HIST 348: History of the Peoples of Kansas

 

Instructor: Kristen Epps

Office: 2003 Wescoe

Office Phone: 864-2313

Email: kkepps@ku.edu

Office Hours: 3:00pm to 3:50pm T/TH and by appointment

Course Website: http://kansashistory.wordpress.com  

 

Course Objectives

 

This course will give you a basic understanding of the main events and movements that shaped the history of Kansas from the prehistoric period to the present day.  However, and perhaps more importantly, this course will also connect Kansas history to our nation’s history as a whole.  Although Americans living on the East Coast or West Coast may deride Kansas as a backwater haven of conservatism, the Sunflower State has in fact played a central role in nationally significant events and movements such as Indian removal, the sectional conflict leading up to the Civil War, women’s suffrage, prohibition, desegregation of public schools, and the growth of industries (such as aeronautics).  As Kansas senator Arthur Capper once said, Kansas has been “in many respects the political and economic experiment station of the American people.”[1]

In addition, this course focuses on introducing you to the work of historians and giving you skills essential to a variety of disciplines within the arts and sciences (besides just history).  We will accomplish this through five learning models: lecture (hearing about history), discussion (talking about history), book reviews and blogging (writing about history), textbooks and other sources (reading about history), and digital narratives (creating history through media).  Our focus will be on learning how to analyze and assess the reliability of primary historical sources, construct sound arguments, assess change over time, and “think like a historian.”  It is my hope that you can discover your own perspective on history and learn to recognize, critique, and understand other points of view.

 

Course Policies

 

Please keep your cell phone on silent or turn it off during class so it is not disruptive.  Also, see this class as an opportunity to learn, not as a chance to read the newspaper, listen to your iPod, or catch up on your text-messaging.  If you wish to take notes on your laptop, come talk to me after class about my laptop policy. Also, I reserve the right to change any part of this syllabus if unforeseeable circumstances arise.

While the orderly exchange of ideas is a vital facet of a healthy intellectual environment, I have the right to limit the scope and duration of these interactions. Students who engage in disruptive behavior (including persistent refusal to observe boundaries defined by the instructor regarding inappropriate talking, discussions, and questions in the classroom) may be subject to discipline for non-academic misconduct for disruption of teaching, or academic misconduct as defined in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (CSRR).[2]  Furthermore, course materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of all lectures and discussions presented by the instructor, are the sole property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures and discussion sessions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited. 

 

Academic Misconduct Policy

 

The University Senate Rules and Regulations section 2.6.1 gives this definition of academic misconduct:

 

Academic misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to, disruption of classes; threatening an instructor or fellow student in an academic setting; giving or receiving of unauthorized aid on examinations or in the presence of notebooks, themes, reports or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; unauthorized change of grades; unauthorized use of University approvals or forging of signatures; falsification of research results; plagiarizing of another’s work; violation of regulations or ethical codes for the treatment of human and animal subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly in research.

             

In other words, when you directly quote an author’s work you must use quotation marks and provide a specific citation, and you cannot submit someone else’s paper as your own.  Paraphrasing another author’s idea also requires a citation (but no quotation marks).  KU subscribes to a plagiarism detection program that is integrated into Blackboard (called SafeAssign), where you will upload your written assignments. Although you may never have engaged in intentional plagiarism, many students do incorporate sources without citations; this program can alert me to your academic needs. If you struggle with grammar and organization when writing papers, you can get help from your peers at the Writer’s Roosts.  See http://www.writing.ku.edu for current locations and hours, or call 864-2399. 

 

Students with Disabilities

 

KU will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities.  The Office of Disability Resources is located at 22 Strong Hall and can be contacted by phone at (785) 864-2620 (V/TTY).  You can also find more information at http://disability.ku.edu.  If you require adjustments or accommodations because of a disability, please see me immediately. 

 

Grading and Evaluation

 

10%     Attendance                                                                                  

15%     Participation   

15%     Book Review #1

15%     Book Review #2

15%     Blogging

 5%      Quizzes

25%     Digital Narrative                                                

My philosophy on grading is this: I don’t determine your grade, YOU do.  Meaning, I simply evaluate the work you hand in and assign the appropriate letter or percentage—it is up to you to attain the grade you desire in this course. 

 

Assignments

             

Attendance and Participation

Regarding attendance and participation, I will allow ONE unexcused absence. After that point, you will be docked from both attendance points and participation points.  Excused absences, which may fall into one of two categories (a death in the family or personal illness), require prompt documentation.  Excused absences will be issued at the instructor’s discretion.  Also, keep in mind that I define participation as actively contributing to large-group and small-group discussions, asking questions, and participating in other learning exercises.  This is a large class, but it is important for you to make sure your voice is heard. 

