New Introductory Courses in History (200-0-20)

Topic

Slavery in US History and Culture

Instructors

Leslie M. Harris
847/491-3153
Harris Hall - Room 340
Leslie Harris is Professor of History and Black Studies at Northwestern University. She studies the history of African Americans in the United States, and has published books and articles on the history of slavery in New York City; on slavery, gender and sexuality in the Antebellum South; and on the historiography of slavery in the United States. She earned her undergraduate degree in US history (literature minor) from Columbia University; and her doctoral degree in US History from Stanford University.

Meeting Info

University Hall 101: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

This course begins with an in-depth study of the current state of historians' knowledge of 19th-century slavery in the U.S., and enslaved peoples' lives and experiences in the southern United States. The second part of the course will examine how slavery has been dealt with in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We will examine the historiography of slavery (how historians' ideas about slavery have developed over time). We will also examine depictions of slavery in 20th-century and 21st century literary works and film, and responses to those depictions.

Learning Objectives

1. History: Learning and understanding some of the ways enslaved people understood their experience and expressed their knowledge of the system of slavery and their own human experience.

2. Historiography: Learning about the ways historians have dealt with historical sources produced by people of
African descent, specifically enslaved and formerly enslaved people.

3. Historical analysis: Developing skills to analyze primary historical sources in order to understand how histories are written. How do historians know what they know?

Evaluation Method

50% class attendance and participation (including weekly response papers); 50% formal essays (two papers, one at midterm, one due on the final exam date).)

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Americas
History Minor Concentration(s): United States

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is restricted to History Majors and Minors only until the end of pre-registration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites (if any)

Associated Classes

DIS - University Hall 418: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

DIS - Locy Hall 314: Fri 9:00AM - 9:50AM

DIS - Harris Hall L05: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM