Mosterman, A. C.

English

University of New Orleans

University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Syllabi Fall 2015 HIST 6001 A. C. Mosterman University of New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/syllabi This is an older syllabus and should not be used as a substitute for the syllabus for a current semester course. Recommended Citation Mosterman, A. C., "HIST 6001" (2015). University of New Orleans Syllabi. Paper 680. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/syllabi/680 This Syllabus is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Syllabi by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uno.edu. HIST6001:	  Historical	  Writing	  and	  Thought	  University	  of	  New	  Orleans	  Fall	  2014	  Th.:	  6:00	  –	  8:45pm	  LA194	  	  Professor:	  Andrea	  C.	  Mosterman	  Email:	  amosterm@uno.edu	   	   	  Phone:	  504-­‐280-­‐7195	  Office	  Hours:	  TW	  2pm-­‐5pm	  	  Location:	  LA	  111	  	  Course	  Description	  Welcome	  to	  HIST6001!	  This	  course	  serves	  as	  the	  gateway	  to	  MA-­‐level	  graduate	  studies	  in	  history	  at	  UNO.	  In	  this	  course,	  we	  will	  survey	  and	  analyze	  historical	  writing	  and	  thought.	  Part	  of	  the	  two-­‐semester	  sequence,	  this	  course	  is	  followed	  in	  the	  spring	  by	  HIST6002,	  which	  stresses	  historical	  methodology	  and	  research.	  Together,	  these	  two	  courses	  should	  launch	  students	  on	  a	  path	  toward	  most	  effectively	  approaching	  and	  analyzing	  the	  secondary	  and	  primary	  sources	  that	  will	  underpin	  their	  research	  and	  wider	  work	  in	  the	  program	  and	  beyond.	  In	  this	  course,	  we	  will	  blend	  theoretical	  and	  practical	  topics.	  Part	  of	  the	  course	  will	  be	  spent	  honing	  library	  research	  skills,	  exposing	  students	  to	  second-­‐year	  students	  and	  their	  projects,	  and	  discussing	  topics	  in	  professional	  development.	  	  	  In	  this	  course,	  students	  will:	  	  -­‐ Be	  introduced	  to	  the	  History	  Department	  and	  graduate	  program	  -­‐ Examine	  the	  development	  of	  the	  professional	  practice	  of	  history	  within	  Western	  academe	  -­‐ Developed	  and	  enhance	  their	  understanding	  of	  changing	  historiographical	  debates	  and	  the	  wider	  nature	  of	  historical	  argument.	  -­‐ Develop	  familiarity	  with	  the	  historiographical	  discourse	  in	  their	  field	  of	  interest	  -­‐ Learn	  to	  write	  clear	  and	  well-­‐organized	  historiographical	  papers	  	  Course	  Texts:	  Required:	  Heiko	  Feldner,	  Kevin	  Passmore,	  and	  Stefan	  Berger,	  Writing	  History:	  Theory	  and	  Practice	  (New	  York:	  Bloomsbury,	  2010	  [Second	  Edition])	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0-­‐34097-­‐515-­‐2	  Charles	  Beard,	  An	  Economic	  Interpretation	  of	  the	  Constitution	  (1913)	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0486433653	  Woody	  Holton,	  Forced	  Founders:	  Indians,	  Debtors,	  Slaves,	  and	  the	  Making	  of	  the	  American	  Revolution	  in	  Virginia	  (1999)	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0807847848	  Bernard	  Bailyn,	  The	  Ideological	  Origins	  of	  the	  American	  Revolution	  (1967)	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0674443020	  Janet	  Polasky,	  Revolutions	  without	  Borders:	  The	  Call	  to	  Liberty	  in	  the	  Atlantic	  World	  (2014)	  	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0300208948	  Brendan	  McConville,	  The	  King’s	  Three	  Faces:	  The	  Rise	  and	  Fall	  of	  Royal	  America,	  1688-­‐1776	  (2007)	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0807858660	  Gary	  Nash,	  The	  Forgotten	  Fifth:	  African	  Americans	  in	  the	  Age	  of	  Revolution	  (2006)	  	  ISBN:	  978-­‐0674021938	  	  Recommended:	  Kate	  L.	  Turabian	  et	  al.,	  A	  Manual	  for	  Writers	  of	  Research	  Papers,	  Theses,	  and	  Dissertations,	  8th	  ed.	  (Chicago:	  The	  University	  of	  Chicago	  Press,	  2013).	  	  