By Lance Banning

Preface

Within three years of the inauguration of the new federal Constitution, America’s revolutionary leaders divided bitterly over the policies most appropriate for the infant nation. Within five years, two clashing groups were winning thousands of ordinary voters to their side. Within a decade, the collision had resulted in a full-blown party war.

Rise and Fall of Parites

There has never been another struggle like it. These were the first true parties in the history of the world—the first, that is, to mobilize and organize a large proportion of a mass electorate for a national competition. More than that, these parties argued at a depth and fought with a ferocity that has never been repeated. The Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans—the friends of order and the friends of liberty as they sometimes called themselves—were both convinced that more than office, more than clashing interests, and more, indeed, than even national policy in the ordinary sense were fundamentally at stake in their quarrel. Their struggle, they believed, was over nothing less profound than the sort of future the United States would have, the sort of nation America was to be. Each regarded the other as a serious threat to what was not yet called the American way. And from their own perspectives, both were right.

This first great party battle is, of course, completely fascinating for its own sake. Between the framing of the Constitution and the War of 1812, the generation that had made the world’s first democratic revolution set about to put its revolutionary vision into practice on a national stage. This generation was a set of public men whose like has never been seen again. Without significant exception, they believed that the American experiment might well determine whether liberty would spread throughout the world or prove that men were too imperfect to be trusted with a government based wholly on elections. In an age of monarchies and aristocracies, they were experimenting with a governmental system—both republican and federal—unprecedented in the world. They had a never-tested and, in several respects, a quite unfinished Constitution to complete. They represented vastly different regions, and they had profoundly different visions of the nature of a sound republic. To understand why they divided and how they created the first modern parties is a captivating object in itself. It is the more worthwhile because not even in the years preceding Independence or during the debate about adoption of the Constitution have better democratic statesmen argued more profoundly over concepts that are at the core of the American political tradition: popular self-governance, federalism, constitutionalism, liberty, and the rest. Perhaps they still have much to teach about the system they bequeathed us, along with entertaining stories of our roots.

No single volume could pretend to be a comprehensive sourcebook on the first party struggle. This one does, however, aim to make it possible to understand the grounds and development of the dispute. For this reason, it is fuller on the earlier years of the struggle, when positions were being defined, than on the later years, when the arguments had become more repetitive and routine. It focuses tightly on the dispute between the parties, not on national questions such as slavery, which seldom entered directly into the first party conflict, or on the development of constitutional jurisprudence in the courts. Although it tries, at several points, to capture something of the flavor of the grassroots conflict, it is weighted, more than some might like, with the writings of major national leaders. But this was very much a conflict that descended from the top, as major national figures developed their disagreements, took them to the public, and reached out for links with local politicians. Debates in Congress were probably the most widely read political publications of these years.

This is not primarily a work for scholars, who will find more-authoritative versions of the texts in sources such as those identified in the bibliography. Rather, to make the materials as accessible as possible, spelling and punctuation have been modernized, obvious printing errors or slips of the pen have been silently corrected, and abbreviations have been spelled out when that seemed useful. So far as seemed possible, nevertheless, the documents are left to speak for themselves. Every volume of this sort must start with an editor’s decisions, the most important of which are those excluding valuable materials because they would not fit between two covers. This, however, is as much or more of an intrusion than I have wanted to make. Editorial introductions are limited to providing identifications or essential context. Elisions are clearly indicated and seldom extensive. In every case, as with the light modernization, they have been done with conscientious concern for the author’s thought and intent.

