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AMST 1001: American Cultures
Native America to Industrialization
University of Minnesota
Fall Semester1999
M 6:20 - 8:50
Instructor: Eric Drown
Office: 329 Scott Hall Office Hours: 5-6 Mon., 1-2 Tues., by appointment
American Studies Office:
104 Scott Hall
Introduction
This course
surveys the history and literature of the United States of America, beginning
with the societies of Native America and concluding with the full
industrialization of the nation at the end of World War II. In recent years, Americans have revised
their national story in response to changing values and other social
conditions. In light of these
revisions, the story called “American history” should no longer be related
simply and easily by chronicling key national events. In place of a national melodrama—in which American heroes
fighting for liberty and justice defeat un-American villains—now stands a
complex and often self-contradictory matrix of visions and dreams, crises and
resolutions, ambitions and schemes, desires and fears.
The
contents and meaning of this national matrix are presently under debate. Some people argue that American history has
become too dark, too focused on the historic ethical failures of the white
majority. Others, noting the fact that
Americans of color will soon outnumber white Americans, seek to redress the
long-term under-representation of peoples of color, women, and other such
Americans. The experiences and traditions
of these historically oppressed Americans must, they argue, now be incorporated
into the national narrative in America is to live up to its founding
dreams. Still others argue that such
incorporation itself does disservice to the complex histories and cultures of
peoples whose social structures have evolved, at least partially, apart from
and sometimes in opposition to those of the dominant European-American
culture. The results of these debates
about the content and meaning of the national story will shape the future of
the nation just as surely as will changing economic structures. How Americans are to live in the future
depends on how they think of their past.
For over
two hundred years now, peoples living in America have sought to build a just
polity, built on consensus, opportunity, and freedom. But they have also pursued other perhaps less noble goals—wealth,
power, and control—sometimes at the expense of justice. There is no easy-answer; no single interpretation
of American history can satisfy the competing needs of the diverse American
peoples. To study the history and
literature of the United States, then, is to struggle with problems both
abstract and practical, to face the reality that debate and dissent are
fundamental and necessary to both American political culture and every-day
living. One must finally, abandon the
search for final answers to the meaning of American history. The lesson of American history is that the
search for final, permanent solutions to social, economic, and political
problems is both debilitating and wrong-minded. Only the constant re-negotiation of the American social contract
provides for the redress of wrongs and the possibility of pursuing American
dreams of freedom and justice for all.
There
will be three exams this semester. Each
exam will have an in-class component and a take-home essay component. Because
this is a survey course, students should expect substantial reading, averaging
100 pages a week. Finally, each student
will produce study guides from the readings several times this semester. Information on grading follows later in this
syllabus.
My office hours
are intended to be opportunities for students to come for one-on-one
discussions about anything: from writing and research problems to problems with
class dynamics. You just want to talk
about ideas or something interesting you’ve read? Come on in. I like
talking with students. I’ll do my best
to make you feel comfortable. Please
take advantage of this time.
I will not
be available by e-mail this semester.
Written messages can be left for me in my mailbox outside of 104 Scott
Hall.
Writing
You should make
a backup disk or photocopy of all your work.
Error or breakdown—your, mine, or the machine's—can happen. In any case I will hold you responsible to
have copies of your work.
In order to be accepted, all work must be: word
processed in a reasonable font with 1 inch margins, double-spaced, stapled (not
paper clipped or dog-eared), and accompanied by notes and bibliography. You are responsible for correct grammar,
spelling, and formatting. Pages must be
numbered, and your name must appear on each page. I must receive all papers by the meeting time of the date
due.
All
writing will be judged according to how well it meets these criteria:
1)
content: How well have you considered/discussed the
task at hand, the meaning of what you have read, thought, seen, or said? How
well have you mustered pertinent information and evidence in support of meaningful
claims? Have you handled facts
accurately? How complete is your paper—have you considered all pertinent facts
and lines of thought? Are there
potential objections to your argument or interpretation? Have you answered them?
2) clarity: How well have you expressed your ideas,
arguments, or interpretations? Is your
prose clean and clear, intelligible and jargon-free?
3) insight:
Have you thought through the social, political, or logical implications of your
argument? How persuasive are your
arguments and interpretations. Have you
gone beyond the conventional wisdom to consider alternative explanations or
interpretations of your data? Does your
paper pass the “So What?” test?
In order to earn an A for a paper, your writing
must excel in all three categories.
