MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
Humanities/Social
Sciences Division
Department of History/Political
Science
History 129:
HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS to 1876
SYLLABUS
FALL 2008 SEMESTER
[
INSTRUCTOR
INFORMATION
Welcome to The History of African
Americans to 1876. I am professor Alonzo
N. Smith, and I will be your instructor.
Ethnically and racially I self-identify as having both African American
and European American roots. But my
first intellectual love has always been African American history. My teaching experience includes community
colleges, a major state university, and an historically black college. I have published research and done museum
work in the area of twentieth century African American civil rights
history. During the course of this
semester I shall give you some knowledge of African American history, as well
some of the ways that you can utilize this knowledge in a career.
You can reach me at 240-567-7283, and at Alonzo.smith@montgomerycollege.edu. My face-to-face (f2f) office hours for the
spring 2008 semester are: Monday, 1-4pm, and Tuesday through Friday,
10-11am. During these hours, in addition
to f2f meetings, I am available for telephone conferences, and online chat
sessions. A chat session will usually
also be held on Saturday, from 9 to 10am, unless otherwise indicated. Other f2f office hours may be by
appointment. My office is located on the
second floor of the
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
This course satisfies the
Humanities General Education requirement, and there are no prerequisites. As you begin this course, I would like for
you to think of yourself as embarking on a voyage. This voyage traces the sweep of African
American history from the dawn of the human race down to the establishment of
second class citizenship for African Americans during the Reconstruction Era. During this period of almost five million
years of prehistory and five thousand years of recorded human history,
humankind developed on the African continent and then spread by free migration
throughout the world. For most of this
time,
The
Transatlantic Slave Trade was a forced migration that profoundly changed the
course of world history. For the most
part, Africans and their descendants in the
During this
course we shall explore the ways in which Africans and their descendants have
interacted with many different cultures while remaining a historically
identifiable group. The history of
Africans and their descendants in the
Outside of the regular course information, this class will introduce the student to the amazing array of black history information on the Internet, as well some exciting career opportunities for someone with a background in this subject.
WEBCT
COURSE INFORMATION
General
Information for this Course
THE TWO MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS
This course requires
A. A minimum of five hours per
week online, not counting quizzes, and
B. A knowledge of WebCt,
the course management program in which this course is delivered. Tutorials are provided.
You will
need the following to participate online:
Regular use of a computer with Internet
access.
- For full details on recommended computer
hardware and software see http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/distance/dm.html
Expect to spend several hours online each week. Ideally, you should expect to login at least five to six times per week, even if some logins are brief. - A
web browser such as Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox. For full
details on compatible browsers and Browser Tune-up instructions for
WebCT 6.1 see http://www.webct.com/oriented/viewpage?name=exchange_browser_tuneup#settings Tune-up instructions make sure that
your computer can handle all of the WebCt
files. If you plan to use more than
one off-campus computer, make sure that each one has the necessary
hardware and software requirements.
You should also consider the following:
Backing
up your work
In this course you will complete most of your
assignments on a computer. You are
responsible for ensuring the safety of your work by making regular backups
(extra copies). “The computer ate my
homework, I lost my disk, my hard drive crashed, or my printer isn’t working,”
are not acceptable excuses, and are grounds for a failing grade. Make frequent backups of your work and save
the work in more than one place.
Providing a backup computer
It advisable, but not mandatory, to have regular
access to at least one reliable off-campus machine as your regular computer,
and to use some other computer system as a supplement. This will give you greater flexibility in
scheduling your computer time. Make sure
your off campus computer is tuned for WebCt. Computers on the
Specific
Information for this Course
Loggin in to WebCT
for the first time
1. Login to My MC at http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/
2. Click the WebCT Icon
in the
top right of the My MC homepage.
3. You will be taken to I WebCT
screen. You'll see leads to online help,
as well as a link to this course.
4. On the My WebCT screen, click on the
link for History 129 to enter this course.
Then, the first thing you will see is the Home Page.
5. Go to the Announcements bar. Read the Welcome
message from me. Return to the Home Page
via the tab at the top.
