History 693E:
Early American History
Fall 2008, Wednesday 12:20 - 2:50 pm
Synopsis:
This course is designed for students interested in at least one aspect of early American history. It aims to develop a community of early American historians at UMass, while developing students’ abilities to use primary sources of various kinds to develop their hypotheses and arguments concerning topics they are really interested in. Early in the course I will ask all students to declare what they are interested in (eg. Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson’s politics, pious Indians, rum-drinking in Boston, slavery, etc.). You will be then responsible for that topic or area. You may change your focus during the course. We will then explore different kinds of primary sources (probate records, court records, letter books, material culture) and each student will be responsible for using such sources to make and/or develop an argument about their topic. I will assign two or three monographs to offer some historigraphical context, but most work will focus on primary sources. Students will write several short papers (five to seven pages) and the beginnings of a seminar paper (c. ten pages), which some students can finish under an independent seminar in the Spring.
Syllabus: Not available
Course Website: Not available
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