Mississippi Riot History Essay Research Paper Coursework

1450-1500 word (excluding notes) final paper (worth 80% of the assignment grade). Your final paper (e-copy [.doc] only) must be accompanied by a research dossier (e-copy or paper copy). It will include copies of:
§ The title page of each source used (article or monograph);
§ The bibliographic information page of each monograph used (note:
you may not use Google Books);
§ A copy of each page you cite in the essay (both primary and
secondary). Directly quoted material will be highlighted in yellow. A notation in the top right corner will explain to which footnote the material belongs.
§ Organize your dossier chronologically according to the footnote number.
Choose a single episode/event in American history not covered in the titles of the lectures, but that fits with the course’s theme and chronology. Write an analytical essay that summarizes that episode/event and, most importantly, explains its

historical significance. Your essay must have a thesis and make an historical argument. Your essays must:
a. Incorporate at least 2 of the secondary readings assigned in weeks 1 to 3.
b. Be based on at least 3 additional secondary sources, of which one must be
a monograph.
c. Be based on at least three primary documents.
d. Be double-spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman font.
e. Have proper Chicago Style footnotes (no bibliography needed).
Readings from weeks 1-3 to choose from:
Barbara J. Fields, “Whiteness, Racism, and Identity,” International Labor and Working-Class History , No. 60 (Fall, 2001), pp. 48-56.
Audrey Smedley, “‘Race’ and the Construction of Human Identity,” American
Anthropologist , New Series, Vol. 100, No. 3 (Sep., 1998), pp. 690-702.
David Brion Davis, “Constructing Race: A Reflection,” The William and Mary
Quarterly , Third Series, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jan., 1997), pp. 7-18.
AmDocs: 1776, 4 July: Declaration of Independence
Sylvia Frey, “Between Slavery and Freedom: Virginia Blacks in the American Revolution,” The Journal of Southern History Vol. 49, No. 3 (Aug., 1983), pp. 375-398.
C OURSE DESCRIPTION The American past has been shaped in part by the construction of racial categories. Whether to colonize, enslave, disenfranchise, or resist one another, the peoples of the Americas often used perceptions of racial difference to justify their actions. Students will explore how these perceptions influenced American society, culture, and politics from pre-Columbian times to the election of Barack Obama. C OURSE E XPECTATIONS By the end of the course students will be able to: 1. Identify, understand, and analyze key themes and developments in the history of race in the United States. 2. Identify and analyze continuity and change in the history of race in the United States. 3. Analyze primary documents as a source of historical understanding about the American past. 4. Identify and assess historical arguments in secondary sources. 5. Synthesize primary and secondary source material into an original piece of writing. 6. Write clearly and logically in coherent prose. 7. Demonstrate a promising ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. C OURSE OUTCOMES Successful graduates of this course will demonstrate: 1. A promising ability to analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources. 2. A working knowledge of the key peoples and events that have shaped the history of race in the United States. 3. The ability to communicate effectively in clear and correct writing. REQUIRED B OOKS 1. Farrow, Lang, and Frank, Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery (2006) RECOMMENDED B OOKS 1. Any American history textbook. E NROLLMENT All students must be officially enrolled in the course. Those who withdraw from the course after March 6 will receive a WDR on their academic record. Enrolling officially and on time is solely the responsibility of each student ASSIGNMENTS , E XAMINATIONS AND P APERS This course is made up of short and focused written assignments. The assignments are as follows: 1. Primary Source Response Papers (350-400 words x 4) • Primary sources are the nuts and bolts of history. Your job is to use the primary source(s) for the lecture (choose any 4 lectures) to write three brief analytical paragraphs (properly footnoted) that make a concise historical