Lehrman American Studies Center

UNIVERSITY STATEMENTS

Academic Integrity

• By accepting this syllabus, you pledge to uphold the principles of Academic Integrity expressed by the University community. You agree to observe these principles yourself and to defend them against abuse by others.

• Special Needs and Accommodations

Please advise the instructor of any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester. 

• Access to Student Work

Copies of your work in this course including copies of any submitted papers and your portfolios may be kept on file for institutional research, assessment and accreditation purposes. All work used for these purposes will be submitted anonymously.

• Student Copyright Authorization

For the benefit of current and future students, work in this course may be used for educational critique, demonstrations, samples, presentations, and verification. Outside of these uses, work shall not be sold, copied, broadcast, or distributed for profit without student consent.

BROAD PURPOSE OF COURSE

University Catalogue Description: A study of colonial American society from 1607 to 1789, beginning with the development of English colonies in North America and ending with the establishment of an independent and constitutional government. The course examines the social, economic, and political growth of the colonies leading to the American Revolution and proceeds on to the problems of creating a new nation.

• In this course, we will examine the origins of the United States, from its colonial roots to the end of the Revolutionary War. Among the subjects we will address are the diversity and disunity of Britain’s Thirteen Colonies in the 17th and early 18th centuries, the French and Indian War, the Imperial Crisis of the 1760s and early 1770s, the emergence of political unity and national identity among Americans during the Revolutionary War, the defeat of Britain’s Northern and Southern Strategies, and the achievement of American independence by 1783.

• We will find that there were powerful motives for the attachment of the Thirteen Colonies to the British Empire. And we will see that, in the Imperial Crisis and Revolutionary War, the contest for the allegiance of the American people was never clear or certain in outcome. The constitutional conflict with Britain, the outbreak of war, the decision to seek independence, and the victory of the Patriot cause were not inevitable. They were the result of the ideas, choices, and actions of human beings on both sides of the Atlantic, from great leaders to ordinary people.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be expected to:

1. Demonstrate their knowledge of the major events, personalities, ideas, institutions, and developments of early American history through performance on quizzes and exams.
2. Demonstrate their understanding of the major themes of this course—such as the differences between American and British political thought and the political and military role played by ordinary people in the American Revolution—through class discussions and other classroom activities.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking through participation in class discussions (including learning how to “read” such images as paintings and political cartoons), research of key American Revolutionary documents and analysis of these documents in short essays and class discussions, and analysis of a historical film in a short essay drawing upon lectures and assigned secondary-source reading.

• By taking this course, we will exercise our analytical powers and learn to be better readers, writers, speakers, and thinkers. Since republican government requires a populace that is educated, enlightened, and independent in their thinking, we may even become better citizens.

 

TEACHING METHOD

• This course combines lectures on PowerPoint, primary-source documentary research and writing projects, field research projects, and class discussions of primary sources (including texts, images, and music) and secondary sources (including assigned reading and interpretive films).

 

COURSE LECTURES

• The backbone of this course consists of nine classroom lectures accompanied by PowerPoint slideshows which include a lecture outline, illustrative images such as portraits and maps, and excerpts from primary source documents ranging from political speeches and pamphlets to private letters and popular song lyrics. Lectures address the major events, personalities, ideas, institutions, and developments of early American history.

• Lecture One (The Rise of British America): the economic, social, religious, and political differences and disunity of New England, the Middle Colonies, and the South; the Colonies’ enjoyment of political, religious, and economic liberty under Crown rule; the French and Indian War and its implications for future conflict between Britain and the Colonies; and the extension of British hegemony over North America by 1760.

• Lecture Two (The Stamp Act Crisis): conflicting British and American philosophies of rights, sovereignty, and the British Constitution; the provocation of elite and popular resistance by the Stamp Act and other parts of the New Imperial Policy; the political division of colonists into Whigs and Tories; and the initial success of a five-part Whig Strategy for redress of colonial grievances.

• Lecture Three (The Boston Massacre): the provocation of colonial resistance by the Townshend Acts and other British measures; the role of non-importation in advancing political democratization (including the inclusion of women, poor whites, boys, and free and enslaved blacks) and a growing sense of American national identity; the introduction of British troops to Boston; and the resulting bloody clash with the mob in 1770.

• Lecture Four (The Intolerable Acts): escalating acts of popular violence culminating in the Boston Tea Party; Britain’s crackdown on Massachusetts with the Coercive Acts of 1774; the committees of correspondence and First Continental Congress; and the rising determination in both Britain and New England to resort to force of arms.

