HI 215 History of American Thought

(1) Tues 1/19 Course Intro Day – I’ll hand out the syllabus, or you can download the PDF here. We’ll talk about some of the thinkers that we will meet in the course, and learn how to use the course tools.

In our first unit, we explore founding moments: people, ideas, thinkers, and events of the founding generation or words and ideas which “made” (or remade) America.

(2) Thurs 1/21 Words That Remade America – have your GoogleSite set up by today
Reading: Wills, “Words that Remade America” [pdf]
In-class links: WA, GPPt

Discussion questions:
What does Wills mean by his title? In what way did (or could) these words “remake” America?
Discuss the historical context of this speech – which parts of that history did you know, and which were new to you? This speech is remarkably brief. Why is it so significant, in Wills’ view? Are you persuaded? Can you think of another speech that has also “remade America”?

(3) Tues 1/26 Intellectual History: the American Mind
Reading: Guelzo, “Is There an American Mind?” [pdf]

(4) Thurs 1/28 Revolutionary Women
Reading: Kerber “The Republican Mother” [pdf]

(5) Tues 2/2 Founding Fathers
Reading: Federalist Papers 10 and 51

(6) Thurs 2/4 Founding Mothers
Reading: Judith Sargent Murray, Part 1 – read pp. 1-60 and 133-138

(7) Tues 2/9 Speeches: American Idealism
Reading: Scott, “The Popular Lecture and the Creation of a Public in Mid-19th C America” [pdf]
In-class links: Alexis deTocqueville, George Catlin