History 49S.01
The Political Thought of America’s Founders
___Fall 2004
PROFESSOR: Dr. Eric Daniels Office: 259 Trent Hall or 111 Carr Building Trent Office Phone: 681-3493 Carr Office Hours: Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Trent Office Hours: By appointment E-mail: edaniels@duke.edu Overview: This seminar seeks to understand and analyze the political thought of America’s Founders. The main focus will be on the period from the British Imperial Crisis through the American Revolution to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. During this period, a generation of thinkers and activists promoted a new vision of politics, unprecedented in history. Through their actions, they established a new nation on a unique set of political ideas. Our task will be to investigate those ideas and seek to understand them not only on their own terms, but also for their relevance today. We will cover a wide range of issues in significant depth with the goal of having mastered the major themes and ideas of the period. Class Structure and Discussions: Through the course of the semester we will meet together twice weekly. Because this course is a seminar, it is absolutely essential that you come to class prepared to discuss the readings for that week. Periodically during the semester, I will provide a set of thinking points to consider before you come to class, which will serve as a rough outline for discussion. Attendance is mandatory and you should be prepared to discuss the readings for that week, which includes the possibility of being called upon in class. Unexcused absences will not be tolerated. Because I recognize that unexpected crises do sometimes occur in a student’s life, I am willing to allow one excused absence—but only if the student notifies me (by e-mail or by phone) before the absence. More than three unexcused absences will result in a failing grade for your participation and attendance. Office Hours: Each week I hold open office hours. During this time I make myself available to answer questions related to topics brought up in the discussions, ideas in the readings, and general topics related to history. If ever there is something that you do not understand, or wish to understand further, do not hesitate to contact me. If these times are not convenient, you may contact me in person or via e-mail to make other arrangements. Writing Requirements: During the course of the semester you will be required to write one short paper and one research-type paper. I have designed these assignments to serve two purposes. First, I want to make sure you leave this course with a clear idea about how to communicate your ideas on paper. A precise, convincing presentation of your thoughts is essential to becoming an effective writer. Second, the assignments will help you to demonstrate your mastery of the knowledge you acquire in the course. You will be required to synthesize material from class, from your readings, and from outside research. My policy for papers is that they must be turned in on time. I do not give extensions except in the most calamitous of circumstances (e.g., severed limb, coma, nuclear war). For each day the paper is late, it will be marked down one full letter grade (e.g., A- becomes B-, not B+). Further information on the writing assignments will be presented in class.
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History 49S.01
The Political Thought of America’s Founders
___Fall 2004
Grading: Your course grade will consider both your written work and your performance in class. Your papers will constitute 65 percent of your grade (27.5 percent for the short paper and 37.5 percent for the final paper). Participation and attendance in section counts for 35 percent. Improvement over the course of the semester will be taken into consideration. Academic misconduct, as defined by the Duke Community Standard, will not be tolerated, and can be grounds for a failing grade in the course. If you have any questions about exactly what this means, do not hesitate to ask. Remember, ignorance of the rules is not an excuse. See: for more information. Reading List: This course has five required books and some readings available electronically on Blackboard (BB). All of the books can be purchased at the Duke bookstore. The books are as follows (abbreviations in parentheses are used on the reading schedule): • Gordon Lloyd and Margie Lloyd, eds., The Essential Bill of Rights (EBOR) • C. Bradley Thompson, John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty (JASOL) • Thomas Paine, Common Sense • Clinton Rossiter, ed., The Federalist Papers • Herbert Storing, ed., The Antifederalist Keeping up with the reading is vital if you hope to do well in the course. Read the material for the week before you attend class so that you will be able to participate in the discussion. Reading for some weeks is heavier than others. Look ahead and make sure you know what’s coming. Readings from the books appear by name, abbreviation (listed above), and page numbers. Blackboard readings are listed under BB by author and title. These will be filed in the “Course Documents” section of the website. Week One (August 25th and 27th): Introduction and Background BB: Aristotle and Polybius on ancient constitutions. Week Two (September 1st and 3rd): Eighteenth-Century State of the Art Lloyd, EBOR, 67-136 BB: Mayer, “Bold in the Pursuit of Knowledge” Week Three (September 8th and 10th): The Colonial and Imperial Crisis Lloyd, EBOR, 137-182 BB: Bailyn, “Power and Liberty” Week Four (September 15th and 17th): Justifying Revolution Thompson, JASOL, 1-87 BB: John Adams, “A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law” Week Five (September 22nd and 24th): Justifying Revolution (cont.) Thomas Paine, Common Sense BB: Responses to Paine
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History 49S.01
The Political Thought of America’s Founders
___Fall 2004
Week Six (September 29th and October 1st): Constitutions in the States Lloyd, EBOR, 233-276 BB: Massachusetts Arguments; Mayer, “Our Revolution Commenced” Week Seven (October 6th and 8th): The United States Constitution Thompson, JASOL, 91-228 Weeks Eight though Ten (October 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 27th, and 29th): Debating the Constitution The Federalist Papers and The Antifederalist (selections to be announced) Week Eleven (November 3rd and 5th): Rights Lloyd, EBOR, 1-66 and 319-343 BB: Levy, “Why We Have the Bill of Rights” Week Twelve (November 10th and 12th): Rights (cont.) BB: Article on the Bill of Rights Week Thirteen (November 17th and 19th): Rights in Practice BB: Hortentius on Free Speech, Madison on Property, Siegan, “Commercial Republic” Week Fourteen and Fifteen (November 24th and December 1st): Legacies of the Founding BB: Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, and Washington on the 1790s
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