6. Then click on the Course Information
bar. Here, you'll see a series of
files. Start with the file, What To
Expect. Then read Orientation
Information. Make the checks on
your computer specified in this section.
7. Finally, perform the Orientation
Exercises. It is essential that
you perform the Orientation Exercises before you do anything else. Do the exercises in the order in which they
are listed: Discussions, Assignments(homework), and Assessments(quizzes). Do the exercises immediately, and if you
encounter any difficulties, phone or email me.
A copy of this Syllabus is also provided in this section.
WebCT
Technical Support
When you have technical questions,
contact the WebCT Help Desk at
For assistance with MyMC
Contact the
Logging
In Each Time
If this is your first distance
learning course, you are reminded that a major part of it is time spent
online. As previously mentioned, go first to the Announcements section. Do this each week. In addition to my Welcome message, in
the coming weeks you will find announcements about hardware shutdowns,
inclement weather, reminders about due dates, and tidbits of information such
as news stories on black history. After checking Announcements, go to the Learning Module for the week that is scheduled. During the first few weeks, look at the Course Information bar. In this section
you will find Orientation information, as well as the Syllabus you are now
reading. Then, every week, you will view
the Course Content bar. When you click on
this, you will see that there are sixteen bars.
There are fifteen Learning Modules, corresponding to each scheduled week of class instruction, followed
by the Handouts bar. When you click on a
Weekly Learning Module, you will find about six files. The file structure of each Weekly Learning
Module is the same. The first file is an
Overview of the subject matter that will be covered during the week. As
you read over this material, remember that the readings, the discussions, the
lecture outline, and the homework or quiz are all related to the material in
the Overview. The second file is a Task List, specifying the tasks and
timelines you are to complete during that week.
Next is a PowerPoint Lecture, based on the textbook by Darlene
Clark Hine. You are to review this three
times; once before doing the readings, again, after completing the readings,
and thirdly during the end-of-the-week review. Next come the
Discussions
General Course Questions
This section is divided into two
parts: 1) WebCt and General Class Questions,
and 2) General History Questions. When you have questions about the WebCt procedures, and/or course problems that are not
addressed in the syllabus, first try to get help. Click on the Help button in the upper
right hand corner of the Home Page, or call the WebCt
Help Desk at the abovementioned number, or visit the abovementioned
website. If you still need help, post a
message in the WebCt and General Class Questions
section. For history questions not
covered in the weekly Learning Modules, either on African American or other
history topics, post a message under General History Questions. Do not email your questions directly to the
professor unless the subject must be private.
Many of your questions are frequently asked ones, and so the answers
will also be of value to the other class members. I will check this forum regularly and provide
you with answers. Consider saving some
of these responses in a folder marked “General Q and A”.
Tip: Set the General Course
Questions section to “Show
Unread Messages”.
Weekly Discussion Questions
The following is the format of
the weekly discussions portion of the course schedule.
1) 1) In the Discussions
section, select the topic for the assigned week. You will see a list of questions; respond to
at least two of them, and then post a response to one of the responses of one
of your classmates. Include the text of
the question along with each of your responses.
2) 2) The professor will view
each of your responses and assign you a grade.
Time permitting, he will respond to as many as possible, but you are
highly encouraged to respond to each other.
3) 3) Postings should show a
knowledge of the assigned reading, as well as thoughtful commentary on the
topic of the week. They should be
succinct (a maximum of one screen per posting, about 300 words), and
should clearly indicate what you are responding to. Your style can be conversational and
informal, but informed and mature.
If you fail to make three postings in any week, each
Discussion board will be open for a week after the scheduled topic, with the
following restrictions: a) all postings
must be from the assigned questions for the week in which they are posted [i.e, don't answer a question for Week Three in Week Four];
and b) you may only make a total of six extra makeup postings during the
semester.
“Netiquette”
While the rules
of civilized discourse apply in any class, the nature of this particular
subject material can sometimes stir strong emotions. Additionally, communicating with each other
in a cyber classroom may pose some special considerations. So here are a few rules of the road which
must be observed in online discussions:
·
Think carefully before you post a comment, about
the use of logic and credible evidence, about your own feelings and state of
mind, and about your tone of expression.
