The History of the Caribbean



The History of the Caribbean50-516-350M-W 1:20–2:40Seminar Room, 429 Cooper St.Professor Lorrin Thomas429 Cooper St, office #100856-225-2656lthomas2@camden.rutgers.edu Office hours: Mon. 3-4; Tues. 12:30-2:30; or by appt.Course overviewIn this course, we will explore the history of the Caribbean region from the time of Columbus’s arrival in 1492 through the end of the twentieth century. Covering political, economic, social, and cultural themes, we will examine the major developments in the Caribbean past: discovery and conquest, colonialism and revolution, slavery and emancipation, imperialism and revolution, migration and transnationalism. You will develop a clear understanding not only of the events and issues that have shaped the history of the Caribbean, but also of why and how the history of this region has unfolded in its particular ways. This advanced history course is reading-intensive (with up to 150 pages of reading assigned per week) and there are four major writing assignments (but no exams!). Learning goalsBy the end of this course, you will be able to: ? Explain and assess the importance of major historical forces that shaped three phases of Caribbean history:I. the colonial era (c.1500-1800)II. the “long 19th century,” during which slavery slowly declined, followed by the early 20th century, marked by U.S. imperialsim (c. 1800-1940)III. postwar struggles for sovereignty (c. 1945-2000)? Demonstrate a clear sense of the main historical actors in each period, including (depending on the era) governors and plantation owners, pirates and enslaved people, capitalists and sharecroppers, revolutionaries and defenders of empire? Understand how historians piece together their sense of the past from a wide range of sources, and how to analyze and interpret documents from the 16th through the 20th century? Assess the distinctive value of different genres of sources that contribute to our understanding of the past: travelers’ accounts and plantation owners’ record books; political speeches and policy statements; news media reports and academic books and articles; novels, films, and song lyrics? Show off your skills in communicating historical interpretation and analysis in writing. After each of the three units of study, you will write a 6-8 page essay answering a series of questions about that unit, incorporating insights from many of the assigned readings. You will also write a book review of the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao that analyzes the role of historical interpretation in the novel.Required ReadingsbooksHigman, A Concise History of the CaribbeanEdwidge Danticat, The Farming of BonesJunot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Waoother required readingsMany of required readings are articles or book chapters that you must download from the online course reserves through the Robeson Library homepage (click on “Find Reserves,” then follow prompts; these readings are marked with an asterisk* on the syllabus).FilmsSCREENED DURING FREE PERIOD, 12:15-1:15; OPTIONAL BUT STRONGLY RECOMMENDED*Wed. 9/17 and Mon. 9/22 Last Supper Wed. 10/21, Soy Cuba Wed. 11/18 and Mon. 11/23 In the Time of the Butterflies* bonus points will be given on Unit essays for inclusion of film analysis. If you cannot attend screenings, see me about borrowing the DVD.Course RequirementsAttendance and participation: 20%Each week, roughly half of our class time will be spent on discussion, which means that you must be prepared to participate, having completed and thought about the reading. Unit essays (3, at 20% each): 60%For each of the three units of the course, you will craft a 1500-1800 word essay responding to the central questions raised in the Unit Review, which you will receive prior to beginning each unit.Due via email by 5 p.m. on October 9, November 6, and December 18 Book review, historical analysis of The Brief Wondrous Life: 20%An essay analyzing how historical context shapes the central issues addressed in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and b) what the novel can teach historians about its major themes and time period. Length is 1500-2000 words. I will post complete instructions on Sakai by Oct. 5.Due via email on December 4 Class and Reading ScheduleWeek 1: Introduction: Place, Power, and Identity in the CaribbeanSept. 