American Civilization syllabus

Dr. Neil Jumonville
Florida State University
AMH-1000 (section 14: Bryan Hall)
Fall 2001

AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

READING LIST

Thomas Paine, Thomas Paine Reader, Michael Foot and Isaac Kramnick, eds (NY: Penguin, 1987). ISBN:0140444963
http://www.leftjustified.com/leftjust/lib/fr/tp/tp.html

The Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights will be read online.

Theda Perdue & Michael Green, The Cherokee Removal (Boston: Bedford, 1995). ISBN:031208658X

Nancy Woloch, Muller v. Oregon (Boston: Beford, 1996). ISBN:0312085869

Richard Rovere, Senator Joe McCarthy (Berkeley: Univ California, 1996). ISBN:0520204727

James Kunen, The Strawberry Statement (Brandywine, 1995). ISBN:1881089525

Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi (NY:Bantam, 1968). ISBN:0440314887

* There is a photocopy packet available at Target Copy on Tennessee St containing the lecture outlines.

INTENTIONS OF THE COURSE

This course traces our conceptions of rights and civil liberties throughout distinct periods of American history -and determines how those rights are divided between majorities and minorities. It is not a survey course. By more closely focusing on one theme, I hope students will remember the content of the course longer, and be able to apply it to their roles as citizens.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Read these requirements closely, because they tell you all you need to know about the operation of the class and the requirements for your paper. Don't read these once and then forget them, because you'll be judged on the basis of them.

DISCUSSIONS: On Fridays, class will be devoted to a discussion of the issues raised in lectures and in the reading. You will not be able to do well in the discussions if you haven't kept up with your reading. It is expected that you will have finished the week's reading assignment by the time of your section meeting. As much as possible, the discussions will be a friendly exchange of ideas and opinions. The discussions are intended to be fun and enriching, not threatening. Don't feel intimidated by a lack of background in history. Often there is no one "right" answer to the questions being discussed. Part of your grade for the semester will be based on your active participation (talking) in the discussions, so it is important to show up and take part. Their purpose is to give you practice speaking about and challenging ideas, instead of just memorizing them.

ATTENDANCE: Part of your grade for participation is based on attendance.

READING: Weekly reading assignments are indicated in the syllabus. It is very important to complete the reading assignment before attending discussion section, as part of your grade for participation is based on your ability to talk about the readings.

PAPERS: There will be one paper, 8 pages long, DUE IN CLASS ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 5. I will hand it back to you with comments and suggestions. A revised, reworked, and improved rendition of it is DUE IN CLASS ON MONDAY DECEMBER 3. Please also clip your original paper (with my comments on it) to your revised paper when you turn in the latter. Your grade for your paper (which is 25% of your course grade) will be the average score of your original and your revised papers.

All papers must be double-spaced and type-written or printed by computer. Handwritten papers will not be accepted. No paper extensions, even in the event of a nuclear war. For every day the paper is late, it will drop a full grade (for example, from a B+ to a C+). The papers will be graded on the strength of their ideas, their ability to advance a thesis or interpretation, and how well they are written (their use of language, spelling, punctuation, grammar).

Naturally, any plagiarism will result in an immediate failure of the entire course. Plagiarism is having someone else write the paper or parts of the paper for you. Plagiarism is also copying sentences, paragraphs, or important ideas from other sources without indicating those other sources. These other sources, with page numbers, should be included in footnotes or endnotes in your essay.

PAPER TOPIC: Choose two of the readings and explain the similarities and differences in the rights problems that are at issue.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act should follow these steps: 1) Provide documentation of your disability to the Office of Disabled Student Services (08 Kellum Hall, 644-9566). 2) Bring a statement from the Office of Disabled Student Services indicating that you have registered with them to your instructor the first week of class. The statement should indicate the special accommodations you require.

EXAMS: There will be two exams during the course of the semester -a midterm and a final. Both tests will be a combination of ten short identifications (which will count 30% of each exam) and one essay question (which will count 70% of each exam). The exams will be judged on the strength of their ideas, their writing, and their ability to advance a thesis or interpretation. Equally as important, use example from the books that show me you have done the reading. Please bring bluebooks.

GRADES: Each of the four components of the class will count 25% toward the final grade: the two exams, the paper, and class participation. (Class participation will be based on discussion in weekly discussion and attendance.)

COURSE WEB SITE: This course has its own page, linked through my web site at: http://mailer.fsu.edu/~njumonvi . But you're already here, aren't you?

OFFICE HOURS: Fridays 11-12 in Johnston 239.

