History 252: American Environmental History

Spring 201 S

1 H I S T O R Y 3 6 9 H I S T O R Y O F T H E W E S T & P A C I F I C N O R T H W E S T Instructor: Doug Sackman email: [email protected] phone: 3913 Office: Wyatt 138 Office Hours: Tu: 10.-11; Wednesday and Friday, 11-11.50am (I am also available to meet with you at other times; just email me for an appointment) webpage: http://www.ups.edu/faculty/dsackman/

C O U R S E D E S C R I P T I O N Instead of one American West, we are now faced with many. These many Wests have surfaced because recently a new group of historians, wishing to value the multiple stories peoples have told about the West (or El Norte or the navel of the world or Gam Saan) have attempted to break down ethnocentric frontier mythology and instead give us a multicultural and perhaps even a multiperspectival Western history. Following those tracks, we explore the encounters, exchanges and conflicts among peoples and between people and nature, with a view to uncovering what the western regions can tell us about our nation’s motto: e pluribus unum. The flux of the West is a matter of geography as well as perspective. For some historians, the West begins at the frontier of Europeans and Natives on the eastern seaboard, and then progressively moves west over time. In this view, the Old Northwest of the Ohio Country is categorized as part of the West until a certain point when it transmogrified into the Midwest. Others use the Mississippi or the 98th meridian or the Rocky Mountains as the firm dividing line between the East and West. But how far west does this West go—does it include Hawai‘i and Alaska? A recent “Atlas of the New West” says no, and it even excludes the Pacific Coast, including Western Washington, from the domain of the real west. Our course will give some attention to all of these fluctuating wests as well as to these issues of definition, but the course will be anchored to the Pacific Slope—the far western region centering on the states of California, Oregon, and

2 Washington. Some attention will be given to bordering areas, including Hawai‘i, Alaska, British Columbia and Mexico. Chronologically, we will concentrate on the period between the onset of European penetration of the region in the late 18th century through World War Two. In this course we will approach the Pacific Slope from several angles. We will look for the dynamics of cultural conflict and exchange among competing peoples in the region, attending to issues of race, class and gender. We will ask how regional identities have been made, and look at the relationship between culture and nature over time in landscapes that have been both celebrated and transformed to an astounding degree. Throughout, we will examine the ways that western experience has been translated into stories, whether in the oral traditions of native peoples, the triumphalist narratives of national expansion, the fictional accounts of writers and filmmakers, and the critical accounts of recent historians and writers who have attempted to rewrite the dominant narrative of western history. The course, then, will encompass three major themes:

1) diversity and the dynamics of cross-cultural encounters on the “frontier,” with attention to the values of different and competing groups

2) the role of nature in the making of western history, and

3) the relationship of myth and narrative to western experience and history.

F O R M A T A N D O B J E C T I V E S In the above description, I have emphasized what “we” will do. I mean that: the course is meant to be a collaborative investigation. Class time will be devoted largely to discussions of the readings and the issues they touch

3 upon. To make the course work, then, you will have to come to class having done the reading and having thought about questions or comments you might want to bring up in class discussion. I’ve designed the course to give you a range of opportunities to participate in the class and contribute to its course. Of course, you are encouraged to actively engage with discussions, raising questions, making points and otherwise contributing to the flow of the conversation. The readings for the course are extensive (averaging about 100 pgs per week, though it varies considerably), and essential. Your reactions to the content, ideas and evidence presented in the reading will be crucial to what we do in class. Doing the reading in time for class is thus critical to the success of the course. In reading selections, you will find it useful to take notes and write down particular questions you might have or topics you would like to discuss. As a student, I found that underlining or highlighting passages, while helpful, was not the best way to prepare me to participate in class discussions. I started to take notes on a separate sheet of paper (or on my computer), listing the relevant page number on the left and then some idea or quote that I found interesting next to it. In class, then, I could use this as an index of my ideas, and then point to a particular passage as a basis for a question or to present my perspective on a particular issue. You may find that developing a note-taking system will work for you. Please bring the readings to class on the day for which they are assigned. If you do not do the readings, you will get little out of the class. If you do the readings, but have nothing to say about them, then the class as a whole will suffer. The more you get involved, the more you will get out of the class, and the more exciting, engaging, and successful the class will be as whole.

