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Welcome to the History of the American West after 1850!  In this course we will explore the history and historiography of this interesting and diverse region.  You will learn how to critically assess and produce historical arguments and will gain a basic understanding of important topics in western history.

You will be tested at the end of the course with a final, and there will be periodic quizzes to see if you are keeping up with and understanding the material.  You will also write two papers, one dealing with Western historiography, the other with an appropriate historical topic.  The second paper will require you to do additional research on your own, and can be undertaken as a group project, with my prior approval.

Part I of the course will focus on the ways historians have defined and examined the history of the American West.  In particular, we will consider the legacy of Frederick Jackson’s “Frontier Thesis” and the challenge that the “New Western History” makes to it.  We will read and discuss examples and critiques of the New Western History, with the goal of introducing you to the major issues and personalities involved.  Among other things, you will come out of this section with a sense of history as an evolving, contested field of activity, rather than a static collection of dry facts.  At the end of Part I you will demonstrate your knowledge in a paper on the historiography of Western history.

Part II will turn to the history of the region and its peoples.  We will engage in a series of lecture-discussions, each focusing our attention on a particular group of people (such as Indians or women) or on a major theme (such as attitudes toward the environment).  White’s “It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own” will function as a general overview of Western history and provide a framework for the more specialized discussions.  Worster’s An Unsettled Country will offer more focused essays on western and environmental topics.  You will come out of this section with a sense of the diversity and complexity of the West (or Wests), and an appreciation for the larger regional trends revealed by the study of specific transformative events. As part of this on-going project, each of you will produce a research paper exploring some aspect of Western history in detail.

The course is complex, and requires you to approach your classwork with enthusiasm and a willingness to work.  Basically, the more you put into the course, the more you will get out of it.  I look forward to exploring the American West with you!

William Cronon, Miles and Gitlin, Under an Open Sky

Richard White, “It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own”

Donald Worster, An Unsettled Country

Handouts and materials placed on reserve with the library

In the following grade scale, the grade is centered at the number following it.  That is, if you received an 83, it would count as a high B-.  Similarly, an 84 would be a low B.

Note that essays and projects are notgraded by starting with 100 points and subtracting points for errors.  Rather, each project or essay is weighed on its overall merits, judged to be falling within a given grade range, and the number assigned accordingly.  Moreover, comments on written work will focus on major and/or typical problems or strengths; they will not itemize every flaw or contribution.

Participants in group projects or presentations will receive the same grade for their shared work.

If you have questions about how to improve your work, I will be happy to meet with you during office hours.  You can also contact me by phone, email, or in person to arrange an appointment.

To calculate your grade, take the number out of a hundred each assignment earned, then multiply by the relevant percentage, then add the results.

Example:  Midterm, 85/100;  Presentation, 82/100; Project, 84/100; Final, 86/100.

Thus:  (85 x 0.35) + (82 x 0.10) + (84 x 0.20) + (86 x 0.35) = 84.85 = B for the course.

You are expected to come to class on time and to stay for the entire period. To do otherwise is to show a lack of respect for me and your fellow students, and you may miss important announcements.

You will definitely miss the quizzes if you are late. They will be given during the start of class, and late students will not be permitted to take them. Moreover, while attendance per se is not formally graded, I do take it into account when calculating final grades for the course. There will be an attendance sheet available at the start of class; if you are late, you will not be allowed to sign in.
 
 

Although aspects of this schedule may change over the course of the semester, unless otherwise noted you must have completed the readings and other assignments by the start of class on the day they are assigned. In other words, if the reading listed for Thursday, February 1, is Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis, then you must be prepared to discuss it in class on Thursday.  If the reading assignment appears under a weekly heading, then you need to have it completed by the start of class on Tuesday.

You must also make sure that you bring the week’s readings with you to class even if discussion is not explicitly scheduled; lectures can blend into discussions, and even in formal lectures I may ask you to look at a specific passage and comment on it.

With the exception of Weeks 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15, quizzes will be given at the start of class every Tuesday.  All the readings assigned since the previous quiz are fair game. Late students will not be allowed to take the quiz, nor make it up, unless they have made arrangements with me in advance.

You are encouraged to check with me at any point during the course when you are unsure about assignments or need to make up work missed on account of illness.  I will be happy to assist you in getting back up to speed. I also encourage you to drop by my office just to chat -- I don’t bite, really!

PART I:  HISTORIOGRAPHY

Week 1:  The Frontier Thesis and the New Western History

January 30

Introduction to the course, with a focus on the origins and development of the “New Western History.”

February 1

Frederick Jackson Turner, “The Significance of the Frontier…” On reserve at Copley library.
Becoming West, pp. 3-27 in Under an Open Sky.

NOTE:With the exception of the Turner article this week, and Worster’s piece for Week 2, all listed readings for Weeks 1-7 are from Under an Open Sky.

February 6

Quiz

February 8

February 13

Gitlin, “On the Boundaries of Empire,” pp. 71-89.
Quiz

February 15

Faragher, “Americans, Mexicans, Métis,” pp. 90-109.

February 20

Deutsch, “Landscape of Enclaves,” pp. 110-31.
Quiz

February 22

Morrissey, “Engendering the West,” pp. 131-45.

February 27

Quiz

March 1 -- Deadline for submission of first drafts (optional)

March 6

Quiz

March 8

March 13

Lamar, “Westering in the 21 ^st Century,” pp. 257-74.

March 15 - PAPER 1:  5 point bonus if turned in today in class; otherwise due on March 27^th.

Optional:  White Part I.  Recommended for those who did not take History of the American West I.

Additional readings may be assigned on a weekly basis as the course progresses; this is to allow us the flexibility to explore issues interesting the class in greater depth, if desired.  You will also be doing research for your paper and may be asked to report periodically on your progress.  Given the inevitable complications, it is not a project that can be put off until the last minute.  Be sure to budget your time accordingly.

Week 9
White, Part II:  “Federal Government and the 19^th Century West,” pp. 55-178.
Worster, “The Legacy of John Wesley Powell,” pp. 1-30.
Worster, “Water as a Tool of Empire,” pp. 31-54.

March 27 -- PAPER 1 DUE in class.

Quiz

March 29

April 3

Quiz

April 5

April 10

Quiz

April 12 -- HOLY THURSDAY -- NO CLASS

April 17

Quiz

April 19 -- Deadline for submission of first drafts (optional)

April 24

Quiz

April 26

May 1

May 3 -- PAPER 2 DUE in class.

May 8

May 10 -- LAST DAY OF CLASS

May 15 -- DEAD DAY -- NO CLASS

May 22 -- FINAL EXAM -- 12:30-2:30pm