COURSE SCHEDULE

COLONISTS AND NATURAL RIGHTS, 1680-1800

Week 1
Mon, Aug 27: Opening.
Wed, Aug 29: Enlightenment ideas of natural law and rights, 1680-1800
Fri, Aug 31: Discussion
Reading: Thomas Paine, The Thomas Paine Reader, pp. 7-29.

Week 3
Mon, Sep 10: The Declaration and the Constitution, 1774-1787
Wed, Sep 12: The Bill of Rights, 1785-1791
Fri, Sep 14: Discussion
Reading: Read the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights . In the Bill of Rights, read the Preamble and all 27 of the Amendments (rights).

SLAVERY, PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND CITIZENSHIP, 1830-1896

Week 5
Mon, Sep 24: Ralph Waldo Emerson and George Bancroft: Individuals or majorities? 1836-1860
Wed, Sep 26: Slavery, black rights, and the Dred Scott decision, 1820-1860
Fri, Sep 28: Discussion
Reading: Perdue and Green, The Cherokee Removal, pp. 1-48.

Week 6
Mon, Oct 1: The image of Blacks and Indians in the White American mind, 1770-1900.
Wed, Oct 3: The rights of corporations, 1868-1920
Fri, Oct 5: Discussion.
Reading: Perdue and Green, The Cherokee Removal, pp. 58-62, 68-91, 96-114, 117-20, 160-68, 170-75.

RIGHTS DURING THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, 1890-1920

Week 7
Mon, Oct 8: Women and immigrant rights: the Settlement House movement, 1890-1920
Wed, Oct 10: Women’s right to birth control and the vote, 1900-1920
Fri, Oct 12: Discussion
Reading: Nancy Woloch, Muller v. Oregon, pp. 1-40.

Week 8
Mon, Oct 15: World War I and nativism: political and immigrant rights, 1914-1923
Wed, Oct 17: EXAM ONE. Bring bluebooks.
Fri, Oct 19: Work on your paper.
Reading: Nancy Woloch, Muller v. Oregon, pp. 105-50.

THE COLD WAR, MASS SOCIETY, AND MCCARTHYISM, 1945-1963

Week 9
Mon, Oct 22: The American Century and global rights, 1941-1960
Wed, Oct 24: The Cold War and Truman's Loyalty Program, 1945-1955
Fri, Oct 26: Discussion.
Reading: Richard Rovere, Senator Joe McCarthy, pp. ix-44.

Week 10
Mon, Oct 29: Chambers, Hiss, and the Rosenbergs, 1948-1953
Wed, Oct 31: Henry Steele Commager: a liberal against McCarthyism, 1947-1955
Fri, Nov 2: Discussion.
Reading: Richard Rovere, Senator Joe McCarthy, pp. 45-74, 119-95.

Week 11
Mon, Nov 5: Suburbs, mass society, and conformity, 1945-1963
PAPER DUE IN CLASS TODAY
Wed, Nov 7: Lenny Bruce's censored humor, 1955-1968.
Fri, Nov 9: Discussion
Reading: Richard Rovere, Senator Joe McCarthy, pp. 195-271.

STUDENT UNREST AND CIVIL LIBERTIES, 1955-1975

Week 12
Mon, Nov 12: VETERANS DAY HOLIDAY
Wed, Nov 14: From Berkeley to Chicago: Free speech and student rights, 1964-1968.
Fri, Nov 16: Discussion
Reading: James Kunen, The Strawberry Statement, pp. ix-74.

Week 13
Mon, Nov 19: The faculty response to student radicalism, 1964-1969
Wed, Nov 21: Nixon, the students, and Watergate, 1968-1974.
Fri, Nov 23: THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Reading: James Kunen, The Strawberry Statement, pp. 74-151.

CIVIL RIGHTS AND MULTICULTURALISM, 1940-PRESENT

Week 14
Mon, Nov 26: The early Civil Rights movement, 1940-1963
Wed, Nov 28: Black Power and the later Civil Rights movement, 1963-1970
Fri, Nov 30: Discussion
Reading: Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, pp. 217-320.

Week 15
Mon, Dec 3: Affirmative action: group or individual rights? 1963-present
REVISED PAPER DUE IN CLASS TODAY
Wed, Dec 5: United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Fri, Dec 7: Discussion
Reading: Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, pp. 321-384. Read also the material on the following United Nations web page. (You don’t need to follow any of the links on the page.) http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html#CPR

Week 16
Fri, Dec 14: FINAL EXAM in this room from 10 am until noon.