HIST 4377-001: Religious Politics in the Early American Republic Fall 2008 Prof. Eric R. Schlereth SOM 2.901 schlereth@utdallas.edu Tuesday and Thursday 10:00-11:15 Office: JO 5.708, 972-883-2168 Office Hours: T and TH 2:30-4:30 or by Appt. Course Overview This course explores the history of the American Revolution and its aftermath by focusing on the inextricable links between religion and politics during this period. American politics and religion changed dramatically after 1776. Political independence, adoption of the Constitution, and the development of political parties all contributed to a political system that was democratized but also fractured across fault lines of region, race, and gender. This tension within American politics expanded electoral options for some Americans while decreasing the options of others. Religious disestablishment, an explosion of new religious sects and institutions, and immigration from Europe fractured American religion along fault lines of piety, belief, and religious affiliation. Instead of viewing these political and religious changes in isolation, this course brings them together.
This course will cover elections, political ideas, and the ways that ordinary Americans participated in the political world around them. The course will also address changes in religious belief, the institutional structure of American religion, and the wide variety of religious ideas and practices in the early republic, both Christian and non-christian alike. Ultimately, this course will investigate the ways that Americans in the generations following the Revolution addressed tangled questions about how best to reconcile the demands of religious belief with political ideas and practices. Themes in this course will include debates over the separation of church and state, the religious and political implications of capitalism, the intersections of gender with religious beliefs and political change, and slavery. Course readings include books by historians as well as primary sources such as newspapers, speeches, celebratory toasts, sermons, diaries and political cartoons from the period. Course Objectives: 1. To understand key changes and themes in the history of American politics and religion in the early national United States (1776-1830). 2. To identify the connections between American religious and political history during this period and broader economic, social, and cultural developments. 3. To develop your own interpretation of the religious and political history of the early national United States through essay exams and writing assignments. Required Readings: The following books can be purchased at the UTD bookstore or at Off Campus Books, 581 W. Campbell Road, #201. All additional weekly readings are available on Web CT. 1. Robert H. Abzug, Cosmos Crumbling: American Reform and the Religious Imagination, Paperback, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994) ISBN: 0195045680 2. Paul E. Johnson, The Early American Republic, 1789-1829, Paperback, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006) ISBN: 0195154231 3. Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in the 19 th Century, Paperback, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995) ISBN: 0195098358 4. James Brewer Stewart, Holy Warriors: The Abolitionists and American Slavery, Revised Edition (New York: Hill and Wang, 1996) ISBN: 080901596X Assignments: 1. You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss issues and topics from the assigned readings. Assigned readings will be discussed the week they are assigned. Therefore they should be completed before the first class meeting of each week. Regular class participation is absolutely crucial to your grade. 2. There will be one mid-term examination. The mid-term will cover all course lectures and readings through the day of the exam. The mid-term is on Tuesday, October 14. 3. There will be two writing assignments. The first is a brief (2 page) essay summarizing and critiquing one of the book chapters or articles you have read during the first five weeks of class. The critical essay is due at the beginning of class on Thursday,
September 18. The second assignment is a slightly longer (8-10 page) paper on a precirculated question or a research topic of your choice. The second paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, November 20. Details about both papers will be discussed in class well before the respective due dates. 