Topics in American History: The History of Philanthropy in the United States

Indiana University, Indianapolis

History H511 (C304) - 3 credits

Spring 2004, Wednesdays, 5:45pm to 8:25pm,

Cavanaugh Hall 221

Dr. Nancy M. Robertson

Office: Cavanaugh Hall 503T

phone/voice mail: 317/274-8017

fax: 317/278-7800

e-mail address: through ONCOURSE; in a pinch nmrobert@iupui.edu

Office Hours: Mondays, 12:30-1:30

Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00

or by appt.

Course Description:

Rather than attempt a comprehensive account of the history of philanthropy in the American context, this course will focus on debates over wealth and poverty as a way to explore issues in U.S. history ranging from the relation between government and the economy to the role of women to activism for and by African Americans. These issues were debated not only in the past, but also by present-day writers who seek to analyze the past in order to understand the present and shape the future. Many of today’s political and economic debates focus on the relation between the wealth of individuals and the wealth of the country as well as the question of who deserves what. An underlying theme of the course is that it is useful to see philanthropy as a social relation between various groups of people who have differing, and at times, competing goals. While I have divided the material more or less chronologically, I have also selected material to reflect specific themes (suggested in the session titles).

Although there will be some lecture to provide (historical) background, classes will largely be discussion. Students should come prepared to talk about the issues raised by the readings, their own research and writing, and their understanding of their colleagues’ projects (and lectures, when applicable). Students will develop, research, and write an original work utilizing both primary and secondary materials. In addition, as part of being colleagues, students will exchange work with classmates for peer review.

Course Objectives:

By analyzing the historical context for events, activities, social change people, etc. in the past, students will improve their ability to reflect on the context for the present. Examining similarities and differences between the past and present assists students in understanding the contingency of what is happening now and what they will face in the future.

Lectures, discussions, and written assignments are designed to help students learn how to analyze documents from the past, take a position on a historical question, use evidence to support it, and express their insights to others. Particular attention will be paid to analyzing the underlying values of the actions and language used to describe or promote those actions. Gaining these abilities helps not only in understanding American history and the role of philanthropy (broadly defined) in that history, but also in improving critical thinking and communication skills essential to doing well both in school and in the future. A goal of this course is to assist students in developing their analytical and writing skills. In addition, the peer paper critiques will demonstrate the student’s ability to constructively assist colleagues in improving their work

Books to buy:

!Louisa May Alcott, Work: A Story of Experience (Boston: Robert Brothers: 1873; New York: Penguin Books, 1994); other editions are also acceptable.

!Jacob A. Riis, How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1890; New York: Dover, 1971); other editions do not have as good photographs.

!Walter I. Trattner, From Poor Law to Welfare State: A History of Social Welfare in America, 6^th ed. (New York: Free Press, 1999) [referred to as Trattner].

!Anzia Yezierska, Arrogant Beggar (Durham: Duke University Press, 1996).

Optional

!Robert H. Bremner, American Philanthropy, 2^nd ed. (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1988).

!Mark C. Carnes & John A. Garraty, American Destiny: Narrative of a Nation (New York: Longman, 2003).

Books on reserve:

!Robert H. Bremner, American Philanthropy, 2^nd ed. (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1988).

!Mark C. Carnes & John A. Garraty, The American Nation: a history of the United States 11^th edition (New York: Longman, 2003).

!Raymond Williams, Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, rev. ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985).

!others as announced.

Course Requirements:

I will provide a longer description of each of the graded written assignments, but below you will find a brief overview of them.

!Responses to readings DUE by 10am the day of the class. For each week, there will be two to three questions posted on ONCOURSE for the week’s reading. You may answer as many (or as few) as you choose. The strongest answers will run about 2 to 3 paragraphs and will demonstrate mastery of the reading as well as making connections with other relevant assignments. They will be evaluated on a check, check plus, check minus (and zero) basis. These cannot be handed in after the class, but you may email them ahead of time if you will miss a class. Together, these assignments will constitute 25% of your final grade.

!From **February 18^th until March 31^st, part of class discussions will be led by students (4-5 per class) who will do additional readings, raise questions (ahead of time) for the rest of the class to think about, and make a brief presentation. You will need to have questions for your classmates by the previous class, and you need to speak with me at least two weeks before the class to plan for this. Students will also need to be in touch with each other beforehand. Please suggest three topics (or weeks) that you would be interested in leading by Tuesday, January 20^th so I can develop a schedule to hand out on the 21^st (5% of your final grade).

!One paper, 4-5 page (i.e., 1000 to 1250 words), in which you expand on your class presentation; part of this will entail developing a thesis statement. It will be due the week following your class presentation (15% of your final grade).

!A 2-page analysis of current solicitation, advertisement or article due April 21^st (10% of your final grade).

!Final paper, 18-20 pages, due Friday, May 7^th, 6.p.m. The topic needs to be approved ahead of time, with a list of primary and secondary sources given to me. A draft will be due April 7^th, for comment by classmates. All told, these steps with constitute 30% of final grade.

!Comment on classmates’ drafts that you will receive on April 7^th; your comments will be due the following week (April 14^th). Together they will be worth 5% of your final grade.