• Lecture Five (New England’s War): the outbreak of violence at Lexington and Concord; the successful use of militia at Concord and Bunker Hill; the division of Patriots into moderates and radicals; Washington’s efforts to turn the militia into a regular army; the liberation of Boston from the British Army; and how differences in small arms technology dictated different military tactics.

• Lecture Six (Toward Independence): gradual steps toward the political unity of the Colonies; the emergence of American national identity and especially national symbols; Thomas Paine’s impact on public opinion; and the debates in Congress between moderates and radicals culminating in the Declaration of Independence.

• Lecture Seven (The Northern Strategy): the Battle of Long Island and its hard lessons for Washington; Washington’s rebound at Trenton and Princeton; the mobilization of New York militia by Indian raids; the defeat of Britain’s Northern Strategy at Saratoga; the French alliance; and the professionalization of American regulars at Valley Forge.

• Lecture Eight (The Southern Strategy): the contradiction between Patriots’ principles and the institution of slavery; attempts by the British and Patriots to mobilize black Americans; the early success of Clinton’s Southern Strategy; the role of militia in defeating the British at Kings Mountain and Cowpens; and Greene’s Southern campaign and its subversion of the Southern Strategy.

• Lecture Nine (Victory and Peace): the British invasion of Virginia; the defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown by French and American forces; the creation of a continental empire by the peace settlement of 1783; the fate of white, black, and Indian Loyalists; Washington’s resignation of power; and a review of the major themes and lessons of the course.

 

COURSE THEMES

• These nine lectures on the history of Colonial and Revolutionary America will provide the framework for readings, writing assignments, class discussions, and other classroom activities addressing seven major themes on the origins of American independence from Britain.
  • Theme One: In the seventeenth century, in what respects were the ideas, values, manners, and institutions of the American colonists similar? In what respects were they different? In what ways did the colonists aspire to imitate British ideas, values, manners, and institutions? For what reasons were Americans loyal to the British crown and proud to be part of the British Empire?
  • Theme Two: According to Whig leaders, what are the nature and source of rights, the origin and purpose of government, and the lawful extent of British authority over the Colonies? In what respects did the principles of American Whigs change from 1764 to 1774, and in what respects did they remain the same? How did Patriot ideas about rights, sovereignty, and the British Constitution differ from those of British policy makers?
  • Theme Three: How did resistance to British policy by Whig gentlemen accelerate political democratization? How did disenfranchised backcountry settlers, poor urban white males, free and enslaved blacks, boys, and women contribute to the Whig resistance movement in the 1760s and early 1770s? What were the results of political democratization, both positive and negative?
  • Theme Four: How did Whig gentlemen try to control popular violence, and why did ordinary Americans become more violent in their responses to British policy from 1765 to 1775? Was colonial resistance to British authority in the 1760s and early 1770s a revolution that came “from above” or “from below”?
  • Theme Five: How and why did American colonists differ among themselves on the question of whether to use popular protests in response to the New Imperial Policy? How and why did Americans differ on the question of whether to resort to war against Britain in 1775? How and why did American Patriots differ on the question of whether to seek independence from Britain? What did black Americans and American Indians have to gain or lose in the American Revolution?
  • Theme Six: What strategies did the British high command adopt to restore Britain’s political authority over the Thirteen Colonies? In what sense was the Revolutionary War a “people’s war,” a contest for control of popular allegiance? How did British commanders try to win back the colonists’ loyalty to the Crown? How did the terrorization of American civilians contribute to the failure of British strategy?
  • Theme Seven: Why did some Patriot leaders want to rely upon militia in the war against Britain? Why and how did Washington try to turn the militia into a regular army capable of fighting the British Army on its own terms, and how successful was he? How important was the contribution of militia, partisans, and rangers and their use of irregular tactics? Was the American defeat of British forces by 1783 a victory that came “from above” or “from below”?

• It is the responsibility of the student to pay close attention to the lecture, ask thoughtful questions about it, and take thorough notes. It has been my experience that taking notes is one of the best ways to remember what you have read in a book or heard in a lecture. Be prepared by bringing paper, pen, and your lecture notes to each class meeting, unless otherwise directed.

