Messiah College
Early American Republic 1789-1815
Fall 2008
MW 12:00-12:50 Boyer 330
John Fea
Office Hours: M 2-4; W 2-4; R3:45-5:00; and by appointment
Office: Boyer 258
Phone: x2253
e-mail: jfea@messiah.edu
Course Description
This course examines the early years of the United States from the ratification
of the Constitution through the War of 1812. In 1789, Americans were
faced with the task of building working political institutions out of the
principles set forth in the Constitution and establishing a stable and unified
society out of a divided and diverse collection of societies and peoples.
American leaders also had to deal with a slew of international crises that
brought them into conflict with powerful European countries that showed little
respect for American interests. In the decades following the American
Revolution, American leaders and citizens were forced to define exactly what
independence from Great Britain meant in the context of everyday life.
Would the country be predominantly rural and agricultural or urban and commercial?
Would the character of the new nation be defined by the ideas of elite founding
fathers or by the will of ordinary people? How did the rapid changes
taking place in the nation during the early republic influence the plight
of women, Native Americans, slaves, and free blacks? Together we will
examine this exciting period in the American past
Required Textbooks (Available in College Bookstore)
Thomas Slaughter, The Whiskey Rebellion
Edward Larson, The Magnificent Catastrophe
Nathan Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity
Peter Onuf, Jeffersonian America
Douglas Egerton, Gabriel's Rebellion
Frank Lambert,. The Barbary Wars
Readings on JSTOR and on the internet
A Note About Reserve Reading
Readings listed as “on the internet” will include a web address where they
can be found. I STRONGLY encourage you to print these documents so
that you can bring them to class with you on the day they will be discussed.
Some of the reserve articles I have assigned are available in an article
database called JSTOR. The easiest way to access these articles is
to click on the link on the on-line syllabus.
Assignments:
We will have two 50-minute in-class exams in addition to the comprehensive
final exam. Exams will be based on a combination of class lecture,
class discussion, and reading. You will write one research paper.
(See below). Class participation will be worth 15% of your grade in this
course.
Grading:
In Class Exams: 25% (12.5% each)
Final Exam: 25%
Research Paper 25%
Participation and Attendance 25% (Including possible pop quizzes on
readings)
Notes:
•On the evening of October 29 we will be watching a movie, “A Midwife’s Tale”
at 6:30pm in a yet to be determined place. Please plan on this.
•Students who do not take all the exams, quizzes, and hand-in all of the
papers, no matter how late, will fail the course
• Late papers will be penalized a half letter grade for each DAY it is late.
Papers must be handed-in before the end of the semester in order to receive
a passing grade for the course.
• Make-up exams will be administered only in extreme emergencies.
• There will be no extra credit
• AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: Any student whose disability
falls within ADA guidelines should inform the instructor at the beginning
of the semester of any special accommodations or equipment needs necessary
to complete the requirements for this course. Students must register documentation
with the Office of Disability Services (Hoffman 101). If you have questions,
call extension 5358.
•Plagiarism will be penalized according to college policies. According
to the Student Handbook, plagiarism is “submitting as one’s own work part
or all of any assignment (oral or written) which is copied, paraphrased,
or purchased from another source, including on-line sources without the proper
acknowledgment of that source. Examples include: failing to cite a
reference, failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, misrepresenting
another's work as your own.” The penalty for plagiarizing all or most
of a paper is the assignment of an ‘F’ for the course.
Tentative Class Schedule
DATE PROGRAM AND ASSIGNMENTS
Sept. 1: Introduction to the Course
Sept. 3: The Constitution: A Roof Without Walls
READ: Murrin, “A Roof Without Walls” (On Reserve)
Sept. 5: The Rise of the Federalists
Sept. 8: Introduction to Evans (Computer Lab)
Sept. 10: Alexander Hamilton’s Vision for America
Sept. 12: The Whiskey Rebellion
READ: Slaughter, Introduction, Ch. 1-3
Sept. 15: The Whiskey Rebellion
READ: Slaughter, Ch. 4-6
Sept. 17: The Whiskey Rebellion
READ: Slaughter, Ch. 7-10
Sept. 19: No Class
Sept. 22: The Whiskey Rebellion
READ: Slaughter, Ch.11-13; Afterword
Sept. 24: Oppositional Politics: The Jeffersonian Vision
Sept. 26: Early American Diplomacy: The United States and France
Sept. 29: The Alien and Sedition Acts
READ:
The
Alien Act
The Sedition Act
The Virginia Resolution
Oct. 1: EXAM
Oct. 3: The Election of 1800
Read: :Larson, Introduction, Ch. 1-2
Oct. 6: The Election of 1800
Read: Larson, Ch. 3-5
Oct. 8: The Election of 1800
Read: Larson, Ch. 6-8
Oct. 10: NO CLASS: Fall Break
Oct. 13: The Election of 1800
Read: Larson, Ch. 9-10, Epilogue
Oct. 15: The Appeal of Jeffersonians
Read: Onuf, Ch. 3
Oct. 17: Slavery in the Early Republic
Read: Egerton, preface, Ch. 1-3
Oct. 20: Slavery in the Early Republic
Read: Egerton, Ch. 4-6
Oct. 22: Slavery in the Early Republic
Read: Egerton, Ch. 7-9
Oct. 24: Slavery in the Early Republic
Read: Egerton, Ch. 10-11, Appendices
Oct. 27: Louisiana Purchase
Read: Onuf, Ch. 3
Oct. 29: Republican Motherhood (Midwife’s Tale)
Read: Zagarri,
Morals, Manners, and Republican Motherhood (JSTOR)
Oct. 31: “A Midwife’s Tale”
Nov. 3: The Democratization of American Christianity
Read: Hatch, Part 1
Nov. 5: EXAM
Nov. 7: NO CLASS
Nov. 10: The Democratization of American Christianity
Read; Hatch, Part 2
Nov. 12: The Democratization of American Christianity
Read: Hatch, Part 3
Nov. 14: The Democratization of American Christianity
Read: Hatch, Part 4
Nov. 17: The Marshall Court: The Last Bastion of Federalism
Nov. 19: Social and Economic Change in the North
Nov. 21: Social and Economic Change in the South
Nov. 24: America in the World
READ: Lambert, Introduction, Ch. 1
Nov. 26: NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING
Nov. 28: NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING
Dec. 1: America in the World
READ: Lambert, Ch.2-4
Dec. 3: America in the World
READ: Lambert, Ch. 5-6
Dec. 5: America in the World
READ: Lambert, Ch. 7
Dec. 8: The Meaning of the War of 1812
Dec. 10: The Meaning of the War of 1812
Dec. 12: Wrap Up
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, December 18, 10:30-12:30
RESEARCH PAPER
You will be required to write a 10-15 page paper that examines a topic of
your choice from the period of the early American Republic (1789-1815).