Ideally, students in this course:

• will gain a basic understanding of the persons, events, and forces that have shaped history in the West and Pacific Northwest from the late- eighteenth century through World War Two • will sharpen their ability to read and analyze historical writing

4 • will deepen their understanding of the process of conquest, colonization and resistance in the West • will deepen their understanding of how cultural diversity, the environment, and narratives have played critical and interrelated roles in the making of Western/Pacific Northwestern history • will learn to analyze events and narratives about events from multiple points of view • will develop their skills of oral and written expression, including how to formulate a position on an open-ended topic and effectively use evidence to support that position • will gain practice working with web-based materials and working cooperatively in groups • will have opportunities to engage with Western/Pacific Northwestern history as a teacher as well as a student

R E A D I N G S • Thomas Slaughter, Exploring Lewis and Clark: Reflections on Men and Wilderness • Richard White, The Organic Machine: The Remaking of the Columbia River • Annie Dillard, The Living • Mae Ngai, Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America • John Steinbeck, The Harvest Gypsies • History 369 Reader

E V A L U A T I O N Guidelines for each of the assignments will be distributed when appropriate in the term. 1) Attendance, Class Participation and several Short Papers [28%] (including informal writing assignments and group

5 work): This category includes reading, attendance & participation in discussions. Regular attendance is expected.* Students can participate in class by making points and connections, raising questions, listening and responding to the comments of other students, and otherwise engaging with the flow of the discussion. Class participation and the short papers will be weighted about equally in determining this portion of your grade. The class participation component is based on your preparation for class and your active and constructive involvement in discussions. The Discussion Papers, which will not be graded but will be assigned a number from 0-4 that assesses their general quality, give you a chance to consider the reading assigned for the day that the discussion paper is due and pose a question that the group as a whole might discuss in our class session. There are 6 days on which you have a discussion paper due, but you may skip one of these of your choosing. In addition to the discussion papers, you are expected to write a Film Discussion Paper on 1 of the 2 films screened for the class, and complete 2 Document Gathering Assignments. Guidelines for the short papers appear in the syllabus below. 2) Class Presentation [5%]: A ten-minute presentation on a topic— person, place, event or idea— related to Western history of your choosing. 3) Paper I [19%]: A 4-6 page paper, due in week 7 (topics and guidelines distributed by week 4). 4) Paper II [19%]: A 4-6 Page paper, due in week 12 (topics and guidelines distributed by week 9). 5) Research essay [29%]: An 8-12 page paper on a topic of your own choice; prospectus due in week 11, final draft due Friday of Finals Week by 3pm. Note: If the class and I determine that the reading is not being done, quizzes and/or daily papers may be added.

* Unexcused absences will weigh down your participation grade. Extreme cases, where a student misses more than 5 classes, will normally result in the student being withdrawn from the class. 6 Late Policy: Assignments that are up to 24 hours late will receive a 1/3 grade reduction (e.g. a B would become a B-); assignments turned in more than one but less than two days late will be lowered 2/3 of a grade; work turned in more than two but less than three days will be lowered a full grade. Work turned in later will be lowered 1 and 1/3 grade.

