Dr. Yevette Richards Preferred contact method: e-mail through Blackboard (courses.gmu.edu) Office Location: Robinson Hall B 373C History and Art History Office Phone: 703-993-1250 Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:30 to 3:30; Thursdays 1:30-2:30 or by appointment
COURSE SYLLABUS Women Preachers, Teachers, Activists and Captives during the Enslavement Era HIST 389-003 Class Location: Robinson Hall A412 TR 12:00pm - 1:15pm
Course Description
This course examines the history of African American women in antebellum America, both the general experiences of enslaved and nominally free women, and the lives of noted women who were involved in the public arena as orators, writers, preachers, abolitionists and women's rights activists. Within the context of the national political debates and compromises that took place on the issue of slavery and the status of free blacks, the course uses an intersectional analysis in examining the effect of gender, class and race on the development of ideologies concerning abolition, colonization, women’s rights and enslavement.
Course Books
Marilyn Richardson, Maria W. Stewart, America's First Black Woman Political Writer: Essays and Speeches
William L. Andrews, Six Women's Slave Narratives
Dorothy Sterling, We are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century
Bert James Loewenberg and Ruth Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life: Their Words, Their Thoughts, Their Feelings
To find journal articles on E-Journal - Go to http://library.gmu.edu/ - Search for electronic journals and publications under “Articles and more.” - Some databases may only have the abstract so try another one if you have a choice
In your search with the E-Journal Finder, do not include “The” or “A” at the beginning. If the journal has a hyphen (-) or an ampersand (&) in its name you may have to do the search with or without the hyphen or with the & instead of “and.”
Learning objectives
At the end of this course, students will … know how the legal system of slavery combined with custom to structure inequality in differential ways for free and enslaved blacks and for women of different race and class backgrounds; know how social movements for women rights arose from the struggle over slavery; know how differences in ideology and strategy contributed to gender and regional splits in the abolitionist movement; understand the role of religion in abolitionist and women’s rights discourse; know the central role of education and literacy for black women in their attempt at self and community improvement as well as agitation against slavery; understand the impact of national debates and compromises on the lived experiences of enslaved and free blacks; understand factors that contributed to the sexual abuse of enslaved women; know the kinds of resistance in which black women engaged as well as the conditions that led them to resist; have a thorough understanding of how patriarchal white supremacist ideology permeated antebellum discourse and institutions and contributed to violence against both enslaved and free blacks.
Course Requirements and Methods of Instruction and Evaluation
1. Class participation (5%) 2. Student-led discussion (15%) 3. Class paper (25%) 4. Midterm exam (25%) 5. Final exam (30%) --
1. Class participation (5%) This grade pertains to general class participation. Students are expected to come to class, be prepared, and participate in discussion. Instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of nonparticipation. Four are more absences over the course of the semester can lower this grade below an A. Missing 8 or more classes will result in a failing grade, translating to up to five points off of the final course grade. If for any reason you are reticent about speaking up in class, you should discuss this with me at the beginning of the semester. Attending class but seldom participating in class discussion is not sufficient for earning a high participation grade.
2. Student-led discussion (15%) Three times during the semester, students will help inform class discussion by posting on black board a short paragraph (5 to 7 sentences) assessing any of the major points covered in the class reading of the assigned date, followed up by one question that may relate to your statement. Students are required to post the day before class meets. Be sure not to post a similar question to one a fellow student may have posted. The assignment calls for students to pose a question that directly draws fellow students to use the assigned literature for the day rather than the personal experience of students.
3. Class paper (25%) You may choose among the following class dates: Sept. 7 (Jefferson/Hemings), Sept. 14 (Amanda Berry Smith), Oct. 5 (Antislavery Ladies), Nov. 9 (Harriet Tubman). Write a paper using the class assigned readings and all the recommended readings and/or films to construct your paper. The paper is due in class on Nov. 21.