The final paper will be due in class on December 8, 2008.
Choosing a Topic
The selection of a topic should not be taken lightly and will require some
work on your part. You should choose a topic large enough to find the necessary
sources, but small or narrow enough so that you are not overwhelmed. I would
encourage you to browse your textbooks (or a U.S. History Survey textbook)
for possible topics, especially if you are interested in a theme that we
may not cover in class until later in the semester.
You must choose a topic for which you can find at least 5 primary sources
and at least 3-5 secondary sources. On October 8 you will hand in a
1-2 page “paper proposal.” This proposal will briefly describe the
subject of your paper and provide a bibliography of the primary and secondary
sources you will be using to write it. I will read these quickly and
return them to you with comments and possible suggestions for more pertinent
source material, if necessary. I am open to any topic as long as it
falls within the 1789-1815 time period. Feel free to consult with me
if you are unsure if your topic is suitable.
Paper Outline
On November 10 you will turn in a one to two page outline of your paper.
This outline should include a thesis statement (what you plan to argue in
the paper) and how you will go about making your case. It should show,
in an ordered and logical way, how your paper will flow. I will read
these quickly and get them back to you with comments for improvement.
This is required. It is worth 0% of your final paper grade, but if
you do not hand it in, you will receive a grade of “F” on the final paper
grade.
Rough Drafts (Optional)
I am willing to read a rough draft of the paper as long as I receive by November
24. Again, I will read it, comment on it, and return it to you on the
Monday following Thanksgiving Break so that you may incorporate any suggestions
I might make.
LOCATING SOURCE MATERIAL
Early American Imprints: This will be the primary database that most
of you will use to locate primary source material. I will introduce
it to you in class on September 8. This is an on-line database of every
book or pamphlet published in America prior to 1815.
Early American Newspapers: This is a database of newspapers from the
17th century through the late nineteenth century. This database would
be especially useful if you want to study the impact of some aspect of the
American Revolution on a particular city or community. It is also searchable.
American Memory: This is a website that includes the on-line collections
of the Library of Congress. The papers of Thomas Jefferson, George
Washington (a more substantial collection of Washington’s papers is available
at the University of Virginia--http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/), James Madison,
and others are available on-line as well as other sources from the era of
the American Revolution. The American Memory website is located at
http://memory.loc.gov
Murray Library: You should also use Murray library to search for secondary
sources and use the Interlibrary Loan Department to obtain secondary source
material that we do not own. This, of course, requires advance planning!
America: History and Life: This is a very valuable database for the acquisition
of secondary articles. If something has been written on your topic
in article form, you will find it here.
Amazon.Com: Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to find
secondary book material since Amazon can be used as a database for all English-language
books in print. Try searching for your topic (or some variation of
it) and you may find that there is some good secondary literature out there.
If Murray does not have the book, interlibrary loan it.
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Writing the Paper
Remember, you are writing a historical narrative about your given topic.
You are not giving me a blow-by-blow summary of the documents you have found.
Use the documents to supplement and support (provide evidence for) your narrative.
I will be happy to assist you in any aspect of the paper process.
Possible Paper Topics: Here is a list (largely off the top of my head) of
possible topics. Please do not feel restricted to this list.
1. The political battles between Federalists and Jeffersonians
in a particular state of city
2. Patriotic celebrations in particular towns or cities
3. The political thought of a particular politician of
the era. (Jefferson, Hamilton, Washington, Adams, Monroe,
Madison, Burr, etc…)
4. The views of a particular politician on the question
of slavery
5. Slavery in general: Slave rebellions, runaway
slave ads, or the role of free blacks in the north. Or early
anti-slavery advocates
6. Newspaper and other accounts of a particular historical
event from the period (Whiskey Rebellion, Fries
Rebellion, War of 1812, Alien or Sedition Acts, etc…
7. The role of the press in this period.
8. Religious events (such as religious revivals) or theological
controversies during the period
9. Debates over the Louisiana Purchase
10. How the expeditions of Lewis and Clark were perceived by
Americans in the east
11. The settlement of the frontier or a particular frontier city
(i.e. Pittsburgh, St. Louis, etc…
12. Transportation developments during the period
13. Newspaper and other coverage of the War of 1812 or other
international controversies
14. The impact of the Embargo Act on local communities
15. History writing: How some of the earliest American
historians interpreted the American Revolution
16. Memory: How the men and women of this generation remembered
and commemorated the American
Revolution
17. Educational life in the early republic
18. Women in the early republic
19. The experience of everyday people in the period