P R E S E N T A T I O N G U I D E L I N E S For the presentation, please choose a topic that has some relevance to this class. Presentations should be no more than 10 minutes long, but the format for the presentation is up to you. However you decide to present your findings, the best presentations are well-organized, rehearsed, informative, interesting, and engaging. They at once do a good job of presenting information in an interesting manner and conveying a few larger points or conclusions about the topic. While your presentations no doubt will be informative, we will also be interested in your interpretations. Thus, you might want to consider these kinds of questions: What significance do you see in your topic? How does it relate to other aspects of Western history we’ve looked at in the class? Does it tell us something about one or more of the three main themes of the course? On the day of your presentation, please also turn in an annotated bibliography of at least three sources consulted (at least one of which should not be a web-based source, that is, a scholarly book or article; for books, use Simon or Summit; to find articles, use the database America: History and Life). The annotation can simply be 2-4 sentences describing the source and the way it is useful. You may wish to ask me for ideas for sources.

The following should give you some idea of the grading criteria: a presentation that is researched adequately, is informative, and is organized effectively is roughly a B-/B; presentations that manage to be engaging and are especially interesting in their interpretations and/or imaginative and creative in their presentation move up higher on the scale; presentations that are less well-organized, poorly presented,

7 drag on beyond the time allotted, and/or are not very informative move down on the scale.

In thinking of a topic, feel free to talk to me about your interests and we might be able to come up with one together. You may also wish to browse Hine and Faragher, The American West, Richard White, It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own, or Schwantes, The Pacific Northwest for possible topics. After everyone has selected topics, I will assign days for the presentations (and if the day selected for your presentation doesn’t work for you, we can make adjustments).

Please select your topics by Tuesday in the second week of classes. I will pass around a sign up sheet.

G U I D E L I N E S F O R T H E S H O R T P A P E R S There are several short writing assignments, including Discussion Papers, 1 Film Discussion Paper and document gathering assignments. These are meant to be somewhat informal assignments, giving you the opportunity to develop and express your ideas free from the pressure of grading. These papers will be carefully read, and though I will not be able to make extensive comments on them, they will be assigned a number from 0-4 that assesses their general quality. Papers that receive a 2 are considered good. If you receive 0s and 1s, you should put more effort into future papers so that they merit 2s. Papers that are particularly well crafted and present an exceptionally penetrating, creative, or sophisticated analysis, interpretation or reaction to the reading, film or other subject merit 3s or 4s.

Discussion Papers: There are several Discussion Papers of 1-2 pages each that reflect on the reading for the day and identify a topic suitable for class discussion. The purpose of these assignments is to deepen your engagement with the material, allow you to pursue and communicate your own perspectives in written form, improve your writing through practice,

8 and give you and the class a launching pad of ideas going into the day’s discussion. Discussion Papers for your group are due on the days indicated in the course schedule in the syllabus (these “groups” are merely a way of dividing up the class; you will not be working with other people in the group on the papers; rather, every member of the group will independently write his or her discussion paper for the day). Bring them with you to class, but they will be turned in at the end of class since you may need to refer to them during class time. Usually under no circumstances, including computer failure, may Discussion Papers be turned in late. (In certain circumstances, I may allow you to switch the day for which you write a Discussion paper, but you must ask me about this at least 24-hours in advance). You may, however, skip one of the Discussion Papers on a day of your choosing. Discussion Papers should be typed and between 1 and 2 pages long. The Discussion Papers involve two components: a topic discussion and an issue identification:

Topic Discussion: For the topic discussion, I would like you to write 2-3 paragraphs or so about some aspect of the reading for that day that grabs your attention and you would like to discuss. I am not looking for you to summarize the reading. Instead, I would like you to identify some theme or issue raised in the reading and interpret its significance. You need not deal with the reading as a whole; in fact, you may want to focus on a small part of the larger reading. When there are multiple readings assigned, you may wish to raise points of comparison, though you may also elect to focus on one or the other of the readings. In finding an angle from which to approach the reading, you might find it useful to relate your topic in some way to one of the three major themes in this class, i.e., 1) diversity and the dynamics of cultural encounters on the “frontier,” 2) the role of nature in the making of western history, and 3) the relationship of myth or narrative to western experience and history. This is a suggestion but not a requirement.