argument about race in American history. The first paragraph will contain your thesis, the second your evidence, the last your conclusion. • Things to consider: How does the document help us understand the period in which it was written? How does it help us understand the trajectory of race in American history? What can this document help you prove about the past? What conclusions can you draw? Focus on historical analysis, not summary. • Use any relevant secondary reading(s) from the course to help you make sense of the primary source. • DUE by 11:30 pm the week after the document was assigned (e-copy [.doc] only) 2. Book Review (850–900 words, excluding notes) • Write a review of Complicity, the kind you would see in a history journal like William and Mary Quarterly or American Historical Review. A good review does the following: a. Summarizes the book’s content. b. Identifies the book’s salient argument(s) and themes. c. Offers a critique. While a) and b) are straight forward (and will comprise about 60% of the essay), c) may seem like a daunting task. Keep in mind, though, that a critique is an assessment of value. Questions you should consider: Of what use is Complicity to historians of race? What contribution, if any, does it make to our understanding of race and the past? • Your essay must be formatted as follows: a. double spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman font b. 1” margins c. Chicago style footnotes • DUE FEBRUARY 27 @ 11:30 pm (e-copy [.doc] only) 3. Research Paper (1450–1500 words, excluding notes + proposal) • Choose a single episode/event in American history not covered in the titles of the lectures, but that fits with the course’s theme and chronology. Write an analytical essay that summarizes that episode/event and, most importantly, explains its historical significance. Your essay must have a thesis and make an historical argument. Your essays must: a. Incorporate at least 2 of the secondary readings assigned in weeks 1 to 3. b. Be based on at least 3 additional secondary sources, of which one must be a monograph. c. Be based on at least three primary documents. d. Be double-spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman font. e. Have proper Chicago Style footnotes (no bibliography needed). • The schedule for this assignment is as follows: a. DUE March 2 @ 11:30: 100-150 word essay proposal (worth 20% of the assignment grade). Your proposal (e-copy [.doc] only) will outline the topic your paper will discuss, and the research question you propose to answer. Include a bibliography of your primary and secondary sources organized under separate headings. Each entry must have a 2-3 sentence annotation explaining the source’s relevance to your project.. b. DUE March 25 @ 11:30: 1450-1500 word (excluding notes) final paper (worth 80% of the assignment grade). Your final paper (e-copy [.doc] only) must be accompanied by a research dossier (e-copy or paper copy). It will include copies of: § The title page of each source used (article or monograph); § The bibliographic information page of each monograph used (note: you may not use Google Books); § A copy of each page you cite in the essay (both primary and secondary). Directly quoted material will be highlighted in yellow. A notation in the top right corner will explain to which footnote the material belongs. § Organize your dossier chronologically according to the footnote number. 4. Final Exam: per the university exam schedule. ELECTRONIC S UBMISSION An electronic copy of all assignments must be submitted to [email protected] in .doc format on or before the due date. No late assignments will be accepted. L ATE P APER, AND GRADE PETITION P OLICIES If for any family or medical reason you find it absolutely necessary to miss an examination or an essay deadline, you must contact me before the examination or deadline and have my consent if you wish to take a make-up exam/submit a late paper. No late papers will be accepted under any circumstances save medical or family emergencies. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the dates indicated. