Invitation to History (Theme: The Struggle for Freedom - Slavery, Abolitionism, and the Underground Railroad) (HIST*1050)

Code and section: HIST*1050*02

Term: Winter 2024

Details

Course Synopsis:

This course examines the history of slavery in the antebellum United States and the abolitionist movement that sought to end the institution. Slavery was a fundamental institution in North America influencing the development of the economy, politics, and the very concept of race itself. With care and precision this course will delve into the ways that the institution of slavery shaped North America, and will study the lives and experiences of people caught in slavery’s grasp. We will also study the ways in which enslaved people struggled for their freedom and the long battle for abolition. This course will examine topics such as politics, economics, slave societies, societies with slaves, gender, free people of colour, African American culture, rebellion, resistance, religion, abolitionism, and emancipation. We will also take time to consider and interrogate the study of this history itself. As such, students will be analyzing and critiquing the ways in which the history of slavery is studied and presented in order to understand that this history is not simply a story that ended, but is part of a larger evolving conversation about North America.

Method of Delivery:

The course will meet twice per week in person and consist of a combination of lectures and seminars. The bulk of seminars will be spent discussing assigned readings. There will also be an anti-slavery convention assignment involving in-class participation in seminar later in the semester.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will have made progress toward meeting the course learning objectives. Assignments tailored to meet each objective are noted in parentheses. This course is designed to help students:

1. Identify and interpret themes and patterns throughout North American Black history. (weekly discussion, Black protest reflection, convention assignment, primary source analysis)
2. Find and analyze primary sources. (primary source analysis, convention assignment, research paper)
3. Develop and improve their writing skills, such as how to form an argument and support it with historical evidence. (primary source analysis, final take-home exam)
4. Question and evaluate historiographical debates among historians, and how these interpretations shape cultural narratives. (weekly discussion, Black protest reflection, primary source analysis, take-home exam)

Methods of Evaluation and Weights:

Participation: 20%
Black Protest Reflection: 15%
Anti-slavery Convention Assignment: 20%
Primary Source Analysis: 20%
Final Take-Home Exam: 25%

Required Texts:

Still, William, The Underground Railroad Records: Narrating the Hardships, Hairbreadth Escapes, and Death Struggles of Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom

(Note: The vast majority of the class readings including the course textbook will be available online through provided links or PDFs on Courselink.)

*Please note: This is a preliminary website description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.

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