Jan. 28, 2009      to syllabus Some study questions on slave revolts and Nat Turner

New: Paper Topic Instructions and Options

NEW: Midterm instructions and essay questions online!

History 350: American Radicalism

From Jan 26:
Paine's Legacy
National unity or cohesion with factions? Paine vs. James Madison
(Link to Madison's famous "Tenth Federalist" paper) Link to excerpts

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I. Slave Resistance in Comparative Perspective
    A. Frequency, size, success: North America/Caribbean/Brazil

    B. Forms of resistance and revolt "Creativity and Resistance" on-line exhibit
student-created website on Brazilian slave resistance

II. Explaining patterns of slave revolts
    A. The "Elkins Thesis": Slavery and "unopposed capitalism"

    B. Other explanations

III. Nat Turner's Predecessors
    A. Gabriel's Rebellion, Richmond, VA, 1800
documentary exhibit on slave rebellions from PBS "Africans in America" series

    B. Denmark Vesey's plot, Charleston, SC, 1822
from PBS "Africans in America" series

IV. Turner's Rebellion
from PBS exhibit Turner's confession good collection of documents on slavery
Print a paper model of Nat Turner from the "Download-a-Revolutionary" website!?

    A. Environment and preconditions

    B. Turner as leader
        1. Delusionary madman?
        2. Revolutionary organizer?

    C. Goals: Vengeance, Escape, Liberation?

V. Results


Artist's Portrayal of Gabriel Denmark Vesey Monument, Charleston, SC

Nat Turner Preaching                               Nat Turner Captured

                                                     Contemporary Nat Turner Cartoon