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please note that computer failure or other technological mishaps will not excuse a paper’s lateness. Be prepared well in advance and back up all your files. If students wish to dispute an assigned grade on an essay or exam, they must do so no later than one week after the assignment is handed back. The student must submit a type-written explanation of why their assignment deserves a higher grade, addressing the specific comments made by the instructor. PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is simply taking someone else’s words and ideas and pretending they are your own. As you no doubt know, this is a serious academic offense and will not be taken lightly in this course. Any student who plagiarizes will be reported to the Dean of Arts and Science and penalized at the discretion of the instructor. Unless otherwise indicated, NO INTERNET SOURCES ARE PERMITTED WHEN COMPLETING YOUR ASSIGNMENTS. Using unauthorized internet resources will result in a zero for the assignment. R OUGH DRAFTS AND E XAM HELP I am happy to help with essays and exams. In seeking my help, students should be aware of the following guidelines: 1. I will read draft introduction paragraphs, thesis statements, and outlines. Due to class size, I cannot read full drafts. 2. I prefer face-to-face interaction over email. 3. Students may make as many appointments as they wish. 4. I will not accept emails or appointments any later than 24 hours before an assignment is due. METHOD OF DETERMINING FINAL GRADE Primary Source Responses 15% Book Review 20% Research Paper 35% Final Exam 30% SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS Unless otherwise indicated, all secondary readings are available through J-Stor. Primary sources readings are available through the links provided, or through AmDocs: http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/ Week 01: Slavery and the Atlantic World • Jan. 6 01 Introduction • http://tiny.cc/Lec01 • Jan. 8 02 1402: Conquest of the Canary Islands • http://tiny.cc/Lec02 1. Barbara J. Fields, “Whiteness, Racism, and Identity,” International Labor and Working-Class History , No. 60 (Fall, 2001), pp. 48-56. 2. Thomas C. Holt, “Explaining Racism in American History” in Wood, ed., Imagined Histories, 107-119. (copy will be emailed) Week 02: Colonizing the Americas • Jan. 13 03 1637: The Pequot War • http://tiny.cc/Lec03 1. Audrey Smedley, “‘Race’ and the Construction of Human Identity,” American Anthropologist , New Series, Vol. 100, No. 3 (Sep., 1998), pp. 690-702. 2. David Brion Davis, “Constructing Race: A Reflection,” The William and Mary Quarterly , Third Series, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jan., 1997), pp. 7-18. • Jan. 15 04 1662: The Virginia Slave Codes • http://tiny.cc/Lec04 1. 1705, An Act Concerning Servants and Slaves http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/religion/docs1.html Week 03: The 1st and 2nd Wars for Independence • Jan. 20 05 1776: The Declaration of Independence • http://tiny.cc/Lec05 1. AmDocs: 1776, 4 July: Declaration of Independence 2. Sylvia Frey, “Between Slavery and Freedom: Virginia Blacks in the American Revolution,” The Journal of Southern History Vol. 49, No. 3 (Aug., 1983), pp. 375-398. • Jan. 22 06 1811: Battle of Tippecanoe • http://tiny.cc/Lec06 1. AmDocs: 1810, Tecumseh, “To Governor Harrison at Vincennes” 2. Colin G. Calloway, “In Defense of Ethnohistory,” Journal of American Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Apr., 1983), pp. 95-99. 3. “Stereotyping,” in Vine Deloria, We Talk, You Listen (Bison Books, 2007), available on Google Books. Week 04: Westward Expansion • Jan. 27 07 1832: Worcester v. Georgia • http://tiny.cc/Lec07 1. Worcester decision: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/worcestr.htm 2. Kathryn E. Holland Braund, “The Creek Indians, Blacks, and Slavery,” The Journal of Southern History , Vol. 57, No. 4 (Nov., 1991), pp. 601-636. • Jan. 29 08 1857: Scott v. Sanford Decision § http://tiny.cc/Lec08 1. AmDocs: 1856, Scott vs. Sandford, The Dred Scott Case Week 05: The American Civil War • Feb. 3 09 1861: The Firing on Fort Sumter • http://tiny.cc/Lec09 1. AmDocs: 1860, “Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union:” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/declarationofcauses.ht ml#South_Carolina (continued) 2. Manisha Sinha, “The Caning of Charles Sumner: Slavery, Race, and Ideology in the Age of the Civil War,” Journal of the Early Republic , Vol. 23, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), pp. 233-262. • Feb. 5 10 1870: Ratification of the 