Grading
My grading
policy conforms to CLA guidelines. Be
advised that CLA considers a C to be equivalent to basic fulfillment of the
course requirements. In order to get anything higher than a C,
you will have to perform beyond the basic course requirements. If your are concerned about your grade,
please consult with me early and often.
A's and B's are honors grades.
Please read the following grading scale carefully.
F.........You turned in the assignment but did not
attempt to fulfill the requirements, or you did not turn in the assignment.
D.........You attempted to fulfill the
requirements, but did not meet basic standards in content, clarity, and
insight.
C.........You completed the assignment and
satisfied all requirements.
B.........You completed the assignment and
satisfied all requirements. Further, your paper is mechanically perfect, and
you developed and supported an argument, generating new insights.
A.........You completed the assignment and
satisfied all requirements. Your paper is mechanically perfect, and you
expressed your ideas with particular elegance, style, and/or wit. Finally, you
developed and supported an argument with exceptional skill, generating new
insights, and placing them in a meaningful context.
Acts of
scholastic dishonesty may result in an F for the course and additional
disciplinary action.
Course-Grade
Breakdown
3 exams @ 20%, Study guides
@ 40 %
Course-Grade Calculation
All grades in this course will be given in letter
form. The following grades are
available:
|
A+ |
A |
A- |
B+ |
B |
B- |
C+ |
C |
C- |
D+ |
D |
D- |
F |
In order to facilitate calculation, letter grades
correspond to numbers; thus,
|
A+ = |
A = |
A- = |
B+ = |
B = |
B- = |
C+ = |
C = |
C- = |
D+ = |
D = |
D- = |
F = |
|
12 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
The formula I use to calculate your grade is:
(E1 x .20) + (E2 x .20) + (E3
x .20) + (AVG(Study Guides) x .40)
Your final letter grade is assigned based on the
result of this calculation (figures are rounded to one decimal place).
Incomplete Coursework
Incomplete
marks will not be given. If you do not
complete an assignment you will receive no credit for that assignment and your
course grade will reflect this. If
there are specific attenuating circumstances, please contact me immediately.
These
required books are available at the U of MN bookstore in Williamson Hall:
• Peter N. Carroll and David W. Noble, The Free and the
Unfree: A New History of the United States.
• The Norton Anthology of American
Literature: Shorter Fifth Edition.
(Please do not buy the 2 volume edition).
• Additional required readings will
be available for photocopying at the Walter Library Reserve Desk (in the
basement).
Reading
and Exam Schedule
Week 1:
9/13
Introduction
Week 2: 9/20
1.
“Preface(s)”
and Ch. 1 of the Free and the Unfree (27 p.)
Ch. 2 of The Free and the Unfree
(13 p.)
2.
“Literature
to 1620” (in Norton) (10 p.)
3.
“The
Origins of Stories” (Seneca) [photocopy]
(3 p.)
4.
“Iroquois
or Confederacy of the Five Nations” (Iroquois) [photocopy] (3 p.)
5.
Christopher
Columbus, “From Journal of the First Voyage to America” and “Narrative of the Third Voyage” [photocopy] (12 p.)
6.
Christopher
Columbus, “Letter to Luis Santangel” and
“Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella” (in Norton) (4 p.) and “Creation of
the Whites” (Yuchi) (2 p.) [photocopy]
7.
Alvar
Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, “The Relation of … de Vaca” (in Norton) (8 p.)
8.
“Stories
of the Beginning of the World,” “The Iroquois Creation Story,” and “The Pima Creation Story” (in Norton)
(8 p.):
9.
Thomas
Harriot, “A Brief and True Report …” (in Norton) (7 p.)
10.
John
Smith, “The General History of Virginia …,” “A Description of New England,” and “New England Trials” (in Norton)
(17 p.)
11.
“Native
American Trickster Tales,” “Felix White Sr.’s Introduction to Wakjankaga,” and “The Winnebago Trickster Cycle” (in
Norton) (10 p.)
12.
“Native
American Trickster Tales,” “The Bungling Host,” and “Coyote, Skunk, and the Prairie Dogs” (in Norton) (11
p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 131
Week 3: 9/27
1.
Ch.
3 of The Free and the Unfree (20 p.)
2.
“Early
American Literature, 1620-1820” (in Norton) (10 p.)
3.
William
Bradford, “Of Plymouth Plantation” (in Norton) (19 p.)
4.
John
Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity” and
the first two entries of “The Journal of John Winthrop” (in Norton) (12
p.)
5.
