J296 -- Fall 2008: SCHEDULE

THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO ADDITIONS AND CHANGES FROM WEEK TO WEEK. RE-CHECK THE ONLINE VERSION WEEKLY.

Back to syllabus

 

Week 1: On Primary Sources

 

Jan. 7: Friday. Reid 302. Introductions, expectations.

 

Jan. 9: Wednesday. Boatwright Room. We'll discuss an early paper from the collection and passage from Locke’s Works, using 3 "Levels" of reading a primary source. Read before class: "How to Read a Document"; Copeland, Debating. Intro, vii-xvii; Chap. 1 “Censorship, Printing Control, & Freedom of the Press, 1690,” The Petition of Rights (in BlackBoard, but also contained in "How to Read. . .").

 

Jan. 11: Reid 302. The model of a map of historical time. Read before class: An early 18th century newspaper (to get used to printing style),  Zenger trial (Emery & Emery, 54-58, or Mott, 31-38).

 

 

 

Reading: Copeland, Debating. Intro, vii-xvii; Chap. 1 “Censorship, Printing Control, & Freedom of the Press, 1690. Emery Press and America and Frank Luther Mott American Journalism on reserve.

 

Primary sources: John Locke’s Complete Works; London Gazette & other European sources from 1690-1750 [in Binder (BI) 1] ; The “Tryal” of John Peter Zenger, 1737. A Petition of Right.

 

 

Week 2 Growth of the Colonial Press

Jan. 14: Boatwright Room. European background. Do one-page single-space paper [not graded, but to help discussion] interpreting an issue of London Gazette (BI 1), London Chronicle (BV1-3) or Gentleman’s Magazine (in Special Collections, second row of shelves), for classroom discussion. Use three levels of "How to Read a Document" as guide to paper.

 

Jan. 16: Library research. Meet in Reference section of Leyburn. Dick Grefe.

 

Jan. 18:  Meet at Stonewall Jackson Cemetery. (weather permitting -- I'll e-mail you by noon if we need to postpone.)

 

 

 

 

Reading: Copeland, Ch. 3 “Impartiality, Objectivity, & the Press, 1729”; Emery & Emery, Ch. 2.

 

Primary sources (browse a few): Pennsylvania Chronicle, 1767 (one full year, bound volume from Farrar), and Pennsylvania Gazette (Oct. 17, PF 1); something from An Historical Digest of the Provincial Press, Massachusetts Series, Vol 1, Boston News-Letter, 1705-1707

 

Assignment: “Then and Now” paper on observed differences between newspaper today and 18th C. newspaper.

 

 

Week 3  Before the Stamp Act: Press content in the colonial press – crime, God, shipping news, pirates, women, slaves, and Native Americans

Jan. 21: Reid 302. Media historians debate the history of objectivity – Schudson, Schiller, Mindich, Streckfuss, et al. “Then and Now” paper due.

 

Jan. 23: Reid 302. Lecture with slides: Stamp Act, Letters from a Farmer (John Dickinson) . Historiography and interpretation in journalism history.

 

Jan. 25: No class (Mock Con)

 

 

Reading: Emery & Emery Ch. 3; Copeland, Debating, Ch. 4, Ch. 6 (Women’s Rights, 1738). 

 

Primary sources (browse a few): Boston Evening Post, 1768 (PF1), New York Mercury 1773 (PF 1); The Boston News-Letter, Oct. 26 1759 (in This Common Channel, 12-15)

 

Assignment: Researching a figure out of Stonewall Jackson cemetery.

 

 

Week 4  Prelude to Revolution

Jan. 28: Reid 302. Colonial printers, male and female. Schlesinger’s Prelude to Revolution; Check on cemetery profile.

 

Jan. 30: Oct. 2: Boatwright Room. Guest historian: Holt Merchant.

 

Feb. 1 Boatwright Room.  Technology of the press. Demonstration of the Washington printing press.

