will be two examinations in this course, both of which will focus on one-half of the course and follow the same format. The examinations will consist of short identifications (ID's) and essay questions. You will have a choice of ID's to answer (perhaps five items from a list of ten), which require you to correctly and briefly identify each item and then explain its historical significance. At least one week prior to each examination, you will receive essay questions based up all course materials (including lectures, discussions, readings, movies, and handouts). You should prepare written outlines or answers for all of these questions for the closed-book final exam, since your instructor will select the essay question(s) to be answered. Please note that class attendance is expected, and active participation is encouraged. We will follow a seminar format by meeting just once per week.
All written work submitted for this course should be typed, double-spaced, on high-quality paper and follow the standard rules of grammar, punctuation, and English usage. If you do not possess typing or word-processing skills, you are strongly encouraged to begin learning these skills while preparing your papers for this course. For each assignment, try to write in your own words, but if you wish to quote from course materials, simply place all quoted material in quotation marks and add a page reference in parentheses at the end of that sentence. Try to avoid block quotes of excessive length. Certainly, feel free to be imaginative but do try to adhere to each assignment’s requirements and guidelines. As always, you are expected to submit original and independent work, and students who plagiarize will be subjected to the most severe academic penalties. We will be using the plagiarism web site, turnitin.com, with more information to follow. Late papers will receive a penalty of at least one full letter grade (10 points), so please submit your work when it is due.
Group Project and Presentation (20%) – EITHER Olaudah Equiano OR Nat Turner
Working collaboratively with other students, you will be in one of two groups that will dissect and discuss examining primary and secondary materials. Fortunately, we have access to two fascinating sources, one an autobiography of a former slave (Equiano) and the other the “confessions” of Nat Turner. Although each group's size will depend on the total enrollment in the course, there will be two groups which will each focus on one specific text.
Your class presentation should plan to use about one-half of the entire class period. You are free to explore a variety of themes, but you may want to focus on issues such as religion, racism, and relations between white and black people. In evaluating themes and issues, each group will decide for itself how to develop their class presentation. While these projects should demonstrate a sound reliance upon the full text and accompanying resources, you are free to bring in outside materials, including those found on the Web and through audiovisual sources. Group members will receive the same grade as evaluated by the audience, other group members, and the instructor (who has the final word). Group projects will be evaluated by their imaginative and thorough use of the full texts and supplementary materials. In addition, groups will be evaluated for the effectiveness, clarity, and enthusiasm demonstrated during the oral presentation.
Movie Review (20%)
We will watch several historical documentaries in History 3620, all of them centered on the experiences of African Americans. For this written assignment, you are to watch, review, and write about one movie, with your review ideally due no later than one week after that movie was shown in class. Please note that you have the option of reviewing more than one movie with the lowest grades dropped. Your single (best) review is worth 20% of your final grade. (If you have written about or reviewed one or more of these movies for a previous class, please see me to discuss your options.) Or, if you want to watch other movies, including feature films, just ask.
Your reviews — typed, double-spaced, and not more than three (3) pages in length — should explain and analyze the following issues in each movie:
· Title of movie?
· Theme(s) of documentary?
· Major source(s) and evidence in movie?
· Any unusual idea(s), material(s), and argument(s)?
· Broader
themes of
· "Thumbs up" or "thumbs down"?
You are encouraged to follow the format and outline above in preparing your movie reviews that should be written as a coherent essay with specific details. Plan to watch these carefully-chosen historical documentaries with a critical eye, and then express your observations in a critical review that addresses all the points listed above.
Other Course Matters
Students are expected to arrive at classes in a timely manner, and attendance is expected for all class sessions. If you plan to be absent, particularly in the case of serious illness, please try to inform your instructor in advance. All examinations will be offered only as scheduled, and makeup exams may be provided only at the discretion of the instructor. Work submitted late will be subjected to penalties of at least one letter grade (10 points). Your instructor reserves the right to take attendance and to require additional work as needed, and you may be asked read additional materials distributed in class.