ISBN:	  0226816389	  	  	  Course	  Requirements:	  Class	  Participation	  As	  a	  significant	  amount	  of	  our	  class	  time	  will	  be	  spent	  discussing	  the	  readings,	  I	  expect	  you	  to	  attend	  all	  classes	  and	  participate	  in	  class	  discussions.	  All	  reading	  assignments	  must	  be	  completed	  by	  the	  day	  under	  which	  they	  appear.	  Please	  arrive	  on	  time	  for	  class.	  If	  you	  must	  leave	  early,	  please	  let	  me	  know	  at	  the	  beginning	  of	  class.	  This	  course	  is	  based	  on	  discussion,	  and	  so	  you	  will	  be	  expected	  to	  share	  your	  thoughts,	  but	  courteous	  behavior	  and	  responses	  are	  expected,	  even	  when	  you	  do	  not	  agree	  with	  what	  is	  said	  or	  discussed	  in	  the	  classroom.	  Civility	  in	  the	  classroom	  and	  respect	  for	  the	  opinions	  of	  others	  is	  very	  important	  in	  an	  academic	  environment.	  As	  part	  of	  class	  participation,	  you	  should	  meet	  with	  me	  during	  week	  12.	  I	  will	  pass	  out	  a	  sign	  up	  sheet	  for	  those	  meetings	  when	  it	  comes	  closer	  to	  the	  date.	  	  	  Lead	  Discussion	  You	  will	  be	  required	  to	  lead	  one	  of	  our	  discussions	  either	  alone	  or	  with	  one	  of	  your	  classmates.	  Please	  sign	  up	  for	  the	  date	  of	  your	  discussion	  during	  our	  first	  meeting.	  As	  part	  of	  the	  discussion	  preparation,	  discussion	  leaders	  have	  to	  meet	  with	  me	  a	  few	  days	  in	  advance	  of	  the	  discussion.	  	  Response	  Papers	  Most	  weeks	  you	  will	  be	  required	  to	  submit	  a	  300-­‐500	  word	  (maximum!)	  response	  paper	  (6	  in	  total).	  This	  should	  be	  a	  brief	  discussion	  of	  the	  readings	  in	  which	  you	  highlight	  important	  arguments,	  theories,	  and/or	  methods.	  Also	  identify	  how	  the	  different	  readings	  relate	  to	  each	  other	  and	  the	  topic	  of	  the	  week.	  As	  part	  of	  the	  response	  paper,	  you	  should	  list	  three	  questions	  for	  discussion.	  These	  Response	  Papers	  are	  due	  on	  Moodle	  at	  noon	  on	  the	  day	  of	  class.	  If	  the	  paper	  is	  submitted	  after	  noon	  but	  before	  class,	  it	  will	  lose	  1/3	  of	  a	  letter	  grade.	  I	  do	  not	  accept	  Response	  Papers	  that	  are	  submitted	  after	  the	  class	  of	  its	  due	  date.	  	  	  Short	  Historiographical	  Papers	  In	  addition	  to	  the	  short	  response	  papers,	  you	  will	  be	  expected	  to	  write	  three	  brief	  historiographical	  papers	  of	  5-­‐6	  pages	  each.	  These	  short	  papers	  should	  link	  the	  main	  reading	  for	  that	  class	  with	  other	  historical	  writing,	  thus	  discussing	  a	  specific	  historiographical	  debate.	  Make	  sure	  to	  include	  at	  least	  three	  outside	  texts	  in	  this	  discussion.	  Submit	  these	  papers	  on	  Moodle	  before	  class	  starts	  and	  bring	  a	  hard	  copy	  to	  class.	  You	  will	  be	  able	  to	  sign	  up	  for	  these	  papers	  the	  first	  week	  of	  classes.	  You	  should	  not	  submit	  a	  response	  paper	  on	  the	  day	  that	  you	  have	  a	  historiographical	  paper	  due.	  	  	  Final	  Historiographical	  Paper	  	  Your	  final	  historiographical	  paper	  should	  be	  a	  10-­‐12	  page	  long	  review	  of	  at	  least	  6	  secondary	  sources	  that	  pertain	  to	  your	  field	  of	  interest	  or	  thesis	  topic.	  The	  final	  historiographical	  paper	  should	  provide	  a	  coherent	  and	  relevant	  historiographical	  review	  of	  the	  scholarship	  on	  your	  topic	  of	  choice.	  	  	  Grade	  Breakdown	  	  Reading	  Responses	   	  	  	  	  	   	   30%	  (300-­‐500	  words	  each)	  	   	   	   	   	   	  Final	  Historiographical	  Paper	   	   20%	  (10-­‐12	  pages)	  	  Short	  Historiographical	  Papers	   30%	  (10%	  each)	  Leading	  of	  Discussion	   	   	   5%	  Class	  Participation	  and	  Attendance	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	   15%	  	  	  90-­‐100	  =	  A	  80-­‐89	  =	  B	  70-­‐79	  =	  C	   60-­‐69	  =	  D	  <	  60	  =	  F	  	  	  Students	  with	  Disabilities	  It	  is	  University	  policy	  to	  provide,	  on	  a	  flexible	  and	  individualized	  basis,	  reasonable	  accommodations	  to	  students	  who	  have	  disabilities	  that	  may	  affect	  their	  ability	  to	  participate	  in	  course	  activities	  or	  to	  meet	  course	  requirements.	  