 

Readings 

All secondary and primary source readings must be read before class discussion.  You must bring the readings to class, since we will refer to the text regularly.

 

Quizzes

In order to ensure that students are completing reading assignments, there will also be closed book/closed notes pop quizzes administered at instructor’s discretion.  These will be based on two things: 1) the core reading for that week out of Miner’s history of Kansas, and 2) lecture notes from the corresponding lecture.  There will be no makeup quizzes.

 

Book Reviews

During this course you will write two book reviews, choosing from the three monographs we will be reading as a class: The End of Indian Kansas, Rooted in Dust, and Sex in the Heartland.  Each book review will follow the format of a scholarly review, consisting of 4-6 pages.  See the paper assignment handed out in class and posted online for a more detailed description. I would be happy to meet with you prior to submission; just email me a draft and come meet with me at least two days before the paper is due.  All papers must be submitted to Blackboard’s SafeAssign box AND in person on the day they are due.  Late papers will be docked 1 letter grade for each calendar day they are late (the weekend counts as 1 day).  Please upload your reviews as Rich Text (.rtf) files.

 

Blogging

Part of the written work that you will produce this semester will be in the form of blog posts.  The main goal of these assignments is to encourage you to think critically about our reading assignments and to make connections between history and the present day.  You are required to post three blog entries over the course of the semester on the assigned dates, and to comment substantively on one blog post per week. See the assignment handout for further guidelines.  Posts are due on Thursday by 4:00pm and comments are due by Friday at 4:00pm (excluding holidays).  There are eleven groups of 5 students per group.  You are in GROUP _____.  Your blog posts will be due on: _______________, _______________, and _______________.

 

Digital Narrative

In addition to traditional writing assignments, each of you will also create a digital narrative, or “mini-documentary,” that outlines and interprets a historical event, personality, or movement covered in our course.  Your digital narrative will consist of 5-7 minutes of video, containing images and text with a corresponding scripted voice-over.  A more detailed description will be available online and will be handed out.  The final version of your narrative will be uploaded on YouTube and made publicly available.

 

Extra Credit 

A maximum of 50 extra credit points may be offered at instructor’s discretion.  Typical assignments include field trips and outside lectures, both with response papers.

Course Texts

 

1. Bailey, Beth.  Sex in the Heartland.  Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2002.  REQUIRED

2.  Benjamin, Jules R.  A Student’s Guide to History.  10^th ed.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007.  RECOMMENDED 

3.  Miner, Craig.  Kansas: A History of the Sunflower State, 1854-2000.  Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2002. REQUIRED (CORE READING)

4.  Miner, Craig and William E. Unrau.  The End of Indian Kansas: A Study of Cultural Revolution, 1854-1871.  Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1990.  REQUIRED

5.  Riney-Kehrberg, Pamela.  Rooted in Dust: Surviving Drought and Depression in Southwestern Kansas.  Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1994. REQUIRED

6.  Course reader available from http://www.universityreaders.com  REQUIRED (COURSEPACK)

 

 

Class Schedule

WEEK 1:

August 20                             Course introduction and Lecture, “Human Migration: Early Peoples of Kansas"


WEEK 2:

August 25                             Lecture, "First Encounters: The Meeting of Historic Indian Tribes and Europeans"
August 27                             In-class technology session to set up group blogs (bring laptop to class)


WEEK 3:

September 1                         Lecture, “A Trail of Broken Promises: The Creation of Indian Territory”
September 3                         Primary source discussion—DIGITAL NARRATIVE TOPIC DUE!
Core Reading: Miner 18-22, 33-36
Coursepack: Letter, Pierre Menard to William Clark (1830)
                        Letter, Richard Cummins to William Clark (1831)
                        Letter, No-tin-no to D. D. Mitchell (1843)
                        Letter, Amelia Labedia to James W. Denver (1857)

WEEK 4:

September 8                         Lecture, “Bleeding Kansas: Prelude to War, 1854-1861”
September 10                       Secondary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 54-81
Coursepack: Nicole Etcheson, Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era (Lawrence: University Press

of Kansas, 2004), only the introduction, Chapter 6, and conclusion
Blogging: Groups A, B, and C

WEEK 5:

September 15                       Lecture, “The Irrepressible Conflict: Kansans and the Civil War, 1861-1865”
September 17                       Secondary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 82-93
Coursepack: Roger D. Cunningham, “Douglas's Battery at Fort Leavenworth: The Issue of Black Officers During the