 

CLASS PARTICIPATION

• In addition to lectures, we will use class time for discussion of the lectures and reading assignments, both secondary-source monographs and primary-source documents. The PowerPoint slideshows include opportunities for analysis and discussion of primary source texts and images, such as political speeches, private letters, oil paintings, newspaper cartoons, song lyrics, and photographs of material artifacts like gravestones, flags, and weapons. While historians depend mainly upon documents for their knowledge of the past, we will also learn how to “read” an image as a source of historical evidence.

• Classroom activities may also include in-class writing assignments, student debates, recitation of important speeches and documents, or discussion of a documentary or feature-length film. You should be ready for anything! Class participation counts for 10 points of your final grade, so don’t be shy about speaking up in class, and always be prepared to take part in our discussions and other activities.

 

SECONDARY-SOURCE READING

• Two secondary-source monographs are required for this course: Sheila Skemp’s Benjamin and William Franklin and John Gordon’s South Carolina and the American Revolution. These two books serve as supplements to the lecture.

• While the lectures on the Imperial Crisis focuses on colonial politics in general and the activities of radical Patriots in particular, Skemp’s book places colonial politics in the wider context of the British Empire and helps convey the perspective of American Loyalists and moderate Patriots. While two of the three lectures devoted to the Revolutionary War concentrate on Washington’s campaigns in the northern states, Gordon’s book offers detailed description of the military and paramilitary campaigns in South Carolina (the state with the largest number of battles).

• If you have any trouble acquiring either title from the campus bookstore, I would encourage you to check for availability at an online vendor. The prices for these books may be much higher in the bookstore than at Amazon.com. You need to have these books in hand and to begin reading the assigned pages from the first day of class. You must keep up with weekly assignments and take thorough and thoughtful notes on the reading. Such notes will prove very helpful for exam study and coursework.

• Reading the Skemp and Gordon books, discussing them in class, and answering questions about them on quizzes and exams will help enhance your understanding of the origins of the United States and raise some of the unifying themes of this course. You should be prepared to discuss the assigned reading with your professor and fellow students on the day that the assignment is due.

• I routinely take moments during the lecture for students to ask questions, but you can also raise your hand and ask a question during a lecture. Remember: There are no dumb questions. Asking questions is just one means of acquiring knowledge. Talking about what you have learned and listening to feedback from your professor and peers is yet another way of getting a firmer mental grasp on your knowledge.

 

DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH

• In addition to the Skemp and Gordon monographs, there is a third book required for this course, Colonies to Nation, 1763-1789, an anthology of primary-source documents edited by Jack P. Greene. The overall length of assigned reading for this course is relatively light (roughly between thirty and fifty pages per week).

• Nevertheless, the intellectual complexity and eighteenth-century diction of these early American political documents can be challenging and will require more concentration than the secondary-source monographs. The research and analysis of primary sources, and the effort to understand them in their historical contexts, is the historians’ greatest challenge. Successfully teasing out of texts their original meanings, though, is one of the historian’s most fulfilling rewards.

• By reading original documents for yourself, you can acquire an understanding of the key ideas and issues of the American Revolution on your own. Equipped with a first-hand knowledge of the sources, you can then critically assess how professional historians (including the course professor) interpret the origins of the United States. Learning to understand the past for yourself, rather than deferring to authority, is one of the key goals of this course.

• You should always be prepared to discuss the assigned reading with your professor and fellow students on the week that the assignment is due. You may also be called upon to read aloud in class part of a document in your book that was not assigned. Class discussions will regularly draw upon both the secondary-source monographs and the Greene texts.

 

DOCUMENTARY ANALYSES

• Reading and discussing books and documents provide only the beginnings of understanding; formulating one’s thoughts in writing is critical to achieving a sound and lasting grasp of any new knowledge. For each of the four primary-source document you will read outside of class, you will answer a multi-part question to help you identify and grapple with the key issues or arguments presented by the document.

• You will answer the question in the form of a mini-essay called a Documentary Analysis (DA). As with any essay, you should write in complete sentences rather than bullet points, and you should answer each part of the question in a separate paragraph. You may find it appropriate to quote key sentences or phrases from the document, but lengthy quotations are not appropriate. Each DA must be 2-3 pages in length, typed and stapled, doubled spaced, with 10 or 12 point font, and 1 inch margins all around.

• Each of your 4 DAs counts for 5 points of your final course grade. Your DA’s grade will be penalized for any attempts to inflate its page length artificially with large font or large margins or other gimmicks. For full credit, a paper copy of each Documentary Analysis must be submitted at the end of the class meeting in which it is due. Please see the following section of the syllabus for the four questions each of your DAs will answer.

