PACE
UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
POL 301I
Dr.
Christopher Malone
Fall
2002
Rm.
1101, 41 Park Row
914-773-3428
Office
Hours: M, W 12pm-2pm and by appointment
cmalone@pace.edu
Learning
Community (w/LIT 211 honors)
Slavery
and American Politics
“We hold
these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness- That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed...” Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of
Independence, 1776.
“The
white race deems itself to be the dominant race in this country.
And so it is, in prestige, in achievements, in education, in
wealth and in power. So, I doubt not, it will continue to be for
all time, if it remains true to its great heritage, and holds
fast to the principles of constitutional liberty. But in view of
the constitution, in the eyes of the law, there is in this
country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There
is no caste here. Our constitution is color-blind, and neither
knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.” Justice John
Marshall Harlan’s dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896)
Thomas
Jefferson set the tone for American democracy when he penned the
words of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In broad
strokes he sketched out the principles that most agree form the
basis of any "liberal" society: liberty, equality,
individualism, consent, limited government. In short, Jefferson
laid the foundation for our American Social Contract.
If only
things were that easy. As Justice Harlan's dissent in the famous
Plessy case indicates, white supremacy has always challenged the
fundamental tenets of American liberalism. The reality is that,
for most of its history, the American Social Contract was
founded upon another type of contract - upon what the
philosopher Charles Mills called a "Racial Contract." Chattel
slavery during the first century of U.S. history, and
state-sponsored, legalized segregation during the second, has
transformed any study of the history of the American Social
Contract into the history of an American Dilemma.
That
"dilemma" forms the subject matter of this course. Specifically,
we will look at the politics of American slavery and its
aftermath as it developed roughly from the time of the Founding
to the turn of the 20th century. We will seek to understand how
the issue of slavery impacted upon the institutions of American
government, how individuals and governmental institutions
responded (or did not respond) to slavery, what solutions to the
problem of slavery were proposed and settled upon, and what its
legacy was as America entered the 20th century. All along,
however, we will strive to keep the larger question in mind -
namely, what the politics of American slavery at its core says
about our American Social Contract.
This
course is partnered with LIT 211, which focuses on the literary
aspect of the practice of American slavery. Both are part of the
Learning Community initiative at Pace, which allows students
look at subject matters during any given semester from a variety
of perspectives. Dr. Thomas and I think the courses will be a
good fit together - we hope you do as well. More importantly, it
is my hope that you will continue to develop the necessary
skills in this course required of any college student at the
dawn of the 21st century.
Course
Objectives and Requirements
What are those skills? Much has changed in the delivery of
formal education since it first appeared in America in the early
19th century. And yet, very little has changed. In my opinion,
students today need to master three aspects of the educational
experience in order to be successful, just as they've had to in
the past: reading, writing and speaking. Through reading,
students become aware, informed, and learn how to analyze
material for its gist. Through writing, students learn to think
critically about material and exhibit their understanding of
that material IN THEIR OWN WORDS AND IDEAS. Through speaking,
students hone their communication skills, learn to organize
material quickly and coherently, and present it in a way that
others can understand and evaluate.
All of this is another way of saying that we will strive to meet
all of the objectives listed in Dr. Thomas' syllabus:
communication skills, subject-specific knowledge, collaborative
learning skills, and appreciation of cultural diversity (in my
view it is hard not to appreciate cultural diversity in a class
on Race in America at such a culturally diverse place as Pace
University).
Course
Grades
The class will presume you have some familiarity with the
institutions and history of American politics. Most importantly,
it requires dutiful attendance, careful reading and preparation,
and a willingness to engage actively in class discussion.
Specific requirements and the grading for the course are as
follows:
1) PLEASE TURN ALL CELL PHONES OFF BEFORE ENTERING CLASS AND
LEAVE THEM OFF FOR THE DURATION OF EACH CLASS!!!!
2) Complete assigned readings before class meetings. Please be
aware that sometimes the volume of reading is heavy. Please
bring all assigned readings to class.
3) Attend classes regularly and on time. Class attendance will
factor into your final grade.
4) Write ten one-page summaries of the assigned readings.
Summaries must be submitted at the start of class period in
which the reading will be discussed. Where multiple readings are
assigned for a class period, you may summarize one or more of
the readings. Where multiple chapters in a book are assigned,
you may summarize one chapter. Only one summary may be submitted
per class. If you are absent, you may arrange to have someone
else deliver the summary or email it to me BEFORE class begins.
