Red, White and Black: the Mingling of Peoples in Seventeenth Century America (U01273)

? Credit Points : 40 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCA-4-RWB

The mingling, jostling and conflict of diverse racial and ethnic groups shaped seventeenth century America. Examining this kaleidoscope of human encounters, how the different groups interacted, what they preserved of their original cultures and how much they borrowed from one another will be the focus of this course. Each group will be examined separately and comparatively.

Topics to be covered include patterns and causes of migration; the structure of native American society in 1600 and the impact of white settlement; the introduction of Africans and the changing status of free blacks; attitudes towards race; problems of new societies; the evolution of white society; warfare; law and order, crime and violence; women; the family and sexual mores; witchcraft; work and leisure.

In looking at these issues, there will be extensive use of a wide variety of sources to illustrate how historians have interpreted different types of evidence in their analyses. These primary materials will include examples of passenger lists, court records, inventories, diaries, personal correspondence and travel accounts.

Over the last few decades, the study of early America has been transformed by innovative, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches. A subsidiary theme of the course will be to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of this recent literature as a means of exploring the nature of the discipline of writing history.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : A pass in a third level historical course or equivalent.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 22 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Thursday	16:10	18:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

i) Subject Knowledge: To increase understanding of the establishment and development of a plural Atlantic society in the seventeenth century.

ii) Discipline Skills:
a) To improve awareness of the nature and use of historical evidence
b) To demonstrate the nature of history as argument by focusing on the debates between historians on key issues

iii) Writing Skills: To increase skills in the research, writing and presentation of papers.