Several graduate students, two family members, one secretary, and a few undergraduates at the University of Kentucky provided materials for the collection or carried out the tedious job of typing the transcripts. Thanks are due to Todd Estes, Matt Schoenbachler, Colleen Murphy, Todd Hall, Jennifer Durben, Cheris Linebaugh, Lynn Hiler, JoAnne Shepler, and Clint and Lana Banning. A superb group of fifteen scholars from several disciplines devoted two days to a delightful discussion of a preliminary version of the volume at a Liberty Fund colloquium in Lexington in May 1998. In the process, they corrected some mistakes and made some valuable suggestions for additions. John Kaminski, Kenneth Bowling, and Norman Risjord reviewed the manuscript again. Finally, two of my students, Paul Douglas Newman and David Nichols, acted at different times as coresearchers and contributed essentially to making the project a quicker, fuller, and better one. Special thanks are due to them, and the volume is dedicated to them and their peers.

|Full Text|

Chicago Summer Institute

Seminars

Each morning, participants gather for a plenary seminar given by renowned scholars in the fields of History, Political Science, Philosophy and Economics. Theses seminars are followed by smaller discussion groups to continue on the morning’s readings and faculty presentation.

James Ceaser, University of Virginia, “Foundations and the Study of American Politics”

• Political Scientists should approach the subject of American Political life in the terms in which it experienced and described by ordinary citizens. Such a study would make accurate (non-ideological) description more likely and make political science useful in its original Aristotelian conception as a possible aid in responsible political action.

Joyce Appleby, University of California, Las Angeles, “Laying  the Foundation of Capitalism, American Style”

• European visitors to the United States were most struck by the similarity between urban and rural Americans with regard to political discourse, commercial attitudes, and a seemingly naïve confidence in the possibility of upward mobility. The early American commercial spirit was fostered by an efficient postal service, transportation, and professional opportunity in medicine, law, education, and trade. Biographical selections were used to illustrate the power of the vitality of the early American spirit and its dependence on free trade.

John Danford, Loyola University, Chicago, “Commerce, Manners, and the Debate Over Republics”

• David Hume argued extensively against ancient regimes such as Rome and Sparta and their ability to form a vigorous Republican spirit combined with freedom (these older regimes depended on slave labor). In order to make the case for a modern Republic, however, Hume had to overcome prejudice against free trade and the search for luxury. Contrary to those who argued that a commercial society undermines virtue and morals, Hume successfully makes the case that the civilizing and broad economic benefits of free trade far outweigh the supposed negatives.

2010 Participants

Ralph Lerner, University of Chicago, “A New Character for a New Man”

• Franklin’s Autobiography is a carefully written tract, composed for the education of the American populace in the importance of self-reliance. Franklin’s intention is most clearly seen in his careful presentation of religious fanaticism as an obstacle to individual responsibility and human flourishing.

Jean Yarbrough, Bowdoin College, “Political Economy and Character: A Jeffersonian Perspective”

• Jefferson’s view of political economy is complicated, but viewing his economic thought across his career indicates agreement with the classical liberal view propounded by John Locke. Jefferson was not an opponent of commercial society (including manufacturing), but a thinker who saw private enterprise as fundamentally important to the future success of America.

Wilfred McClay, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, “The Limits of Expertise”

• Contemporary arguments for government action often rest on the perceived authority of “experts.” Using detailed historical evidence, Prof. McClay suggested that the rule of experts is questionable and often used as a pretext to justify partisan policy preferences.

Stuart Warner, Roosevelt University, “Montesquieu Commercial Liberty and Constitutionalism”

• During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws was quoted more often than all other political theorists combined. This makes Montesquieu of intense interest to those who want to understand the fundamental premises of the U.S. Constitution. In particular, Montesquieu’s positive emphasis on commerce and its positive benefits is a vital theme. According to Montesquieu’s extensive historical and theoretical reflections, commercial life provides the widest benefit to citizens at large as well as moderating their mores and promoting sufficient respect for religious toleration.

Nathan Tarcov, University of Chicago, “Acquisition and Property in Machiavelli and Locke”

• Machiavelli’s emphasis on military-virtue is often contrasted with Locke’s emphasis on industriousness and private property. There are tantalizing references in Machiavelli, however, that point to peaceful free trade as bulwark of an established society. In this light, Machiavelli and Locke are closer than commonly assumed. This in turn, allows us to appreciate the herculean efforts Locke thought were necessary to secure human society against the forces of nature and the constant threat of human tyranny (in both political and theological forms).   