4. A final exam will be given during the scheduled exam period. The final exam will cover all course lectures and readings between the mid-term exam and the final class. There will also be on cumulative question that covers course lectures and readings from the entire semester. Academic Calendar Lecture Topics Week 1. Introduction Thu. Aug. 21 Does Religion have a Political History? Week 2. A Revolution in Favor of Religion? Tue. Aug. 26 The Religious Landscape of British North America circa 1750 Thu. Aug. 28 Political Independence and Religious Belief Readings **All readings must be completed by the first meeting of the week they are assigned** No Reading -Johnson, 112-134 -Robert A. Ferguson, The Dialectic of Liberty: Law and Religion in Anglo-American Culture, Modern Intellectual History, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2004): 27-54. -Gregory E. Dowd, Thinking and Believing: Nativism and Unity in the Ages of Pontiac and Tecumseh, American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Summer, 1992): 309-335. -Rhys Isaac, Evangelical Revolt: The Nature of the Baptists Challenge to the Traditional Order Virginia, 1765-1775, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 3 (1974): 346-368. -Declaration of Independence. -Boston Slave Petitions. Week 3. Religious Freedom or Religious Toleration? Tue. Sep. 2 Constitutions -Johnson, 3-29. -Abzug, 3-29. -United States Constitution. -Isaac Backus, An Appeal for Religious Liberty
Thu. Sep. 4 Disestablishment: National and Local Varieties Week 4. Religious Partisans, Partisan Religion Tue. Sep. 9 The French Revolution and the Crisis of Infidelity Thu. Sep. 11 Fears of an Atheist President in the Election of 1800 Week 5. Religion s Vexed Relationship with Democracy Tue. Sep. 16 Theological Change and Institutional Growth Thu. Sep. 18 Critical Essay Due at the Beginning of Class Evangelicalism and its Discontents (1773), excerpt. -Ezra Stiles, The United States Elevated to Honor and Glory (1783), excerpt. -Philadelphia Jews Seek Equality Before the Law (1783). -James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments (1785). -Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786). -Johnson, 31-53. -David Waldstreicher and Stephen R. Grossbart, Abraham Bishop s Vocation; or, the Mediation of Jeffersonian Politics, Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 18, No. 4 (1998): 617-657. -Colin Wells, Timothy Dwight s American Dunciad: The Triumph of Infidelity and the Universalist Controversy, Early American Literature, Vol. 33, No. 2 (1998): 173-191. -Thomas Jefferson s Letter to the Danbury Baptists (1802). -Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason (1794), excerpts. -Campaign Literature from the election of 1800 -Treaty of Tripoli (1797). -Johnson, 55-83 -Abzug, 30-55 -Eric Baldwin, The Devil Begins to Roar: Opposition to Early Methodists in New England, Church History 75 (2006): 94-119. -Peter N. Moore, Family Dynamics and the Great Revival: Religious Conversion in the South Carolina Piedmont, Journal of Southern History 70 (2004): 35-62. -James D. Bratt, Religious Anti-Revivalism in Antebellum America, Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 24, No. 1 (2004): 65-106. -Contemporary views on evangelicalism. -Charles Grandison Finney
Week 6. God and Mammon Tue. Sep. 23 Market Revolutions Thu. Sep. 25 The Religion Business -Richard Carwardine, Antinomians and Arminians : Methodists and the Market Revolution, in Melvyn Stokes and Stephen Conway eds., The Market Revolution in America (1996): 281-307. -Mark S. Schantz, Religious Tracts, Evangelical Reform, and the Market Revolution in Antebellum America, Journal of the Early Republic Vol. 17, No. 3, (1997): 425-466. -Ronald Schultz, God and Workingmen: Popular Religion and the Formation of Philadelphia s Working Class, 1790-1830, in Ronald Hoffman and Peter J. Albert eds., Religion in a Revolutionary Age (1994): -Contemporary views on religion and the economy. Week 7. Slavery and Belief: Accommodations Tue. Sep. 30 Library Tour, Professor Absent -Johnson, 85-109. Thu. Oct. 2 The Rebirth of Southern Slavery -Sylvia R. Frey and Betty Wood, Come Shouting to Zion: African-American Protestantism in the American South and the British Caribbean to 1830 (1998): 149-213. -Primary Sources on religion in the slave south. Week 8. Slavery and Belief: Tensions Tue. Oct. 7 Slavery and Religious Controversy Thu. Oct. 9 No Class Mid-Term Study Day Week 9. Abolitionism, Act One Tue. Oct. 14 Mid-Term -Abzug, 129-162 -Monica Najar, Meddling with Emancipation : Baptists, Authority, and the Rift Over Slavery in the Upper South, Journal of the Early Republic 25 (2005): 157-186. -Reactions to Nat Turner. -Stewart, 3-96. Thu. Oct. 16 Free African Americans Challenge Slavery Week 10. Abolitionism, Act Two Tue. Oct. 21 Religious Critiques of Slavery Thu. Oct. 23 Methods of Opposing Slavery Week 11. The West as a Religious Problem -Stewart, 97-206 -Varieties of Anti-Slavery Writing
Tue. Oct. 28 Thu. Oct. 30 The Geography of National Expansion Religious Anxiety About National Expansion -Abzug, 57-75. -Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias, ix-47. -Mary Young, The Cherokee Nation: Mirror of the Republic, American Quarterly Vol. 33, No. 5 (1981): 502-524. -Howard Miller, Stephen F. Austin and the Anglo-Texan Response to the Religious Establishment in Mexico, 1821-1836, Southwestern Historical Quarterly 91 (1987-88). -Cherokee Views of Missionaries -Lyman Beecher, Plea for the West (1835) Week 12. Religious Diversity and its Discontents Tue. Nov. 4 Film: The Shakers -Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias, 49-179. -Anti-Catholic Views -Anti-Mormon Views Thu. Nov. 6 Catholicism, Mormonism, Judaism Week 13. Religion and the Reformation of Women s Political Power Tue. Nov. 11 Women s Religious Experience Thu. Nov. 13 The Politics of Female Religious Belief Week 14. Disbelief Tue. Nov. 18 The Forms of Disbelief -Abzug, 183-229 -Susan Juster, Disorderly Women: Sexual Politics and Evangelicalism in Revolutionary New England (1994): 145-179. -Christine Leigh Heyrman, Southern Cross: The Beginnings of the Bible Belt (1997): 161-205. -Diary entries. -Petitions. -Essays
