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Revolutionary America Syllabus.Pages THE AGE OF HAMILTON SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY Professor: Dr. Benjamin E. Park Office: ABIV, Room 403 HIST 4378 Phone: (936) 294-1490 REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA Office Hours: M & W, 9:30-11:00am SPRING 2018 Email: [email protected] MWF 12:00-12:50 Twitter: @BenjaminEPark CHSS 232 REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA SPRING 2018 Digging into Hamilton’s America Viewing the Formation of a Nation through the Eyes of an Immigrant In the last few years, the broadway play Hamilton: An American Musical, has taken the nation by storm. A racially diverse cast, catchy hip-hop tunes, and a culturally relevant message has made the production both critically acclaimed and immensely popular. Thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alexander “…these united Colonies Hamilton is, as the kids say, “hot.” But what about Hamilton’s world? A broadway are, and of Right ought musical is not meant to be a historical treatise, as to be Free and any production is destined to take literary license. Nor does the play seek to tell the entire story of Independent States…” revolutionary America. This course will put flesh on Miranda’s skeleton—and in some cases, attempt to By the end of this semester, students are expected to: perform drastic reconstructive surgery on our • Acquire a substantial knowledge of America’s complex cultural myths. My hope is that you’ll see the revolution by reading primary and secondary sources. nation’s founding like you never have before. • Demonstrate competence of the historian’s craft by We will be using two different—and somewhat outlining key themes and methods historians have competing—lenses for this class. First, we will be used to engage the revolutionary era. focusing on those individuals generally overlooked • Perform rigorous writing assignments that cultivate in our national histories—the oppressed, substantial argumentative and persuasive marginalized, and forgotten. However, we will also perspectives. be focusing on a famous figure, Hamilton, whose Buckle up and enjoy a fun—if rigorous—semester! writings will ground every discussion. CAPSTONE REQUIREMENTS Since this course is currently categorized as a 4000-level course, it is required that I teach it as a capstone seminar. That means a couple of things. First, class sessions will be based around discussion and debates rather than lectures. I will certainly bring information and structure our dialogues, but you cannot rely on me for all analysis. Please come prepared to every class having read the assigned texts and energized to add your opinions. Second, writing assignments will make up nearly all of your overall grade. (There will be no exams.) However, unlike a typical capstone seminar, which is focused around one major research paper, we will create a portfolio of smaller assignments that, added together, perform the same amount of work. You will have an option to revise every assignment after original submission. Course Assignments Attendance & Reading the play. (More details found on the instructional sheet.) As with any college course, Then, specific songs will be learning and progression are attached to particular weeks, dependent upon class themes, and reading. participation and attendance. Therefore, markings of Reading Reports attendance and reading will Classroom Etiquette make up a considerable portion Students will be expected to of the student’s overall grade. A read three monographs Let’s face it: our sheet will be passed around related to the themes snapchatting generation is every class period which will discussed in class. I will not good at classroom record both your attendance provide a worksheet that etiquette. We like to think of and the percentage of reading includes specific questions to ourselves as multi-tasking you have completed. Students be answered based on experts able to tweet, work material in the book. This on homework, message our must never mark the roll on friends, and listen to lectures behalf of anyone else, present will make sure you are ready to discuss the book in class. all at the same time. But in or absent. The choice to disobey reality, this just leads to this rule, if discerned, results Taxes Debate & Op-Ed ineffective class time. While I in failure of the course. This welcome laptops/iPads/do- emphasis on attendance and After studying the debates dats in the classroom, I ask preparation rewards the over taxes & representation that they only be used for diligent student by granting during the 1760s and early notes. twenty percent of one’s grade 1770s, including published Relatedly, please turn merely by preparing for and pamphlets, students will be phones on silent, and please attending every class period. broken up into two sides: resist the urge to text. While You are allowed to miss three those who support my insights are brilliant classes without punishment, Parliament’s power and those enough to merit immediate and three more can be made up who do not. You will write a dissemination, but make through