Michael Zuckert, University of Notre Dame, “Economic Rights and the Constitution”

• Early Supreme Court cases (Slaughter House Cases and Munn v. Illinois) present the initial attempts of the court to deal with economic disputes in the new environment created by the XIII-XV Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. In both cases the courts tried to delineate between the regulatory powers of State and Local governments on the one hand, and the Federal Government on the other. By focusing on the intersection and occasional tension between the right to private property and the “public good” students are able to gain a deeper understanding of both claims. Although the right of private property was upheld in each case, the underlying arguments of both sides are still relevant to our contemporary situation and current political debates.

Peter McNamara, Utah State University, “Hamilton and the American Commercial Republic”

• Alexander Hamilton is often portrayed as the “progressive founder” in matters of political economy. His arguments concerning political economy cannot be reduced in these terms, however, and an accurate view of Hamilton is much closer to a view of limited government and personal responsibility that are opposed to unlimited government expansion.

Michael and Catherine Zuckert with Goldie and Jack Miller

Faculty Development Workshops

Our afternoon workshops are designed to assist faculty members with their professional advancement, with a particular focus on teaching, publishing, and securing tenure.  Members of our institute teaching faculty lead workshops focusing on the development of intellectually engaging courses dealing with the key ideas, themes, and events from the American past, in addition to leading workshops on effective teaching methods.  Other workshops, led by the directors of academic presses, focus on building successful book proposals and successfully navigating the editorial approval process.

Matthew Sitman and James Ceaser, University of Virginia, UVA Syllabus Presentation “The American Political Tradition”

• Discussion of the innovative approach to “American Government” courses taught by JMC post-docs. In addition to an explanation of the course rational, discussion included aspects of pedagogy and strategy for establishing civic education programs in academic departments that are sometimes hostile to using primary texts in the classroom.

John Tryneski, Editorial Director, University of Chicago Press, “Behind the Scenes”

• Discussion of the changing economic forces that are effecting the publishing industry, including recent trends for online (Kindle) books and publication on demand. These market forces are slowly having an impact on the make-up of successful book proposals.

Michael Pack, Manifold Productions, Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton

• The issues facing a film maker are surprisingly similar to pedagogical strategies used in the classroom. How do we accurately portray historical figures and maintain the requisite level of interest in students? Which aspects of a figure like Alexander Hamilton deserve emphasis and why? Mr. Pack also sought advice (historic and creative) for his next feature on the life of Thomas Jefferson.

William Anthony Hay, Mississippi State University, “Campus Entrepreneurship”

• A successful academic career depends upon more than teaching duties and publication record. Discussion included options for building on-campus and off-campus networks, avenues for publication in the popular press, and ways to raise outside funding for campus programming.

Fred Woodward, Editor University Press of Kansas, “Academic Writing and Style”

• Successful monographs begin with a successful book proposal, but the impact and readership reception depend in large part on clear prose and writing style. Effective argumentation begins with a well developed plan that distinguishes an author’s own distinct voice and scholarly reputation.

Catherine Zuckert, University of Notre Dame, Editor Review of Politics, “Writing for Journal Publication”

• Successful journal publication is a different enterprise than the publication of monographs. Although article length research is shorter, the obstacles to publication can appear greater to first time authors than book length research. In many ways, the success of journal publication depends on being familiar with the unique challenges faced by a journal editor who must arbitrate the differences between author and reviewer.

2011

Plans for our the Jack Miller Center’s next Summer Institutes are already underway. To find out more about nominating future JMC Fellows, please send an inquiry to Emily Koons (JMC Program Officer) at ekoons@gojmc.org.

To find out how you can help support future JMC Summer Institutes with a philanthropic gift, further information can be found at the Support Us page on this website.

Adapted from the National Endowment for the Humanities’s EDSITEment.