Thu. Nov. 20 Paper Due at the Beginning of Class The Politics of Disbelief Week 15. Religion and the Body Tue. Nov. 25 Bumpy Heads, Bad Livers, and Open Marriage Thu. Nov. 27 No Class -Lori D. Ginzberg, The Hearts of Your Readers Will Shudder : Fanny Wright, Infidelity, and American Freethought, American Quarterly Vol. 42, No.2 (1994): 195-226. -Christopher Grasso, Skepticism and American Faith: Infidels, Converts, and Religious Doubt in the Early Nineteenth Century, Journal of the Early Republic Vol. 22, No. 3 (2002): 465-508. -Eric R. Schlereth, Fits of Political Religion: Stalking Infidelity and the Politics of Moral Reform in Antebellum America, Early American Studies Vol. 5, No. 2 (2007): 288-323. -Frances Wright -Robert Dale Owen -Infidel Conversion Narratives -Thomas Paine Birthday Celebrations -Abzug, 79-104 and 163-182. -Anti-Drinking Literature -Free Love Theology Thanksgiving Week 16. Religion, the State, and the Second Party System Tue. Dec. 2 1828 -Johnson, 137-165. -Abzug, 105-124. -Richard R. John, Taking Sabbatarianism Seriously: The Postal System, the Sabbath, and the Transformation of American Political Culture, Journal of the Early Republic Vol. 10, Thu. Dec. 4 The Sabbath No. 4 (1990): 517-567. -Daniel Walker Howe, The Evangelical Movement and Political Culture in the North During the Second Party System, Journal of American History Vol. 77, No. 4 (1991): 1216-1239. -Johnson s Senate Report -Sabbath Petitions FINAL EXAM at scheduled time
Grading and Important Dates: Critical Essay 10% 9/18 Mid-Term Examination 25% 10/14 Second Paper 20% 11/20 Final Exam 30% Scheduled Exam Time Class Participation 15% Requirements and Expectations: 1. You are allowed 2 excused absences without explanation from the class. You do not need to inform the professor that you will be missing class the first two times that you do so. Following that you must speak to the professor beforehand if you have to miss class. Legitimate reasons for absences beyond the first two include religious observance of holiday, university sanctioned activities (such as sports), or serious illness excused with medical verification. For each unexcused absence after that your participation grade will drop a full letter grade. 2. Students are expected to be on time. Late arrivals disrupt the class and are disrespectful of the professor and classmates. Consistent late arrivals will be noted, a warning will be given, and subsequent infractions will result in a grade penalty. CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF. 3. All course communication not conducted in class will be made using UTD email addresses, and UTD email ONLY. 4. Any student who misses the mid-term examination may make it up at the professor s discretion but only if the student has a valid reason. 5. Papers are due in class on the date noted in the syllabus. Late papers will be accepted with a valid reason and after consultation with the professor. Student Conduct & Discipline: The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic year. The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391). A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating
the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct. Academic Integrity: The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one s own work or material that is not one s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings. Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective. Email Use: The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts. Withdrawal from Class The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled. Student Grievance Procedures: Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the university s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called the respondent ). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations. Incomplete Grade Policy: As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F. Disability Services: The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is: The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22 PO Box 830688 Richardson, Texas 75083-0688 (972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY) Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.
It is the student s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours. Religious Holy Days: The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated. The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment. If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee. ** The professor reserves the right to amend this syllabus as needed throughout the semester. Any changes made to this syllabus will be announced in class.**