Hist J495 Historiography and Historical Methods

Professor Jonathyne Briggs

Fall 2008

Course Description: This seminar serves as an introduction to historical methodology and historiography for history majors. The course is both reading and writing intensive as a method of developing the critical skills required in the discipline of history. In this class, students will be introduced to numerous historical approaches through monographs, scholarly articles, and excerpts from works of historical theory. This course is a capstone course for the history major, and therefore students will research and write a lengthy paper based on a critical examination of primary sources and an understanding of the secondary materials. This course combines in-class workshops and individual work, both of which play an important role in the student’s successful completion of the course.

Required Texts:

John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History

Timothy Tackett, When the King Took Flight

Michel-Rolph Trouillot, Silencing the Past

Isaiah Berlin, Fox and the Hedgehog

These are available at the IUN Bookstore and through various online retailers. In addition, Kate Turabian’s reference guide A Manual for Writers has been ordered for the bookstore. While not required, you will be responsible for understanding the citation guide for your research papers.

Assignments (see below for specific details):

10% Class Participation and Attendance

10% Short Book Review

20% Oral Presentation, Bibliography, and Précis

10% (each) Papers One, Two, and Three

30% Research Paper

The cumulative grading system for this course is based upon a ten-point, +/- scale: 100-93: A; 92-90 A-; 89-87: B+; 86-83: B; 82-80: B-; 79-77:C+; 76-73:C; 72-70: C-; 69-67: D+; 66-63: D; 62-60 D-; and 59 and lower (including plagiarism and cheating): F. The grade of Incomplete (I) for students unable to complete the course may be available in extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the instructor.

All papers must be typed, double-spaced with footnotes (Chicago Style) in twelve-point font (Times New Roman preferred font).

Research Topic: Students will submit a brief, typed description of their primary and secondary choice for a research topic, along with a short bibliography of at least five secondary sources. Those needing further help deciding on a topic should meet with me before September 23.
Short Book Review: Students will write a 600-750-word review of Timothy Tackett’s When the King Took Flight. All assignments must adhere to this limit (letter grade deduction otherwise)
Archival Source Review: Students will write a four-page review of primary sources found in the Calumet Regional Archives. Students will choose which documents based on their own research in the archive. Some questions to consider in the review: Who created this document? What was it was its intended audience? What was its purpose? Is it a trustworthy source? What does the document say? What doesn’t it say?
Book Review: Students will write a four-page book review of a recent monograph (since 2000) relevant to their research topic, examining the work’s argument, evidence, and organization. Students should find a scholarly review of the work and attach it to the assignment.
Critical Review: Students will choose two scholarly articles related to their research topic. One article must have been written prior to 1960 and the other after 1985, but both articles must deal with the same topic or theme. The assignment is to write a four-page critical review of the two articles. Do not summarize the two pieces; instead compare argument, evidence, and approach. Part of this exercise is learning to work with journal databases and evaluate the appropriateness of an article.
Oral Presentation: Students will give a ten-to-fifteen minute oral presentation of their topic. Along with the presentation, students will submit a project bibliography of at least twenty sources, of which at least five must be primary sources, and a one-page typed précis of the project before the oral presentation. Students must bring copies for each member of the class for questions and discussion.
Final Research Paper: Students will write a twelve- to fifteen-page research paper based on the chosen topic. The paper must be based on primary and secondary sources and reveal an understanding of the historiography concerning the topic.

Attendance and participation constitute an important part of this course. Any student missing more than seven class periods will receive a zero participation grade. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class and any tardy student must alert the instructor after class; two instances of tardiness equal one absence. Participation in discussion and paper workshop are important to the success of this course. Any student unable to participate in the workshop will be considered absent and receive a letter-grade deduction on the accompanying paper.

Schedule (subject to change):

Week One:

August 26: Introduction—what is history? Begin Rashōmon

August 28: Finish Rashōmon

Assignment: Take home exercise on Rashōmon; Read Gaddis, chapters 1 and 2

Week Two:

September 2: Historical facts

Assignment: Read Carr, “Historian and his Facts,” Bloch, “Historical Causation,” (via ERIS) and Gaddis, chaps 3 and 4

September 4: Library Orientation/ Calumet Archives (meet in the library lobby)

Week Three:

September 9: Philosophies of History

Assignment: Read Butterfield, Whig Interpretation of History, Jules Michelet, The People, Trevelyan, History of England, and Treischke, History of Germany in the 19^th Century (selections via ERIS)

September 11: Historical Arguments

Assignment: Read Berlin, Fox and the Hedgehog, Gaddis, chap. 5

Week Four:

September 16: Historiography and Theory I

Assignment: Read Marx, Communist Manifesto; Fernand Braudel, The Mediterranean (selections via ERIS), and Gaddis, chap. 6

September 18: Historiography and Theory II

Assignment: Read Thompson, “Exploitation” and Darnton, “Workers’ Revolt” (via ERIS)

Week Five:

September 23: Discussion of When the King Took Flight (short book review due)

September 25: Problems of Historical Argument

Assignment: Michael Belleselies, Arming America and Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers (selections via ERIS)

Week Six:

September 30: Finding Sources

Assignment: Bring one text-based source to class for oral analysis (research topic due)

October 2: Postmodernist Challenge

Assignment: Michel Foucault, and Joan Scott, “Gender: A Useful Category”, Gaddis, chap. 7

Week Seven:

October 7: Workshop for Archive Review Paper

October 9: Student Presentations (2) Archive Paper due

Week Eight:

October 14: Creating Narrative: Bring brief journal to class

October 16: Student Presentations (2)

Week Nine:

October 21: Student Presentations (2)

October 23: Workshop for Book Review

Week Ten:

October 28: Problems of Historical Argument II—Holocaust Denial: Book Review due

Assignment: Read Butz, Hoax of the Twentieth Century; and Deborah Lipstadt, Denying the Holocaust (via ERIS)

October 30: Student Presentations (2)

Week Eleven:

November 4: Student Presentations (2)

November 6: No class—research for November 11 class

Week Twelve:

November 11: Working with non-text sources

Assignment: Bring one non-text source to class for discussion

November 13: Workshop for Source Paper

Week Thirteen:

November 18: Student Presentations (2) Source Paper Due

November 20: Student Presentations (2)

Week Fourteen:

November 25: Historical Objectivity

Assignment: Read Silencing the Past (all)

November 27 Thanksgiving Holiday ********No Class

Week Fifteen:

December 2: Workshop for Final Papers

December 4: The Politics of History Final Paper Due

Assignment: Read Christopher Bickerton, “France’s History Wars” http://mondediplo.com/2006/02/14postcolonial; Malaski, “Examining the Japanese Textbook Controversy” http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/134; History Defined in the Florida Legislature