Thomas Paine

Introduction

In 1776 an obscure immigrant published a small pamphlet that ignited independence in America and shifted the political landscape of the patriot movement from reform within the British imperial system to independence from it. One hundred twenty thousand copies sold in the first three months in a nation of three million people, making Common Sense the best-selling printed work by a single author in American history up to that time. Never before had a personally written work (unlike the divine Bible) appealed to all classes of colonists. Never before had a pamphlet been written in an inspiring style so accessible to the “common” folk of America. This lesson looks at Thomas Paine and at some of the ideas presented in Common Sense, such as national unity, natural rights, the illegitimacy of the monarchy and of hereditary aristocracy, and the necessity for independence and the revolutionary struggle.

Historical Background

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense played no small part in convincing large numbers of Americans to relinquish an English identity and risk their lives for the cause of freedom, revolution and a new nation. In his modest pamphlet of 46 pages, Common Sense, Paine put forth the first comprehensive, public call for independence, advancing arguments that far exceeded previous critiques of English rule in their radicalism and scope. It quickly reached a broad, mass audience, extending beyond the literate public as colonists read it aloud in a wide variety of settings. George Washington, for example, was so affected by Common Sense that he relinquished all personal hope of mending fences with England and ordered the pamphlet to be distributed to his troops.

Common Sense made a clear case for independence and directly attacked the political, economic, and ideological obstacles to achieving it. Paine relentlessly insisted that British rule was responsible for nearly every problem in colonial society and that the 1770s crisis could only be resolved by colonial independence. That goal, he maintained, could only be achieved through unified action. Hardnosed political logic demanded the creation of an American nation. Implicitly acknowledging the hold that tradition and deference had on the colonial mind, Paine also launched an assault on both the premises behind the British government and on the legitimacy of monarchy and hereditary power in general. Challenging the King’s paternal authority in the harshest terms, he mocked royal actions in America and declared that “even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their own families.” Finally, Paine detailed in the most graphic, compelling and recognizable terms the suffering that the colonies had endured, reminding his readers of the torment and trauma that British policy had inflicted upon them.

In addition to the audacity and timeliness of its ideas, Common Sense compelled the American people because it resonated with their firm belief in liberty and determined opposition to injustice. The message was powerful because it was written in relatively blunt language that colonists of different backgrounds could understand. Paine, despite his immigrant status, was on familiar terms with the popular classes in America and the taverns, workshops, and street corners they frequented. His writing was replete with the kind of popular and religious references they readily grasped and appreciated. His strident indignation reflected the anger that was rising among the American body politic. His words united elite and popular strands of revolt, welding the Congress and the street into a common purpose. As historian Scott Liell argues in Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to Independence: “[B]y including all of the colonists in the discussion that would determine their future, Common Sense became not just a critical step in the journey toward American independence but also an important artifact in the foundation of American democracy” (20).

Online Resources

Primary and secondary sources relating to Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the political events surrounding its publication can be found online:

• Common Sense, a link on EDSITEment reviewed Digital History.
• The Olive Branch Petition (Founder’s Library—go to the July 5,1775 entry of the timeline—linked from Digital History) represents the highly critical but loyal colonial attitude towards England that Common Sense would challenge. It also reflects the language and manner of colonial elites, thereby providing an important stylistic contrast to Paine’s work.

• Review this one page biography of Thomas Paine and the importance of Common Sense from the EDSITEment reviewed National Park Service: Links to the Past website.

• This is a brief historical timeline of the years 1760-1791 in the American Revolution through the passage of the bill of rights on the EDSITEment reviewed website, Liberty! The American Revolution.
• A longer, more comprehensive listing of important events that led to the Declaration of Independence, such as the Declaration of the Causes of Taking Up Arms, the Olive Branch Petition, and various skirmishes, all from the perspective of George Washington’s involvement, is available at American Memory Project (The Library of Congress). Click on 1774, 1775, 1776, and be sure to look at December 31, 1776.

• Scott Liell’s Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to Independence (Running Press Book Publishers, 2003) is an outstanding short book that explains in just forty-six pages the forces that shaped Paine’s thinking, why Common Sense had such a broad, profound impact and how its message spread throughout the American colonies.

