United States in the World 34:

The Civil War from Nat Turner to Birth of a Nation

or
Is the U.S. Civil War Still Being Fought?
https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/10796
Spring 2019
0505 Menschel Hall, Fogg Museum, 32 Quincy St.
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:00-1:15 PM

John Stauffer, Sumner R. and Marshall S. Kates Professor of English and of African and
African American Studies
Office: Barker Center 267; Office Hours: Fridays 2-4 & by appt.
Contact info: stauffer@fas.harvard.edu; 617-642-7108 (cell; text is preferred).

Marissa Grunes: Head Teaching Fellow (mgrunes@fas.harvard.edu)

Course description:
Most of us were taught that the Civil War between the Confederacy and the Union was
fought on battlefields chiefly in the American South between the years of 1861-1865. In this
narrative, the North won and the South lost.
But what if the issues that resulted in such devastating bloodshed were never resolved?
What if the war never ended?
This course demonstrates the ways in which the United States is still fighting the Civil
War, arguably THE defining event in U.S. history. In each class, we connect current events to
readings and themes in the course, highlighting how and why the war is still being fought.
From Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in 1831 to the recent riot (or battle) in Charlottesville,
we trace how and why the South was in certain respects the victor, even though the Confederacy
was destroyed and the Constitution amended.
We explore the different kinds of war—ideological, political, cultural, military, and para-
military—that placed the unfreedom of blacks—as slaves, serfs, and prisoners—at the center of
larger conflicts over federal versus state and local rule, welfare, globalization, and free trade.
We analyze the Civil War in literature, art, politics, photography, prints, film, music,
poetry, speeches, and history, while also discovering how these cultural forms worked to shape
our memory of the event itself.
By the end of the course, we will be able to show how and why contemporary U.S.
debates are rooted in this defining narrative, and we will better understand the dilemmas the
nation faces today.
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Required Texts (available at the Coop and on Reserve at Lamont):

Herman Melville, Bartleby and Benito Cereno (Dover)
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Norton Critical)
Abraham Lincoln, Great Speeches (Dover)
Louis Masur, The Civil War: A Concise History (Oxford)
Drew Faust, This Republic of Suffering (Knopf)
David Blight, Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory (Harvard)
Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Norton Critical)

These required texts can be ordered from the Coop here:

https://tinyurl.com/300-W19-GNED-USWRLD-34-1

Coursepack (readings marked *): online; a coursepack is also available from

Gnomon Printers: 1308 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, MA; 617-491-1111

Optional Texts:
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave (2013), DVD—film can also be viewed during
screening.

Course Requirements:
•Weekly readings (averaging 80-100 pages per week)

The average weekly readings are modest in length. They proceed chronologically
in order to trace the change over time in the long Civil War.

•Lecture attendance and active section participation (20%)

Normally, each week will consist of two lectures and one section meeting.
Lectures will last an hour or less, which will leave time for follow-up questions or
discussions with Professor Stauffer or your Teaching Fellow. The lectures will
focus on the readings and topics of that week, plus current events that resonate
with the week’s material. Lectures will be interactive; students are encouraged to
ask questions or offer commentary during or after the lecture.

•Three “pithy commentaries” due in section (15%)

In these short, 2-page, double-spaced, polished reflections, you might do a single
“close reading” or analysis, make connections between readings, or raise a
question that you would like to explore further in a paper or discussion. They
take the form of a very short essay or "think piece," with a question or thesis
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framed up front. These pithy commentaries are invaluable for developing critical
writing skills and exploring new ideas. They often lead to original essays. Your
pithy commentaries may also be creative works (ie. fiction; poetry; a dialogue)
inspired by one of the readings, but an implicit argument or question should still
be apparent near the beginning of the piece.

You may choose which weeks to submit your 3 pithy commentaries, but they
must pertain to the readings of the week in which you submit them. The first
pithy commentary is due in section no later than the week of February 25 in
section, so that your Teaching Fellow has a sense of your writing early on. You
cannot submit more than one pithy commentary for a given week. Pithy
commentaries are graded; you can revise and resubmit them to help you improve
your writing (and your grade).