Students have the alternative of writing a paper by using the exhibits on slavery as presented at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as well as any supporting sources. Please be advised that entrance tickets, which are free, are hard to obtain. However the museum does give a number of tickets out during the weekdays at 1:00 PM. It is also very possible to obtain tickets by asking visitors going into the museum if they have extra ones. I would not advise trying to go to the museum on weekends when it is most crowded and hard to gain access to the bottom floors where the exhibits on enslavement are housed. If you choose this route, you should visit the museum by November 7th and then briefly discuss with me the exhibits around which you plan to structure your paper and any supporting sources. https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes
Paper parameters - five to seven pages, 12-point font, and double-spaced, one inch margins (anything less than five full pages will incur a significant grade reduction) - minimum of five direct quotes, at least one from each source. -perform a spell and grammar check on your paper -proper citation (Chicago style): https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/ -one third of a letter grade reduction per day for failure to pass in paper
4. Midterm exam (25%) Covers material from the beginning of the semester. Will include multiple choice, short answer and longer essay.
5. Final exam (30%) Covers material from after the midterm. Will include multiple choice, short answer and longer essay.
Always save a copy of all your written work and any returned work.
Grade Policy All course work is due on the appointed day. Late assignments will lose a third of a letter grade per day. Missed exams cannot be made up without a doctor’s excuse.
Grading Scale
100-95 A+ 94-93 A 92-90 A -
89-87 B+ 86-83 B 82-80 B-
79-77 C+ 76-73 C 72-70 C-
69-60 D
59 and below F
About Email Please note that I may make communications through Mason email. Please activate and check your Mason email regularly so as not to miss any important announcements.
About Blackboard This management system is a very important tool for the course. I will post on blackboard the syllabus, instructions for all course assignments, selected class notes, exam review questions, some required and recommended readings, links to relevant web sites, photographs, instructions for accessing and using library databases, and selected campus services. If any changes occur in the syllabus, I will post an updated document on blackboard. I also will announce any changes to the syllabus in class and through email.
About Research Jen Stevens, English, Communication & Women’s Studies Liaison Librarian is available to help anyone with research. [email protected] A244 Fenwick Library 703-993-2211
George Oberle, History Liaison [email protected] 703-993-4175
You may also schedule individual consultations with librarians. E-mail Reference Service http://library.gmu.edu/research/email/ Call Fenwick Library 703-993-2210, Johnson Center Library 703-993-9070
About Writing Skills Students may elect to visit the Writing Center on their own to get help with writing strategies. After your first writing assignment, I may recommend students to visit the writing center. These services are valuable and free.
“The Writing Center will not proofread your work for you, but we will work with you to develop revision and editing strategies that can last a lifetime. Our tutors want to emphasize positive attitudes and helpful ways of thinking about writing. We want you to become more confident and effective writers across the curriculum and in your personal and professional lives.” http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/ 703-993-1200 [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: COURSE POLICIES
1. George Mason University Honor System and Code
Honor Code The integrity of the University community is affected by the individual choices made by each of us. Mason has an Honor Code with clear guidelines regarding academic integrity. Three fundamental and rather simple principles to follow at all times are that: (1) all work submitted be your own; (2) when using the work or ideas of others, including fellow students, give full credit through accurate citations; and (3) if you are uncertain about the ground rules on a particular assignment, ask for clarification. No grade is important enough to justify academic misconduct. Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving the person credit. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes. Paraphrased material must also be cited. A simple listing of books or articles is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in the academic setting. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism, please see me. All violations of the Honor Code will be reported to the Honor Committee. For more information, see: http://oai.gmu.edu/the-mason-honor-code-2/
2. Class Registration Students are responsible for verifying the accuracy of their own schedules. Students need to check PatriotWeb regularly to verify that they are registered for the classes that they think they are. This is particularly important since students are no longer dropped for nonpayment. Faculty may not allow a student who is not registered to continue to attend class and may not grade the work of students who do not appear on the official class roster.
Deadlines each semester are published in the Schedule of Classes available from the Registrar's Web Site registrar.gmu.edu
The add and drop deadlines for classes: Sept. 5: Last day to add classes—all individualized section forms due; Last day to drop with no tuition penalty Sept. 19: Last day to drop with a 33% tuition penalty Sept. 29: Final drop deadline (67% tuition penalty)
After the last day to drop a class, withdrawing from this class requires the approval of the dean and is only allowed for nonacademic reasons. Undergraduate students may choose to exercise a selective withdrawal. See the Schedule of Classes for selective withdrawal procedures.
3. Accommodations for students with disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Resources at 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that office.
The need for accommodations should be identified at the beginning of the semester and the specific accommodation has to be arranged through the Office of Disability Resources. Faculty cannot provide accommodations to students on their own (e.g. allowing a student extra time to complete an exam because the student reports having a disability).
