TR 12:30-1:45 Room I-121

Prof. Len Travers

Office Hours: TR 11:00-12:30; 2-3, or by appointment

Check the magazine stands if you think I’m wrong: the Colonial Period is popularly portrayed either as an age of quaint life styles, or as a mere prelude to the American Revolution (which, we assume, was America’s real destiny). Missing from these complacent story lines are the far more interesting (but not always uplifting) tales of human conflict and accommodation that occurred when peoples of three continents met. This course hopes to introduce you to a more complex story, replete with heroes, villains, and ordinary folk, a story that might have had many different endings.

Class Format:

This course will employ readings, lectures, some light research, and class discussion. The readings will supply the necessary content material, and focus on critical social, political, and military topics. Lectures (with occasional fantasia) will supplement the readings. Class discussion will critique the readings and clarify issues.

Required Readings – Articles available online through UMass library:

Required Readings – Articles on E-Reserve, UMass Library (you will need the password "meshugga"):

Quizzes: You will take 4 Quizzes on the dates indicated (one is a "Final Exam," worth an extra 5 points). These will be based upon in-class lectures, and material from your readings. Quizzes may consist of multiple-choice questions, term & map identifications, and responses to specific questions. Make-up Quizzes are allowed (grudgingly) by the following Tuesday, but lose 1 point automatically. You will note that the points schedule above adds up to 10 "extra" points, so do not anticipate any "extra-credit" opportunities.

Précis: You will write a total of three 1-page précis of designated articles before the semester break. A précis is a succinct summary of an author’s thesis (argument), method, main points, and important supporting points. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that you have read, considered, and understood the material; it is not an analysis or opinion thereof (save these for class discussion); i.e. it is not a review. Note that I take "1 page" to mean ca. 225 words, double that for "2-page," and so on. All précis are due in class on the date indicated, and since we will discuss the subject articles at that time, late papers will not be accepted. I will score précis from 1 (inadequate) to 5 (perceptive & well-written), and 0 for no submission/late. For each précis I will dock a point for seriously short length and a point for poor writing, so take care with these.

You must take one of the first two précis options, due 9/15 and 9/29 (you may not do both). My purpose in this is simple: I want to see a sample of your writing before the end of September. Thereafter you may choose any from the remaining four articles [marked Précis Option in the schedule, below].

Short Essays: You have two short (3-4 page) essays to write. You may choose among any of the marked Essay options described in the schedule, below.

Primary Sources Project: This will involve using 18th-centry newspapers (on microfilm and online) to investigate a particular topic I think you’ll find interesting. This will not be difficult, but it will take some time and careful thought. More on this later.

Attendance Policy:

I hope that students will make every effort to attend all class meetings. Since I expect to spend a good deal of time in class discussing the readings (some of which are challenging), and can guarantee that lecture material will show up in the exams, I am confident that the wise student will recognize the advantages of regular attendance. For the rest, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.