History 325 – Introduction to Women’s History: The American Experience
Ohio State University 
Summer 2007, First Term MTWR – 10:30-12:18
Orton Hall Room 110

Instructor: 	Dr. Basia Nowak
		Nowak.27@osu.edu
		292-2674 (leave messages with the front desk receptionist)
		Office: 210 Dulles
		Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30-1:30

Course Objectives

This course surveys the history of American women from indigenous groups prior to European settlement to the present. Readings, lectures, discussions, and assignments will emphasize the ways in which gender intersected with class, race, and ethnicity. Students will gain a broader understanding of the connections between women’s “private” and “public” lives, the diversity of American women’s experiences in the past, and women’s multifaceted roles in shaping American history. Throughout the quarter, students will learn about some notable women but the focus of the course will be on a general overview of women’s experiences. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes:

1. 	Acquire a deeper understanding of the factors that shaped human activity as it changed over time. 
2. 	Broaden knowledge of history by incorporating a perspective based on gender. 
3. 	Enhance the ability to apply critical thinking through historical analysis of primary and secondary sources. 
4. 	Develop the ability to analyze and evaluate diverse interpretations of historical events. 
5. 	Advance effectiveness in oral communications and in writing historical arguments and documenting evidence to support those arguments.
		
Required Reading

Harriet A. Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written by Herself (2000)
Joan Jacobs Brumberg, The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls (1998)
Primary Sources via the internet and In-Class Handouts
Secondary sources on reserve at Sullivant Library (in Sullivant Hall on High Street)

All readings are required. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and The Body Project are available for purchase at SBX. Primary source documents are available on the web as noted below, and some secondary sources are on reserve at Sullivant Library. I will also distribute a few additional handouts in class. The reading assignment that is listed for a given day is the assignment that is to be completed for that day. Be prepared to discuss readings in class.

Through Women’s Eyes, an American women’s history textbook, will be on reserve at Sullivant Library. This is not required reading, but if you find that you are struggling in class, I suggest that you read the chapters as indicated below on the syllabus under additional reading.
	
Grading and Expectations

15%—Attendance and Participation
15%—2-Page Comparative Analysis 
25%—5-6 Page Paper 
20%—Midterm Exam						
25%—Final Exam

Important information regarding grades for your paper and exams:
1)	"C" essays will include: an introductory paragraph that contains your thesis; a body of several paragraphs 	in which you offer evidence to support your thesis; and a conclusion that reiterates your basic argument.
2) 	"B" essays will include: all of the above requirements for a "C" essay plus more relevant data 	and 	analyses than is found in an average essay.
3)	"A" essays will include: all of the above requirements for a "B" essay plus more data and some indication 	of independent or extended thought.
4) 	As for "D" and "E" essays: usually, these essays do not include a viable thesis and/or they do not include 	very much information from the course.
5) 	Since the University does not record D- grades, a student earning a course average below 62 will receive 	an E in this course.
6) 	The instructor reserves the right to consider improvement when determining final grades.
7)  	To pass the course, you must pass the final exam with a score of at least 62%.
8) 	The official university grade breakdowns are:
	A 	92.6 and above		B-	79.6-82.5	D+	67.6-69.5
	A- 	89.6-92.5		C+	77.6-79.5 	D	62-67.5
	B+	87.6-89.5		C	72.6-77.5	E	below 62
	B 	82.6-87.5		C-	69.6-72.5	
				
You are expected to attend all course sessions and complete readings and assignments by the due date. In order for you to do well in the course, you must attend lectures. I will take attendance daily. More than two unexcused absences will affect your final grade. For an absence to be excused, you must provide formal documentation (doctor’s note, appointment card, etc.). I advise you to contact me if you do need to be absent. I expect courteous behavior during all sessions. Please respect the opinions and ideas of others, do not engage in other activities during the course (such as reading newspapers, finishing assignments for other classes, etc.), and turn off all cell phones during class.

Exams

Both the midterm and final exams will be based on lectures, readings, films, and discussions. The midterm will cover information up to June 28. The final exam will cover material from July 3 until the end of the course. Exams will consist of short identifications and essays. Exams will be in class.

