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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "HS 372"
COURSE NAME: "African Atlantic: Slavery and Beyond"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Ogle Gene
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 10:00-11:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: One previous history course. Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will explore the roles played by and the experiences of Africans and their descendents in the Atlantic world from the development of regular trading contacts between Europeans and West Africans in the fifteenth century through the suppression of the slave trade and the earlier stages of emancipation during the first half of the nineteenth century.  Central themes of the course will be the development of distinctively African-American cultural patterns and identities in the ‘New World,’ the diversity of African and African-American experiences in the Atlantic World, and African and African-American contributions to the making of the modern world.  
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
There will be two class meetings a week.  This course will primarily be run as a seminar in which we discuss the assigned readings and your research projects.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this course, you will work on developing the following skills:  critical analysis of primary sources of various types and historians’ arguments, researching historical subjects, developing your own well-reasoned and well-supported arguments, and effectively communicating your arguments in writing.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800, 2nd EditionJohn ThorntonCambridge University Press978-0521627245      
Origins of the Black Atlantic Laurent Dubois and Julius S. Scott, eds.Routledge978-0415994460      
Saltwater Slavery: A Middle Passage from Africa to American Diaspora Stephanie E. SmallwoodHarvard University Press 978-0674030688      
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
In Class ParticipationSee below.20%
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Group PresentationSee below.5%
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Paper (c.5 pages per group member) See below.15%
Research Paper (including draft, revision, and presentation, 12-15 pages)See below.30%
Final ExamSee below.30%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised. There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D: This level of performance demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material. Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.


This course will primarily be run as a seminar in which we discuss the assigned readings.  As such, your active participation in our discussions is absolutely necessary to making the course work well.  The high percentage of your grade that will be based on your participation reflects that fact.  You should bring a question based on the readings that you believe we should discuss to each class.  On occasion, brief in class or out of class reaction papers may be assigned as components of your participation grade. 

For the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Group Presentation, you will collectively explore a major question or topic relating to the slave trade and present your findings and conclusions to the rest of the class.  In preparing your presentations, you should use the appropriate course readings and the on-line Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database (http://www.slavevoyages.org).  These presentations should be approximately 25-30 minutes in duration.  For the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database paper (c. 5 pages), you will present a portion of your group's findings (please note that each group member 's paper should focus on a different aspect or component of your topic).  Your grade on these two assignments will be determined by the strength of your analysis (and use of the database), the persuasiveness of your argument (including quality of writing and presentation), and the originality of your thought.  You will be divided into groups and provided with further information about these assignments during the second week of classes.

For the research paper (12-15 pages), you will explore a feature of the African Atlantic of your choice.  Your paper should build on both primary and secondary sources, and in preparing it, I will guide you through the processes of preparing a first draft and revising that draft to produce a stronger final paper.  You also will present this paper to the rest of the class for discussion.  For these discussions, each of you will also review at least one of your colleagues’ papers, preparing both a written review (for the author and for me) and an oral commentary during the discussion of her/his paper in class.  The grade on this assignment will be determined by the strength of your analysis and research, the persuasiveness of your argument (including quality of writing), and the originality of your thought.

The final exam will be composed of two essay questions I will give you the week before the exam.  You will answer one of those questions.  The exam will be open book and open notes.   Your grade on the exam will depend upon the analytical strength and persuasiveness of your arguments, your capacity to discuss the material we cover in the course as a whole, and the factual accuracy of your answers. 

I will provide you with further guidelines for these assignments as the semester progresses.

All late work will be penalized by at least one letter grade.  No late work will be accepted after the final examination.

Any documented case of academic dishonesty on any assignment will result not only in a failing grade for the assignment in question but also in a failing grade for the course as a whole.  If you have questions about how to cite material properly, refer to the appropriate sections of the MLA Style Manual or Chicago Manual of Style (or come talk to me during my office hours).  There are copies of both in the reference section of the library downstairs. Please note that also submitting work that you have previously submitted (or plan to submit) for credit in another course is also a form of academic dishonesty, unless you obtain the explicit approval from both instructors to do so.  For this course, no such double submission is allowed. Please note that your papers and other work may be submitted to turnitin.com to check their content for plagiarism.  
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
See the above discussion of the participation grade.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

Accessing Shared Documents on MyJCU 

1. Go to the internal web site (MY JCU).

2. After you have logged in, click on the course post-it for Fall 2012, HS372. Then click on shared files.

3. You should then be able to access any course handouts not accessible by clicking the links on this syllabus.

4. Be sure to check the handouts page frequently for changes and updates.  Similarly, I will post messages on the MyJCU board should I need to contact you in between class meetings (e.g., in the case of an unexpected class cancellation, etc.).


COURSE SCHEDULE  (N.B.  The schedule and specific readings listed below may change.)

Sept. 4 Introductions: What is the Atlantic World?