extra credit. More than two-page opinion essay sure you wait until after six unexcused absences results arguing for your side, largely class. in failure of the course. drawn from historical Students are expected to evidence. Then, in class, I show up on time, stay until Submitting Written Work will moderate a debate in the end of class, and participate. All written work will be which everyone will submitted through blackboard. participate. Failure to follow these rules I will not excuse late work if Annotated Documents will result in a stiff penalty. you do not alert me beforehand. If you anticipate that you will At two points in the semester not be able to submit your work students will submit an on time, for whatever reason, Annotated Document please let me know well in assignment. This involves advance. Work turned in one choosing a text from The day late will be reduced ten Essential Hamilton, points; work turned in later transcribing it into a Word receive no credit. Document, and then writing an introduction as well as The Play explanatory annotations, Throughout the semester, the similar to what you would broadway play will be featured find in a documentary as a background text. On the history. This will allow you to learn the skills of primary first Friday of the semester you will be expected to prepare a source analysis and “Fandom Research Report,” in contextualization. See which you examine some facet instructions sheet for details. of how America has digested Course Assignments (cont.) Point Breakdown Research Paper you will become experts on its origins, creation, and ratification. The entire course will culminate The class will be broken up into CLASS ATTENDANCE 50 in a major research project of four individual groups, each READING 50 your choice. The topic is up to dedicated to arguing for one of FANDOM REPORT 10 the student, but must be related four options Americans faced in to themes discussed during the TAXES OP-ED 40 1787: absolute acceptance, semester. The project will be ANNOTATED DOCS (2) 100 acceptance with minor revision, tiered, meaning that there will be acceptance with substantial CONSTITUTION DEBATE 50 various elements completed revisions, and rejection. You will RESEARCH OUTLINE 10 throughout the next few months. come up with ten minutes of ANNOTATED BIB 30 You will first have to find a list of material to share with the rest of possible primary and secondary DRAFT TO CLASSMATE 15 class. Grades will be determined sources and create an annotated by creativity, substance, and DRAFT FEEDBACK 20 bibliography—basically an persuasiveness. RESEARCH ANALYSIS 125 outline of what historians have TOTAL 500 said about your topic, and what Extra Credit is left to be explored. You will move on to a written analysis of Small amounts of extra credit will be available throughout the term your project. Your early draft will be shared with an assigned and will be entirely comprised of classmate, and each of you will extra reading. Students will be provide feedback to the other. provided with an approved The final draft will be submitted reading list (books and articles to me two weeks before the end of that are not on the list, but are the semester, allowing me time to approved by me, will also be grade it, return it to you, and eligible), and for every one provide you a week to perform hundred pages read there will be any revisions. Please consult the five extra credit points rewarded. Credit will be assessed by the detailed instruction sheet for more specific information. student visiting my office and discussing the book or article, Constitution specifically relating how the text has enriched his or her Presentations understanding of American We will be spending two weeks on religious history. discuss the the Constitution, which means book in class. Class Texts Required Texts: Optional Texts Joanne Freeman, ed., The Essential Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton: The Revolution (Library of America) (Hachette) • Discusses background to the play. Is helpful Robert Gross, The Minutemen and Their for dissecting how the songs relate to the World (Hill & Wang) history. David Waldstreicher, Slavery’s Constitution: Thomas K. McCraw, The Founders and (Hill & Wang) From Revolution to Ratification Finance: How Hamilton, Gallatin, and Other Joanne Freeman, Affairs of Honor: national Immigrants Forged a New Economy (Harvard Politics in the New Republic (Yale UP) UP) • Most helpful background to Hamilton and early American finance. SCHEDULE TEH = The Essential Hamilton Date Reading Song Assignment INTRODUCTION 1/17 Wed: SNOW DAY -Alexander Hamilton (White House 1/19 Performance) Fri: “Questlove on ‘Hamilton’ and Hip Hop” -Rebecca Martinez, “Mi Tierra, my Testimony” COLONIAL ORIGINS 1/22 Mon: Lyra Montiero, “Race-Conscious Casting -Yorktown (The -Fandom Research and the Erasure of the Black Past in Hamilton”; World Turned Report Annette Gordon-Reed, “Hamilton The Musical: Upside Down) Blacks and the Founding Fathers”; James McMaster, “Why Hamilton is not the Revolution you think it is” -The Schuyler Sisters 1/24 Wed: T.H.
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