Students	  with	  disabilities	  should	  contact	  the	  Office	  of	  Disability	  Services	  as	  well	  as	  their	  instructors	  to	  discuss	  their	  individual	  needs	  for	  accommodations.	  For	  more	  information,	  please	  go	  to	  http://www.ods.uno.edu.	  	  Academic	  Dishonesty	  Academic	  integrity	  is	  fundamental	  to	  the	  process	  of	  learning	  and	  evaluating	  academic	  performance.	  Academic	  dishonesty	  will	  not	  be	  tolerated.	  Academic	  dishonesty	  includes,	  but	  is	  not	  limited	  to,	  cheating,	  plagiarism,	  tampering	  with	  academic	  records	  and	  examinations,	  falsifying	  identity,	  and	  being	  an	  accessory	  to	  acts	  of	  academic	  dishonesty.	  In	  short,	  plagiarism	  is	  using	  others’	  ideas	  and	  words	  without	  clearly	  acknowledging	  the	  source	  of	  that	  information.	  In	  order	  to	  ensure	  that	  you	  are	  not	  plagiarizing	  anybody	  else’s	  work,	  make	  sure	  to	  footnote	  each	  source	  you	  use	  and	  make	  sure	  you	  cite	  the	  original	  author	  of	  any	  idea,	  phrase,	  or	  paraphrase	  that	  you	  include	  in	  any	  written	  work.	  If	  you	  do	  plagiarize,	  I	  will	  have	  to	  report	  this	  to	  student	  affairs.	  For	  more	  information,	  see	  the	  UNO	  Judicial	  Code	  online	  at	  http://www.studentaffairs.uno.edu.	  	  	  WEEKLY	  COURSE	  SCHEDULE	  	  	  	  Week	  1	  (8/20):	  Introduction	  Professional	  Discussion:	  What	  do	  professional	  Historians	  do?	  	  Week	  2	  (8/27):	  The	  Professionalization	  of	  History	  	  Professional	  Discussion:	  The	  value	  of	  professional	  organizations	  Read:	  Stefan	  Berger,	  Heiko	  Feldner,	  and	  Kevin	  Passmore,	  Writing	  History:	  Theory	  and	  Practice,	  pp.	  3-­‐58;	  Natalie	  Zemon	  Davis,	  “History	  in	  the	  Profession,”	  Perspectives	  on	  History	  (1996);	  Natalie	  Zemon	  Davis,	  “’Being	  speculative	  is	  better	  than	  to	  not	  do	  it	  at	  all’:	  an	  interview	  with	  Natalie	  Zemon	  Davis,”	  Itinerario	  (2015)	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon;	  Submit	  short	  Bio	  (History	  students	  only)	  	  Week	  3	  (9/3):	  Envisioning	  the	  Thesis	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Finding	  a	  Thesis	  Topic	  (Early)	  Read:	  Alison	  G.	  Laurence,	  “Patriot,	  Pet,	  and	  Pest:	  America	  Debates	  the	  Dog’s	  Worth	  During	  World	  War	  I”	  and	  	  Jennifer	  Conerly,	  “’Your	  Majesty’s	  Friend’:	  Foreign	  Alliances	  in	  the	  Reign	  of	  Henri	  Christophe”;	  Zachary	  Schrag,	  “The	  Anatomy	  of	  a	  30-­‐Page	  Paper”	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Familiarize	  yourself	  with	  the	  HIST6005	  Moodle	  page	  	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Week	  4	  (9/10):	  HIST7000	  Presentations	  Read:	  HIST7000	  Abstracts.	  	  Week	  5	  (9/17):	  Graduate-­‐level	  Library	  Training	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Finding	  &	  Evaluating	  Sources	  Read:	  “The	  turn	  to	  online	  research,”	  Boston	  Globe	  (2008);	  Stephen	  Campbell,	  “Improving	  Wikipedia:	  Notes	  from	  an	  Informed	  Skeptic,”	  Perspectives	  on	  History	  (May	  2014);	  Richard	  Deswarte,	  “Growing	  the	  ‘Faith	  in	  Numbers’:	  Quantitative	  Resources	  and	  Historical	  Research	  in	  the	  Twenty-­‐First	  Century.”	  	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  Week	  6	  (9/24):	  Economic	  History	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Finding	  &	  Evaluating	  Sources	  Read:	  Charles	  Beard,	  An	  Economic	  Interpretation	  of	  the	  Constitution	  (1913);	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  13.	