Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
History 230: HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC WORLD Monday, Wednesday, Friday
12:00-12:50 Hafey Marian 211
Professor Nicole MaresHafey Marian 312Office Phone: (570) 208-5900, ext. 5489Email: [email protected]: http://staff.kings.edu/nicolemares/Office Hours: MWF 1-3 or by appointment This course examines the history of the exploration of the Atlantic Ocean that took off in the fifteenth century and the subsequent colonial systems that European states developed in both South and North America. We will examine the impetus for the initial Atlantic voyages as well as the incentives for continued Atlantic exploration. We'll explore the impact of the various colonial systems that were established in the “New World,” and discuss the legacies of the Atlantic colonial systems. Our goals are to deepen our understanding of early colonial systems, to complicate our conceptualization of the Atlantic World, and to carefully consider the impact of Atlantic exploration and European competition on indigenous populations in the Western Hemisphere and on the African continent. Required Texts: Charles C. Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus (978-1400032051) Thomas Benjamin, The Atlantic World: Europeans, Africans, Indians and Their Shared History, 1400-1900 (9780521616492) Timothy J. Shannon, Atlantic Lives: A Comparative Approach to Early America (978-0321077103) Roger Schlesinger, In the Wake of Columbus: The Impact of the New World on Europe 2nd Ed. (978-0-88295-249-9) Olaudah Equiano, The Life of Olaudah Equiano (978-0486406619)
Course Goals: To broaden our understanding of history from single-nation narratives to regional, even transnational, studies.To reconsider definitions of “civilized” and “advanced.”To examine the origins of the interconnected Atlantic world. To act as historians:
To compose concise, but detailed, analyses of the course readings To compose a short research essay based on original source analysis and a clear, original thesis Course Policies: Syllabus: The syllabus provided to you will serve as the guide to this class. Assignments listed therein are subject to alteration or cancellation. Alternative or new assignments and readings may be added. It is your responsibility to check the online syllabus daily. Attendance: Attendance for this class is mandatory. I expect that you will come to class every session and participate in our discussions. Excused absences generally fall into the category of family emergencies, approved school activities, and/or extended illness. Unexcused absences will result in the reduction of your participation grade (1 percent per unexcused absence). Please note that an unexcused absence can also affect the grades you earn on assignments if you miss a due date. Assessment: Participation: (20%) I define participation as a student making daily, substantive contributions to our class discussions. That means, to earn full credit you need to: come prepared with your notes and the assigned readings (if the sources are from the SharePoint, you need to print them out); contribute at least one comment per course session; and be engaged, attentive, and alert during our class meetings. Good participation does not include texting, whether done discretely or not.
Five percent of your participation grade will be based on discussion questions you submit to the class. Most Friday classes we will discuss primary sources. Twice in the semester you will send discussion questions to your classmates via the class email list. They must be submitted to the class by 9PM the WEDNESDAY before you are supposed to “lead” discussion. The questions you submit must differ from the questions provided in the Shannon text. You must be present in class the day your questions are discussed, or you will receive no credit for the assignment.
Short papers: (10% each; 20% total) For this class you will write two short (4-5pp) essays. One will be an essay about Charles C. Mann’s 1491, and the other will be about Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative. Questions and guidelines specific to the essays will be distributed in class.
Midterm: (15%) The midterm for this class will be a take-home exam. It will ask you to draw together themes discussed in class. The exam questions and guidelines will be distributed in class.
Research Paper: (30%) The major assignment for this class will consist of a ten-page research essay. You can pick any specific to the history of the Atlantic World: exploration, colonization, slavery, revolution, racism, gender, mercantilism, piracy, etc. You must have your topic approved by me no later than 8 February.
The research paper will be completed in stages: Annotated Bibliography—5%Sentence Outline with Proposed Thesis—5%Research Essay—20%
Guidelines for each part of the research project will be distributed in class.