 

DOCUMENTARY ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

Documentary Analysis # 1: James Otis, “The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved” (Greene, pp. 28-33)

• According to Otis, what is the source and purpose of political power? What rights do the Colonists have, and from what sources do they derive those rights? What does Otis think of Parliament and the British Constitution? Why would taxation by Parliament violate the rights of the Colonists? According to Otis, how should the Colonists respond to parliamentary taxation?

Documentary Analysis # 2: Thomas Jefferson, “A Summary View of the Rights of British-America” (Greene, pp. 227-238)

• According to Jefferson, what rightful authority does the king have over the Colonies? What rightful authority does Parliament have over the Colonies? What rights do the Colonists have, and from what sources do they derive those rights? Why does Jefferson address the history of ancient Britain and early America? According to Jefferson, what should the king, Parliament, and colonists do to end the crisis of 1774?

Documentary Analysis # 3: Thomas Paine, “Common Sense” (Greene, pp. 270-283)

• According to Paine, what is the source and purpose of government? What does he think of the British Constitution? What are Paine’s arguments against hereditary monarchy? What are his arguments against reconciliation with Britain and in favor of American independence?

Documentary Analysis #4: John Adams, “Thoughts on Government” (Greene, pp. 306-311)

• According to Adams, what is the purpose of government? What general form of government does he think is best suited to fulfill that purpose? What are the disadvantages of a single legislative assembly? How does Adams think power should be divided within the government, and by what specific constitutional forms is liberty best preserved?

 

DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH PAPER

• Toward the end of the course, you will submit a Research Paper in which you apply the data you acquired from researching the primary-source documents in the Greene book and synthesize the conclusions you reached in your four Documentary Analyses.

• Your Research Paper must address the following synthetic question: “According to the four documents that you researched and analyzed previously, what did Otis, Jefferson, Paine, and Adams have to say about the source and purpose of government, the nature of rights, and the authority of the British government over the Colonies? Did they reach a basic consensus on these issues, or were there major disagreements among the American Patriot leaders on the fundamental principles of government?”

• In answering this research question, you will need to apply data from your Documentary Research—be specific! You may also need to address each document in its historic context; if so, feel free to cite the appropriate course lecture. You have a measure of discretion in how you choose to answer the question and make use of the documents and lectures.

• The Research Paper must be 5-6 pages in length, typed and stapled, doubled spaced, with 10 or 12 point font, and 1 inch margins all around. For full credit, submit a paper copy of your Research Paper at the beginning of class on December 1.

• There will be more than adequate time, however, to complete and edit your Research Paper before the due date. Over the preceding two weeks, you will have an in-class film, followed by the Thanksgiving holiday, during which time there will be no additional reading or other assignments. Please speak with me about any questions or concerns you have about this assignment, and feel free to submit a first draft to me in advance for feedback, if you like.

 

QUIZZES AND EXAMS

• There will be four quizzes given in class during the semester. Each quiz consists of five multiple-choice questions. These questions can be factual or analytical in nature. They can come from the lectures, the assigned reading, or any classroom activity, such as a film. While taking a quiz in class, you will have roughly ten minutes to complete it. You will also be allowed to use all of your own notes (though not your books), so be sure to bring your notes for the lectures and reading to each class meeting.

• The four quizzes count for a total of 20 points of your final course grade. These quizzes will not be announced in advance. They are intended as a means for the professor to assess the progress of your learning, as an incentive for each student to attend class, keep up with assigned work, and take good notes, and as a method of preparation for the exam.

• You will take midterm and final examinations in class, each of which counts for 20 points of your final course grade. Each exam consists of 15 multiple-choice questions (1 point each) on the lectures and assigned reading and 1 short essay question (5 points). The midterm essay question will be a comprehensive question addressing the major themes of the Skemp book, while the final essay question addresses the Gordon book. The final exam is non-cumulative, covering only the material assigned since the midterm exam.

• You will not be able to access your notes or books during exams. The multiple-choice pop quizzes will serve as good preparation for the multiple-choice component of the exams, and our class discussions of the secondary-source monographs will help prepare you for the short essay questions on the exams. To be sure that you are well prepared, we will try to set aside some class time for exam review sessions.

 

MAKE-UP POLICY AND EXTRA CREDIT

• If you do not attend class for whatever reason, the professor will not provide you with outlines or notes from the lecture. You may be fortunate to find a student in class who will lend his or her notes to you, but do not count on other people’s generosity. It is entirely your responsibility to attend class and keep up with assignments.

