Professor Caroline Merithew
Office hours: M 3:00-4:10, F 1:00-1:50, and by appointment
Office phone: 229-3047
Email address:
Class Time and Place: Wednesday 4:30-7:10 in the LTC
History 485: Seminar in American History
Men, Women, and Work
Course Description
History 485: Men, Women, and Work is a research seminar in U.S. History. During the semester, we examine the history of American workers -- male and female, paid and unpaid, and free and slave -- from the beginning of industrialization through the twentieth century. Together, the class will investigate how working people responded to and made sense of economic, political, and cultural changes that shaped their lives. We pay close attention to both the formal organization of social movements and the more subtle offensives working class Americans used to gain power in this society and challenge corporations and the state. Understanding the interaction between class relations, racial identity, and gender equity are important for our investigations. Throughout the semester, we assess how social and cultural identities strengthened and/or undermined workers resolve to fight for justice.
Required Reading
Eileen Boris, Major Problems in the History of American Workers
Charles Dew, Bond of Iron: Master and Slave at Buffalo Forge
Elizabeth Faue, Community of Suffering and Struggle
Alice Kessler Harris, In Pursuit of Equity
Gunther Peck, Reinventing Free Labor
Cheri Register, Packinghouse Daughter
Leslie Woodcock Tentler, Wage Earning Women
Electronic Reserve
Grading (1000 Points Total)
Reading Discussant10% (100 points)
Annotated Bibliography 10% (100 points)
Rough Draft and Peer Review15% (100 points)
Final Draft40% (400 points)
Reaction Papers 10% (100 points)
Paragraph Summary of Peers’ Papers5%
Class Participation10% (100 points)
Course Policies
Assignment Explanation
The main goal this semester is to have you produce an article-length research paper which engages historiographical discussions in U.S. history which focus on men, women, and work. Each assignment is designed to help you achieve the course goal.
Reading Discussant – Each student will work with a team of 2 to lead a discussion during 1 class period. Before signing up for the project, look over the books. If there is a set of readings that piques your interest, and you think you would like to do research on that topic, pick that week. For this assignment, you must do the following: (1) Summarize the readings in approximately 10 minutes; (2) Create a handout which includes (a) five questions on each reading and (b) three research topics that have been inspired by the readings; (3) Find an historical article that deals with the week’s topic; (4) Meet with me at least 48 hours before the class for feedback on your presentation. You should have a rough draft of the hand out at the meeting with me. Note that this meeting must take place face-to-face not over email. It is your responsibility to set up a meeting time with me the week before you are scheduled to present. (Skill: Summary of arguments and using others’ arguments to formulate your own questions is key to creating a research project. Dialogue with your peers is also an important part of scholarly debate.)
Annotated Bibliography – This bibliography will include a list of primary and secondary sources you will use in your research paper. You should include7 secondary sources (at least 2 and no more than 4 articles) and 5 primary sources in the annotated bibliography. Each source must have a 3-4 sentence description of the source and how it will help you write the paper. Note: It is crucial that you begin planning the contents of your bibliography as soon as possible – no later than our library tour in January as you will need to include OhioLink and Interlibrary loan material. (Skill: Perusing sources helps you embed your work into the historiography and propel scholarship. Finding primary sources and teasing out the material important to your research is key to writing a sharply focused paper).
Final Draft of Research Paper – A 20-25 page paper in which you critically engage a topic that addresses the seminar themes of Men, Women, and Work. (Skill: The goal of the class. Writing a comprehensive research papers sharpens critical thinking and writing skills that will aid you in and beyond the university).
Paragraph Synopses of Peers’ Research Papers– A paragraph summary for each of your classmates’ final papers. Each summary must include 2 questions about the paper. You will be able to respond to others’ questions about your paper during our last session. (Skill: Critiquing and responding to others’ works, and in turn answering questions, aids scholarship).
Peer Review – A guided critique of one of your classmates rough draft. I will provide a handout with questions to answer for this peer review. (Skill: Reading others’ drafts is constructive for your peers as well as helps your own writing).