Comparative Analysis of Two Primary Source Documents

You are responsible for writing a two-page typewritten double-spaced comparative analysis of two primary source documents by June 28. You can choose the readings from one specific day. The paper is due on the day for which the reading is due. The point for this exercise is not to write the “correct” answer but to show that you understand and have thought seriously about the documents. Analyze how these documents are similar and/or different. You must indicate when, by whom, and for whom these documents were produced. You must also indicate the type of primary sources you are using (i.e., newspaper article, diary entry, letter). In what ways are these types of sources useful and/or problematic? Feel free to write about what you found most compelling, surprising, or thought provoking. Treat this assignment as a paper that will be graded on both content and grammar. 

Paper

A 5-6 page paper is due at the beginning of class on July 12. Attached is the paper assignment. 

Assistance in Writing

Besides discussing your writing with me, you can also visit the OSU Writing Center. It is located in room 485 Mendenhall Lab—125 South Oval Mall. You can make an appointment in person or by calling the Writing Center at 688-4291 or 292-5607. The Center provides free tutorial services at any stage of the writing process, with the exception of proofreading. This is a great resource, especially for students who struggle with writing papers. Writing is a skill that you can improve, and taking advantage of such resources is a good place to start improving your written work.

Late Assignments and Make-up Exams

If you have to miss an exam because of illness or a verifiable emergency, you must contact me before the exam. We will reschedule a make-up as soon as possible. A valid medical excuse or documentation of emergency will be required to take a make-up exam. If a medical or family emergency precludes you from handing in your papers on time, notify me immediately before the papers are due. You will need documentation for a paper to be accepted late without it affecting your grade. For all late papers without excused documentation, each day that the paper is late, your letter grade will be lowered by 5 %.

Academic Dishonesty

It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish
procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term academic misconduct includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct (http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/resource_csc.asp). For a discussion of plagiarism, see http://cstw.osu.edu/writingCenter/handouts/research_plagiarism.cfm. For the OSU Writing Center, see http://cstw.osu.edu. Come see me if you have any questions about plagiarism or academic misconduct.

Disability Services

Students with disabilities who have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform me as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901; http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/.

Enrollment

All students must be officially enrolled in the course by the end of the second full week of the quarter. No requests to add the course will be approved by the Chair of the Department after that time. Enrolling officially and on time is solely the responsibility of the student.

Should any changes to this syllabus become necessary I will announce them as soon as possible in class.
CLASS SCHEDULE

WEEK 1
18 June	 	Introduction to Course: Syllabus and Expectations
			What is Women’s History? 
			
19 June	 	Native American Women 
			Settlers in the Seventeenth Century: Chesapeake and New England

Reading: 		1) Iroquois Women -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5827 
			2) Elizabeth Sprigs Account-- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5796
			3) Handout – “Testimony against Accused Witch Bridget Bishop”

Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 1 

20 June	  	Women of the Revolution: The Public and Private Lives of Women in the 				Eighteenth Century
			
Reading: 		1) ON RESERVE – Joan Hoff, “The Negative Impact of the American Revolution on 			White Women,” Mary Beth Norton, “The Positive Impact of the American				Revolution on White Women,” and Jacqueline Jones, “The Mixed Legacy of the 				American Revolution for Black Women,” in Major Problems in American Women’s 			History (pages 76-100) – (Read one based on your last name: E-G [Hoff], H-M 				[Norton], and N-Z [Jones])
			2) Sarah Osborn account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5833 
			3) Handout – “Remember the Ladies Letters” 

Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 2

21 June		“The Cult of True Womanhood”: Fantasy or Reality for Women

Reading: 		1) Harriet Hanson Robinson account of Lowell Strike--							http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5714 			
			2) Lowell Ten-Hour Day Demands -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6217 

Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 3 

WEEK 2
25 June		Reading Discussion

Reading: 		Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (entire)

