HTY 609: Seminar: New England / Quebec / Atlantic Provincial History
Instructor: McLaughlin, Mark
Days/Time: T 4:00 – 5:50 PM
Location: DPC107 / Web Live
Course Number: 23679 (In Person) 23680 (Online)
Description:
This course explores the history of the Northeast Americas by employing a borderlands approach. While the histories of what are now referred to as the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, and New England are typically constructed within the framework of regional and international boundaries, a broader historiography hints at the prospect of understanding themes by applying trans-regional and international approaches. Indeed, from the earliest period of human habitation, what we can think of as the Northeast Borderlands have shared a richly textured history that includes such significant themes as conflict, trade, migration patterns, class tensions, and cultural issues.
The course will focus on the period from pre-Contact Indigenous peoples to the late twentieth century. We will begin with an analysis of borderlands approaches. The bulk of our time will be spent in pursuit of topical themes, arrayed in a basic chronological format, that will give us the opportunity to critique the historiography of the Northeast Americas. In doing so, we will rigorously inspect the stylized ideas that have profoundly underscored historical research on both sides of the international border.
The course will be conducted as a reading seminar. The emphasis will be on weekly discussion of readings from the course texts and available through Blackboard and/or online. In preparation for each session, all students will read various passages in common. In addition, each student will be responsible for seeking out an article or chapter related to a particular week’s theme, writing a short response, and presenting a brief summary to the rest of the class during the seminar. Attendance at the weekly discussions is required, and each student is expected to participate and to submit written assignments on time. A critical element of the course will be the completion of a major paper.