George Mason University: Diversity Statement George Mason University promotes a living and learning environment for outstanding growth and productivity among its students, faculty and staff. Through its curriculum, programs, policies, procedures, services and resources, Mason strives to maintain a quality environment for work, study and personal growth.
An emphasis upon diversity and inclusion throughout the campus community is essential to achieve these goals. Diversity is broadly defined to include such characteristics as, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation. Diversity also entails different viewpoints, philosophies, and perspectives. Attention to these aspects of diversity will help promote a culture of inclusion and belonging, and an environment where diverse opinions, backgrounds and practices have the opportunity to be voiced, heard and respected.
The reflection of Mason’s commitment to diversity and inclusion goes beyond policies and procedures to focus on behavior at the individual, group and organizational level. The implementation of this commitment to diversity and inclusion is found in all settings, including individual work units and groups, student organizations and groups, and classroom settings; it is also found with the delivery of services and activities, including, but not limited to, curriculum, teaching, events, advising, research, service, and community outreach.
Acknowledging that the attainment of diversity and inclusion are dynamic and continuous processes, and that the larger societal setting has an evolving socio-cultural understanding of diversity and inclusion, Mason seeks to continuously improve its environment. To this end, the University promotes continuous monitoring and self- assessment regarding diversity. The aim is to incorporate diversity and inclusion within the philosophies and actions of the individual, group and organization, and to make improvements as needed.
Women and Gender Studies Commitment to Diversity Statement The Women and Gender Studies program seeks to create a learning environment that fosters respect for people across identities. We welcome and value individuals and their differences, including gender expression and identity, race, economic status, sex, sexuality, ethnicity, national origin, first language, religion, age and ability. We encourage all members of the learning environment to engage with the material personally, but to also be open to exploring and learning from experiences different than their own.
CLASS SCHEDULE Introduction Aug. 29 Course Overview Compromises over Slavery (blackboard)
CONTRADICTIONS OF FREEDOM IN THE NEW NATION August 31 Early Expansion
Film - Brotherly Love: Judgment Day (Africans in America: America's Journey through Slavery, Part 3 PBS) [Thomas Jefferson, Richard Allen, Gabriel’s Slave Insurrection, St. Domingue (Haiti), Louisiana Purchase, International Slave Trade, The American Colonization Society] (E441 .A37 2000, disc 2) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/title.html
Government: 1600-1775: Colonial Authority, Race http://www.understandingrace.org/history/gov/colonial_authority.html
The Louisiana Purchase and the Haitian Revolution http://www.historyhappenshere.org/node/7655
Sept. 5
On August 9, 1814, Major General Andrew Jackson, “Old Hickory,” signed the Treaty of Fort Jackson ending the Creek War. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/august-09/
Summer 1814: The Treaty of Ft. Jackson ends the Creek War https://www.nps.gov/articles/treaty-of-fort-jackson.htm
British Fort/Negro Fort, 1816 https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/fl1.htm
Florida's Negro Fort, 1815 - 1816 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1643.html
Forgotten Rebellion: Black Seminoles and the Largest Slave Revolt in U.S. History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E0j8xgxjTY
Historical perspective on Fort Gadsden, Apalachicola National Forest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpoFQY16a0E
Acquisition of Florida: Treaty of Adams-Onis (1819) and Transcontinental Treaty (1821) https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/florida
Indian Removal 1814-1858 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html
Andrew Jackson's Second Annual Message http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3437t.html
Sept. 7 1873- The Memoirs of Madison Hemings http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/cron/1873march.html
1868 – The Memoirs of Israel Jefferson http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/cron/1873israel.html
Doggerel about Jefferson and Hemings (blackboard)
Recommended:
Film -Thomas Jefferson and the Hemings Family Annette Gordon-Reed talked about Thomas Jefferson and his relationship with the enslaved Hemings family, whom he owned. She focused on Sally Hemings, with whom Jefferson supposedly had six children. The presentation centered on Ms. Gordon-Reed’s book, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. This presentation was part of the University of Mary Washington’s Great Lives lecture series https://www.c-span.org/video/?426629-1/thomas-jefferson-hemings-family
Film - Jefferson’s Blood (E332.2 .J44 2000)
GENDER PROSCRIPTIONS: WOMEN AND RELIGION Sept. 12 Ordained by God
“Jarena Lee” (135-141) in Loewenberg and Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life
Recommended: Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee, 1836 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h1638.html
Sept. 14 “Amanda Berry Smith” (126, 142-173) in Loewenberg and Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life.
