History 800

Graduate Historiography

Fall 2000

Meeting place: Seabury 23A                                                              Meeting time: Th 6.30-9.30 pm
Email: gary.reger@mail.trincoll.edu                                                    Office: 405 Seabury

Webpage: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~greger/index.html

Office hours:9.30-12W                                                                      Phone: 297-2393

This course provides an introduction to historical methodology and approaches to writing history through the exploration of some recent trends in history, including recent work race formation in the Anglo-American world, Native American history, spaces of cultural interaction, the history of (or rather, around) the sea, and the controversy (among anthropologists) about how to understand how the Hawaiians understood Captain Cook. Students will act as full participants in the class, and produce two short papers and one research paper.

Books

The books listed below in the section "Topics" are all on reserve in the Library. Additional copies of many of these books can be found in the CTW system and ordered in the regular way. Many of the books we will read are available in paperback and can be ordered quickly through Gallows Hill. I recommend that you look over the books in the Library, and then consider buying those which you will need to read for your own topic, which particularly interest you, and which are not too expensive. If you order through Gallows Hill, ask them to expedite the order.

Assignments

1. Do the readings and participate in discussion. It is crucial that every student come prepared every time to undertake the work of the course. This means do the readings, think about them, and come with questions and comments.

2. Lead discussions. Every student will be assigned to groups of two to four students who will be responsible for leading discussion on one of the topics listed below. Each group will decide how to divide up the work, how to present material, and how to direct the discussion. Groups may assign work to the class (e.g., specific pages of reading) for their session.

3. Short papers. Students will write two short (4-7 pp.) papers reacting to discussions. These papers may be turned in at any time, except that (1) no student may write a paper about a discussion which s/he led, and (2) no papers will be accepted after November 16.

4. Final paper. Each student will write a final paper (18-22 pp.) on an historiographical topic of his/her choice. Papers may treat the work of a single historian or focus on a particular approach or historical school, or may engage a more "philosophical" question in historiography. Each paper must have a substantial bibliography, including material from professional journals, and show evidence that this bibliography has actually been used in the writing of the paper. Topics will be developed on the following schedule:

    1. Submit proposed topic to me for approval on October 5.
    2. Submit preliminary bibliography for approval on October 12.
    3. Make substantive (c. 30 minute) presentation of topic on November 30 or December 7.
    4. Turn in completed paper by December 7.

Topics

1. Race

Theodore W. Allen, The Invention of the White Race. Vol. 1: Racial Oppression and Social
Control (Verso Books 1994), Vol. 2:  The Origin of Racial Oppression in Anglo-America
(Verso Books 1997)

2. The New Native American History.

Shepard Krech III, The Ecological Indian. Myth and History (New York and London 1999).

Gregory Evans Dowd, A Spirited Resistance. The North American Indian Struggle for
Unity, 1745-1815 (Baltimore 1993).

3. Spaces of Cultural Interaction.

Dimitri Gutas, Greek Thought, Arabic Culture. The Graeco-Arabic Translation Movement in Baghdad and Early 'Abbasid Society (2nd-4th/8th-10th Centuries) (London and New York 1998).

A.B. Bosworth, Alexander and the East. The Tragedy of Triumph (Oxford 1998).

James A. Millard, Beyond the Pass. Economy, Ethnicity, and Empire in Qing Central Asia, 1759-1864 (Palo Alto 1998).

4. The History of the Sea

Peregrine Horden and Nicholas Purchell, The Corrupting Sea. A Study of Mediterranean History (Oxford 2000).

K.N. Chaudhuri, Trade and Civilisation in the Indian Ocean. An Economic History from the Rise of Islam to 1750 (Cambridge 1985)

5. The Controversy over Captain Cook

Marshall Sahlins, How "Natives" Think, About Captain Cook, For Example (Chicago 1995).

Gananath Obeyesekere, The Apotheosis of Captain Cook. European Mythmaking in the Pacific (Princeton 1992).

Schedule of Classes

Week 1, September 7: Introduction

Week 2, September 14: Library orientation.

Week 3, September 21: Panel Discussion. Whither History?

Faculty at Trinity will participate in a panel discussion on the theme of the direction of history in the next decade or so.

Participants (preliminary list):

• Christopher Doyle

• Jonathan Elukin

• Kathleen Kete

• Michael Lestz

• Susan Pennybacker

• Gary Reger

• Heather Sharkey

• Monica Van Beusekom
  

Week 5, October 5: History at Trinity

    Each student will be assigned an historian here at Trinity. The task: compile a bibliography of that historian's writing, read as much of what s/he has written as you can, and then interview the historian. Ask about methodology, uses of source material, approaches to the writing of history, peculiarities of the specialzation, and so on. Each student will have 10 minutes to summarize his/her findings in class. Discussion will revolve around the varieties of history done here, the nature of research, the implications for teaching, and related matters.

Available faculty and specialization:

• Christopher Doyle, Colonial and revolutionary America (Pegg)
• Jonathan Elukin, Mediaeval Europe, Jewish history (Kate)
• Joan Hedrick, 19th century US and women's history (Jack)
• Samuel Kassow, Russian and East European history (Chad)
• Kathleen Kete, French history (Joe)
• Eugene Leach, US 19th century and labor history (Ross)
• Michael Lestz, Chinese history (Jamie)
• Susan Pennybacker (Denise)
• Vijay Prashad, South Asia
• Jeff Roche, 20th-century US, African-American (Josh)
• Heather Sharkey, Middle East (Karl)
• Edward Sloan, US 19th century, martime and technology history
• Monica Van Beusekom, African history
  

Week 6, October 12. Topic 2: The New Native American History (Chad. Denise, Peg, Jamie)

Week 7, October 19: The Historiography of History Journals.

    Each student will choose a history journal to investigate. Look back over the content of that journal from the beginning and see whether you can find patterns and changes in topics addressed and methods employed. Read selectively some articles that seem to you representative. Each student will present his/her results, and we'll compare and contrast.

Week 8, October 26. Topic 3: Spaces of Cultural Interaction (Joe, Karl, Kate, Ross)

Week 9, November 2. Topic 4: The Sea (Chad, Jack, Joe, Kate, Jamie)


Week 10, November 9. Topic 5: The Controversy over Captain Cook (Denise, Josh, Karl, Ross)

Week 11, November 16: Free session -- work on papers.

Week 12, November 23: Thanksgiving Break -- no class.

Week 13, November 30: Presentations I.

Week 14, December 7: Presentations II. Final papers due.