HIST3360 Colonial and Revolutionary America

This course will focus on the history of the English colonies in North America, and their decision to join together and fight for independence from England in the 1770s. Though it will at times touch on geographically related regions – Spanish America, French America, and the West Indies, most notably – they will not be the main focus of the course.

Throughout the semester we will pay close attention to the ways in which the colonial experience was different for different sectors of society. We will also try to understand how the American Revolution both grew out of, and reshaped, the traditions and legacies of colonial society.

Week 1 (8 September 2020)

• Introduction

Week 2 (15 September 2020)

• John Smith and Pocahontas
  • Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom (Chapters 4-6)
  • Primary sources
    • Selections from the General History

Week 3 (22 September 2020)

• King Philipp’s War?
  • Taylor, American Colonies (Chapters 8-9)
  • Primary sources
    • John Winthrop, A Modell of Christian Charity (1630)

Week 4 (29 September 2020)

• Bacon’s Rebellion
  • Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom (Chapters 11-13)
  • Rice, Bacon’s Rebellion in Indian Country
  • Primary sources
    • Bacon’s Declaration in the Name of the People 30 July 1676
    • Governor William Berkely on Bacon’s Rebellion 19 May 1676
    • The declaration and Remonstrance of Sir William Berkeley his most sacred Majesties Governor and Captain Generall of Virginia

Week 5 (6 October 2020)

• Salem Witch Trials
  • Boyer and Nissbaum, Salem Possessed (Prologue)
  • Primary sources
    • Samuel Willard, A briefe account of a strange & unusuall Providence of God befallen to Elizabeth Knap of Groton
    • Cotton Mather, The Wonders of the Invisible World.pp. xxv – xxxi

Week 6 (13 October 2020)

• Stono
  • Thornton, African Dimensions of the Stono Rebellion
  • Mark Smith, Stono (introdution)
  • Primary sources
    • Stono Rebellion
    • http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/becomingamer/peoples/text4/stonorebellion.pdf (both texts)
    • https://digital.scetv.org/teachingAmerhistory/lessons/GovBullLetter.htm

Week 7 (20 October 2020)

• Stamp Act Crisis
  • Maier, From Resistance to Revolution (Chapter 3)
  • Primary sources
    • The Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress October 19 1765
    • Soame Jenyns The Objections to the taxation consider’d 1765

Week 8 (27 October 2020)

• Battles of Concord Lexington
  • Gross, the Minutemen and their World (Chapter 3-9, pp. 109-133)
  • Primary sources
    • Anonymous account of the Boston Massacre March 5 1770
    • Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists
    • Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress October 1774 –
    • A British Officer at Lexington and Concord
    • Second Continental Congress Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms July 6 1775

Week 9 (3 November 2020)

• Dunmore’s Proclamation
  • Taylor, Internal Enemy, pp. 13-54
  • Morgan and O’Shaughnessy, Arming Slaves in the American Revolution
  • Primary sources
    • Dunmore’s Proclamation
    • Virginia’s Response to Dunmore’s Proclamation in the Pennsylvania Gazette, 13 December 1775
    • Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Slavery

Week 10 (10 November 2020)

• Declaring Independence
  • Gordon Wood, The American Revolution, A History, pp. 47-64 (Section III)
  • Primary sources
    • Declaration of Independence
    • Paine, Common Sense – Introduction; Sections III & IV

Week 11 (17 November 2020)

• Fighting the Revolution
  • Gordon Wood, The American Revolution, A History, pp. 65-90 (Section IV)
  • Primary sources
    • Articles of Confederation
    • Treaty of Amity and Commerce Between The United States and France; February 6, 1778

Week 12 (24 November 2020)

• Constitutional Convention
  • Waldstreicher, Slavery’s Constitution, Prologue, Chapter 2
  • Primary sources
    • United States Constitution
    • Bill of Rights
    • Federalist Papers – #s 1,3, 6

Week 13 (1 December 2020)

Teaching Plan for online and for possible in person classes

My goals for fall semester 2020 are: to create possibilities for student participation and interaction; and to put in place an approach that will smooth and transition(s) between on-line and face-to-face teaching.

In order to achieve this, I am hoping to take the following steps:

• There will be a participation element to this course, but that participation will be via an on-line discussion board. In the event that face-to-face teaching resumes, the discussion board will still be a part of the course, though students would then be able to supplement their participation grades by contributing to in-class discussions.
• I am planning on teaching all of the classes in the classroom while using zoom to make them accessible on-line. (Note that I say “planning” because I have never done this, and do not know what exactly this will entail. But, that’s the plan). By teaching in the classroom even when there are no students in attendance, and by making them available on zoom if they are face-to-face, I am hoping that this will make any transitions smoother.

• two groups will be organised if more than 20 students enroll the course after add-drop period
  • 6 Oct, 13 Oct, 20 Oct, 27 Oct
    • Group 1: 14:30 pm-16:15 pm
  • 8 Oct, 15 Oct, 22 Oct, 29 Oct 
    • Group 2: 14:30 pm- 16:15 pm
• the tutorials are composed of individual presentations, written reports and discussions
• each student shall conduct presentations according to his/ her assigned chapters of the book, to which at the end of the tutorial students shall pick an angle they preferred to write a report. 
• for more details, it will be published after add-drop period

All texts will be available on-line for students

請注意大學有關學術著作誠信的政策和規則，及適用於犯規事例的紀律指引和程序。詳情可瀏覽網址：http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/。

學生遞交作業時，必須連同已簽署的聲明一併提交，表示他們知道有關政策、規則、指引及程序。

• 如屬小組習作，則所有組員均須簽署聲明；所有組員（不論有否簽署聲明及不論有否直接或間接撰寫有問題的內容）均須負上集體責任及受到懲處。
• 如作業以電腦製作、內容以文字為主，並經由大學「維誠」系統 (VeriGuide) 提交者，學生將作業的電子檔案上載到系統後，便會獲得收據，收據上已列明有關聲明。

未有夾附簽署妥當的聲明的作業，老師將不予批閱。

學生只須提交作業的最終版本。

學生將作業或作業的一部份用於超過一個用途（例如：同時符合兩科的要求）而沒有作出聲明會被視為未有聲明重覆使用作業。學生重覆使用其著作的措辭或某一、二句句子很常見，並可以接受，惟重覆使用全部內容則構成問題。在任何情況下，須先獲得相關老師同意方可提交作業。