Recommended: Marcia Chatelain, “Amanda Berry Smith: Pioneer for African-American Child Care,” in Feminist Frontiers: Women who Shaped the Midwest, edited by Yvonne Johnson, Truman State Univ. Press, 2010.
Randy Pletzer, Amanda Berry Smith: The African Sibyl http://www.historicstgeorges.org/sites/default/files/1%20Amanda%20Berry%20Smith.pd f
Pamela E. Klassen, “The Robes of Womanhood: Dress and Authenticity among African American Methodist Women in the Nineteenth Century." Religion and American Culture 14, no. 1 (2004): 39-82.
RACIAL UPLIFT, ABOLITION, AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS Sept. 19 David Walker excerpt (blackboard)
Film - Slavery and the Making of America, Episode 2, “Liberty in the Air,” PBS Documentary [David Walker and Maria Stewart] DVD E441 .S523 2005 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/education/spotlight.html
Sept. 21 Richardson, Maria W. Stewart, 28-49.
Sept. 26 Richardson, Maria W. Stewart, 50-76.
Sept. 28 Film - Abolitionists, Part 1 (E449 .A56 2013)
Oct. 3 Angelina Grimké Weld’s Speech at Pennsylvania Hall http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2939t.html
“Daughters of Africa, Daughters of America” (113-117) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters
Recommended: Ira V. Brown, “Racism and Sexism: The Case of Pennsylvania Hall,” Phylon 3, no. 2 (2nd Qtr., 1976): 126-136.
Pennsylvania Hall http://trilogy.brynmawr.edu/speccoll/quakersandslavery/commentary/organizations/penns ylvania_hall.php
Pennsylvania Hall http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2938.html
Gag Rule http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/text/page10_text.html
Oct. 5 “The Antislavery Ladies” (119-133) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters - Forten-Purvis women, Grimké sisters, Sarah Douglass, Abby Kelley
Recommended: Richard E. Greene, “Abby Kelley Foster: A Feminist Voice Reconsidered, 1810–1887,” in James C. Trottman, ed. Multiculturalism: Roots and Realities, Indiana University Press (2002), 170-180. (blackboard)
The Forten Women http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p477.html
The Douglass Family (Cyrus Bustill) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p478.html
Liberty Farm http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/ma5.htm
Abigail Kelley Foster (1811-1887) https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/abby-kelly-foster/
Oct. 10 No class
Oct. 12 Midterm – includes all readings up to Oct. 3.
Oct. 17 Film - Abolitionists, Part 2 (E449 .A56 2013)
Oct. 19 "The Antislavery Ladies" (133-150) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters - Anna Murray Douglass, Rosetta Douglass
Oct. 24 Carla L. Peterson, “‘And We Claim Our Rights’: The Rights Rhetoric of Black and White Women Activists before the Civil War,” in Sister Circle, 128-144. (blackboard)
Oct. 26 “Sarah Parker Remond” (221-233) in Loewenberg and Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life
“Women with a Special Mission” (*175-180 [Sarah Parker Remond]) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters
Recommended: Zackodnik, Teresa. “The Enslaved as Spectacle: Sarah Parker Remond, Ellen Craft, and American Slavery in England.” Nineteenth Century Prose 29, no. 1 (2002).
Sarah Parker Remond historic site http://www.salemwomenshistory.com/Sarah_Parker_Remond.html
Oct. 31 “Sojourner Truth” (234-242) in Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life
Sterling, We are Your Sisters: “Women with a Special Mission,” Section on Sojourner Truth (150-153).
Sojourner Truth, “Ar'nt I a Woman?”
Elizabeth C. Stanton, S. B. Anthony, and Matilda J. Gage, History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 1 (Rochester, N. Y.: Charles Mann, 1887), p. 116; Anti-Slavery Bugle (Salem, OH) June 21, 1851. http://www.blackpast.org/1851-sojourner-truth-arnt-i-woman
Recommended: Nell Irvin Painter, “Representing Truth: Sojourner Truth's knowing and becoming known,” The Journal of American History (1994): 461-492.