Rough Draft Paper – A thoughtful and complete draft of your research paper. The rough draft must include all the required sources, as well as processed arguments. The more polished you make this draft, the better and more helpful comments you will receive to revise for the final draft. (Skill: Provides you with the opportunity to think about, write, and get feedback on your research. Revision is the only way to improve writing and critical thinking).
Reaction Papers – 1-2 page papers in which you respond to the weekly readings. Your papers must include 2 broad questions that you wish to know more about and may include summaries of the sources but do not necessarily need to do this. The two primary purposes of these papers is to get you to think about material before class. (Skill: Helps you formulate questions that will lead to a research project).
Lecture Attendance – Two prominent historians will visit campus this semester which provides you the opportunity to see some of the ways historians practice their craft. You are required to attend these lectures on Monday, Feb 16 and Wednesday, Mar 24, respectively.
Semester Schedule
Week 1 (Jan 7): What is Class?
Readings in class: Robyn D.G. Kelley, E.P. Thompson
Documentary clips: “People Like Us”
Week 2 (Jan 14) Romanticization, Rejection, and Embrace of Class Identity
Read: Register, Packinghouse Daughter
Swados, “The Myth of the Happy Worker” (MP)
Ehrenreich “Working Poor Blues” (MP)
Week 3 (Jan 21) Research
Read: Excerpts from Booth, The Craft of Research (ER)
Library Presentation
Week 4 (Jan 28) Historiography: Slaves as Workers
Read:Dew, Bond of Iron, Part I and II
DuBois, “The Black Worker” (ER)
Discussant Group 1
**Email me 3 topics that you are interested in researching
Week 5 (Feb 4) Historiography: Free Labor and the Racialization of the Working Class Dew, Part III
Roediger, “White Artisans and the Solidarity of Race” (MP 78)
DuBois, “The White Worker” (ER)
Foner, “Emancipation and the Reconstruction of Southern Labor” (MP 112)
Discussant Group 2
Week 6 (Feb 11) Historiography: Immigration and Labor History
Read:Peck, Reinventing Free Labor
Green, “Remembering Haymarket” (MP 149)
Gutman, “The Cultures of First-Generation Industrial Workers” (MP 179)
Takaki, “Asian Immigrants Raising Cane” (MP 187)
Discussant Group 3
**Order all OhioLink and Interlibrary loan sources this week
Week 7 (Feb 18) Practicing the Craft of History
Attend Lecture: Dr. John McGreevy (Notre Dame), Monday Feb 16
Reaction Paper this week is on McGreevy’s lecture due on Wednesday
Library Work
Week 8 (Feb 25) Historiography: The Community Study
Read: Faue, Community of Suffering and Struggle
Nelson, “Radical Years” (MP 314)
Discussant Group 4
Week 9 (Mar 3) Transforming Historiography: Matewan
Read: Excerpts from Booth (ER)
Week 10 (Mar 10) Historiography: Gender and Economic Policy
Read: Kessler-Harris, In Pursuit of Equity, Ch Introduction-Ch4
**Annotated Bibliography Due in Class
Week 11 Mid-Term Break
Week 12 (Mar 24) Practicing the Craft of History
Read: Tentler, Wage-Earning Women
Attend Lecture: Dr. Leslie Tentler, Wed. Mar 24
**Draft an outlne
Week 13 (Mar 31) Historiography: The Idea of Economic Citizenship
Read: Kessler-Harris, Ch5-Epilogue
Week 14 (April 7) Writing
Excerpts from Booth, (ER)
Week 15 (April 14) Peer Review
**Rough Draft Due in Class (Bring 2 copies)
Week 16 (April 21) Presenting Your Work
The Final Draft of your paper is due to me by Friday, April 23 at 12 noon. Hand in a hard copy to me and an electronic version (in addition to posting the paper on Turnitin.com). I will send the electronic version to the class so that you are able to paragraph synopses.
The Final Exam Period: Paragraph synopses due today.