Civil War,” Kansas History 23 (Winter 2000/2001): 200-217
Blogging: Groups D, E, and F

WEEK 6:

September 22                        Lecture, “A Spirited Resistance: American Settlement of the Indian Frontier, 1860-1878”
September 24                        Discussion of End of Indian Kansas—BOOK REVIEW #1 DUE!
Secondary source: Craig Miner and William E. Unrau, The End of Indian Kansas: A Study of Cultural Revolution, 1854-1871

(Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1990)
Blogging: Groups G, H, and I


WEEK 7:

September 29                        Lecture, “Ho for Kansas!: The Great ‘Negro’ Exodus, 1865-1890”
October 1                              Primary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 150-155
Coursepack: Letter, Roseline Cunningham to John P. St. John (1879)
                        Letter, John P. St. John to Roseline Cunningham (1879)
                        Affidavits of Colored Men…. (1880)
                        “What the Rebels of the South Threaten to Do,” Topeka Colored Citizen (1878)
                        “Why the Republicans Squeal,” Wyandotte Gazette (1879)
Blogging: Groups J and K


WEEK 8:

October 6                              Lecture, “Cowboys, Railroad Men, and Pioneer Women: The Development of Western Kansas, 1866-1885”
October 8                              Primary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 130-140, 146-150
Coursepack: Orinda Baker, “Recollections of Early Days in Kansas,” Kansas Farmer (1905)
                        Susan Dimond’s Journal (1875)
                        Letter by A. W. Johnson and Isabella Johnson to Robert S. Wickizer (1875)
Blogging: Groups A, B, and C


WEEK 9:

October 13                            NO CLASS—INSTRUCTOR AT CONFERENCE
October 15                            NO CLASS—FALL BREAK
Blogging: NO BLOG POSTS DUE THIS WEEK


WEEK 10:

October 20                            Lecture, “Voice of the People: Rise of Populism and Gilded Age Politics”—DIGITAL

                                              NARRATIVE DRAFT AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE!
October 22                            Secondary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 171-189
Coursepack: Brooke Speer Orr, “Mary Elizabeth Lease: Gendered Discourse and Populist Party Politics in Gilded

Age America” Kansas History (Winter 2006/2007): 246-265
Blogging: Groups D, E, and F


WEEK 11:

October 27                            Lecture, “‘It Happens First in Kansas:’ Reform during the Progressive Era”
October 29                            Secondary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 156-158, 221-225
Coursepack: Kenneth J. Peak and James W. Peak, “Liquor Wars and the Law: Decisions of the Kansas Supreme

Court, 1862 to 1920” Kansas History 28 (Summer 2006): 84-99
Blogging: Groups G, H, and I

WEEK 12:

November 3                          Lecture, “‘Win the War with Wheat’: Kansans and the First World War”
November 5                          Individual conferences on digital narratives in Wescoe 2003
Core Reading: Miner 233-246
Blogging: Groups J and K


WEEK 13:

November 10                        Lecture, “Hard Times: The Great Depression and Dust Bowl, 1929-1945”
November 12                        Discussion of Rooted in Dust—BOOK REVIEW #2 DUE!
Secondary Source: Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, Rooted in Dust: Surviving Drought and Depression in Southwestern

Kansas (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1994)
Blogging: Groups A, B, and C


WEEK 14:

November 17                        Lecture, “Building a Wartime Economy: The Kansas Homefront”
November 19                        Secondary source discussion
Core Reading: Miner 307-319
Coursepack: Henry Avila, “Immigration and Integration: The Mexican American Community in Garden

City, 1900-1950” Kansas History 20 (Spring 1997): 23-37
Blogging: Groups D, E, and F


WEEK 15:

November 24                        Documentary Viewing: “Black, White, and Brown: Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka”
November 26                        NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING BREAK
Blogging: Groups G, H, and I


WEEK 16:

December 1                          Lecture, “Creating a Modern Kansas: The Eisenhower Era, 1945-1961”
December 3                          Discussion of Sex in the Heartland—BOOK REVIEW #3 DUE!
Secondary Source: Beth Bailey, Sex in the Heartland (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2002)
Blogging: Groups J and K


WEEK 17:

December 8                          Lecture, “A Changing World: Kansans in the Vietnam Era, 1961-1975”—FINAL

                                             DIGITAL NARRATIVE DUE!
December 11                        Viewing of selected digital narratives, course wrap-up, and evaluations
Core Reading: Miner 400-404, 412-416
Blogging: NO BLOG POSTS DUE THIS WEEK