History 417: History of the Old South
Virginia
Wesleyan College
Office Hours: M, 4:30-6:30, W, 4:30-6:30 TH, 4:30-6:30, or
by appointment. Come on by!
Webpage:
http://facultystaff.vwc.edu/~dmargolies/
Class Meeting: Tuesday, Thursday, 3:00-4:15 Blocker 216
It is a great mistake to suppose
that disunion can be effected by a single blow. The cords which bind these States together in one common Union,
are far too numerous and powerful for that.
Disunion must be the work of time. John
C. Calhoun, March 4, 1850
In this class we will study, discuss, and evaluate life, politics,
culture, economics, gender, and the race question throughout the different
areas of the American South between the early colonial era and the coming of
the Civil War. We will cover, among
many other topics: cultural and political developments of life in the unique
context of the Antebellum South, the experience of the frontier, mountain, and
Gulf Coast, the complex relationship between Black, White and Native Americans,
the notion of Southern honor, the interplay of sectionalism, radicalism,
Southern nationalism, and expansionism, and the experience of plantation life
for master and slave. As this is an
advanced-level class, we will also put considerable effort into analyzing an
array of different historiographical interpretations and schools of thought on
the history of the Old South.
Required Readings: (books on sale at the college bookstore)
Blassingame,
John W. The Slave Community:
Plantation Life in the Antebellum South
Daly,
John Patrick. When Slavery was
Called Freedom: Evangelicalism, Proslavery, and the Causes of the Civil War
Davis,
Donald Edward. Where There Are
Mountains: An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians
Epstein,
Dena J. Sinful Tunes and Spirituals:
Black Folk Music to the Civil War
Easterby,
J.H. The South Carolina Rice
Plantation: As Revealed in the Papers of Robert F. W. Allston
Fitzhugh,
George. Cannibals All: Or, Slaves Without Masters
Fox-Genovese,
Elizabeth. Within the Plantation
Household: Black and White Women of the Old South
Freehling,
William W. The Road to Disunion:
Secessionists at Bay, 1776-1854.
Greenberg, Kenneth S. Honor and Slavery
Olmsted, Frederick Law. The Cotton Kingdom: A Traveller's Observations on Cotton and
Slavery in the American Slave States : Based upon Three Former Volumes of
Journeys and Investigations
Shackford, James Atkins. David Crockett: The Man and the Legend
Yetman, Norman.
Voices from Slavery: 100 Authentic Slave Narratives
Course
Requirements:
Attendance and Participation:
This
class is a reading and discussion seminar designed for history majors and other
interested and committed upper-level students.
Regular attendance in class is, of course, mandatory, as is prompt
completion of all readings and assignments.
You are expected to read and
reflect upon the assigned materials before coming to class each week so you
can get the most out of discussion.
Because we will cover a significant amount of engaging reading over the
course of the semester, you should be prepared to spend the time it takes to
complete the reading thoroughly and thoughtfully. You MUST do the reading
before each class to be prepared for discussions and to do well in this class. Your active participation in all aspects of
the class is expected, and your final grade will reflect your level of
involvement and commitment.
Late assignments (such as
essays, papers, or other assignments) will be graded down one grade per day
and are accepted only at the discretion of the professor.
Written Assignments:
You
will write an approximately 5 page paper on at least five of the books
we will read this semester covering the argument of each, discussing evidence
and technique, and providing a critique of the overall book. These papers are due the week after we have
completed discussing the book.
Grades:
Class
Participation: 25%
Book
Papers: 75%
The following grading point scale
will be used in determining your grade, subject to the discretion of the
instructor: A= 93-100; A- = 90-92; B+ = 88-89; B = 83-87; B- =
80-82; C+ = 78-79; C = 73-77; C- = 70-72 D= 65-69; D - = 60-64; F = less than
60
ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES
In accordance with Title 5, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, reasonable accommodation will be
provided to any student who has followed the College's procedures as outlined
in the current Academic Bulletin. It
is best to begin this process by contacting the disability services
coordinator, Fayne Pearson (455-3246) at the beginning of the semester.
Once the need for accommodations has been officially established, the student
should consult with the instructor to insure that the student's needs can be
met as effectively as possible.
Any changes in the course will be announced in class. Please be sure to bring the book we are
discussing with you for each meeting.
Week 1
Aug.30, Sept 1 Course Introduction
The Old South: What, whose, which, and where?
Reading
Freehling, part 1, 2
Olmstead, Editors Introduction, ch. 2-3
Week 2 Sept. 6,8 Experience of the Old
South
Reading:
Olmstead, ch. 4-10
Week 3 Sept. 13. 15 Southern Cultures and Regions
Reading:
Olmstead, finish
Week 4 Sept.20, 22 Southern Honor and its
Peculiarities
Reading:
Greenberg, all
Week 5 Sept. 27, 29 The Mountain South
Reading:
Davis, ch. 1-6
Week 6 Oct. 4, 6 Revolution, Independence, Nullification, and the Gag
Reading:
Freehling, parts 3-5
Week 7 Oct. 11, 13 Slaves
Reading:
Slave Narratives (selected)
Allston papers, ch. V and VI, also selected slave
documents, overseers reports
Week 8 Oct. 18, 20
Women in the Old South I
Reading:
Fox-Genovese, ch 1-3
Week 9 Oct. 25, 27 Women in the Old South
II
Reading:
Fox-Genovese,
ch. 4-7
Week 10 Nov. 1, 3 Slavery as a System and a Community
Reading:
Blassingame, all
Week 11 Nov. 8, 10 Religion
and Slavery
Reading:
Daly, all
Week 12 Nov. 15, 17 The Politics of Negrophobia and Slave Expansionism
Reading:
Freehling part 6 and 7
Start Shackford
Week 13 Nov. 22, 24 Myths of the Old South,
and some realities
Reading:
Shackford, all
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Week 14 Nov. 29, Dec. 1 Music and
the Old South
Reading:
Epstein, all
Week 15, Dec. 6, 8 Southern Nationalism
Reading:
Fitzhugh, all
Olmsted, introduction