Karen J. Taylor
History 235

The American Revolution and the Constitution

Required Reading:

Constitution Groups

Tentative Daily Schedule

Aug. 29: Introduction
Aug. 31: Bill Moyer, The Secret Government"
MOVIE*:
The Battle of Algiers
Sept. 5: The Roots of Revolution: Multiple Cultures, Three World Views.
Readings: Red, Black, and White, chapt. 1.

SELECTION OF CONSTITUTIONAL GROUPS

Listserv Discussion: Nationhood and Identity
Sept. 7: Readings: Good Wives, chapts. 1 & 2.
Sept. 12: Suffering Salvation: Pink European Hegemony and the Definition of Race.
Readings: Red, Black, and White, chapts. 2 & 3.
Listserv Discussion: Status and Hierarchy
Sept. 14: Readings: Good Wives
Sept. 19: Falling Apart: The Search for Definition
Readings: Red, Black, and White, chapts. 4 & 5.
Listserv Discussion: Hierarchy, Violence, and Place
MOVIE: Burn!
Sept. 21: Readings: Good Wives, chapts. 3 & 5.
Sept. 26: Finding Borders: The Self and the Other
Readings: Red, Black, and White, chapts. 6 & 7.
Listserv Discussion: Men, Women, and Other
Sept. 28: Readings: Good Wives, chapts. 4 & 6.

********FALL BREAK*******

Oct. 5: Transformations: Becoming American
Readings: Red, Black, and White, chapts. 8 & 9.
Good Wives, chapts. 7 & 8.
Oct. 10: Insiders and Outsiders
Readings: Red, Black, and White, chapt. 10.
Good Wives, chapt. 10.
Listserv Discussion: Liminality and Change
Oct. 12: Minutemen, ENTIRE.
Oct. 17: MIDTERM.
MOVIE: REVOLUTION
Listserv Discussion: Why War?
Oct. 19: War and Warriors
Readings: Race and Revolution, chapt. 1 & documents.
Oct. 24: Red, Black, and White, chapts. 11 & 12.
MOVIE: THE PATRIOT
Listserv Discussion: Liberty and Self-Interest.
Oct. 26: Race and Revolution, chapts. 2 & 3 and documents.
Oct. 31: Gender, Vows, and Obligations
Readings: Gendering, Preface - Part One.

GROUP 1 (REFORMERS) CONSTITUTION DUE

Nov. 2: Gendering, Part Two-Conclusion.

GROUP 2 (LIBERATIONISTS) CONSTITUTION DUE

***************Constitutional Convention***************

Nov. 7: Presentation and Discussion of Proposal #1

GROUP 3 (LABERORS) CONSTITUTION DUE

Nov. 9: Presentation and Discussion of Proposal #2

GROUP 4 (GOVERNMENT IN POWER) CONSTITUTION DUE

Nov. 14: Presentation and Discussion of Proposal #3
Nov. 16: Presentation and Discussion of Proposal #4
Nov. 21: Meeting of groups and elections of representatives

****THANKSGIVING BREAK****

Nov. 28: History as Myth: Reconstituting the Revolution

COMMITTEE-OF-THE-WHOLE CONSTITUTION DUE NOV. 29, 12:00 NOON

Nov. 30: Presentation of Revised Constitution
Dec. 5: Discussion of Constitution and Ratification
Dec. 7. Wrap-up

**********Final Exam Due Thurs., Dec. 12, 2:00 pm*********

Requirements:

1. Midterm exam:
A combination of identification of terms/people, short essays, and one long essay, worth 40% of your total grade.
2. Constitution Project:
Every student will be a representative of one of the following four groups: 1) the government in power, 2) social/political reformers: anti-racists, liberal feminists, environmentalists, gay/lesbian liberationists, peace activists, 3) labor coalition, or 4) people's liberationists. Together, you and the other members of your group will study the issues your group is currently/historically concerned with, and write a new constitution for the United States which will ensure the rights your group is concerned with.
In order to do this, each person in the group should take responsibility for one issue (e.g. equal pay for equal worth, women's control of their own bodies), and then discuss its history, content, evidence of its validity, and recommendations for the way it might be addressed constitutionally, in a 3-5 page paper. (NOTE: THE HISTORY PORTION SHOULD SUMMARIZE THE MATERIALS WE'VE READ/VIEWED IN CLASS, AND DISCUSS WHY YOUR CONCERNS WERE NOT ADDRESSED IN THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION. YOU MUST CITE TEXTS.) This paper will be your final exam. Once each member of your group has completed her/his research, your group should come together to write a new constitution based on the research and recommendations of each member of the group. A rough draft of your group's constitution is due TWO CLASSES before you are supposed to present it, so that I can give copies to the other members of the class. I will average the grades on your class presentation, issue paper, constitution, and constitutional debate, and the outcome will constitute 45% of your grade.
Participation:
I determine your participation in three ways: your attendance, and your involvement in class and listserv discussions. Whether you come to class or not is your choice, but if you miss more than 4 classes your grade will begin to go down. You can be "involved" in discussion without speaking, and I expect that when you have something to say you will feel free to do so. We are all learning together in this class, me from you, you from me and each other, so it's very important that we think about the fact that we are building a community of meaning, however briefly it may last. Your participation will be worth 15 percent of your grade for the class.

If you have questions, feel like a bit of conversation, or need someplace to vent, my door is always open.

*Unless otherwise indicated, I expect you to see all movies on you own at Andrews Audio Visual Center.

Last updated: August 29, 2000
© Karen J. Taylor