• If you are absent from class when we have a class discussion or other activity, or when I give a pop quiz, film analysis, or exam, you will receive a zero for the assignment. If you miss a quiz or an exam due to circumstances beyond your control, I will provide a make-up quiz or exam with documentation by a physician, court of law, or similar authority.

 

FIELD RESEARCH PROJECT

• Since there may be occasion when you do not attend class for a non-excusable reason and miss an important assignment, such as a pop quiz, you have the option of earning as much as 10 extra credit points by doing one (and only one) Field Research Project. Field research is an important part of being a historian, and public history—the teaching of history through monuments, museums, and historic sites—is a vital means of conveying historical knowledge to the general public.

• Doing a Field Research Project (FRP) for this course provides the chance to apply your historical knowledge and analytical powers in seeking better understanding of and appreciation for some of the marvelous historical sites in the Greater DC area. There are three optional projects.

• The first FRP option consists of visiting the Jefferson Memorial and recording all of the words engraved inside the memorial’s walls. You will next research and identify the original sources for those quotations. You will then write a 3-4 page essay explaining what the engraved words meant in their original text and context. Are the engraved words complete quotations, or do they differ from the original text? Do the engraved words mean anything more or different to you in light of the original text and context and the knowledge you acquired from this course?

• The second FRP option consists of visiting George Washington’s plantation home of Mount Vernon in Alexandria. Pay close attention to what you see at this site and what you hear from the docent; be sure to take notes on site. After your visit, write a 3-4 page essay explaining what you can infer from the constructed and natural environments and the exhibited artifacts about the nature of slavery, Whig political ideas, the American Revolution, the Virginia planter class, and George Washington. After taking this course and experiencing Mount Vernon, do you think any differently about Washington in particular or the Revolution in general?

• The third FRP option consists of visiting the exhibit called “American Origins, 1600-1900” in the National Portrait Galley. Select three portraits of historical figures who we have discussed in this course and examine them closely, applying the methods we learned for “reading” a painting. You will then write a 3-4 page essay that describes each of the three portraits in detail and cites lectures and/or assigned readings to explain the historical importance of each person. What can you infer about each person and their historical time and place by the way they chose to be painted?

• For any of these three FRP options, the 3-4 page essay must be typed and stapled, with 10 or 12 point font, and 1 inch margins all around. The grade for each paper will be penalized for any attempt to inflate its length artificially. An FRP will only be accepted for credit if it is submitted by the due date (the last class meeting).

• You are also required to enclose with a paper copy of your FRP essay a photograph of the site you visited (or, in the case of option three, photographs of the three portraits you chose), as well as a photograph taken of you at the site in question. Your paper will not be accepted for any credit without such photographs. In doing an FRP, you are allowed to collaborate with fellow classmates, if you like. Have some fun with this assignment!

 

CLASSROOM DECORUM

• The professor takes attendance at the beginning of each class meeting as a way of getting to know the students, but there is no specific grade for attending class. Since so much of the course grade depends upon our use of class time, however, you will have a very hard time passing the course without attending each class meeting.

• Late arrivals and early departures are very distracting, so please arrive on time and remain for the entire session. If you cannot help arriving a few minutes late, please enter the room as quietly and discreetly as possible.

• Needless to say, you are expected to be civil and courteous to your professors and peers during class meetings. I do not allow food in class, but I will tentatively allow drinks. For your lecture notes, depend on old-fashioned paper and pen. I do not allow the use of laptops, tape or digital recorders, cell phones, ear buds, Blackberries, iPods, or other electronic devices in class. Exceptions will be considered for students with physical or learning disabilities. If you carry a cell phone, keep it in your pocket or bag, and be certain at the start of class that you have turned it off.

 

OFFICE HOURS

• If class time is not enough for you to ask all of your questions and work through your problems with the course, please come see me during office hours. My office location and office hours are posted on the first page of this syllabus. You can also reach me by phone during office hours, leave a voicemail message after hours, or send an e-mail anytime. If you do leave a voicemail, please also follow up with an e-mail, in case the voicemail message is accidentally deleted or otherwise lost. I will get back to you at my earliest convenience.