!The size of the class precludes running it as a true colloquium. Nonetheless, since it is a graduate level course, informed class participation is expected. Such participation includes being prepared and contributing thoughtful ideas or questions. Completion of reading by the assigned date, regular attendance, ungraded written assignments, and class participation will count toward 10% of your final grade.

"If you miss more than two classes (for any reason), a final examination (TBA) demonstrating mastery of the material for the course may be substituted for this portion of your grade.

"In the case of a severe illness or other prolonged difficulty, I will need official documentation.

Grading Policies:

Class discussions will go better and be more interesting and useful if students keep up with the reading (indicated on the schedule below for each class). I expect you to meet due dates for written assignments. If you have a problem, please talk with me BEFORE the deadline. Unless we have reached an alternate agreement, late papers will be marked down a 1/3 of a letter grade for each day they are late. That is: a paper that would have been an A, will be an A- if it is one day late and a C- if it is 7 days late, etc. (Days means days of the week, not class sessions).

I cannot stress too heavily the usefulness of planning ahead, saving work on your computer OFTEN, making backups, and printing out your paper early. A goal of this course is to assist students in developing their analytical and writing skills. That means I count improvement in your work. If you want to rewrite an assignment, you MUST speak with me first. You must also hand in the original version when you submit the rewrite.

Developing your intellectual skills is possible only when you actually do the work assigned. We will have a longer discussion of intellectual work, academic integrity, and plagiarism. Plagiarism and cheating will result in an “F” for the work in question and possible disciplinary action by the University. The University’s policy on plagiarism, as stated in the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2000-2002 (p.36) is:

A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person without an appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give due 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 idea opinion, or theory; or

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

For more information, you can find the IUPUI Student Code of Conduct on line at:

http://life.iupui.edu/dos/code.htm

You may also talk with me if you have questions about what is or is not permissible.

A grade of “incomplete” is troublesome for everyone. The University’s policy is that they are only for students who have completed 75% of the course requirements and have been prevented by significant or unanticipated circumstances from finishing them.

Logistics:

Information for this class will be posted on ONCOURSE. I have included all students on the ONCOURSE roster for H511 so everyone is in one place. This will include announcements to the class, changes in the syllabus or due dates, some handouts, e-mail, etc. I expect that all students in this class will access ONCOURSE regularly. Generally, I will post materials for class by 7p.m. the preceding Thursday. I encourage you to set your ONCOURSE options to let you know when you have ONCOURSE mail.

As you may know, you are entitled to an e-mail account through IUPUI. I realize that many of you prefer to use another provider for e-mail and web work. The University encourages you to set up your IUPUI account to forward information to your other accounts. It means that you can easily access information from the University. If you need help setting up the account or forwarding mail, contact: http://itaccounts.iu.edu

There is a University web page that will let you know if the campus is closed for snow:

http://registrar.iupui.edu/adverseweather.html

You can also call: 317/278-1600

The Dean’s Office has advised me to warn students that “ultimately, they are responsible for activity on their computer accounts.” Be so advised.

SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS

If there are revisions in the syllabus [or handouts], they will be given out in class and posted on ONCOURSE. It is your responsibility to keep track of the changes, especially when you miss a class. Articles will generally be in ONCOURSE, unless otherwise noted.

January 14: INTRODUCTION

Introductions, overview of course objectives, requirements, themes, and the syllabus.

Why study history?

Bertolt Brecht, “A Worker Reads History”

http://home.online.no/~vorhaug/kultur/dikt/brech/questions.html

Florence Miller, “Open Letter to Salman Rushdie” (1992)

http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9203022785&db=afh

LIBRARIAN’s VISIT

by 6pm, Tuesday, January 20, email me three choices for topics/sessions that you would be interested in leading from the weeks of **February 18 through **March 31.

January 21: BACKGROUND, FRAMEWORKS, TERMS, and RESOURCES

The Challenge: Merle Curti, “American Philanthropy and the National Character” (1958) JSTOR

Bremner, Editor’s Preface and Introduction (optional, but advised)

Bremner, “Important Dates” (use as resource during semester)

Trattner, prefaces (read in chronological order: 1973-1998) and ch. 1

Peter Dobkin Hall, “A Historical Overview of the Private Nonprofit Sector” (1987)

John D. Rockefeller, 3^rd, “The Third Sector” (1978)

January 28: WHO IS THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT DO WE OWE TO EACH OTHER?

Trattner, Chapters 2-3

Bremner, Chapters 1-2 (optional, but advised)

review Hall, “A Historical Overview of the Private Nonprofit Sector” (1987), 1-8

The Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Company (1629)

John Winthrop, “A Modell of Christian Charity” (1630)

Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana (1702) [excerpts]

Cotton Mather, Bonifacius: An Essay upon the Good (1710) [excerpts]

Benjamin Franklin, “The Way to Wealth” (1758)

February 4: SOCIAL REFORM: SOCIAL JUSTICE, SOCIAL ORDER, SOCIAL CONTROL?