More information and educational activities can be found online at EDSITEment’s Thomas Paine Lesson Plan.

Lewis and Clark

Professor Michelle Orihel

Southern Utah University

Fall 2010

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-11:20 a.m.

Location: SC 225

―This I hope will be the age of experiments in government, and that their basis will be founded on principles of honesty, not of mere force. We have seen no instance of this since the days of the Roman republic, nor do we read of any before that.‖

Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, February 28, 1796

Course Description

From catalog: ―A study of the new nation, the War of 1812, the Jacksonian era, placing special emphasis on the political, social, and economic democratization of the United States, together with the difficulties created by change.‖

In an era dominated by monarchical powers, a group of British North American colonists in 1776 declared their independence from King George III. They established a republic, a government based on the consent of the people. This republican experiment was a bold move, a ―leap in the dark,‖ as historian John Ferling has called it. Throughout history, most republics had failed. Never before did a people attempt to establish a republican government over such a large and expanding territory. How did Americans confront the challenge of establishing and securing a republican form of government? How did they adjust to their new roles as republican citizens rather than monarchical subjects? What other challenges did Americans face during the early years of the new republic, a period marked by tremendous political, economic, social, and cultural change?

This course will examine these and other questions about the nature of the early republic, providing an overview of the major political, social, economic, and cultural developments in the United States from roughly the late eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. We will cover such topics as the creation of a new national government, the development of conflict between Federalists and Jeffersonian-Republicans during the 1790s, the Jeffersonian Presidency, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the War of 1812, the development of a market economy, religious revivalism, the growth of reform movements and abolitionism, the expansion of slavery in the South, the rise of sectional conflict, Jacksonian democracy, and western expansion. As an upper-division course, this course will combine lectures with discussions. Active student participation is encouraged and expected for students to gain the most from taking the course. Ultimately, this course aims to provide students with an opportunity to enter into an ongoing and vibrant debate about the revolutionary origins of the early republic, the nature of the American founding, and its implications for the United States today.

Learning Objectives.

Students will be able to identify and understand better the main issues, themes, events, and historical actors in the United States from 1789 to 1845.

Through readings in the primary sources and through a variety of active learning exercises, students will gain a vivid understanding of what it meant to live through such a period of tremendous social, economic, and political change.

In this reading-intensive course, readings in primary and secondary sources will help students to develop such practical skills as interpreting evidence, making arguments based on that evidence, and evaluating other historians‘ arguments.

Class discussions and written assignments will further help students to hone the habits of critical thinking, reading, and writing.

Required Books

1. Bookstore: Sean Wilentz, ed., Major Problems in the Early Republic, 1787-1848. 2nd edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. (ISBN-13: 978-0-618-52258-3)

2. Bookstore: Gunther Barth, ed., The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Selections from the Journals Arranged by Topic. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 1998. (ISBN-13: 978-0-312-11118-2)

3. Online: Lance Banning, ed., Liberty and Order: The First American Party Struggle. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2004. (ISBN: 0-86597-418-7)

Note: This textbook is available to download for free as a complete pdf file at the Liberty Fund‘s ―Online Library of Liberty‖ website; go to the following webpage: http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=875&Itemid=27

4. Online: Various items on electronic reserve at the library‘s website

Evaluation

Participation/ Effort: 15%

Reading Journal: 10%

Annotated Bibliography: 10%

Peer Review of Gerrit Smith Document Analysis: 5%

Gerrit Smith Final Document Analysis: 30%

Final Exam: 30%

Assignments

Reading Journal

Over the course of the semester, students will keep a journal that records their reactions to and assessments of the assigned readings for each class. For some classes, the instructor will provide a question for the student to focus on in their reflection. For other classes, the student will decide what question or issues seem most pressing from that day‘s reading. These entries should be between one and two pages. They should demonstrate that you have read and understood the assigned course materials. Students should particularly write about what intrigues them the most about the reading and how that reading helps to advance their understanding of the early American republic. The instructor will collect journal entries at the end of each class. Late entries will not be accepted. These entries will be graded on a Pass/ Fail basis. Therefore, the only grades for this assignment will be 100 (pass) and 0 (fail). These grades will then be tallied at the end of the semester for the final reading journal grade. However, students can opt out of turning in up to three journal entries without it adversely affecting their final grade.

