The course will survey African American history from the African background to the outbreak of the Civil War. The origins and development of Afro-American society, culture and politics will be explored from the perspective of African-Americans themselves: slave and free, North and South. Throughout, the enduring dilemma of race relations functions as a central theme.

This course is a survey of African-American history from its beginnings through emancipation. Classes and coursework will examine African origins of black Americans, the history of the middle passage, the development of plantation slavery, and the many historical changes that shaped African-American life and culture thereafter—from the American Revolution to the Civil War. Topics will include the impact of the Haitian and American Revolutions on African-American life; the abolition of slavery in the post-Revolutionary North, the development of a free black community there; the expansion of slavery in the South, antebellum enslaved people's culture, and their resistance to enslavement. Some readings will explore the African American body under slavery. Other topics that will be covered include the use of enslaved African Americans in early medical research and experimentation, enslaved women’s reproduction, the role of enslaved people in the healing and medical treatment of others within the community, and enslaved African Americans love and intimacy. The readings will be attentive to the ways that gender shaped the experiences of slavery and freedom for African Americans and we will also read about the experiences of enslaved children. You should leave the class with a broader understanding of the experiences of African Americans prior to 1865. Weekly readings for this course include chapters from a textbook that can be purchased, as well as other materials that will be available through bCourses. Students are required to complete weekly writing assignments, a take-home mid-term, and a take-home final examination.

This course has mandatory class meetings. Students will need to attend scheduled class times in order to succeed in the class.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills