From Motherhood To Murder:
Women in Antebellum American
History A421 section C393 2:20-3:45 Mon and Weds CA 215

Description: This course introduces you to some of the current historiography in American women's history from the period of the American Revolution to the Civil War. There will be a particular emphasis on the influence of the American Revolution, the Market Revolution, the rise of the Cult of Domesticity, regional diversity, and the restraints of the common law on American women's lives.

At the end of this course students will be able to:

Recognize the major historiographic positions regarding American women's history

Analyze primary source documents and understand why this is an important skill

Articulate and support (on exams, papers, and in class discussions) a sound position on an historical topic

Write a research paper (demonstrating mastery of the above skills)

Lead a class discussion on one of the assigned books

 

Texts you should purchase : (available at the IUPUI bookstore and Folletts)

Major Problems in American Women's History (By: Mary Beth Norton, et. al., 2^nd ed.)

Charlotte Temple (By: Susanna Rowson)

Judith Sargent Murray (By: Sheila L. Skemp)

Fall River Outrage (By: David Kasserman)

Celia, A Slave (By: Melton McLauren)

Uncle Tom's Cabin (By: Harriet Beecher Stowe)

Unless you are instructed otherwise, additional readings that might be required for a particular week are available on-line through JSTOR or on reserve at the main library. You can access this incredible resource through the home page of the IUPUI library. Here is an address that should take you straight to the site. JSTOR allows you to download/print journal articles at your convenience.

At this site you find the title of the journal I have provided, and then the particular volume, etc.

Grading/Requirements*:

1. Each student will be responsible for leading a discussion of one of the 5 books we will read this semester. Working in pairs the leaders for each discussion will prepare and distribute reading questions 1 week prior to the actual discussion, lead the discussion, and prepare and administer a short quiz/response paper to the class before the discussion. Leaders will meet with me before their discussion to go over the content, xerox the quiz, etc. Leaders will not have to take a quiz/paper the week they are in charge. Worth approximately 10% of your final grade.

2. The reading quizzes/response papers prepared by your classmates on the material from the 5 texts listed above are worth approximately 15% of your final grade. Each of you will complete 4 of these.

3. There will be 2 essay exams. Each will be worth approximately 20% of your final grade.

4. Each student will complete one research project on a topic of their choice concerning women in the period between the American Revolution and the Civil War. This project will be approximately10-15 pages typed. It will include both scholarly articles and books (at least 5) as well as primary source evidence (newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, books, speeches, etc.) from the period (at least 5). The completed paper will be worth 20% of your final grade. An additional 10% will be assigned to the processBthere is an assigned date for turning in a preliminary bibliography, outline, opening paragraph, your response to my comments on your final draft, etc.

5. Each of you will be asked to act as the leader for one of the essays assigned in either the Major Problems text, or one of the journal articles listed in the syllabus or assigned in class. This, in addition to your regular attendance, participation in class discussion, and overall demeanor counts as the final 5% of your overall grade.

* In the calculation of the semester grade, improvement over the course of the semester is an important consideration and can raise the final grade above the mathematical average. Every effort will be made to return all work within one week or by the 3rd class meeting after it is collected. Papers may take up to 2 weeks.

Course Policies:

Attendance: You are expected to attend all class meetings (as per new university policy, attendance will be taken) and to complete the readings before the first class meeting each week. Attendance and participation are assigned as a part of your grade.

Any absences after three will only be excused at the instructor's discretion and in extreme circumstances (hospitalizationBnot merely a doctor's appointment, death in the family, etc.) and with appropriate documentation. Please do not e-mail me telling me you will be absent-that is why you get three freebies. After three absences, if you feel that you have extenuating circumstances warranting an excuse, please come and see me in person during office hours. If you will be gone for job related requirements, sporting events, doctor's appointments, illness, etc. use these three "free" absences.

More than 6 absences may result in an F for this class.

Due Dates: All assignments/papers are due at the beginning class. Late assignments will lose one-third of a grade for each day they are late, including weekends and holidays. Make-ups and late papers are allowed only in exceptional circumstances with appropriate documentation. Students who for extraordinary reasons cannot meet a deadline should discuss their situation with the instructors before the due date.

Oncourse/E-mail: Please familiarize yourself with the Oncourse system that is maintained by the University and accessible from the IUPUI homepage. I will post announcements, assignments, extra credit ideas, hand outs to be printed and brought to class, and other important information at this site. It is your responsibility to check Oncourse on a regular basis. The system also allows you to easily contact me and your classmatesByou simply click on a person's name in order to send them an e-mail.

Plagiarism:*

A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:

a. Quotes another person's actual words, either oral or written;

b. Paraphrases another person's words, either oral or written'

c. Uses another person's ideas, opinion or theory; or

d. Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the information is common knowledge.

*(See Indiana University Academic Handbook, p.123)

This syllabus and other course materials can be found on the homepage of the Department of History: http://www.iupui.edu/~history/ Then choose the Schedule of Classes option. Then Spring 2001. You can locate this class by section number, meeting time, or my last name (Osborn). Please see section on Oncourse above as well. I will attempt to place handouts at this site or Oncourse, you may then print them at your own convenience.

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments*

*Reading assignment should be completed BEFORE the first class meeting of the week