Final Exam: (15%) The final exam will consist of essay questions that will be completed during the appointed final exam hour. The essay questions and guidelines will be distributed in class in advance of the final exam. Grade Calculation: A (93% and above) A- (90%-92%) B+ (87%-89%) B (83%-86%) B- (80%-82%) C+ (77%-79%) C (73-76%) C- (70%-72%) D (69%-60%) F (59% or below) Letter Grades:A: Superior = 90 – 100% of total points. A represents exemplary work or performance that could be a model for others. B: Excellent = 80 – 89% of total points. B represents meritorious work that meets and exceeds requirements and shows depth and originality. C: Satisfactory = 70 – 79% of total points. C represents satisfactory work that meets all requirements and demonstrates the ability to do college level work. D: Marginal = 60 – 69% of total points. D represents marginal work that either lacks competence or fails to meet all requirements of the assignment. F: Failing = 59 and below of total points. F represents failing work that falls significantly short of requirements or basic competency.
Late Assignments: If you are not in class the date an assignment is due, I strongly encourage you to turn in the assignment as soon as possible. If your absence is considered excused, you may turn in your assignment at the next class meeting without penalty. If your absence is unexcused, you must turn in a paper copy of the assignment. Every day the assignment is late, the letter grade will be reduced by one-third. For example, if the assignment earns an 87%, but is three days late the final grade will be an 80%. Do not e-mail assignments to me unless you have previously arranged to do so. Late assignments will be accepted up to 2 weeks after the assignment’s original due date, but not after, except in specific, instructor-approved circumstances. Exams must be made up within one week of the original exam date. Academic Honesty and Integrity: Please read and understand the college’s Student Conduct Code. Within this code is contained the college’s and therefore this class’s policies on cheating and plagiarism. http://www.kings.edu/student_handbook/studentregulations_rights/conductcode.htm
The policy on plagiarism for this course is as follows: First offense: assignment receives a failing grade and an academic
integrity violation form will be submitted to the Academic Integrity Officer.Subsequent offenses: student will receive a failing grade for the class
and a subsequent academic integrity violation form will be submitted to the Academic Integrity Officer
Wikipedia: Don’t use it. It has been shown, time and again, that Wikipedia is a seriously flawed, often incorrect online resource. I encourage you to use real encyclopedias and other reference materials in the place of Wikipedia. Wikipedia should never be used as a source for any of your assignments. Communication: If you find yourself in need of assistance, clarification, or general dialogue about the course please visit me during my office hours. My office is Hafey-Marian 312.
If I am not available in my office, email me at [email protected]. Note, however, that I may not be able to respond to your email immediately, so do not procrastinate when it comes to getting in contact with me. You should not expect email responses after 9PM, so make sure you are clear on the parameters of assignments well in advance of the due dates.
Should I need to contact the class as a whole, I will use a class contact list composed of your King’s email address. Be sure to check this email account regularly. I am not responsible for announcements or assignments you miss because you were not checking this email account.
Facebook: I will not accept friend requests from students at King’s.
Classroom Decorum: We are all adults and I expect that we will all behave as such. While I hope that we are able to engage in lively conversations about the course topics and readings, please keep conversations focused on the class. Please respect the people with whom you share the class and be open to their ideas and opinions. If you’re not comfortable with a topic, or talking in class, please come talk to me at my office. Finally, remember this is a classroom; we are all here to learn. In order to learn, we all need to be able to focus on the course materials and the lecture or discussion. Cellular phones should be turned off. The world can survive if you go without texting for fifty minutes. If a computer is on, it should only be used to take notes for course purposes.