•Midterm exam during section, week of March 11, consisting of IDs and
short answers (10%)
The midterm consists of IDs and short answers, drawn from the lectures and the
readings from the first week of class through the lecture on February 28.

Professor Stauffer will hold a review session for the midterm on Tuesday, March
5 from 8-10pm. The session will be videotaped and uploaded onto the course
website for students who are unable to attend.

Students will have the option of an extension on the midterm (without penalty)
until after spring break. The make-up exam is on Tuesday, March 26, from 8-
10PM.

•Final project proposal, due on April 10 in lecture (5%)

These 1-2 page proposals should include a description of the topic, questions you
hope to answer, and key sources. These proposals enable Professor Stauffer and
your Teaching Fellow to suggest sources and help you refine your topic if need
be.

•Final project, due on May 6 at 5:00 pm (30%)

The final project may take one of two forms:

1) A creative project inspired by the course, such as a play, screenplay, short

story, visual art, collection of poems, or contemporary speech. For creative
projects, you must also include a 2-4 page explanation that explains your project
and how it engages the readings and/or themes of the course. A creative project
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should reflect an equivalent amount of work as a 10-15 page essay. For example,
you may write a poem or collection of poems, but you will need to compose 10
pages of poetry plus your 2-4 page explanation.

2) 10-15 page essay, including 7 or more primary and secondary sources.

If you would like your final project returned to you, give your Teaching Fellow a
self-addressed, stamped envelope; or you can have him/her email you the
comments and grade.

•Final Exam, on May 11 at 9:00 am (20%)

The final exam consists of two parts:

1) Short answers and IDs, drawn from lectures and readings from the midterm to
the last week of class.

2) An essay that addresses a major theme of the course. Two essay questions will
appear on the final exam; students choose one to write on.

Professor Stauffer will hold a review session for the final exam on May 8 at
7:00PM

Students should be able to complete the exam in under two hours but will have
three hours to work on it.

If you would like your final project and/or exam returned to you before
graduation, please give your Teaching Fellow a self-addressed, stamped envelope,
or have him/her email your comments and grade.

Grading:
Lecture attendance and section participation: 20%
3 Pithy commentaries: 15%
Midterm exam: 10%
Final project proposal: 5%
Final project: 30%
Final exam: 20%

Sections:
As a writing intensive course, sections are comparatively small in size. Students will receive
timely feedback on written and spoken work. They will have the opportunity to meet
individually with their Teaching Fellow and Professor Stauffer to discuss their written and oral
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work. And they will be able to receive feedback on drafts or portions of their final projects.
Professor Stauffer will attend each section if his schedule permits.

Harvard's Policy on Collaboration:

Discussion and the exchange of ideas are essential to academic work. For the assignments in this
course, you are encouraged to consult with your classmates and share sources. However, you
should ensure that any work you submit for evaluation is the result of your own research and
writing and that it reflects your own approach to the topic. You must adhere to standard citation
practices and properly cite any books, articles, websites, lectures, etc. that have helped you with
your work. If you received help with your writing (such as feedback on drafts), you must also
acknowledge this assistance.

Academic Accommodations:
We encourage persons with disabilities to enroll in or audit this course. If you anticipate needing
any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact
aeo@fas.harvard.edu or 617-496-8707.

Late papers and missed classes:

If an emergency arises, please let your Teaching Fellow know as soon as possible. We will grant
extensions on the final projects without penalty as long as you contact us prior to the deadline. If
you request an extension 0-24 hours prior to the deadline, we’ll grant you a one-day extension; if
it is two days prior to the deadline, we’ll grant you a two-day extension; and so on, with a limit
of a one-week extension. This policy encourages you to plan ahead and be forthcoming with us
about problems that interfere with your coursework.

If you are sick and think you might miss class, let us know in advance if at all possible and we
will not penalize you for the absence. If you miss section more than once, you will need a note
from your senior tutor to avoid being penalized in your class participation grade.