Trattner, Chapter 4

Bremner, Chapters 3-4 (optional, but advised)

Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835/1840) [excerpts]

Dorothea Dix, editorials, The Indiana State Journal (1847) [excerpts]

Franklin Pierce, “Veto Message” (1854)

Mary P. Ryan, “The Power of Women’s Networks” (1979)

Thomas L. Haskell, “Capitalism and the Origins of the Humanitarian Sensibility” (1985) JSTOR

Images: TBA

Friday, February 6: Kathleen McCarthy’s presentation on the “American Creed,” noon at the Center–optional but STRONGLY recommended. Contact Eve Proper to confirm.

February 11: RICH MAN’S WAR, POOR MAN’S FIGHT, WOMAN’S WORK

Trattner, Chapter 5 to p.86.

Bremner, Chapter 5 (optional, but advised)

Louisa May Alcott, Work (1873)

George Fredrickson, “The Sanitary Elite: The Organized Response to Suffering” (1965)

review Hall, “A Historical Overview of the Private Nonprofit Sector” (1987), 8-10

**February 18: THE QUESTION OF WEALTH: CHARITY or JUSTICE?

Bremner, Chapters 6-7, to p.108 [REQUIRED]

Trattner, Chapter 5, p.87-end

Andrew Carnegie, “Wealth” and “The Best Fields for Philanthropy” (1889)

William Jewett Tucker, “The Gospel of Wealth” (1891)

A Workman, “The Workingman’s Prayer” (1894)

Five Cartoons (1892, 1892, 1905, 1913, 1914)

Mary Harris Jones, “In Rockefeller’s Prisons” & “You Don’t Need a Vote to Raise Hell” (1925)

review Hall, “A Historical Overview of the Private Nonprofit Sector” (1987), 10-15

**February 25: THE CHALLENGE OF THE CITY

Trattner, Chapter 7

Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives (1890) [excerpts]

Sharlene Hesse-Biber, “The Ethnic Ghetto as Private Welfare” (1979)

Joel Schwartz, “The Moral Environment of the Poor” (1991)

**March 3: WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

Trattner, Chapter 8

Bremner, ch. 7, p.108-end

Jane Addams, “The Subjective Necessity for Social Settlements” (1893)

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/ADDAMS/ch06.html

“Some early undertakings at Hull House” (1893)

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/ADDAMS/ch07.html

Anzia Yezierska, Arrogant Beggar (1927/1996)

Nancy B. Sinkoff, “Educating for ‘Proper’ Jewish Womanhood” (1988)

**March 10: LIFTING AS WE CLIMB

check Trattner’s index for pages for blacks.

J.E. MacBrady, ed., A New Negro for a New Century: title page (1900).

Booker T. Washington, “Afro-American Education” (1900)

David W. Adams, “Philanthropists, Progressives, and Southern Black Education” (1983)

Fannie B. Williams, “The Club Movement Among Colored Women of America” (1900)

Darlene Clark Hine, “We Specialize in the Wholly Impossible” (1990)

March 17: SPRING BREAK - no class

**March 24: THE SEARCH FOR ORDER

Trattner, Chapters 10-12

Bremner, Chapter 8 (optional, but advised)

I.M. Rubinow, “Can Private Philanthropy Do It?” (1929)

Barry Karl & Stanley Katz, “The American Private Philanthropic Foundation” (1981)

**March 31: A NEW DEAL FOR WHOM?

Trattner, Chapter 13

Bremner, Chapter 9 (optional, but advised)

documents TBA

Linda Gordon, “Social Insurance and Public Assistance” (1992) JSTOR

review Hall, “A Historical Overview of the Private Nonprofit Sector” (1987), 15-18

April 7: FOUNDATIONS, GRASSROOTS, AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma (1944/1962) [excerpts]

Walter A. Jackson, “The Making of a Social Science Classic” (1985)

Claude A. Clegg III, “Philanthropy, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Politics of Racial Reform” (2003)

Draft of paper DUE (multiple copies for your peer group).

April 14: THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY “MOVING TOWARD TWO SOCIETIES”

Trattner, Chapter 14

Bremner, Chapters 10-11 (required)

Saul D. Alinsky, “Community Analysis and Organization” (1941) JSTOR

Dwight Macdonald, “Our Invisible Poor” (1963)

Alice O’Connor, “Neither Charity nor Relief” (1998)

review Hall, “A Historical Overview of the Private Nonprofit Sector” (1987), 18-21

Comments on classmates’ drafts DUE.

April 21: THE WAR ON WELFARE and THE CONTRACT ON AMERICA

Trattner, Chapters 15-16, reread prefaces to the 2^nd- 5^th editions

Bremner, Chapter 13 (required)

Bremner, Chapter 12 (optional, but advised)

Contract With America (1994) [excerpts]

Theresa Funicello, “The Poverty Industry” (1990)

Analysis of solicitation, article, or advertisement DUE

April 28: WILL WE HAVE THE POOR ALWAYS WITH US?

Trattner, Chapter 17, and reread preface to the 6^th edition

Allan Sloan, “The New Rich” [and sidebars] (1997)

others TBA

Friday, May 7: FINAL PAPER DUE, by 6pm.