26 June 	 	Shifting Opportunities for Women: The Western “Frontier”
	
Reading: 		1) ON RESERVE – Judy Yung, “Chinese Women in Nineteenth-Century San 				Francisco,” in Major Problems in American Women’s History (pages 204-211)
			2) Mary Ballou Account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6512 
			3) Dame Shirley account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6516 
			
Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 6 (pages 340-352)

27 June		Roots of Social and Political Activism: Antebellum Years

Reading:		1) Sojourner Truth account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5740 
			2) Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions—handout 

Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 4 

28 June		Labor, Politics, and Everyday Life: Post-Civil War Years
			Sexuality and Utopian Communities in the Nineteenth Century

Reading:		1) Sharecropper -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/28
			2) http://womhist.binghamton.edu/teacher/oneida.htm (Read the two letters under 			lesson #2—Harriet Worden to John H. Noyes and Jesse Catherine Kinsley to her 				daughter)
			3) CHOOSE 1 -- Mary Doolittle account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6371 
			or Lowell and Shakers -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6235 

Additional Reading:	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 5

WEEK 3
2 July	 	 	Midterm Exam

3 July			Work, Immigration, and Reform at the Turn of the Century
			
Reading: 		1) Working Girls of Boston -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5753 
			2) Middle-Class Housekeeping -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4958
			3) Domestic Worker -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5323 
			4) Encounter with Reformers – http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5002 

Additional Reading:	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 6

4 July			NO CLASS

5 July			“Municipal Housekeeping” and Votes for Women: Political and Social Activism in 			the Progressive Era
		
Reading:		1) Frances Willard’s account-- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/92 
			2) Senator Vest’s account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5319
			3) Suffrage on Stage -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4963  
			4) Class Versus Gender -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5318 
			5) Elizabeth Cady Stanton account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5315
			6) CHOOSE 1 -- Patriotic Housekeeping -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4969,
			Housewives in Uniform -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4962, or Canteen Girls in 			WWI -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5329

Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 7 
			
WEEK 4
9 July		 	 Film: Iron Jawed Angels

10 July	 		After Victory: Women, Politics, and the First Sexual Revolution in the 1920s 
			From the Great Depression to the New Deal
			
Reading: 		1) Movie-goer in the 1920s -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/21 
			2) Miriam Allen deFord’s account-- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/93
			3) Women Plead for Contraception -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5083
			4) ON RESERVE—Andrea Tone, “Women, Birth Control, and the Marketplace in 			the 1930s,” in Major Problems in American Women’s History (pages 348-356)
			
Additional Reading:	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 8

11 July 		 Women in WWII

Reading:		1) ON RESERVE—Leisa D. Meyer, “The Regulation of Sexuality and Sexual 		Behavior in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II,” in 	Major Problems in 	American Women’s History (pages 384-392)
		2) ON RESERVE—Susan K. Cahn, “‘Mannishness,’ Lesbianism, and Homophobia 	in U.S. Women’s Sports” (pages 468-477) 

12 July			Women in Postwar America and the 1950s: Images and Reality 		

		5-6 page papers are due at the beginning of class.
				
WEEK 5
16 July		Women’s Activism in the 1960s and 1970s  
	
Reading:	1) ON RESERVE—Judith Ezekiel, Feminism in the Heartland, chapter 1 
	2) Gloria Steinem’s article -- http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/wlm/aims/ 
	3) Mirta Vidal’s article -- http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/wlm/chicana/
	4) Cathy Wilkerson’s account -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6916 

Additional Reading:	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 9
 
17 July			Reading Discussion

Reading: 		Brumberg, The Body Project (entire)

18 July			The Rise and Decline of Modern Feminism

Reading:		1) ON RESERVE—Nancy MacLean, “Uncovering the History of Working Women 			and Affirmative Action in the 1970s” (pages 456-466) and Kathleen Moore, “Muslim 			Women, the Hijab, and Religious Liberty in Late-Twentieth-Century America” 				(pages 505-511) in Major Problems in American Women’s History 
			2) Human Rights as Women’s Rights --http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7042 
			3) Harassment on the job -- http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6917 

Additional Reading: 	Through Women’s Eyes, chapter 10

19 July			Final exam in our classroom (10-30-12:18)