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	  Week	  7	  (10/1):	  Marxist	  and	  Social	  History	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Writing	  and	  Research	  Habits	  Read:	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  4	  and	  12;	  Selections	  from	  Linebaugh	  and	  Rediker,	  The	  Many	  Headed	  Hydra;	  Woody	  Holton,	  Forced	  Founders:	  Indians,	  Debtors,	  Slaves,	  and	  the	  Making	  of	  the	  American	  Revolution	  in	  Virginia	  (1999)	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	  Week	  8	  (10/8):	  Intellectual	  and	  Political	  History	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Plagiarism	  &	  Ethical	  Conduct	  	  Read:	  Bernard	  Bailyn,	  The	  Ideological	  Origins	  of	  the	  American	  Revolution	  (1967);	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  11	  and	  14.	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Week	  9	  (10/15):	  Mid-­‐Semester	  Break	  –	  No	  Class	  	  	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Week	  10	  (10/22):	  Atlantic	  and	  World	  History	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Publishing	  and	  the	  Politics	  of	  History	  Writing	  Read:	  Janet	  Polasky,	  Revolutions	  without	  Borders:	  The	  Call	  to	  Liberty	  in	  the	  Atlantic	  World	  (2014);	  Bernard	  Bailyn,	  “The	  Idea	  of	  Atlantic	  History,”	  Itinerario	  Vol.	  20,	  Nr.	  1	  (1996),	  19-­‐44;	  Bruce	  Mazlish,	  “Global	  History	  and	  World	  History,”	  The	  Global	  History	  Reader,	  pp.	  16-­‐20.	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Week	  11	  (10/29):	  The	  Annales	  School/Microhistory	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Grants	  and	  Conferences	  	  Read:	  Selections	  from	  Gordon	  S.	  Wood,	  The	  Americanization	  of	  Benjamin	  Franklin	  	  (2004);	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  6;	  Jill	  Lepore,	  “Historians	  Who	  Love	  Too	  Much:	  Reflections	  on	  Microhistory	  and	  Biography,”	  The	  Journal	  of	  American	  History,	  Vol.	  88,	  No.	  1	  (Jun.,	  2001),	  pp.	  129-­‐144.	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	  Week	  12	  (11/5):	  Lecture	  by	  Tara	  Zahra	  at	  the	  World	  War	  II	  Museum	  Assignments:	  Schedule	  a	  10	  minute	  meeting	  with	  me	  to	  discuss	  the	  final	  historiographical	  paper.	  	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Week	  13	  (11/12):	  Cultural	  History	  &	  Anthropology	  (Social	  Sciences)	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Teaching	  History	  in	  the	  Classroom	  and	  the	  Public	  Sphere	  Read:	  Brendan	  McConville,	  The	  King’s	  Three	  Faces:	  The	  Rise	  &	  Fall	  of	  Royal	  America,	  1688-­‐1776	  (2006);	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  9.	  	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	  	  Week	  14	  (11/19):	  Race,	  ethnicity	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Dealing	  with	  Controversial	  Topics	  Read:	  Gary	  Nash,	  The	  Forgotten	  Fifth:	  African	  Americans	  in	  the	  Age	  of	  Revolution;	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  16.	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  Week	  15	  (11/26):	  Thanksgiving	  Holiday	  –	  No	  Class	  	  Week	  16	  (12/4):	  Women’s	  and	  Gender	  History;	  Conclusions	  Professional	  Discussion:	  Long-­‐term	  planning	  (what	  to	  do	  with	  the	  M.A.?)	  Read:	  Selections	  from	  Carol	  Berkin,	  Revolutionary	  Mothers:	  Women	  and	  the	  Struggle	  for	  America’s	  Independence	  2005);	  Berger	  et	  al.,	  Writing	  History,	  chapter	  15.	  Assignments:	  Response	  Paper	  due	  at	  noon	  	  *	  Final	  historiographical	  paper	  due	  at	  5pm	  on	  Thursday,	  December	  11	  (both	  Moodle	  and	  hard	  copy	  in	  my	  mailbox).	  	  	  	   	  	  	  

HIST 6001

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HIST 6001

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