9 Issue ID: The second component of the Discussion Paper is the identification of some issue that can be suitable for class discussion. This can be one or two sentences long, and it can be as simple as identifying a quote from one of the readings that you find illuminating and interesting, or questionable. You might also raise a point of comparison (e.g. the different ways that Bret Harte and Annie Dillard portray settlers). The issue may be related to your topic discussion, though it need not be. Be prepared with these: I will on occasion ask you to present your issue id in class.

Film Discussion Papers: For one of the two films screened for the class, I would like you to write a 1-2 page discussion paper. You may wish to relate something you see portrayed in the film to some aspect of Western history we have discussed in class or to one or more of the course’s three main themes. Film discussion papers are due in the next class session following the screening of the film.

The Document Gathering Assignments:: These are explained in the course schedule, below. They involve gathering a primary source document and writing about its significance in relation to course topics and readings in about a page.

A C A D E M I C H O N E S T Y Faith in your academic integrity is vital to all we do at UPS. It should go without saying that the college expects that all work submitted for evaluation in courses will be the product of the student’s own labor and imagination. Of course, you are free to speak with others about your work and share ideas and perspectives. In writing your papers, though, you are developing your own ideas and arguments. You can incorporate the ideas or words of others in your own paper, but to do so you must properly cite your sources. Turning in a paper that attempts to pass off the words or ideas of others as your own constitutes plagiarism (see The Logger for

10 more information on plagiarism and University policies on academic honesty, online at http://www.ups.edu/x4718.xml). Like other forms of cheating, plagiarism is a contamination that pollutes our environment. Students who knowingly turn in work that involves plagiarism or is marred by other forms of cheating will not pass the course (i.e. , they will fail), though more severe penalties may be recommended for egregious cases. One can understand the temptation to turn in illegitimate work: students working under intense pressures may turn to cheating as an easy way out. But to do so, you not only steal the work of others, you cheat yourself and your fellow students as well. A real degree from UPS cannot be obtained through looting. If you are worried about your grade or completing an assignment, please come and talk to me. I can work with you to help you get over the hurdles and make it possible for you to get something positive out of the course.

11 C O U R S E S C H E D U L E Readings should be completed by the day in which they will be discussed, and you should bring the appropriate texts with you to class. Those readings with a number are drawn from the History 369 Reader.

P A R T I : T H E M Y T H O F T H E W E S T A G A I N S T W E S T E R N H I S T O R I O G R A P H Y

W e e k 1 F r o m t h e O l d W e s t t o t h e N e w W e s t s T (1/19): Three Trails West: Myth, Environment, and Cultural Encounters

Th (1/21): The Frontier Thesis and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West: Ur-myth of the Nation? [Discussion Papers due for Groups A and B: normally, you are free to choose whatever aspect of the reading you wish for your topic discussion and issue id, but for the first session I would like those in Group A to pose an Issue ID related to the Turner reading, and for those in Group B to pose an Issue ID related to the White reading; you are free to discuss either or both readings in your Topic Discussion] 1. Frederick Jackson Turner, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” (1893) [all numbered readings to be found in the 369 Reader] 2. Richard White, “Buffalo Bill and Frederick Jackson Turner” (369 Reader)

W e e k 2 F r o n t i e r a n d R e g i o n T (1/26): Placing the West and Northwest [Groups C and D; normally, you are free to choose whatever aspect of the reading you wish for your topic discussion and issue id, but for this session I would like those in Group C to pose an Issue ID related to one or both of the Limerick readings, and

12 for those in Group D to pose an Issue ID related to the Findlay reading; you are free to discuss either or both readings in your Topic Discussion] 3. Patricia Limerick, “What on Earth is the New Western History?” 4. Patricia Limerick, “Region and Reason” 5. John Findlay, “A Fishy Proposition”

