Books
Maier, Pauline, Merritt Roe Smith, Alexander Keyssar, and Daniel Kevles. Inventing America: A History of the United States. Vol. 1, 2nd ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 9780393926750.
Anderson, Fred. A People's Army: Massachusetts Soldiers and Society in the Seven Years' War. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780807845769.
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. Philadelphia, PA: R. Bell, 1776. Reprint, New York, NY: Dover, 1997. ISBN: 9780486296029.
Dublin, Thomas. Women at Work: The Transformation of Work and Community in Lowell, Massachusetts, 1826-1860. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1981. ISBN: 9780231041676.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Boston, MA: John P. Jewett & Co., 1852. Reprint, New York, NY: Penguin, 1981. ISBN: 9780140390032.
| WEEK # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | John Dane's Family Tree ( PDF) |
| 2 | The Indians' America; The First European Settlements; The Chesapeake and New England |
Inventing America. Chapter 1-2, pp. 3-72.
Dane, John. "A Declaration of Remarkable Providences in the Course of my Life." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 8 (April 1854): 149-156. Start Anderson, A People's Army. Pay particular attention to pp. vii-xi, 3-164, 185-210, and 222-223. |
| 3 | The Extension of European Empires; British Colonies in the Eighteenth Century |
Inventing America. Chapter 3-4, pp. 73-137. A People's Army. pp. vii-xi, 3-164, 185-210, and 222-223. |
| 4 | Independence |
Inventing America. Chapter 5, pp. 139-174. Common Sense (all) Mason, George. Draft of Virginia Declaration of Rights. May 1776. Committee or "Jefferson" draft of the Declaration of Independence, with Congress's edits, June-July 1776. |
| 5 | Creation of the American Republic: the States |
Inventing America. Chapter 6 and the first part of chapter 7, pp. 175-213. Excerpts from Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. May 10, 1776 and May 15, 1776. Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776. First Constitution of Virginia, June 29, 1776. First Constitution of Pennsylvania, September 28, 1776. First Constitution of Massachusetts, June 15, 1780. Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1786. The Articles of Confederation, March 1, 1781. Appendix, pp. A3-A6 in Inventing America. Jefferson, Thomas. "Query XIV. The Administration of Justice and the Description of the Laws?" Notes on the State of Virginia, 1781. |
| 6 | Creation of the American Republic: the Nation; The Federal Constitution |
Inventing America. The rest of chapter 7, pp. 213-225. Randolph, Edmund. "Speech Presenting the Virginia Plan from the Constitutional Convention." May 29, 1787. The Constitutional Convention: Day by Day Summary – also has biographical information on the delegates. The Constitution of the United States. Appendix, pp. A7-A11 in Inventing America. How does the Constitution differ from the Virginia Plan? Why do you think the Convention made the changes it made? Did they improve the plan of government Randolph proposed? Also, using James Madison's "Notes on the [convention] debates" at the above sites, see if you can find out why Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry refused to sign the Constitution. Were other delegates totally delighted with it? Look particularly at the "Notes" for September 10, 12-17. |
| 7 | Ratification of the Constitution; Midterm Review |
Excerpts from the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788. George Mason on June 4, Edmund Pendleton on June 5, and James Madison on June 6. Virginia's Ratification of the Constitution, June 26, 1788. New York's Ratification of the Constitution, July 26, 1788. |
| 8 | The Politics of the Early Republic |
Inventing America. Chapter 8-9, pp. 226-287. Washington, George. "Farewell Address." September 17, 1796. Lendler, Marc. "'Equally Proper at All Times and at All Times Necessary': Civility, Bad Tendency, and the Sedition Act." Journal of the Early Republic 24 (2004): 419-444. The Bill of Rights (U.S. Constitutional Amendments 1-10), December 15, 1791. Appendix, p. A12 in Inventing America. Study especially the First Amendment. |
| 9 | Political and Economic Development |
Inventing America. Chapter 10, pp. 289-311, and chapter 12, pp. 340-366. Women at Work (all) |
| 10 | The "Age of Jackson" |
Inventing America. Chapter 11, pp. 312-339. Andrew Jackson's Presidential Pronouncements: Vetoes of the Maysville Road and Bank Rechartering Acts, and his proclamation on Nullification. (PDF) |
| 11 | An Age of Reform; Expansion |
Inventing America. Chapters 13-14, pp. 367-421, and chapter 15, pp. 431-432. Fitzhugh, George. "Slavery Justified." Appendix A in Sociology for the South, or the Failure of Free Society. Richmond, VA: A. Morris, 1854. Start Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| 12 | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Finish Uncle Tom's Cabin |
| 13 | The Tumultuous 1850s; Secession |
Inventing America. The rest of chapter 15, pp. 423-430 and 432-449, and chapter 16, pp. 452-454. Lincoln, Abraham. "A House Divided." Springfield, IL: Republican State Convention, June 16, 1858. Rhett, R. B. "Threats of Secession." Charleston Mercury, September 18, 1860. South Carolina's Ordinance of Secession, December 21, 1860. "Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union." December 24, 1860. Davis, Jefferson. "Farewell Speech." Washington, DC: United States Senate, January 21, 1861. Lincoln, Abraham. "First Inaugural Address." Washington DC: March 4, 1861. Abraham Lincoln on Race and Slavery (PDF) |
| 14 | The Civil War; Conclusion and Review |
Inventing America. The rest of chapter 16, pp. 454-484, and the first two sections of chapter 17, pp. 485-502. U.S. Constitutional Amendments 11-15, Appendix, pp. A12-A13 in Inventing America. |