“The
Bay Psalm Book” and “The New England
Primer” [photocopy] (12 p.)
6.
Thomas
Morton, “New English Canaan” [photocopy]
(13 p.)
7.
Benjamin
Franklin, “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America” (in Norton) (4 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 90
Week 4: 10/4
1.
Ch.
4 of The Free and the Unfree (31 p.)
2.
“Patriot
Songs and Loyalist Ballads” [photocopy]
(11 p.)
3.
J.
Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, “Letters from an American Farmer” (in Norton)
(16 p.)
4.
Thomas
Paine, “Common Sense” and “The
Crisis, No. 1” (in Norton) (12 p.)
5.
Thomas
Jefferson, “The Autobiography,” “Notes on the State of Virginia,” and “Letter to John Adams” (in Norton)
(21 p.)
6.
Olaudah
Equiano, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of …” and Philip Freneau, “On the Emigration to America and Peopling the
Western Country” (in Norton) (14 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 105
Week 5: 10/11—EXAM 1
1.
Ch.
5 of The Free and the Unfree (12 p.)
2.
Susanna
Rowson, Charlotte: A Tale of Truth (in Norton) (36 p.)
3.
“American
Literature, 1820-1865” (in Norton) (17 p.)
4.
John
and Abigail Adams, “[Letters]” [photocopy]
(13 p.)
5.
Benjamin
Franklin, “A Witch Trial at Mount Holly” (2 p.) and “The Speech of
Polly Baker” (2 p.) [photocopy]
6.
Benjamin
Franklin, “Information to Those Who Would Remove to America” (5 p.) [photocopy]
7.
Judith
Sargent Murray, “On the Equality of the Sexes”
[photocopy] (11 p.)
8.
“Federalist
and Antifederalist Contentions” and
Papers [photocopy] (15 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 113
Week 6: 10/18
1.
Ch.
6 of The Free and the Unfree (17 p.)
2.
Washington
Irving, “Rip Van Winkle” (in Norton) (15 p.)
3.
Ralph
Waldo Emerson, “Nature” (in Norton) (32 p.)
4.
Ralph
Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance” (in Norton) (17 p.)
5.
Lydia
Maria Child, “Mrs. Child’s Reply” (in Norton) (9 p.)
6.
Nathaniel
Hawthorne, “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” (in Norton) (16 p.)
7.
Nathaniel
Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” (in Norton) (9 p.)
8.
Nathaniel
Hawthorne, “The May-Pole of Merry Mount” (in Norton) (7 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 122
Week 7: 10/25
1.
Ch.
7 in The Free and the Unfree (19 p.)
2.
“The
Cherokee Memorials” (in Norton) (9 p.)
3.
William
Cullen Bryant, Poems (in Norton) (7 p.)
4.
William
Apess, “An Indian’s Looking Glass for the White Man” (in Norton) (7 p.)
5.
Henry
David Thoreau, “Walden” Ch. 1 (in Norton) (39 p.)
6.
Henry
David Thoreau, “Walden” Ch. 2 (in Norton) (10 p.)
7.
Henry
David Thoreau, “Walden” Ch. 18 and
“Henry David Thoreau” (in Norton) (13 p.)
8.
John
Rollin Ridge (Cherokee), “Opression of Digger Indians” and Poems) [photocopy]
(9 p.)
9.
Elias
Boudinot (Cherokee), “An Address to Whites” [photocopy] (9 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 122
Week 8: 11/1
1.
Ch.
8 of The Free and the Unfree (22
p.)
2.
Edgar
Allan Poe, “Eldorado” [photocopy] (1
p.)
3.
Edgar
Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher” (in Norton) (13 p.)
4.
Edgar
Allan Poe, “The Philosophy of Composition” (in Norton) (9 p.)
5.
Margaret
Fuller, “The Great Lawsuit. MAN versus
MEN. WOMAN versus WOMEN” (in Norton)
(11 p.)
6.
Harriet
Jacobs, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” (in Norton) (23 p.)
7.
Frederick
Douglas, “Narrative of the Life …” (in Norton) (36 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 115
Week 9: 11/8
1.
Ch.
9 of The Free and the Unfree (23
p.)
2.
Abraham
Lincoln, “Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at
Gettysburg…” and “Second Inaugural Address” (in Norton) (4 p.)
3.
Herman
Melville, “Benito Cereno” (in Norton) (51 p.)
4.
David
Walker, “Appeal &c.” [photocopy]
(12 p.)
5.