Th (1/28): Landscapes and Regional Identity [Group E] 6. G.E Stevens, "Tacoma Invites You” (@1917) 7. Erwin Weber, “Why the Pacific Northwest is Destined to Dominate the Commercial World” (1924) 8. Lonnie Bunch III, "The Greatest State for the Negro" beginning of Man Who Shot Liberty Valence

W e e k 3 P r i n t i n g t h e L e g e n d T (2/2): Man Who Shot Liberty Valence

Th (2/4): [Group A] 9. Elliott West, “Stories” 54. Gloria Anzaldua, from La Frontera/Borderlands <>

P A R T I I : C O L U M B I A N E N C O U N T E R S : F U R S . E M P I R E S A N D N A T I V E S , 1 7 4 1 - 1 8 4 0

13 W e e k 4 M u t u a l D i s c o v e r i e s : L e w i s a n d C l a r k a m o n g t h e I n d i a n s T (2/9): [Group B] 10 Exploration Documents (Hezeta, Cook, Vancouver, Puget) 11. Murray Morgan, "The Eyes of Discovery…" 12. Jefferson’s Instructions to Lewis

Th (2/11): [Group C] • Slaughter, Exploring Lewis and Clark, introduction and chapters 1, 2 and 5 13. Selections from The Journals of Lewis and Clark,

W e e k 5 T h e L e w i s a n d C l a r k S t o r y T (2/16): [Group D] • Richard White, The Organic Machine, intro and chapter 1 • Slaughter, chs. 6 and “reflections” (which begins on p. 186)

P A R T I I I : G O L D & M A N I F E S T D E S T I N Y

Th (2/18): The Borderlands and the Spanish Mission in California [Group E] 14. Documents on Spanish and Mexican California 16. Francis Guest, "Cultural Perspectives on Death and Whipping" 17. Antonia Casteñada, "Spanish Violence against Amerindian Women"

W e e k 6 : M e x i c o , C a l i f o r n i o s a n d A m e r i c a n C o n q u e s t T (2/23): The Reconquest of California and the Myth of the Gold Rush [Group A] 18. Richard Henry Dana, from Two Years before the Mast

14 20. William Perkins, “Life at Sonora,” 21. John Ridge, “The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta” 22 James Sandos, “’Because he is a liar and a thief’”

Document Gathering Assignment [Group D and E] Find a passage (a page or less) from one of the documents at the California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives of California's Early Years virtual archive that relates in some way to the Gold Rush. You may especially be interested in how Mexicans or Californios were portrayed, but feel free to search for other topics. In about a page, analyze the passage and relate it in some way to a reading assigned for today. Website: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/

Th (2/25: Gold Rush, Social Fissures and Racial Formation [Group B] 27. Dame Shirley Letters 24. Sucheng Chan, “A People of Exceptional Character” 25. Tse Chong-Chee, “Letters to Tsi Chow-Choo” and Chinese-English Phrase Guide

Document Gathering Assignment [Group C and A] Find a passage (a page or less) from one of the documents at the California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives of California's Early Years virtual archive that relates in some way to the Gold Rush. You may especially be interested in how Chinese—or other "ethnic" or "racial" groups— were portrayed, but feel free to search for other topics. In about a page, analyze the passage and relate it in some way to a reading assigned for today. Website: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/

W e e k 7 : C o n t e s t e d C l a i m s i n t h e G o l d R u s h T (3/2): Gold Rush inscribed on the Land, People and in Memory [Group C] 26. Bret Harte, “The Luck of Roaring Camp”

15 27b Frank Norris, from McTeague 52 Doug Sackman, “Nature and Conquest: After the Deluge of ’49” Recommended: 28. Bret Harte, “Tennessee’s Partner” 29. Susan Johnson, “’My own private life’: Toward a History of Desire in Gold Rush California”

Th (3/4): The Oregon Trail 32. Oregon Trail Documents (The Letters of Narcissa Whitman; Sidney Walter Moss, from The Prairie Flower; Knight’s Journal; 1850 letter)