Without an extension, final projects will be penalized by one-third of a grade per day (i.e., "A-"
to "B+").

Missing a class without contacting us prior to it will result in a 10% reduction of your class
participation grade.

You can reach Professor Stauffer by text and phone (617-642-7108) and Marissa Grunes,
the Head Teaching Fellow, at mgrunes@fas.harvard.edu. Professor Stauffer receives too
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many emails to be able to respond to them within twenty-four hours, so if you want a
prompt response, please text or call his cell phone.

Course Schedule:

Part One: The Coming of the Civil War

Week One (Jan 28, 30): Introduction

Monday: Reconceptualizing the Civil War
Wednesday: Slavery and Abolition in International Context

Readings: (34pp)
*David Von Drehle, “The Civil War: 1861-2011” (4pp.)
(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2063869,00.html)
Blight, Race and Reunion (1-30pp.)

Week Two (Feb 4, 6): The Coming Crisis, 1

Monday: Slave Revolts
Wednesday: The 1850s, Part 1

Readings: (160pp)
*The Confessions of Nat Turner (24pp)
*David Walker, Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World,
“Preamble, Articles I & II (33pp)
(http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/walker/walker.html)
*Maria W. Stewart, “Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality” (2pp)
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave (2 hrs)
Begin Reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin (100pp)

Film Screening, Tuesday Feb. 5, 7-9:30, 12 Years a Slave (2013)

Week Three (Feb 11, 13): The Coming Crisis, 2; Uncle Tom’s
Cabin, 1
Monday: The 1850s, Part 2
Wednesday: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1; Cannibals All!; Jacobs & Truth
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Readings: (175pp)
Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (150pp)
*George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! , ch. 1 (4pp)
*Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861), chs. 7-10 (20 pp)
(http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/jacobs/jacobs.html#jac58)
*Sojourner Truth, “Ar’n’t I a Woman?” (1p)

Week Four (Feb 18, 20): Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 2

Monday: NO CLASS: PRESIDENT'S DAY
Wednesday: Uncle Tom's Cabin, 2

Readings: (167pp)
Finish Uncle Tom’s Cabin (pp.258-408).
*Toni Morrison, “Romancing Slavery” (10pp)

Week Five (Feb 25, 27): Classic Literature and the Sectional Crisis
First pithy commentary submission (in section) on or before the week of Feb 25
Monday: Whitman’s Utopia
Wednesday: Melville’s Dystopia

Readings: (57pp)
*Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (1855): From “Song of Myself” (section 6:
“What is the Grass?”); “I Sing the Body Electric”;
“A Boston Ballad” (7pp)
Herman Melville, Benito Cereno (57pp); Partial Guest Lecture by Robert
Mann

Part II: The Civil War

Week Six (March 4, 6): Secession and Union War (1860-61)

Tuesday, March 5, 8-10 PM: Review Session for Midterm Exam:

Monday: The Road to Secession
Wednesday: Douglass and Lincoln on a Union War; the Rise of Copperheads

Readings: (105pp)
Louis Masur, The Civil War, chs. 1-3 (50pp)
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Abraham Lincoln, “House Divided,” “Cooper Union,” “Inaugural Address,”
in Great Speeches (30pp)
*John Brown, “Speech to the Court at His Trial,” Nov. 2, 1859 (1p);
“Note to Jailor” (1p)
*Lydia Maria Child, “Letters to Gov. Wise and John Brown,” Oct. 26, 1859 (10p)
*Frederick Douglass, “The Inaugural Address”; “A Trip to Haiti” (12pp)
*Letter of Thomas Drayton to Percival Drayton, April 17, 1861

Week Seven (Mar 11, 13): Singing and Fighting for Freedom
Midterm Exam in Sections
Monday: Singing and Fighting for Freedom
Wednesday: An Experiment in Freedom: The Sea Islands (Guest Lecture by Robert
Mann)

Readings (not discussed until week of March 19): (12pp)

*Pierce, “The Freedmen at Port Royal” (2pp)
*Letter of Port Royal Freedmen to President Lincoln (2pp)
*Report of Maj. Martin Delaney's Address to Port Royal Freedmen (4pp)
*Robert G. Mann, “The ‘Contact’ of Living Souls” (30pp) [Optional]
*Songs: (4pp)
Anon., “Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us”
Anon., “John Brown’s Body,” 1861
Julia Ward Howe, “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” (1862)

Week Eight (Mar 18, 20): SPRING BREAK

Week Nine (Mar 25, 27): Living-Room War, Abolition War

Tuesday March 26: Make-up Midterm at 8:00 p.m. Place tba.