Nov. 2 “Teachers and Pupils” (180-213) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters
SLAVERY: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS AND THE SUBVERSION OF GENDER IDEOLOGIES
Nov. 7 "Childhood" (3-12) and "Work" (13-17) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters
Reading the Narratives http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/reading.html
Nudity and the Captive Body, Slavery and the Making of America http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/feature5.html
Nov. 9 “Resistance," section on Harriet Tubman (*67-69) and “Women with a Special Mission,” section on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (159-164) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters:
“Harriet Tubman” (219-221) in Loewenberg and Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth- Century American Life
Recommended: Harriet Tubman: Bound for the Promised Land. Historian Kate Clifford Larson discusses her new book, Bound for the Promised Land, which draws on a trove of new documents and sources as well as extensive genealogical research and reveals Harriet Tubman as a complex woman who was brilliant, shrewd, deeply religious, and passionate in her pursuit of freedom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ0tmNfgB7A
“What You Never Knew About Harriet Tubman” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ85z9vggYM
Scholars' Roundtable (read two) https://www.nps.gov/hatu/learn/historyculture/research.htm
Nov. 14 “Seduction, Rape, and Concubinage” (18-31) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters “Louisa Picquet” (54-69) in Loewenberg and Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life
Nov. 16 “Ellen Craft” (104-123) in Loewenberg and Bogin, Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life
“Resistance,” section on Ellen Craft (*62-64*) in Sterling, We are Your Sisters
Recommended: Lewis and Harriet Hayden House http://www.nps.gov/boaf/historyculture/lewis-and-harriet-hayden-house.htm
Nov. 21 Paper Due Film - Abolitionists, Part 3 (E449.A56 2013)
Thanksgiving/Indigenous Peoples' Day (Wed Nov. 22 -Sun Nov. 26)
Nov. 28 “Keckley, Elizabeth Hobbs” (1820?-26 May 1907) http://www.anb.org/articles/20/20-00530.html
Emily Spivack, “The Story of Elizabeth Keckley, Former-Slave-Turned-Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker: A talented seamstress and savvy businesswoman, she catered to Washington’s socialites, Smithsonian.com http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-of-elizabeth-keckley-former- slave-turned-mrs-lincolns-dressmaker-41112782/
Elizabeth Keckley, Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Oxford University Press, 1988, 17-42 © This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text. http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/keckley/keckley.html#keckley
Nov. 30 Lucy Delaney, “From the Darkness Cometh the Light, or Struggles for Freedom,” in Andrews, (1-64) in Andrews, Six Women's Slave Narratives.
Dec. 5 “The Story of Mattie J. Jackson: Her Parentage, Experience of Eighteen Years in Slavery, Incidents During the War, Her Escape from Slavery: A True Story,” (1-42) in Andrews, Six Women's Slave Narratives
Dec. 7 Final Review
Dec. 14 Final Exam (Thursday) 10:30 AM – 1:15 PM --
Recommended web sites:
Use of Language: Why Language Matters, in Understanding Slavery http://www.understandingslavery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&la yout=twocolumn&id=57&Itemid=92
Race: Are We so Different? American Anthropological Association http://www.understandingrace.org/home.html
I Will Be Heard! Abolitionism in America http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/abolitionism/index.htm
African American Odyssey, Library of Congress http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aointro.html
African-Americans in Antebellum Boston: Research http://primaryresearch.org/african-americans-in-antebellum-boston/ http://primaryresearch.org/african-americans-in-antebellum-boston-research/
Boston African American National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/places.htm
Slavery in the North http://slavenorth.com/
Enslaved Persons of African Descent in the President's House: Oney Judge http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/slaves/oney.htm http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/slaves/index.htm
Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket http://www.afroammuseum.org/index.htm
Abiel Smith School http://www.afroammuseum.org/smith/index.htm
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: Heroes http://freedomcenter.org/enabling-freedom/heroes
African American Heritage Trail http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/things-do-see/tours-trails/african-american-heritage- trail-washington-dc
Ending Slavery in the District of Columbia http://emancipation.dc.gov/page/ending-slavery-district-columbia
Author Offers Insights on Slavery, the Capitol, and Obama's Inauguration (DC Slave History) http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/jan-june09/slaverydc_01-16.html
Abolition in the District of Columbia http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr16.html