I will not accept late summaries for any reason.
5) Participate in class discussions of the assigned readings.
Each week I will call upon several students to “lead” the class
in a discussion of the assigned readings. Students will be
alerted the previous week of their turn to lead. I expect that
each student will be called upon to be discussion leaders no
more than three times during the semester.
6) Complete all written assignments. Written work for the course
will consist of three papers, each 5-6 pages long. The course is
divided into four units. All students will write a paper on the
first unit of the course and either the second or the third
unit. The dates the papers are due will be announced well
beforehand, but will usually follow the completion of the
respective unit by one week. The last paper, a take-home final,
will be due at the scheduled time for the final exam. Guidelines
for the papers will be forthcoming. Past experience with emailed
papers in attached form has led me to conclude that I will only
accept them in the rarest of circumstances. Topics for each
paper will be distributed.
Grading
In computing your grade, the three papers and class
participation will be given equal weight, yielding four grades
of 25% each. Class participation will be based on timely
submission of summaries, attendance, and your leadership of the
class discussion of assigned readings.
I expect you to complete written assignments on time. Extensions
will be given in the rarest of circumstances and only for valid
reasons. In most cases, documentation will be required.
Otherwise, late work will be penalized.
Students are expected to do their own work in this course. This
means you should take the ideas we discuss and put them into
YOUR OWN WORDS. I should not have to remind you that plagiarism
is a violation of Pace University’s academic code of ethics and
will not be tolerated. In a time when access to information is
more readily available due to the proliferation of new websites
everyday, the line between good scholarship and plagiarism
becomes increasingly blurred. If you are unsure what does and
what does not constitute plagiarized material, please see me
BEFORE you turn in any written work.
Books
Only one book has been ordered for this course. The rest of the
readings I have placed on e-reserve in the library. The book can
be found in the Pace University Bookstore (though if you can
find it elsewhere cheaper, have at it!)
· Donald Nieman, Promises to Keep: African Americans and the
Constitutional Order, 1776-present (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1991).
Below is
a tentative schedule of readings and major assignments for the
semester. This is a TENTATIVE list - you are required to keep up
with any changes if you miss class for any reason.
I. The
Founding: Liberalism, Racism, and American Democracy at the
Birth of Nation, 1776-1800. September 9 - September 18th
a. John Locke, Second Treatise (excerpts from first 5 chapters)
b. Christopher Malone, "African Americans and American Politics:
An Introduction"
c. Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence
d. T. Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (excerpts)
e. The Constitution of the United States
f. Thurgood Marshall, Race and the Constitution
g. Nieman, chapter 1
II. "A
House Divided Against Itself": The Development of Freedom and
Slavery in the Antebellum Period, 1800-1857 September 23rd -
October16th
Nieman, Promises to Keep, chapter 2
a. Ideological Considerations
1. Reginald Horsman, "Superior and Inferior Races"
2. George Frederickson, Black Image in the White Mind, chapter 2
b. The Mind of the South
1. Joel Williamson, Rage For Order, chapters 1 and 2
2. John Calhoun, Disquisition on Government
c. Aboliltionist Responses
1. James Oliver and Lois Horton, In Hope of Liberty, chapter 7
2. David Walker - Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World
3. Angela Grimke, Appeal to the Christian Women of the Southern
States
d. North of Slavery
1. Leon Litwack, North of Slavery, chapter 1
2. Christopher Malone, "They Were Whigs because their Fathers
Were Federalists: Racial Voting Restrictions in Old New York"
III. The
Crucible of Slavery and War: Dred Scott to Reconstruction,
1857-1877 - October 21st - November 6th
Nieman, Promises to Keep, chapter 3
a. Dred Scott Decision of 1857
b. Lincoln-Douglas: First Joint Debate
c. George Frederickson, "A Man But Not a Brother: Abraham
Lincoln and Racial Equality" chapter 3 in The Arrogance of Race
IV. The
Nadir: Redemption in the South and Neglect in the North,
1877-1903 - November 11th - December 11th
Nieman, Promises to Keep, chapter 4
a. Civil Rights Cases of 1883
b. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
c. Booker T. Washington, "Address At the Atlanta Exposition
(1895)
d. W.E.B. DuBois, "The Souls of Black Folk", afterword,
introduction and first three chapters
Final Exam: December 16th
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