Other Assignments

Information and instructions on the annotated bibliography, the Gerrit Smith essay assignment (peer review and essay), as well as on the final, take-home exam will be forthcoming.

Weekly Schedule of Topics and Readings (Subject to Revision)

Unless marked as optional, all readings are required.

Abbreviations:

MP = Sean Wilentz, ed., Major Problems in the Early Republic, 1787-1848.

LO = Lance Banning, ed. Liberty and Order: The First American Party Struggle

Week One—Aug 23

TUESDAY:

From Subjects to Citizens: Introduction to the History of the Early American Republic

THURSDAY:

The Revolutionary Origins of the Early Republic

Reading:

1. The Declaration of Independence (you can download and print a transcript of the D of I at this website: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html )

2. MP, chapter 3, essay by Waldstreicher

3. Online Exhibition: ―Declaring Independence: Creating and Re-Creating America‘s Document, organized by the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, (http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/declaration/index.html)

Week Two – Aug 30

TUESDAY:

The Constitutional Settlement of 1787-88

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 2: documents 1-4, 6, essay by Wood

2. LO, chapter 1: pp. 3-9

3. (Optional) Online Exhibition: Library of Congress, online exhibition on ―Madison‘s Treasures,‖ which illuminates Madison‘s role in drafting the constitution, in the subsequent debates over ratification, and in producing the Bill of Rights: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/madison/

4. (Optional) Podcast Listening: Monticello podcasts, ―Jefferson‘s Worlds: Three Letters on the New Constitution,‖ listed at: http://www.monticello.org/podcasts/index.html

THURSDAY:

Understanding the Process of Historical Change: Interpreting the Early Republic

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 1: essays by Wilentz, Rossiter, Pasley, Perkins 5 5

Week Three—Sept 6

TUESDAY:

Forming a New National Government and George Washington’s Leadership

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 3: documents 1, 2

2. LO, chapter 2: TBA

3. Simon P. Newman, ―Principles or Men?: George Washington and the Political Culture of National Leadership, 1776-1801,‖ Journal of the Early Republic 12, 4 (Winter, 1992), 477-507. (Electronic Reserve)

4. Online Exhibition: ―Alexander Hamilton and the Creation of the United States,‖ organized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History:

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/online/hamilton/index.html

THURSDAY:

The Impact of the French Revolution on America: Popular Politics and Partisan Conflict

Reading:

1. LO, chapter 3: pp. 141-150; 169-170

2. Handout of newspaper articles that covered celebrations of the French Revolution

3. Albrecht Koschnik, ―The Democratic Societies of Philadelphia and the Limits of the American Public Sphere, circa 1793-95, ‖ William and Mary Quarterly 58, 3 (2001): . (Electronic Reserve)

Week Four – Sept 13

TUESDAY:

The Deepening of Political Divisions: From Jay’s Treaty to Washington’s Farewell

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 3: documents 5-7

2. LO, chapter 3: 188-197; 203-221

3. Todd Estes, ―Shaping the Politics of Public Opinion: Federalists and the Jay Treaty Debate,‖ Journal of the Early Republic 20, 3 (Fall 2000), 393-422. (Electronic Reserve)

THURSDAY:

The Presidency of John Adams

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 3: documents 8-11 6 6

2. LO, chapter 4: TBA

3. James Morton Smith, ―The ‗Aurora‘ and the Alien and Sedition Laws: Part I: The Editorship of Benjamin Franklin Bache, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 77, 1 (Jan 1953), 3-23. (Electronic Reserve)

Week Five—Sept 20

TUESDAY:

The Second American Revolution?: The Election of 1800

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 3, documents 12-13; two essays in chapter

2. Handout of newspaper editorials on the election

3. Douglas R. Egerton, ―Gabriel‘s Conspiracy and the Election of 1800,” Journal of Southern History 56, 2 (May 1990), 191-214. (Electronic Reserve)

THURSDAY:

Thomas Jefferson: His Presidency and Political Thought

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 4, documents 1-3; 5-10, essays by Appleby, McDonald, Gordon-Reed

2. LO, TBA

3. Website Viewing (Spend some time viewing ONE of the two links from the Monticello website):

For links about Monticello (a virtual tour of the house and images), go to the following website: http://www.monticello.org/house/index.html

For links about the lives of enslaved African Americans who lived and worked at Monticello, go to the following website:

http://www.monticello.org/plantation/index.html

4. (Optional) Website Viewing for additional information:

For links to such topics as ―A Day in the Life of Thomas Jefferson,‖ A ―Brief Biography of Thomas Jefferson,‖ A ―Timeline of Jefferson‘s Life,‖ and ―The Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia,‖ go to the following website: http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/index.html

For an online exhibition of Jefferson‘s life and works organized by the Library of Congress, go to: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/

Week Six—Sept 27

TUESDAY

The First American West: The Settlement of the Ohio Valley

Reading:

1. Gail S. Terry, ―Sustaining the Bonds of Kinship in a Trans-Appalachian Migration, 1790-1811: The Cabell-Breckinridge Slaves Move West,‖ Virginia Magazine of History and Biography (October 1994): 455-476. (Electronic Reserve)

2. Online Reading Assignment: TBA–selected documents from ―The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820,‖ American Memory Project, Library of Congress: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/icuhtml/

THURSDAY

Library Instruction Session (preparation for the annotated bibliography)

Week Seven – Oct 4

TUESDAY and THURSDAY :

The Corps of Discovery: the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Reading:

1. Gunther Barth, ed., The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Selections from the Journals Arranged by Topic.

2. (Optional) Website Viewing:

To browse through primary sources on the Lewis and Clark expedition at the American Philosophical Society, including images of the original journals, go to the following website: http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/digcoll/landc

For background on Jefferson‘s role in the expedition, go to:

http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/lewisandclark/index.html

Week Eight—Oct 11

TUESDAY:

The Second War for American Independence: The War of 1812

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 5

THURSDAY:

The Market Revolution: The Modernization of the American Economy

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 7 8 8

2. Online Exhibition: ―Risky Business: Winning and Losing in the Early American Economy, 1780-1850,‖ organized by the Library Company of Philadelphia: http://www.librarycompany.org/Economics/RiskyBusiness/index.htm

3. (Optional) Website Viewing: For maps and historical images of the Erie Canal, go to: http://www.eriecanal.org

Week Nine, Oct 18

TUESDAY

The Expansion of Slavery in the South

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 8, documents 1-2; 4-6; 8-10; essays by Johnson and McCurry

2. MP, chapter 13, essay by Genovese

THURSDAY (Instructor will be away at a conference) The Experiences of Enslaved African Americans

1. Film Viewing (in–class): ―Solomon Northup‘s Odyssey‖

2. Optional Reading: Solomon Northup, Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853. Electronic edition available at the website, ―Documenting the American South: Primary Resources for the Study of Southern History, Literature, and Culture,‖ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/northup/northup.html

3. Optional Listening: To listen to recordings of interviews with former slaves, go to the Library of Congress American Memory Project, ―Voices from the Days of Slavery: Former Slaves Tell Their Stories‖: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/

Week Ten – Oct 25

TUESDAY

Finish viewing ―Solomon Northup‘s Odyssey‖ and discuss the experience of slavery

THURSDAY

The Missouri Crisis and the Rise of Sectionalism

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 10

Week Eleven – Nov 1

TUESDAY

Jacksonians, Whigs, and 1830s Politics

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 11 9 9

THURSDAY Native Americans, Western Expansion, and the Trail of Tears

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 9

2. (Optional) Website Viewing:

For an exhibition on eastern Indian wars organized by the Smithsonian Museum of American History, go to: http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/printable/section.asp?id=3

For information about the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, go to: http://www.nps.gov/trte/index.htm

For a link to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, go to: http://www.cherokeemuseum.org/html/collections_tot.html

3. Optional Audio Interview:

For an interview with documentary film maker Philip Coulter who traveled along the Trail of Tears, go to http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/trail-of-tears/index.html

Week Twelve – Nov 8

TUESDAY:

Antebellum Reform Movements

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 12

THURSDAY Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 13, documents 1-5; 10; essay by Jeffrey

2. Website Viewing:

Online exhibition from the Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library: ―‘That laboratory of abolitionism, libel, and treason‘: Syracuse and the Underground Railroad,‖ http://libwww.syr.edu/digital/exhibits/u/undergroundrr/

Week Thirteen—Nov. 15

The Literature of Politics, Reform, and Abolition: The Gerrit Smith Broadside Collection

To view the various pamphlets contained in the Gerrit Smith Broadside collection, go to: http://libwww.syr.edu/information/spcollections/digital/gerritsmith/

TUESDAY

Writing workshop 10 10

Reading:

George Orwell, ―Politics and the English Language,‖ (Electronic Reserve)

THURSDAY

Bring draft of your Gerrit Smith document analysis to class

Peer Review

Week Fourteen – Nov. 22

TUESDAY:

The Second Great Awakening

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 6

2. Website Viewing:

Library of Congress, online exhibition on ―Religion and the Founding of the American Republic,‖ http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel07.html

THURSDAY:

THANKSGIVING

Week Fifteen – Nov. 29

TUESDAY:

Manifest Destiny, Slavery, and the Politics of Western Expansion

Reading:

1. MP, chapter 15

THURSDAY Final Assessment and Review

December 10, 2010: 11am-12:50pm.: Final Exam

Wood has been a frequent guest of BookTV, and a video broadcast of his last appearance is available here.

Buy it Now

Jack Miller Online Book Store

From the Wall Street Journal:

The famous professor of political philosophy, who died in 1973, had many disciples in the Bush administration, and journalists had frequently misquoted Strauss as arguing that “one must make the whole globe democratic.” Opponents of the war who were looking for a more sinister scapegoat than faulty intelligence about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction put two and two together: Strauss had given his pupils an imperialist itch, and now that they were in power, they were scratching it.

Thanks to the Leo Strauss Center at the University of Chicago, where Strauss taught from 1949 to 1967, this myth will soon face stricter scrutiny. The center is uploading to its website written and audio recordings of Strauss’s lectures, many made by graduate students in the 1950s and 60s. Eventually, students world-wide will be able to take courses by Strauss, free of charge.

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Visit the Leo Strauss Center

NEH

Collaborative Research Grants support original research undertaken by a team of two or more scholars, for full-time or part-time activities for periods of at least one year up to a maximum of three years. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; field work; applications of information technology; and technical support and services. All grantees are expected to communicate the results of their work to the appropriate scholarly and public audiences.

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The 5th edition of the Portable Library of Liberty data DVD will be ready for distribution in February 2010. It contains 1,002 full text titles in EBook PDF format, 36 hours of MP3 interviews with classical liberal political philosophers and economists (The Intellectual Portrait Series) and lectures on the thought of Friedrich Hayek (The Legacy of Friedrich Hayek), and a version of our collection of Quotations about Liberty and Power which is designed to run on a data DVD.

This edition of the PLL is not only the 5th edition since the website’s launch in March 2004 but also our 50th Anniversary Edition as Liberty Fund was founded in 1960.

You can request a complimentary copy but please include your snail mail (i.e. postal) address with your request so we can ship it to you, as well as your preferred browser (either Firefox/Safari or IE8). If you have trouble viewing the PLL DVD using IE see this page for help.