 

Reading:  Emery & Emery, Remainder of Ch. 4, and Ch. 5. Copeland’s Debating, Ch. 16 “The Stamp Act Crisis, 1765-66 (plus choice of other chapters in Copeland –  18. Sons of Liberty, 24. Boston Tea Party, 25. Continental Congress, Ch. 28, Separation from England, John Dickinson, 1768-76.

 

Primary sources: Boston Gazette, 1774 (book); This Common Channel, Leaf II, III, IV; PF 1, 1773-75.

 

 

Week 5 The American Revolutionary War, 1776-1783

Feb. 4: Boatwright Room. The Press in the Revolution. (We'll select section of Farrar Collection to annotate.) Cemetery profile due

 

Feb. 6: Reid 302. (Come prepared to talk about subject you read about in DLB vol. 43.)

 

Feb. 8: Reid 302.  The Press in the 1790s Federalist battles.

 

 

 

Reading: Emery & Emery, Ch. 6. Copeland, Debating, Ch. 23, The Somerset Case and the Anti-Slavery Controversy, 1772-

 

Primary sources: PF2, Oct. 11   New-York Gazette,  Burgoyne’s surrender terms at Saratoga

 

Week 6 The Press and the Second Revolution

Feb. 11: Room 302 (Prof. Cumming will be James Rivington. Read up on him in one of the history texts on reserve, to have questions for Mr. Rivington.)

 

Feb. 13: Reid 302. Review for mid-term quiz (to be taken during any class period Thursday, the 14th).

 

Feb 15: No class

 

Reading: Emery & Emery, Ch. 7.

Primary sources: PF2 1799 Dec. 31  Salem (Massachusetts) Gazette, Death of George Washington; PF 3 – Years 1790-93 (82 American newspapers).

 

SPRING BREAK

 

Week 7 Parties and Partisan Press

Feb. 25: Reid 302. Go over midterm. Discuss research paper topics. Partisan press.

Feb. 27: Reid 302. 2 press conferences: Shaun as Phillis Wheatley; Jordan as Mary Katherine Goddard.

Feb. 29: Reid 302. “Amistad.” Proposed topics for final research papers due, by email.

 

Reading: Emery & Emery, Ch. 8.

 

Primary sources: PF 4 (81 newspapers)

 

 

Week 8  Age of Jefferson

March 3: Reid 302. Mr. Jefferson and the Press. Assignments for indexing papers in Farrar Collection [PF4 & 5]

March 5: Reid 302.. Press conferences: Jane as Anne Royall, Jessica as Ms. Frank Leslie.

March 7: Boatwright Room. Work in Special Collections on projects. "Life in America" assignment explained.

 

Reading: Mott (on reserve), Ch. 8 & 9.

 

Week 9 Age of Jackson

March 10: Reid 302. Press conference: Diane as Nellie Bly.

March 12: Reid 302. On Schlesinger Jr.'s Age of Jackson.

March 14: Boatwright Room. “Life in America” paper due. Work in Special Collections on projects.

 

Week 10 All the Presidents

March 17: Reid 302. Review.

March 19: Reid 302. Help with research topics

March 21: No class; individual meetings with Prof. Cumming. Indexing PF4 & PF5 to be completed by now. Send electronic version as Word file AND bring printout to class. (Reading: Sloan essay on “How to find topics.” Discussion: Role of theory, evidence, conclusions.

 

 

Week 11 Research topics

March 24: Reid 302. – Present proposed research topics in class. Bring brief write up of focus, scope of research, problems.

March 26: Research paper problems, professor in his office. [You may send me a draft, by email, any time between March 26-31, and I'll get it back to you ASAP with suggestions. Ungraded and optional.]

March 28: Boatwright room

 

 

Week 12 Wrapping up

March 31: Review for final.

April 2: Final research paper due, e-mail. No class, but dinner at Prof. Cumming's house, 6 p.m.

April 4: No class, meet with professor.

 

Final exam: April  5-11