Module HIST1361: Enslavement, Exclusion and Assimilation: The Great Racial Dilemma in Nineteenth Century America

Department: History

HIST1361: Enslavement, Exclusion and Assimilation: The Great Racial Dilemma in Nineteenth Century America

Prerequisites

• Normally an A or B grade in A-Level History, or an acceptable equivalent (e.g. in terms of scottish Highers or lB)

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• HIST1611 - The Rise and Fall of American Slavery, 1607-1865

Aims

• To introduce students to the development of race issues in nineteenth century North America which will provide a basis for understanding twentieth and twenty first century race relations in the United States.

Content

• This module will introduce students to the America of the nineteenth century through the experiences of two racial minority groups: African Americans and Native Americans.
• Topics to be covered include the progress of slavery and the development of the abolitionist movement;
• the promotion of race-based ideas of citizenship;
• American territorial expansion culminating in Indian Removal
• the Plains Wars; and the beginning of America's flirtation with imperialism in Mexico and the Philippines.
• The course will culminate with the imposition of 'Jim Crow' segregation laws against African Americans in the South, and the antithetical attempt to absorb Native Americans into the wider population through a process sometimes described as 'cultural genocide'.
• The attitude of 'established' Americans ('Nativists') towards the so-called 'new' immigrants of the later nineteenth century, and the establishment of immigration quotas and the Chinese Exclusion Act will also be examined.
• The course will examine the differing strategies adopted by American policy makers of this era towards ethnic minorities, notably assimilation, segregation, exclusion and pluralism.
• the leading racial theories of the nineteenth century including social Darwinism, 'civilisation hierarchies' and the expansionist theory of Manifest Destiny.
• Principal issues examined will include the experiences and perceptions of African Americans and Native Americans, and the survival strategies devised by members of these communities.

Learning Outcomes

• An understanding of key nineteenth century racial debates in America
• An exposure to racial theory and concepts
• An experience of comparative approaches in history [evaluating the race debate in terms of two racial minority groups]

• Subject specific skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/history.internal/local/ModuleProformaMap/

• Key skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/history.internal/local/ModuleProformaMap/

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Student learning is facilitated by a combination of the following teaching methods:
• lectures to set the foundations for further study and to provide the basis for the acquisition of subject specific knowledge. Lectures provide a broad framework which defines individual module content, introducing students to themes, debates and interpretations. In this environment, students are given the opportunity to develop skills in listening, selective note-taking and reflection;
• seminars to allow students to present and critically reflect upon the acquired subject-specific knowledge, methodologies and theories, and to identify and debate a range of issues and differing opinions. The seminar is the forum in which students are given the opportunity to communicate ideas, jointly exploring themes and arguments. Seminars are structured to develop understanding and designed to maximise student participation related to prior independent preparation. Seminars give students the opportunity to develop oral communication skills, encourage critical and tolerant approaches to reasoned argument and historical discussion, build the students' ability to marshal historical evidence, and facilitate the development of the ability to summarise historical arguments, think in a rapidly changing environment and communicate in a persuasive and articulate manner, whilst recognising the value of working with others and, occasionally, towards shared goals.
• Assessment:
• Unseen Examinations test students' ability to work under pressure under timed conditions, to prepare for examinations and direct their own programme of revision and learning, and develop key time management skills. The unseen examination gives students the opportunity to develop relevant life skills such as the ability to produce coherent, reasoned and supported arguments under pressure. Students will be examined on subject specific knowledge;
• Summative essays remain a central component of assessment in history, due to the integrative high-order skills they develop. Essays allow students the opportunity to recognise, represent and critically reflect upon ideas, concepts and problems; students can demonstrate awareness of, and the ability to use and evaluate, a diverse range of resources and identify, represent and debate a range of subject-specific issues and opinions. Through the essay, students can synthesise information, adopt critical appraisals and develop reasoned argument based on individual research; they should be able to communicate ideas in writing, with clarity and coherence; and to show the ability to integrate and critically assess material from a wide range of sources.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A written assignment of 1500-2000 words to be submitted in Michaelmas

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University