• If you have a serious issue, it is best to speak with me in person—in my office during scheduled hours or at the end of a class meeting. Please come see me if you are having trouble with your comprehension of the lectures or reading. I will be happy to provide additional guidance or tutoring during my office hours. Also, do let me know if you have any special learning needs that may require extra assistance, and I will accommodate them as best I can.

• If you need to see me but cannot come during my regular office hours, we can make an appointment at another time that is convenient for both of us. I am eager to do whatever I reasonably can to facilitate your learning in this course and to help you excel in your program of study at Marymount. I will always seek to give you my best effort, and I will expect the same from each student. We have much to learn from this course and from one another.

 

GRADING POLICY

1. 4 Documentary Analyses 20
2. 4 Pop Quizzes 20
3. Midterm Exam 20
4. Final Exam 20
5. Research Paper 10
6. Class Participation 10
7. Field Research Project (extra credit) 10

Total Available Course Points: 110

A 110-93

A- 92-90

B+ 89-87

B 86-83

B- 82-80

C+ 79-77

C 76-73

C- 72-70

D+ 69-67

D 66-63

D- 62-60

F 59-0

 

CLASS SCHEDULE

1. August 25
   1. Introduction; The Rise of British America
2. August 28
   1. The Rise of British America
3. September 1
   1. Labor Day—No class meeting or office hours
4. September 4
   1. The Rise of British America
   2. Film: “Last of the Mohicans” (excerpts)
   3. Reading due: Skemp, pp. vii-viii, 3-37
5. September 8
   1. The Stamp Act Crisis
6. September 11
   1. The Stamp Act Crisis
   2. Reading due: Skemp, pp. 39-55; Greene, pp. 28-33(James Otis, The Rights of the Colonies Asserted and Proved, 1764)
   3. Documentary Analysis #1 due
7. September 15
   1. The Boston Massacre
8. September 18
   1. The Boston Massacre
   2. Reading due: Skemp, 56-86
9. September 22
   1. The Intolerable Acts
10. September 25
    1. The Intolerable Acts
    2. Reading due: Skemp, pp. 88-103; Greene, pp. 227-238 (Thomas Jefferson, A Summary View of the Rights of British America, 1774)
    3. Documentary Analysis #2 due
11. September 29
    1. New England’s War
12. October 2
    1. New England’s War
    2. Reading due: Skemp, pp. 104-124; Gordon, pp. 1-33
13. October 6
    1. Exam Review and Catch-Up Day
14. October 9
    1. Midterm Exam
15. October 13
    1. Fall Break—no class meeting or office hours
16. October 16
    1. Field Research—no class meeting or office hours
17. October 20
    1. Toward Independence
18. October 23
    1. Toward Independence
    2. Reading due: Skemp, pp. 126-152; Greene, pp. 270-283 (Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776)
    3. Documentary Analysis #3 due
19. October 27
    1. The Northern Strategy
20. October 30
    1. The Northern Strategy
    2. Reading due: Gordon, pp. 34-70
    3. October 31 is last day to drop with a “W”
21. November 3
    1. The Southern Strategy
22. November 6
    1. The Southern Strategy
    2. Reading due: Gordon, pp. 71-111
23. November 10
    1. Victory and Peace
24. November 13
    1. Victory and Peace
    2. Reading due: Gordon, pp. 112-136; Greene, pp. 306-311 (John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776)
    3. Documentary Analysis #4 due
25. November 17
    1. Film: “The Patriot”
26. November 20
    1. Film: “The Patriot”
27. November 24
    1. Film: “The Patriot”
    2. Reading due: Gordon, pp. 137-184
28. November 27
    1. Thanksgiving—no class meeting or office hours
29. December 1
    1. Exam Review and Catch-Up Day
    2. Research Paper due
30. December 4
    1. Last class meeting
    2. Extra-credit FRP due
31. December 11
    1. Final Exam (3:00 to 5:30 pm)
    2. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

REQUIRED BOOKS (available for purchase in campus bookstore or online)

1. Sheila L. Skemp. Benjamin and William Franklin: Father and Son, Patriot and Loyalist. Boston and New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1994. (Amazon new copy $15.95)
2. Jack P. Greene. Colonies to Nation, 1763-1789: A Documentary History of the American Revolution. New York and London: W. W. Norton, 1975. (Amazon new copy $34.80)
3. John W. Gordon. South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2003. (Amazon new copy $13.57)

 

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (provided by professor)

1. “Last of the Mohicans,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe, directed by Michael Mann (1992).
2. “The Patriot,” starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, directed by Roland Emmerich (2000).