This course examines the history of American women from the earliest years of colonial contact until the Civil War of the 1860s. As historians, our focus will be on the dynamics of continuity and change, as well as on the tensions between what people expected of women and the actual realities of women’s lives. Ideas about “traditional womanhood” were always under siege, even in what we may think of as “traditional” Puritan society. How did definitions of femininity and feminine behavior change? and why? What roles did women play in making these changes occur? Finally, because “women’ refers to a plurality of beings, there is no one “woman’s” history. We will thus pay close attention to the various factors that led different women along sometimes very different paths: race, class, ethnicity, and regional location (North, South, urban, rural, frontier, etc.).
In addition to learning about women’s experiences and the changing social, cultural, and political forces that shaped women’s lives, we will also work on honing our skills as historians. We will learn how to read and write with a more careful and critical eye. Just as importantly, we will practice the craft of historical research by analyzing the various types of evidence that scholars use to reconstruct the past. By the end of the semester, I hope that you will be familiar with the language, narrative, and methodology of gender and women’s history.
| Required Readings | Computer Requirements |
| General Course Requirements | Grades and Honor Code |
All books can be purchased at the University Bookstore, Volume Two Bookstore, and the Tech Bookstore. Additional readings to be announced (TBA) and distributed either online or in classroom handouts. All of the required books are or soon will be available on reserve at Newman Library.
The readings for each class session vary in length. I’ve tried to break up the books so that not too much is assigned for any given day and so that there are periodic breaks in the reading load. You know more than anyone how quickly or slowly you can read. Make sure to review the schedule so that you can plan in advance and pace yourself accordingly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or come for help.
Class Preparation and Participation:
It is essential that you come to class prepared to discuss that day’s assigned readings. Read the books, articles, and document carefully beforehand and take notes if you feel that’s necessary to help you remember key points. Make sure to keep track of any questions that the readings raise for you as you go along.
Your Written Reflections on the readings (see below) will give you the opportunity to think about and reflect on the assigned material before you come to class. You are required to hand in eight of these Reflections over the course of the semester. You may also find it helpful to write on the readings even if you’re not preparing a Written Reflection for that week, since the act of writing will help you gather and clarify your thoughts.
Collaborative Reviews and Comments: We will begin most classes with a very brief review of the previous class provided by two of you. For each class, one of you will serve as either a “notetaker” or “reporter.” In between any two classes, the “notetaker” for the previous class will meet with the “reporter” for the following class. Together they will prepare a 5-minute report reviewing two or three central points from the previous class and providing a brief comment emphasizing connections themes and questions that connect the material from the previous class with the readings for the upcoming class. The “reporter” will use this short report as the basis of a brief oral presentation which she/he will give at the beginning of the next class. I will distribute a sign up sheet for these positions during the second week of class.
Written Work:
To help you articulate your ideas both in class and out, you will each be required to turn in 8 short (2-3 pages, double-spaced) Written Reflections on the reading over the course of the semester. These Written Reflections will provide an opportunity for you to think critically about the readings for each week – and to come to terms with the significance and meaning of the readings. Simple summaries of the books or articles will not suffice. Nor will emotional or gut-level responses (although your personal perspective will certainly inform your analysis). Instead, use these papers to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the week’s readings, to respond to the major arguments made by the different authors, to critically examine the theoretical and methodological frameworks of the reading assignments, and/or to relate these readings to items read earlier in the semester.
You will have 12 opportunities to submit Written Reflections (see Course Schedule), but you only need to turn in 8. Two (2) of these, which will be based on specific questions about specific types of evidence, are required of everyone in the class. The other 6 papers can be turned in any week of your choice. Pace yourself wisely – don’t leave them all for the end! The papers are due at the beginning of class on the dates designated and should address some aspect of the assigned readings for that particular week (not day). Papers should be concise, well-written, and carefully proofread. No late papers will be accepted.
Make sure to save electronic and hard copies of all of your papers because ... at the end of the semester, you will compile your Written Reflections into a Final Portfolio that will include five (5) of your favorite papers from the class and a 4-page summary/analysis of the material you presented in these five papers and what they reveal about what you learned from this class. Your completed Final Portfolio will be due by 9:45 am, Wednesday, December 15th – the time and date designated by the university for your final exam.
All written assignments must be completed in order for you to receive a passing grade for this class.
Course Webpage
The class webpage – http://www.majbill.vt.edu/history/mollin/3105.htm – houses the basic syllabus for the class, specific assignments, and links to online readings. While we won’t rely on it heavily, it’s there as a resource. Make use of it if you need to.
Communication
I will communicate with you periodically via e-mail. If you check your e-mail through an account other than your Virginia Tech account (ie: Hotmail or Yahoo), make sure you configure your Virginia Tech e-mail account to forward your mail. Otherwise you will miss out on important announcements.
If you wish to communicate with me via e-mail, please be sure to type “Hist 3105” in the subject header line. Otherwise, I may delete the message without reading it. I get too much spam and virus-laden e-mails these days to open up messages that I don’t immediately recognize.
Finally, some things are best discussed in person rather than electronically. If you have a complicated or sensitive problem to discuss, please feel free to come and introduce yourself to me. I am always available during my office hours as well as after class.
Grades for the course will be based on the following formula:
| Classroom Participation | 20 % |
| Notetaking/Reporting | 5 % |
| Written Reflections (8 of 12) | 65 % |
| Final Portfolio | 10 % |
| ------- | |
| TOTAL | 100% |
Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the Virginia Tech Honor Code on all assignments for this course. Although I strongly encourage students to work together in study and review groups, all work submitted for a grade must be your own.