George
Fitzhugh, “Southern Thought” [photocopy]
(10 p.)
6.
Henry
Highland Garnet, “An Address to the Slaves of the United States of America” [photocopy] (6 p.)
7.
Lydia
Maria Child, “Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans” and “Slavery’s Pleasant Homes” [photocopied together with “Letters From New
York”] (8 p.)
Student:
8.
Lydia
Maria Child, “Letters From New York” [photocopied
together with “Appeal in Favor” and “Slavery’s Pleasant Homes”] (10 p.)
9.
William
Lloyd Garrison, “The Story of His Life” [photocopy]
(4 p.)
10.
Ralph
Waldo Emerson, “Ode (Inscribed to W. H. Channing” and “Journals and Letters” [photocopy] (13 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 141
Week 10: 11/15—EXAM 2
1.
Ch.
10 of The Free and the Unfree
(25 p.)
2.
“American
Literature 1865-1914” (in Norton) (16 p.)
3.
“Native
American Oratory,” “[I am alone],” and
“[He has filled graves with our bones]” (in Norton) (7 p.)
4.
Booker
T. Washington, “Up From Slavery” (in Norton) (10 p.)
5.
Charles
W. Chesnutt, “The Wife of His Youth” (in Norton) (12 p.)
6.
Charlotte
Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (in Norton) (12 p.)
7.
Henry
James, “The Real Thing” (in Norton) (18 p.)
8.
Henry
James, “The Art of Fiction” (in Norton) (15 p.)
9.
Sarah
Orne Jewett, “A White Heron” (in Norton) (8 p.)
10.
Walt
Whitman, “Democratic Vistas” (in Norton) (3 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 126
Week 11: 11/22
1.
Ch.
11 and 12 of The Free and the Unfree
(34 p.)
2.
Rebecca
Harding Davis, “Life in the Iron-Mills” (in Norton) (29 p.)
3.
W.
E. B. Du Bois, “The Souls of Black Folks” (in Norton) (17 p.)
4.
“The
Navajo Night Chant,” “Chippewa Songs,” “Ghost Dance Songs,” and “The Messiah Letter(s)” (in Norton)
(21 p.)
5.
Gertrude
Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala Sa), “Impressions of an Indian Childhood” (in Norton)
(13 p.)
6.
Henry
Adams, “The Education of Henry Adams” (in Norton) (11 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 125
Week 12: 11/29
1.
Ch.
13 of The Free and the Unfree
(13 p.)
2.
Stephen
Crane, “The Blue Hotel” (in Norton) (21 p.)
3.
Jack
London, “To Build a Fire” (in Norton) (12 p.)
4.
Willa
Cather, “Neighbour Rosicky” (in Norton) (22 p.)
5.
Robert
Frost, Poems (in Norton) (15 p.)
6.
Ernest
Hemingway, “The Snows of Killamanjaro” (in Norton) (17 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 100
Week 13: 12/4
1.
Ch.
14 of The Free and the Unfree
(23 p.)
2.
“American
Literature Between the Wars” (in Norton) (9 p.)
3.
Edwin
Arlington Robinson, Poems (in Norton) (5 p.)
4.
Wallace
Stevens, “Sunday Morning” and “The
Idea of Order at Key West” (in Norton) (7 p.)
5.
Angelina
Weld Grimké, “The Closing Door” (in Norton) (18 p.)
6.
William
Carlos Williams, Poems (in Norton) (12 p.)
7.
Zora
Neale Hurston, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” and “The Gilded Six Bits” (in Norton)
(13 p.)
8.
F.
Scott Fitzgerald, “Babylon Revisited” (in Norton) (15 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 102
Week 14: 12/13—EXAM 3
1.
Ch.
15 and Epilogue of The Free and the Unfree (24 p.)
2.
Marianne
Moore, Poems (in Norton) (7 p.)
3.
T.
S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” “The Hollow Men” and “Burnt
Norton” (in Norton) (14 p.)
4.
e.
e. cummings, “in Just,” “O sweet spontaneous,” “Bufallo Bill’s” (in Norton)
(5 p.)
5.
Langston
Hughes, Poems (in Norton) (7 p.)
6.
Countee
Cullen, Poems (in Norton) (5 p.)
7.
John
Steinbeck, “The Leader of the People” (in Norton) (11 p.)
8.
Richard
Wright, “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” (in Norton) (10 p.)
TOTAL
PAGES: 83
GRAND
TOTAL: 1475
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NOTES and
QUERIES |