P A R T I V : F R O M T H E O R E G O N T R A I L T O T H E T R A N S C O N T I N E N T A L R A I L R O A D : T H E I N D U S T R I A L T R A N S F O R M A T I O N O F T H E W E S T

W e e k 8 : L a n d s c a p e s o f P r o m i s e a n d D i s p o s s e s s i o n T (3/9): [Group D] 33. Peter Boag, from Environment and Experience, 280-299 35. Chief Joseph, “An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs”, 302-305 36. Alexandra Harmon, “Treaties and War”, 306-321

Th (3/11): No class: I am away at the American Society for Environmental History Conference

Spring Break

16 W e e k 9 : I m a g i n i n g S e t t l e r S o c i e t y T (3/25): [Group E and A] 29. Seattle’s Speech • Dillard, The Living, pp. 3-121

Th (3/27): [Group B] 38. Abigail Scott Duniway, from Path Breaking, 324-328 39 Selections from Duniway's The New Northwest, 330-340 48. Patricia Limerick, “The American Landscape discovered from the West”, 411-424 Recommended: 40 Susan Armitage, “Tied to Other Lives: Women in Pacific Northwest History”, 341-349

W e e k 1 0 : T (3/30): [Group C] • Dillard, The Living, 121-240 Document Gathering Assignment [Group B]: Find an article in The New York Times, The Nation, the Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor or a 19th century magazine describing or involving Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham, Washington Territory or State, or the Puget Sound and published before 1910. In about a page, analyze the article and relate it in some way to Dillard.

Th (4/1): Machine in the Garden [Group D] 37. Henry George, "What the Railroads Will Bring" (1869) 53 Solnit, selections from River of Shadows

W e e k 1 1 : T (4/6): [Group E] • White, The Organic Machine, ch. 2 44 Rudyard Kipling, On Salmon Fishing, 368-374

17 51. Erik Loomis, "The Industrial Workers of the World and the Battle for the Body, 1907-1917", 441-454

P A R T V : C I T I Z E N S H I P , R A C E & E M P I R E : T H E B O R D E R L A N D S O F T H E W E S T T H R O U G H W W I I

Th (4/8): Hawaii and a New Manifest Destiny [Group A] 41 John Fairbanks, "Alaska and Hawai'i" 42. Queen Liliuokalani's Statement at her Trial for Treason 43. Huanani-Kay Trask on US Imperialism in Hawai‘i

W e e k 1 2 T (4/13): Race and the Western Crucible [Group B] • Ngai, Impossible Subjects, 1-75

18 Th (4/15): [Group C] • Ngai, Impossible Subjects, 93-126 46. Carlos Bulosan, from America is in the Heart

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W e e k 1 3 : D u s t B o w l a n d L a b o r i n A g r i b u s i n e s s T (4/20): The Dust Bowl and the Garden of Eden [Group D and E] • Steinbeck, The Harvest Gypsies 47. Documents on Dust Bowl California, 408-410

Th (4/22): Bracero program [Group A] • Ngai, 127-166

W e e k 1 4 : W W I I a s S o c i a l C r u c i b l e f o r t h e F a r W e s t T (4/27): Aluminum Melting Pot?: War Industries, Western Migration, Social Amalgamation [Group B] • Ngai, 169-201 47. Korematsu v United States website: http://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn/curaaw/main.html Website: “Camp Harmony” Assembly Center in Puyallup: http://www.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/harmony/Exhibit/default.htm

19 Th (4/29): [Groups C and D] • White, Organic Machine, chs. 3 and 4

W e e k 1 5 : < Monday Film screening: Lone Star 4pm-6.20pm>

T (5/4): A Multicultural West and the Legacy of Racial Nationalism [Group E] 44. Sarah Deutsch, George Sánchez, and Gary Okihiro, “Contemporary Peoples/Contested Places” • Ngai, 227-234, 239-248

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