2UNIT I: ROGUE COLONIALISMWeek 2: “Discovery,” Conquest, and Extermination Sept. 8 [class meets on TUESDAY this week]READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 2, 33-51Columbus, “Letter on the New World” *Sept. 9READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 3, 52-80Week 3: Pirates, Governors, and Everybody Else Sept. 14 READING: Higman, A Concise History, ch. 3, 81-96 and ch. 4, 97-122Sept. 16READING: A. Exquemelin, Bucaniers of America, excerpt *Dutch West India Company Instructions *Rev. Francis Borland, “History of Darien [Panama]” *Week 4: The Plantation System and SlaverySept. 21 READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 4, 122-140Sept. 23READING:Mintz, “Power,” pp. 151-186 *John, “Plantation Slave Mortality in Trinidad”*Week 5Slavery, Marronage, Rebellion, and RevolutionSept. 28READING: Higman, A Concise History, ch. 5, 141-153Moitt, Sugar, Slavery, and Marronage in the French Caribbean *Sept. 30READING: Fick, “The St. Domingue Slave Revolution and the Unfolding of Independence, 1791-1804” *UNIT II: FREEDOM AND IMPERIALISM IN THE MODERN ERAWeek 6The Long 19th Century: Abolition, Emancipation, and Manifest DestinyOct. 5 READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 5, 153-195Lecture today on abolition and emancipation; then on Oct. 7 READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 6, 196-204“The Independent Party of Color” and “A Survivor” in The Cuba Reader *'The Roosevelt Corollary Asserts U.S. Police Power over the Western Hemisphere” *Platt Amendment*Begin Danticat, The Farming of BonesFriday Oct. 9: UNIT I paper due via email, 5 p.m.Week 7 The United States and Puerto RicoOct. 12READING:García, “I Am the Other: Puerto Rico in the Eyes of North Americans, 1898” *Oct. 14READING:Luis Mu?oz Rivera speech; Luis Mu?oz Marín speech *Continue Danticat, The Farming of BonesWeek 8 The Dominican Republic and Haiti After U.S. OccupationOct. 19 READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 6, 204-233Oct. 21 READING:Danticat, The Farming of BonesWeek 9 20th Century Nationalisms Oct. 26 READING: Higman, A Concise History, ch. 7, 234-250Gen. Smedley Butler, War is a Racket * Oct. 28READING: C. Wright Mills, Listen, Yankee!, “Note to the Reader” and chs. 1-2 *UNIT III: REVOLUTION, NATIONALISM, AND CULTURE AFTER 1950Week 10 The Cuban RevolutionNov. 2 READING: Higman, A Concise History, ch. 7, 251-259Zeuske, “The Long Cuban Revolution”*Nov. 4READING: C. Wright Mills, Listen, Yankee!, chapters 5, 8 *Cuba Reader excerpts*Friday, Nov. 6: UNIT II paper due via email, 5 p.m.Week 11 The Problem of Sovereignty and the Politics of RaceNov. 9READING:Fanon, “The Negro and Language,” in Black Skin, White Masks *Begin Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoNov. 11READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 7, 259-275Lux, “Black Power in the Caribbean” *Keep reading Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoWeek 12 The Sixties’ Radicalisms: JamaicaNov. 16 READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 7, 284-298; 307-314 Bogues, “Black Power, Decolonization, and Caribbean Politics” *Nov. 18 READING: Michael Manley, “First Directions” and “Postscript” in The Politics of Change *Keep reading Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoWeek 13 Dictators, Refugees, and Migrations: the Dominican RepublicNov. 23READING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 7, 275-284; 299-307Hoffnung-Garskof, A Tale of Two Cities, excerpt *Nov. 25NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAKWeek 14Dictators, Refugees, and Migrations: HaitiNov. 30READING:Portes and Stepick, City on the Edge, excerpt *Dec. 2 READING:Pierre-Charles and Low, “The Democratic Revolution in Haiti” *Wilentz,The Rainy Season, excerpt *Friday Dec. 4: Oscar Wao review due via email, 5 p.m.Week 15:Dec. 7Transnational Politics and CultureREADING:Higman, A Concise History, ch. 7, 315-326 and ch. 8, 327-332Derby, “Gringo Chickens with Worms” * Dec. 9READING:Marshall, “Bling-Bling for Rastafari: How Jamaicans Deal with Hip Hop” *Friday, Dec. 18: Unit III paper due via email, 5 p.m. ................
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