Section I: Early Exploration Week 1Introduction to the Atlantic WorldMonday, 18 JanuaryIntroductions
Wednesday, 20 JanuaryCharles C. Mann, 1491“A View From Above”
Friday, 22 JanuaryMann, “Why Billington Survived”
Week 2The New World Before the Old WorldMonday, 25 JanuaryMann, “In the Land of Four Quarters,” & “Frequently Asked Questions”
Wednesday, 27 JanuaryMann, “Pleistocene Wars,” & “Tales of Two Civilizations, Part 1”
Friday, 29 JanuaryMann, “Tales of Two Civilizations, Part II” & “The Great Law of Peace”
Week 3Commencement: The European Opening of the Atlantic OceanMonday, 1 FebruaryBenjamin, “Antecedents: The Americas, Africa, and Europe in the Fifteenth Century”Pp 6-51
Wednesday, 3 FebruaryBenjamin, Pp 52-96
Friday, 5 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 96-104Shannon, pp 1-25
Week 4Conquests: Forging the Iberian Empires in Africa and the AmericasMonday, 8 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 105-132Edmund Morgan, “A World Too New” (link on course website)
Wednesday, 10 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 132-160Pedro de Cieza de Léon, excerpt Chronicles of the Incas, 1540(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1540cieza.html)Hernan Cortes, excerpt from letter to Charles V, 1520(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1520cortes.html)
Friday, 12 FebruaryExcerpt from The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico, by
Miguel Leon-Portilla**Short Essay #1 Due**
Week 5Realms: The Overseas Empires of Spain and PortugalMonday, 15 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 161-187Philip II of Spain, Letters(http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/PhilipII.html)
Wednesday, 17 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 187-207Hans Mayr, “The Voyage and Acts of Dom Francisco,”(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1505mayr.html)
Friday, 19 FebruaryExcerpt from The Broken SpearsShannon, pp 106-125
Section II: Imperial Expansion: “Colonizing Bodies”Week 6Incursions: The French, English and Dutch Invasions of the Iberian AtlanticMonday, 22 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 209-235John Cabot sources(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1497cabot-3docs.html)
Wednesday 24 FebruaryBenjamin, pp 236-272Richard Hakluyt, Discourse of Western Planting(http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1501-1600/hakluyt/plant.htm)
Friday, 26 FebruaryShannon, pp 127-155
Week 7Engagement: The Entangled Worlds of Indians and EuropeansMonday, 1 MarchBenjamin, pp 273-293Bartolome de las Casas, excerpt A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies(http://www.uvawise.edu/history/wciv1/casas.html)
Wednesday, 3 MarchBenjamin, pp 293-325The Black Robe
Friday, 5 MarchShannon, pp 26-63**RESEARCH ESSAY ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE**
***Winter Recess******8, 10, 12 March***
Week 8The New World’s Impact on the Old WorldMonday, 15 MarchRoger Schlesinger, “Introduction” & “European Economics and America”
Wednesday, 17 MarchRoger Schlesinger, “European Politics and America”
Friday, 19 MarchRoger Schlesinger, “European Conceptions of Native Americans,” “European Daily Life and America,” & “Afterword”
Week 9Uprooted: West Africa, the Americas and the Atlantic Slave TradeMonday, 22 MarchBenjamin, pp 326-349John Barbot, Description of slave trade(http://www.vgskole.net/prosjekt/slavrute/1.htm)
Wednesday, 24 MarchBenjamin, pp 349-371James Barbot Jr, Description of a slave revolt(http://www.vgskole.net/prosjekt/slavrute/5.htm)Amistad
Friday, 26 MarchShannon, 64-83
Week 10Bondage: The Atlantic Plantation Complex and the Cultures of Slavery Monday, 29 MarchBenjamin, pp 373-419
Wednesday, 31 MarchShannon, pp 84-105**MIDTERM DUE IN CLASS**
***Friday, 2 April******Easter Recess***
Week 11The Experience of Slavery***Monday, 5 April******Easter Recess***
Wednesday, 7 April Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah EquianoVolume I
Friday, 9 AprilOlaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah EquianoVolume II
Week 12Partners: Women and Men in the Making of the Atlantic WorldMonday, 12 AprilBenjamin, pp 420-438**RESEARCH ESSAY OUTLINE DUE**
Wednesday, 14 AprilBenjamin, pp 438-464Samuel Willard, A briefe account of a strange & unusuall Providence of God befallen to Elizabeth Knap of Groton(http://history.hanover.edu/texts/groton/grointro.html)
Friday, 16 AprilShannon, pp 188-207
Section III: The Atlantic and Modern WorldsWeek 13Rivals & RevolutionsMonday, 19 AprilBenjamin, pp 465-490
Wednesday, 21 AprilBenjamin, pp 490-542
Friday, 23 AprilShannon, pp 208-216**Short Essay #2 Due**
Week 14The Age of RevolutionsMonday, 26 AprilBenjamin, pp 542-566
Wednesday, 28 AprilBenjamin, pp 567-614
Friday, 30 AprilShannon, pp 216-228
Week 15Freedom: The Abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade and New World SlaveryMonday, 3 MayBenjamin, pp 615-660
Wednesday, 5 MayBenjamin, pp 661-666Shannon, pp 230-251**RESEARCH ESSAY DUE**
FINAL EXAM
____________________________________________