Monday: Civil War as Living Room War
Wednesday: Lincoln and Douglass on an Abolition War

Readings (66pp):
Louis Masur, The Civil War, chs. 4-6, epilogue (50pp)
*Abraham Lincoln, “Address on Colonization,” 8/14/62 (2pp)
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Abraham Lincoln, “Final Emancipation Proclamation,” “Gettysburg Address”;
“Second Inaugural,” in Great Speeches (7pp)
*Frederick Douglass, “The President and His Speeches”; “A Day for Poetry and
Song”; (7pp)

Friday March 29, 10:00 – 1:00

Optional Walking Tour of Civil War Boston, led by Professor Stauffer
and National Park Service Ranger Shawn Quigley.

Meet at Barker Center entrance at 10:00 a.m. We will proceed to the

Harvard Square T; it is a short ride to the Park Street stop on the red line.
We will meet at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, across from the State
House, and end at the NPS Museum of African American History a few
blocks away, where there is an exhibition on Frederick Douglass and
photography. Lunch will be provided after the tour.

Part III: Reconstruction and Redemption

Week Ten (April 1, 3): The Essence of War
Monday: Assassination into Reconstruction
Wednesday: The Work of Death

Readings (100 pages):

Lincoln, "Last Public Address," in Great Speeches (5pp)
Drew Faust, This Republic of Suffering, chs. 1, 2, 6, epilogue
*Emily Dickinson, “All but Death, can be Adjusted”;
“My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums”

Week Eleven (April 8, 10): Reconstructions

Project proposal due on April 10 in lecture.

Monday: President Johnson's Reconstruction
Wednesday: Congressional Reconstruction
Partial Guest Lecture on Wednesday with James Brookes

Readings (90pp):
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*W.E.B. Du Bois, “The Propaganda of History” (18pp)
*Andrews, selections from The South Since the War (15pp)
*Dennett, selections from The South as it Is (9pp)
Begin reading Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (50pp)

Week Twelve (April 15, 17): Reconstruction’s End

Monday: Counter-Revolution and Reconstruction's End
Wednesday: Post-Reconstruction: War as Metaphor of Life Itself

Readings (100pp):
Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (100 pp)

Week Thirteen (April 22, 24): Remembering the War

Monday: Huckleberry Finn—Tall Tales, Con Men, Minstrelsy
Wednesday: Mark Twain and Redemption

Readings: (77pp)
Finish Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (50pp)
Blight, Race and Reunion, pp. 211-31 (20pp)
D.W. Griffith, The Birth of a Nation, DVD (1915)
*Toni Morrison, “This Amazing, Troubling Book” in Norton Critical Edition of
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (7pp)
*Dixie (song)

Week Fourteen (April 29, May 1): Causes Lost and Won
Monday: D.W. Griffith, Birth of a Nation (1915)
Wednesday: Conclusion: Where are We Now?

Readings: (125pp)
Blight, Race and Reunion, pp. 354-97 (43pp)
*U.B. Phillips, “The Central Theme of Southern History” (14pp)
*John Stauffer, “History is the Activist’s Muse” (12pp)
*Ta Nehisi Coates, “The First White President” (34pp)
*Thomas Chatterton Williams, “How Ta-Nehisi Coates Gives Whiteness
Power” (5pp)

Final Projects due on May 6 at 5:00 pm.

Review Session for Final Exam: May 8 at 7:00 pm.
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Final Exam on May 11 at 9:00 am.