Remember, when you are sitting at home alone, you might express yourself
differently than in front of your classmates.
- When
you disagree with a posting, criticize the idea, not the person
posting it. Focus on his/her use of
logic and credible evidence, not on how the opinion made you feel.
- Be
willing to accept constructive criticism, with an open mind, and a sense
of humor and grace.
- Be
concise and succinct, realizing that your classmates must read many
postings in a limited time.
- Avoid
placing the entire text in capital letters or boldface, because many
readers on a discussion list interpret this as the online equivalent of
shouting.
- If
I determine that your response is not appropriate, I may individually
remind you that an inappropriate response remains ungraded.
- If
this occurs more than once, I may forward copies of your email to the
chair of the History/Political Science Department, for appropriate action
- These
are only a few considerations. More
information will be provided to you as we go along.
Privacy
You have probably heard the statement that there is no
such thing as privacy on the Internet.
Still, as a student in this class, you have certain rights and
responsibilities. First, as an
icebreaker, I encourage each class member to post a few words about
himself/herself, as part of the Discussion Exercise. It can include age, gender, race, national
origin, academic major, whatever. The
point is that whatever you post is entirely voluntary. Include some of your background, interests,
and views that will stimulate discussion, as well as your reasons for taking
this course. Just please keep it brief.
Remember, privacy is a two-way street. Please don’t invade the privacy of others by
posting information about yourself that would make a reasonable person feel
uncomfortable. And remember, although
access to this class is restricted to the members, and the College expects each
of you to observe the rules of ethical behavior, once you place something in
writing, it becomes available to others, whether in paper or electronic form.
When you have sensitive information to communicate, email
or phone me directly, or come by my office to talk.
Homework (Assignments)
Posting
your homework
You will have a website review assignment every other week, and a term paper at the end of the semester. When you click on the Homework file for a particular week, you will see instructions for completing the assignment, and a blank space to submit your work. Please create your text in HTML before you paste it into the blank space, so the web pages that you list are direct links that I can click on. You will also see an assignments button the left of your screen; look under Course Tools, and then Assignments. Here, you will also find the grade that you have received after I have graded your work. During the first week; complete the ungraded Practice Assignment, as part of the Orientation. For further information on homework, consult the “Grading” section below, in this syllabus, and also in the Announcements section.
Quizzes
(Assessments)
Taking a quiz or exam
There will be a biweekly quiz, a midterm, and a final
examination. There are quiz files in the
Learning Modules, and also on the left of your screen; look under Course
Tools, and then Assessments.
Each quiz or examination is timed, and you will be given instructions on
completing it. See below for
details. During the first week,
be sure to take the Practice Quiz before you take the regular biweekly quiz.
COURSE
OUTCOMES
Course Goals
Understand the role of race relations in
the early development of colonial
Analyze the influence of racial
attitudes on major political institutions and key political leaders in
nineteenth century
Analyze the influence of slavery as the
major cause of the Civil War
Analyze the influence of enslavement as
the major factor in the development of African American culture
Critically examine a historical
document
Course Objectives
Successful
completion of this means that each student will be able to:
·
· Understand the significance of
·
· Compare and contrast slavery in traditional
African culture with slavery in the
- Identify
the major causes, nature, and effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
- Identify
some of the major areas of African population and culture in the
- Compare
and contrast the four major North American plantation systems
- Assess
the role of slavery in the economic development of the 13 colonies of
- Trace
the development of race relations in the legal institutions of
- Assess
the significance of African American aspirations for liberty in the
ideology of the American Revolution
- Describe
the roles of African Americans in the Revolutionary War
- Understand
the status of slavery and racial definitions of citizenship in the early
years of the American nation
- Describe
the strategies and institutions created by free African Americans to deal
with the racial order in the new republic.
