History 715-2: Readings and Research in U.S. History, 1870-1920
Professor Margaret Susan Thompson
Fall 1997
Mondays, noon-3 p.m., 151 Eggers Hall (Snow Seminar Room)

In this course, students will explore major substantive, methodological, and interpretive themes in the historiography of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century United States. Class sessions will consist largely of discussion, based both upon readings that are done in common and on individualized assignments of longer works.

The first 3 weeks of the semester will be devoted to general discussion of the "shape" of American Historiography, and to trying to define our own "working assumptions" as to how history is (or ought to be) done. In pursuing these tasks, we shall rely primarily upon three resources:

1. The knowledge and understanding that participants bring with them to this course.
2. Peter Novick, That Noble Dream: The "Objectivity Question" and the American Historical Profession (Cambridge University Press, 1988).
3. The COR Working Assumptions handout.

Specifically, during the first two class meetings, participants will agree upon a list of topical areas to be explored. Then responsibility for these topics will be distributed among those enrolled. Some topics are rather standard and inevitably will be included, either alone or in combination with related themes; these include governance, political behavior, industrialization, cultural change, immigration and ethnicity, race and gender. Others will depend upon interests of those enrolled in the course; examples might include education and professionalization, religion, art and architecture, corporatism, technology, the New South, etc. In any event, it is expected that most specialized student interests can be accommodated within this format.

The individual or team in charge of a particular topic, in close consultation with the instructor, will decide upon a short assignment that will be read by everyone (normally, one or two articles), and a bibliography of major books in the area from which each student will select one to read. Prior to the class during which a topic will be discussed, each student will prepare a 1-2 pp. abstract of the individual book assignment, for distribution to everyone. Those in charge of each topic will assume primary responsibility for discussion leadership for that week—again, after consultation and planning.

In addition to the weekly abstracts, students will be expected to write 2 historiographic essays. One will be based upon an intensive examination of the literature on a particular topic (normally, but not inevitably, students choose to write this on one of the topics for which they have responsibility [above]); this will be done approximately midway through the term. The other paper, due at the end of the term, asks students to trace a methodological or interpretive theme that transcends particular topical units; it may be (and often is) based largely on the readings completed throughout the semester. Each of these papers is to be approximately 12 to 15 pages in length.

While the historiographic essays are an important basis for evaluation of students' performance, so are the abstracts, bibliographic work in preparing units, discussion leadership, and ongoing discussion participation.

It is my hope that this class will enhance students' skills and confidence in a number of the areas that comprise the worklife of a scholar/teacher, and that it will facilitate and promote collaborative/collegial, as well as individual, scholarly inquiry.

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