15th Amendment • http://tiny.cc/Lec10 1. Amendments 13-15: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27 Week 06: The West and the New South • Feb. 10 11 1862: Largest mass execution in US History in Mankato, MN • http://tiny.cc/Lec11 1. Sarah Wakefield to Lincoln, March 23, 1863: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mal.4251100 2. This American Life episode: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radioarchives/episode/479/little-war-on-the-prairie • Feb. 12 12 1879: The Exodusters Leave for Kansas • http://tiny.cc/Lec12 1. Ho For the Kansas Plains! http://tinyurl.com/c5vobcu (4 pgs) 2. Lawrence B. de Graaf, “Recognition, Racism, and Reflections on the Writing of Western Black History,” Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Feb., 1975), pp. 22-51. Week 07: READING WEEK Week 08: Race and the Early American City (1900s to 1950s) • Feb. 24 13 1924: Johnson-Reed Act • http://tiny.cc/Lec13 1. 1928: John Box on Mexican Immigration: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=594 2. LeeAnn Lands, “Be a Patriot, Buy a Home: Re-Imagining Home Owners and Home Ownership in Early 20th Century Atlanta,” Journal of Social History , Vol. 41, No. 4 (Summer, 2008), pp. 943-965. BOOK REVIEW DUE • Feb. 26 14 1919 Chicago Race Riots • http://tiny.cc/Lec14 1. Chicago Daily Tribune, August 1, 1919 (copy will be emailed) Week 09: Race and War: From Mexico to WWII • Mar. 2 15 1898: The Battle of Santiago • http://tiny.cc/Lec15 1. Lincoln and the Race Problem: http://www.blackpast.org/?q=1905-theodoreroosevelt-lincoln-and-race-problem 2. Darlene Clark Hine, “Black Professionals and Race Consciousness: Origins of the Civil Rights Movement, 1890-1950,” The Journal of American History , Vol. 89, No. 4 (Mar., 2003), pp. 1279-1294. RESEARCH PROPOSAL DUE • Mar. 4 16 1948: Executive Order 9981 • http://tiny.cc/Lec16 1. Executive Order 9981: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/9981a.htm Week 10: The Eisenhower Era: Affluence and its Discontents • Mar. 9 17 1948: Strom Thurmond Runs for President • http://tiny.cc/Lec17 1. Dixiecrat Platform: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25851 • Mar. 11 18 1954: Brown v. Board of Education • http://tiny.cc/Lec18 1. Brown Decision: http://www.nationalcenter.org/brown.html 2. Tony Badger, “Southerners Who Refused to Sign the Southern Manifesto.” The Historical Journal , Vol. 42, No. 2 (Jun., 1999), pp. 517-534. Week 11: Civil Rights and Vietnam • Mar. 16 19 1965: Assassination of Malcolm X • http://tiny.cc/Lec19 1. Malcom X Speech, 1965: http://www.malcolm-x.org/speeches/spc_021465.htm (Starting at “If you tell them right now what is in store for 1965, they'll think you're crazy for sure.”) 2. Clayborne Carson, “The Unfinished Dialogue of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X,” OAH Magazine of History , Vol. 19, No. 1, Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan., 2005), pp. 22-26. • Mar. 18 20 1968: Assassination of Martin Luther King • http://tiny.cc/Lec20 1. I Have a Dream: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm Week 12: The 1970s, 80s, and 90s • Mar. 23 21 1973: Siege at Wounded Knee • http://tiny.cc/Lec21 1. Stories from Wounded Knee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJRn8s5jmOM 2. Dean J. Kotlowski, “Alcatraz, Wounded Knee, and Beyond: The Nixon and Ford Administrations Respond to Native American Protest,” Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 72, No. 2 (May 2003), pp. 201-227. • Mar. 25 22 1991: The Rodney King/L.A. Riots • http://tiny.cc/Lec22 1. Rodney King video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0Uua7jnSA 2. Rodney King obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/us/rodney-kingwhose-beating-led-to-la-riots-dead-at-47.html?pagewanted=all RESEARCH PAPER DUE Week 13: From Bush to Barack • Mar. 30 23 2005: Hurricane Katrina • 1. George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People: http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/k/K-Otix/George-Bush-Doesnt-Care-AboutBlack-People.htm • Apr. 1 24 2008: The Election of Barack Obama 1. A More Perfect Union: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobamaperfectunion.htm 2. Ron Walters, “Barack Obama and the Politics of Blackness,” Journal of Black Studies , Vol. 38, No. 1, The Barack Obama Phenomenon (Sep., 2007), pp. 7-29.