Finally, plagiarism -- using the work or words of another individual without proper attribution -- is a serious academic offence and will be treated accordingly with a failing grade. Plagiarism may include using another student's words or work, and it may include using printed materials and electronic sources without acknowledging their use. Please cite all information taken from the Internet, using at least the URL address for Web sites (e.g., "http://www.suu.edu."). If in doubt, ask!
Scholastic dishonesty will not be
tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood
the current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services) regarding
student responsibilities and rights, and the intellectual property policy, for
information about procedures and about what constitutes acceptable on-campus
behavior.
Students with medical, psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah University Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in Room 205C of the Sharwan Smith Center or phone (435) 865-8022. SSD determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.
Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.
When In Doubt, Ask!
If you have questions about your progress in History 3620 or remain unclear about course assignments or materials, please do not hesitate to ask. You have several ways to contact me at any time. First and most obviously, feel free to ask pertinent questions during the class periods or after classes. Or, if you wish, you can visit during my office hours in Centrum 225, or call me directly at 435/865-8323. We will find a convenient time to meet if you cannot visit during my office hours. If you call at other times and I am not available, please leave a message at the number above and I will return your call. Finally, I encourage you to communicate through email whenever possible; my email address is: mulderink@suu.edu.
Fall 2005 History 3620 Schedule Dr. Earl Mulderink
Week 1 Read Hine, Chapter 1
8/30 (T) Class Introductions
African Societies in Perspective
Movie: "Family Across the Sea"
Week 2 Read Hine, Chapter 2; Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (in entirety)
9/6 (T) The Slave Trade
Movie: Excerpt from “Africans in America, Episode 1”
Week 3 Read Hine, Chapter 3
9/13 (T ) First Group Presentation: Olaudah Equiano’s Narrative
Racism and Slavery in Colonial North America
Week 4 Read Hine, Chapter 4
9/20 (T) Free Blacks in Colonial America
A Revolution for African Americans?
Movie: "Ethnic Notions"
Week 5 Read Hine Chapters 5 and 6
9/27 (T) Black Family in Slavery and Freedom
Movie: "Doing As They Can"
Week 6 Read Frederick Douglass’s Narrative (in entirety)
10/4 (T) The “Peculiar Institution”
Discussion: Frederick Douglass (questions distributed in advance)
Midterm Examination Essay Questions Distributed
Week 7 Read Hine, Chapter 7
10/11 (T) Free Blacks in the North
Midterm Examination (Hine, Chapters 1-7; Equiano;
Douglass)
Week 8 Read Hine, Chapters 8 and 9
10/18 (T) Slavery and Antislavery
Movie: "Roots of Resistance" or “The Underground Railroad Read Hine,
Week 9 Read Nat Turner’s Confessions (in entirety)
10/25 (T) Second Group Presentation: Nat Turner’s Confessions and Revolt
Other Forms of Resistance
Week 10 Read Hine, Chapter 10
11/1 (T) Debates over Expansion of Slavery
Strange Case of Dred Scott
Movie: Excerpt from “Africans in America”
Week 11 Read Hine, Chapter 11
11/8 (T) An Overview of Blacks in the Civil War
Emancipation in Perspective
Movie: “The 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry”
Week 12 Read Hine, Chapter 12
11/15 (T) Many Meanings of Freedom
Movie: “Dr. Toer’s Amazing Magic Lantern Show”
Week 13 Read Selected Handouts
11/22 (T) Was Reconstruction a Success or a Failure?
Thanksgiving Recess
Week 14 Read Hine Chapter 13
11/29 (T) Reconstruction Ends
Jim Crow Comes Alive
Week 15 Read Selected Handouts
12/6 (T) Black Life in the Late 1800s
Review
Final Examination Questions Distributed
Tuesday, December 13, Final Exam, 6 PM (Hine, Chapters 8-13; Turner)
Be sure to visit and use the publisher’s
companion web site at