This course presents the methods and tools that are essential to the discipline of history and, to a  lesser extent, other social science disciplines.

We all know what history is: it is what really happened yesterday, the day before, etc. etc. But how do we uncover this reality? How do we tell stories about the past in a way that is truthful, fair, and objective?

Since memory deceives us, since two people's telling of the same story will always differ, historians have developed rules and methods for guiding how we approach the past. These rules are central to the practice of  history in the university, and they are what makes the academic discipline of history different from the treatment of history in Hollywood, in popular writing, or in what you hear around the dinner table with your great-uncle Luigi.

Method is crucial to the practice of history! This course will introduce you to method.
 
 

1) All of the readings and workbook exercises must be completed on the dates assigned.

2) Class participation is mandatory and is part of your grade. You can't participate if you are not present. If you must miss a class, make-up assignments must be submitted by the next class session.

3) There will be a number of essays. In order to get a passing grade your papers must:
 

a) have a thesis
b) support your thesis with evidence
c) present ideas in an organized manner, observing conventions of proper spelling, grammar, and syntax
d) cite your sources

Your final grade will be computed as follows:

Class participation: 20%
Workbook assignments: 20%
Essays: 30%
Final Paper: 30%

The copying of others' work without proper citation (i.e. plagiarism) will lead to a failing grade in this class.

The following books are required for purchase*:
Conal Furay and Michael Salevouris, The Methods and Skills of History: A Practical Guide
Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual
Coursepack (CP) -- a bound collection of readings which will be available from the instructor

*The books are available at the Webster University Bookstore in the glorious garage on Garden St. For online ordering, store hours, and phone numbers, click here.

Week 1. -- Aug. 19-21
The Uses of History
Reading: Furay and Salevouris, Methods and Skills of History, ch. 1 and Robert Samuelson, "What We Don't Know Won't Hurt Us" (Handout)
Assignment: Complete Set A, Exercise 1 (Furay & Salevouris, p. 7) and write 1-page reaction paper to Samuelson's essay

Week 2 -- Aug. 26-28
The Question of Objectivity
Reading: Furay, ch. 2; Simon Schama, “Visualizing History” (Handout); and Lee, "Making History Her Story, Too" (Handout)
Assignment: For Monday -- Set A, Ex. 1,2,3 (pp. 17-21) and Set B, Ex. 1,2,3 (pp. 22-26); For Wednesday  -- 1-2 page research and writing "agenda" for historical topic (distributed in class)

Week 3 -- Sep. 2-4
Thinking Historically
Reading: For Monday -- Gary Wills, "How to Speak to a Nation's Suffering" (CP); A. Lincoln, "Gettysburg Address" (Handout-HO); Selected Document (HO); Furay, ch. 3;
For Wednesday -- Foucault, Discipline and Punish (Coursepack-CP)
Assignment: Prepare oral report on documents; Set A, ex. 1 (pp. 32-35);

Week 4 -- Sep. 9-11
Causality
Reading: Furay, ch. 4; Michael Howard, "Europe on the Eve of the First World War" (CP)
Assignment: Set A, ex. 1 (pp. 49-53); Set A, ex. 2 (pp. 53-55); Precis of Howard, including a list of 1) the principal causes of the War according to Howard and 2) other possible causes either rejected, under-emphasized, or neglected by Howard

Week 5 -- Sep. 16-18
Context
Reading: Furay, ch. 5; Robert Darnton, "Workers Revolt: The Great Cat Massacre of the Rue Saint-Séverin" (CP)
Assignment: Set A, ex 1, Cromwell in Ireland (pp. 68-71); Set B, ex 1, Appeasement, 1933-1938 (72-76)

Week 6 -- Sep. 23-25
How to Read History
Reading: Furay, ch. 7
Assignment: Set A, ex 1, Thesis-Finding (112-115); Set A, ex 2, Analysis of an Article (be sure to read Morgan essay on pp. 119-129)

Week 7 -- Sep. 30-Oct. 2
Using Evidence
Reading: Furay, ch. 9 and selected documents (Handout)
Assignment: Set A, ex 1, Primary Sources (150-1); Set A, ex 2, Types of Primary Sources (151-2); Set A, ex 3, Inference (152-6); Set A, ex 4, Analysis of Evidence (156-9)

Week 8 -- Oct. 7-9
The Future of Public History
Reading: For Monday: . "Introduction" and 3 of the documents reprinted on the following website:  http://womhist.binghamton.edu/hague/doclist.htm
For Wednesday:
Assignment: Please come prepared to describe 3 realistic, possible research topics of your choosing. Realistic means that they can be done from St. Louis and within the time constraints of our semester

Fall Break: Oct. 11 - 21

Week 10 -- Oct 28
Interpreting Evidence
Reading: Furay, ch 11
Assignment: Set A, ex 1, Classification (191-4); Set A, ex 2 (194-7)

Week 11 -- Nov 4
Archives and Libraries
Reading: Documents on the Women's Peace Mission
Assignment:

Week 12 -- Nov 11
Oral History and the Problem of Interpretation
Reading: Furay, pp. 169-173
Assignment: Due Monday -- Critical Analysis of a document or text relevant to your research project

Week 13 -- Nov 18
Writing History
Reading: Furay, ch. 12
Assignment: Due Wednesday -- Set A, ex 1-6 (218-221)

Week 14 -- Nov 25
Pulling it Together
Reading: David Blight, "The Civil War" (CP) and Anderson, "In Search of the Smithsonian" (CP)
Assignment: Due Monday -- Outlines of your final paper w/ new document analysis. Oral Presentations.

Week 15 -- Dec 2
Reading: Weinraub, "Planned Mini-Series on Hitler's Early Life;" additional reading TBA
Assignment: Oral Presentations; Due Wednesday -- final paper
 

Final Deadline: Any and all rewrites of the final papers must be submitted to my mailbox in the HPL Dept. Office by Wednesday Dec. 11th.
 

There will be No Final Exam