- Assess
the impact of slavery on the culture and institutions of the white South
- Comprehend
the social and cultural institutions created by enslaved African Americans
- Describe
the causes and nature of the Civil War, and the role of race and slavery
in the war to restore the
- Compare
and contrast northern and southern attitudes towards the abolition of
slavery, and towards the granting of equal citizenship
- Describe
and analyze the various kinds of freedom achieved by black Americans after
the Civil War, and the long-range significance of the limitations of those
freedoms
- Present
an overview of the Black experience in
- Gain
an introduction to African American resources on the Internet
- Gain
an introduction to career opportunities for a major in African American
Studies
Required
Hine, Darlene Clark, et. al., The African American
Odyssey, Volume I, Pearson-Prentice Hall, Third or Fourth edition, 2006 or
2008 (Available in the
Smith, Alonzo, African
American History, Issues and Interpretations, 2007 Edition. (
Expanded lecture units
(These include text, PowerPoint presentations, and perhaps some audio
and video files. This material is
online, as part of each study unit.)
Selections from the life of Fredrick Douglass, online (8
pages)
Selections from the life of Harriet Jacobs, online (8
pages)
Optional
[on reserve in the library, may also be available online]
Kier, Milton, “Why You Should Study History,”
Sandhya Somashekhar,
“Black History Becoming a Star Tourist Attraction,” The
Jacqueline Trescott, “
And other selections tba
GRADING
The numerical grade
TOTAL SEMESTER GRADE: 1000 points
Weekly online discussions
Each
posting is 15 points; 5 for the posting,
and 1-10
for the quality. 3 postings per week @
12 weeks 540
Biweekly quizzes
Every other
week, @ 8 points, x 6 weeks 48
Biweekly homework
Every other
week, @ 8 points, x 6 weeks 48
Midterm and final
Cumulative
midterm 70
Cumulative
final 200
Research paper 100
Extra Credit tba in class
The letter grade
0-590: F
600-690: D
700-790: C
800-910: B
Some Grading Specifics
Discussions: Your postings should show that you have done
the reading, and that you can express thoughtful opinions. You receive five
points for the posting itself, and another ten points for the quality of your
posting. See guidelines above.
Quizzes, Midterm and Final(Assessments): You will take a quiz, a midterm or a final
every other week. The quizzes, midterm and final will be objective, composed of
multiple choice, true-false and matching questions. They are timed, with the amount of time
varying according to amount of information.
Consult the Calendar (on the left hand side of your screen). Usually, the quizzes will have 15 questions,
the midterm about 45, and the final about 80.
Homework(Assignments): You will
submit an annotated webography every other week. For each assignment, you will select three or
four websites using the research techniques described in the Handouts module. You
will visit each site, and then write a site review of not less than four lines
(65 words). This review should include;
an identification of the person or organization who created the site, and the
nature of the information presented. The websites will be followed by a
summary, which will include; why each site is relevant to this class, how all
the sites are related to each other, and your own personal feelings
evaluations, and rating of the sites.
The summary will be not less than 250 words. Compose the annotated webography
in Microsoft Word, single-spaced, and save it as a Web file. Make sure that the URL for each entry is
completely accurate and that each URL is an active link, because the professor
will visit each one in assessing your grade.
Then copy and paste it into the space provided.
Term paper: The term paper will be typewritten,
double spaced, and will contain at least 2800 words of text. Specific information must be footnoted, but
footnotes can be in-text, at the bottom of the page, or at the end of the work. Citation style is optional. A list of works used is required. Spelling, grammar, syntax, and style will be
graded, as well as content. Other
specifics, including definitions of plagiarism, will be covered online and in
the General Course Questions section, and in the Handouts section. You may select a topic on your own, or from a
list of suggestions, which will be presented in the General Course Questions
section. All term paper topics must
have the prior approval of the instructor.
The term paper is due on the day of the final examination, which is
Friday, May 9. You can submit the term
paper in hard copy, in which case it must be in the drop box outside the
professor’s office in Room 276, by
Make up policy
Missed online postings may be made up in subsequent weeks,
not exceeding three extra postings per week.
Missed weekly quizzes and the midterm, without a documented medical excuse,
may be made up during the last week of class, for half credit. There is no make up for the final and the
term paper, unless you have medical documentation, signed by a physician. Late finals and term papers will be graded
more rigorously.
AUDIT POLICY
No audit of this
course is permitted.