Sept. 6 Opening the Atlantic:  Africans and Iberians
     Thornton, 1-42
     "The Beginnings of a Regular European Trade," (Handout)

Sept. 11 Atlantic Trade and Its Effects in Africa
     Thornton, 43-71
     Northrup, "Atlantic Exports and Technology" (Handout)                       

Sept. 13  Slavery in Africa                                                       
     Thornton, 72-97                                
     Piot, "Of Slaves and the Gift," 31-49
           http://www.jstor.org/stable/183287

Sept. 18  The Atlantic Slave Trade, I:  Effects in Africa             
     Thornton, 98-125     
     Hair, "African Narratives of Enslavement" (Handout)
     Manning, "Social and Demographic Transformations" (Handout)

Sept. 20  The Atlantic Slave Trade, II:  To and on the African Coast
     Smallwood, 1-64

Sept. 21  OFFICIAL MAKE-UP FOR NOVEMBER 1 The Atlantic Slave Trade, III:  Numbers From The Trader's Point of View
     Smallwood, 65-100
 
Sept. 25  The Atlantic Slave Trade, IV:  Experiencing the Middle Passage
     Smallwood, 101-152
     Equiano, The Interesting Narrative (MyJCU--Shared Files)

Sept. 27  The Atlantic Slave Trade, V:  American Arrivals
     Smallwood, 153-207
 
Oct. 2  The Atlantic Slave Trade, VI:  Numbers, Mortality, Departures, Destinations
    Explore the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database (http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/index.faces)
    Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Group Presentations

Oct. 4  The Beginnings of American Slavery
     Thornton, 129-151    
     Eltis, “Europeans and the Rise and Fall of African Slavery in the Americas:  An Interpretation,” 1399-1423 
           http://www.jstor.org/stable/2167060   

Oct. 9  Plantation Life:  Work, Culture, and Discipline
      Thornton, 152-182                
      Brown, “Spiritual Terror and Sacred Authority in Jamaican Slave Society,” 24-53 (Handout)                              
      Slave Trade Database Paper Due

Oct. 11  Making the Plantations:  Agriculture and African Technology
      Carney, "'With Grains of Rice in Her Hair': Rice in Colonial Brazil," 1-27 (EBSCO)
        http://search.ebscohost.com.web.johncabot.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13884156&site=ehost-live

Oct. 12  OFFICIAL MAKE-UP FOR NOVEMBER 22  Gender and the Making of Slavery and Race
      Gray White, “The Nature of Female Slavery,” Ar'n't I A Woman?, 62-90 (Reserve)
      Brown, “ Engendering Racial Difference, 1640-1670,” Good Wives, Nasty Wenches, and Anxious Patriarchs, 107-136 (Reserve)

Oct. 16  Africa in America:  Ethnicity and Nations                                          
      Thornton, 183-205
      Dubois and Scott (hereafter DS), 269-292
      Preliminary Bibliography For Research Paper Due

Oct. 18  African America:  Creolization                                                        
      Thornton, 206-234
      DS, 116-158

Oct. 23  Afro-American Religions:  Christianity                     
      Thornton, 235-271    
      DS, 101-115, 159-192

Oct. 25  Afro-American Religions:  Vaudou
      Fandrich, “Yoruba Influences on Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo,” 775-791
           http://www.jstor.org/stable/40034365     

Oct. 30  Back on the Ocean:  African and African American Sailors              
      Bolster, “African Roots of Black Seafaring,” Black Jacks, 44-67 (On Reserve)
      DS, 69-98

Nov. 6  Resistance, I:  Everyday Resistance and Accommodation    
      Thornton, 272-279    
      Genovese, Roll Jordan Roll: The World the Slaves Made, 597-621, 637-648 (On Reserve)
      Draft of Research Paper Due

Nov. 8  Resistance, II:  Escape
      Thornton, 279-292 (review 272-279)
      DS, 47-68

Nov. 13  Independent African American Societies:  Maroon Communities       
      Thornton, 292-300
      DS, 236-265     
     
Nov. 15  Resistance, III:  Rebellion     
      Thornton, 300-303
      DS, 11-25, 214-235
      Beginning of Presentation/Discussion of Research Papers

Nov. 20  Research Papers--Discussion/Presentation
    
Nov. 27  Slavery and Slave Resistance in the 'Age of Revolutions', I
     Thornton, 300-334

Nov 29  Slavery and Slave Resistance in the 'Age of Revolutions', II
      DS, 195-213, 293-322
      Recommended:  DS, 26-46

Dec. 4  Emancipation?
      DS, 334-395
      Recommended: DS, 323-333

Dec. 6 Back to Africa:  African American Views of Africa
     De Groot, “The Bush Negro Chiefs Visit Africa: Diary of an Historic Trip,” in Price, Maroon Societies, 389-398 (On Reserve)
     Campbell, "Representing the Race," Middle Passages, 57-98 (Handout, focus on pages 76-90)
     Last Presentation/Discussion of Research Papers
    

 

FINAL EXAM--December 11, and Final Draft of Research Paper is Due (When you hand in your final draft of your research paper on Tuesday, you should also hand in the earlier draft with my comments as well.)