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Attendance and Withdrawal
The last day to withdraw from classes without penalty and
with refund is January 28, and the last day to withdraw with a grade of “W” is
April 15.
Academic Integrity
Some aspects of
academic integrity have already been discussed.
When you take the weekly quizzes, the midterm, the final examination,
you will be expected to be alone, without anyone prompting. In writing your research paper, you will be
expected to cite all information that is not your own creation. More about the research paper will be
discussed in class.
Classroom Behavior
The same rules
that apply to online behavior apply to face-to-face classroom behavior.
Support Services
Student
Disability Services
The Chair
and Counselor of this office is Rose Sachs (301-279-5077), and the
Administrative Aide is Chanel Riley (301-279-5058). The URL for this office is: www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/dispsvc/ Students needing to take their exams in the
Cancellation of Classes
For any
cancellations, consult the course Announcements section, or the MyMc page.
COURSE OUTLINE
The following is
an abbreviated course study outline. A
complete course outline will be presented in the Course Content section
I. The African
background
III. Africans in
IV. Black People
and the American Revolution, 1763-1783
V. African
Americans in the New Nation, 1787-1830
VI. Black Life
Under Slavery
VIII. Opposition
to Slavery, 1800-1830
IX. Opposition to
Slavery, 1830-1860
X. Slavery and
Disunion, 1850-1860
XI. Civil War and
Black Liberation Struggle, 1861-1865
XII.
Reconstruction: The Promise, 1865-1868
XIII.
Reconstruction: The Failure, 1868-1876
XIV. Review
Semester
Schedule
September 3-6 (Week 1) Orientation
and The African Background
Orientation exercises; Hine, Chapter 1; Smith, Chapter I; Lecture Unit I
Quiz 1
September 7-13 (Week 2) The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Hine, Chapter 2; Smith, Chapter II; Lecture Unit II
Homework 1
September 14-20 (Week 3) Africans
in North America , 1526-1763
Hine, Chapter 3;
Smith, Chapter III; Lecture Unit III
Quiz 2
September 21-27 (Week 4) Expectations of Freedom, 1763-1783
Hine,
Chapter 4; Smith, Chapter IV, Lecture
Unit 4
Homework 2
September 28 – October 4 (Week 5) African Americans and the New Nation
Hine, Chapter 5; Smith, Chapter V; Lecture Unit V
Quiz 3
October 5-11 (Week 6) Black Life Under Slavery
Hine, Chapter 6; Smith, Chapter 5, Lecture Unit VI
Homework 3
October 12-18 (Week 7) "Free" Black People in Antebellum America
Hine, Chapter 7; Smith, Chapter
Quiz 4
October 19-25 (Week 8) Opposition to Slavery, 1800-1830
Hine, Chapter 8;
Smith, Chapter VIII; Lecture Unit VIII
Homework 4
October 26 – November 1 (Week 9) Opposition to Slavery, 1830-1850
Hine, Chapter 9; Smith, Chapter IX; Lecture Unit IX
Quiz 5
November 2-8 (Week 10) Slavery and Disunion, 1850-1860
Hine, Chapter 10; Smith,
Chapter X; Douglass and Jacobs narratives; Lecture Unit X
Midterm
November 9-15 (Week 11)
The Civil War and Black Liberation, 1861-1865
Hine, Chapter 11; Smith, Chapter XI; Lecture Unit XI;
Homework 5
November 18-22 (Week 12)
The Civil War and Black Liberation, 1861-1865
Hine, Chapter 11; Smith, Chapter XI; Lecture Unit XI
Quiz 6
November 23-29 (Week 13) Thanksgiving Recess
Catchup; work
on term paper
November 30 – December 6 (Week 14) Reconstruction: The Promise
Hine, Chapter 12; Smith, Chapter 6, Lecture Unit X
Homework 6
December 7-13 (Week 15) Reconstruction:
The Failure, 1868-1876
Hine, Chapter 13;
Smith, Chapter 7; Lecture Unit XI
Makeup quizzes
December 14-21 (Week 16) Review
and Final Exam Week
Review, Ungraded discussion
forum, final exam
FINAL EXAM, TERM PAPERS,
Midnight, Sunday, December 21