History 423 / 523

IDAHO AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

University of Idaho

Fall 2004

Tuesday and Thursday @ 8:00 – 9:15 a.m.

Albertson Building 201

Dr. Adam M. Sowards

Office: Administration 315

Phone: 885-7704

E-Mail: asowards@uidaho.edu

Web: http://www.class.uidaho.edu/asowards/

Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30 – 10:30 and Thursday, 2:00 – 3:00 (Immediately before and after class is usually also a good time to have some questions answered.)

Note to Students: It is my pleasure to do what I can to help you meet your goals in this class. If you find yourself having trouble, please send me e-mail, use my office hours, or set up an appointment to see me.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will survey major developments in Pacific Northwest history, including the territory from the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains, from northern California to southern Alaska, including British Columbia. We will generally discuss cultural, economic, environmental, ethnic, political, and social topics. We will examine tensions between various groups and individuals, conflict between the economy and the natural environment, the changing nature of the Pacific Northwest’s political and social climate, the development of a unique Pacific Northwest culture and identity, and the relationship between the Pacific Northwest and the larger nation and world. In the process, we will learn much about the development of the regional past, and we will hone our skills of critical thinking. Thus, this class will teach content (i.e., Pacific Northwest history) and skills (i.e., the ability to analyze, think, and communicate critically).

REQUIRED BOOKS

The following list constitutes the required books for this course. They are available for purchase at the University of Idaho Bookstore. It is possible, even likely, that you could find some of the books cheaper through online booksellers or local merchants.

·         Carlos Schwantes, In Mountain Shadows: A History of Idaho

·         Jay Miller, ed., Mourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography

·         Richard White, Land Use, Environment, and Social Change: The Shaping of Island County, Washington

·         Jim Phillips and Rosemary Gartner, Murdering Holiness: The Trials of Franz Creffield and George Mitchell

·         Teri Hein, Atomic Farmgirl: Growing Up Right in the Wrong Place

·         Andrea Vogt, Common Courage: Bill Wassmuth, Human Rights, and Small-Town Activism

Graduate students should also purchase:

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Preparedness Grade (i.e., participation, quizzes, etc.) (30%): For this class to work well, students need to come to class prepared. To encourage this, you will be graded on your willing participation, your preparedness, and your presence. This grade will be calculated by contributions to discussions, by attendance, by in-class assignments, and by my general observations. Students in this class represent a variety of perspectives—personal and academic—, and all students will benefit by the participation of others with their expert knowledge and diverse experiences. Each student will also lead discussion, in pairs, for one day during the semester, which will contribute to this grade. Moreover, on a regular basis, you will have short unannounced quizzes. These likely will be short essays in class, but they may also include “objective” questions (i.e., multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, etc.). They are designed to make sure you are keeping up with and comprehending the reading, discussion, and lecture materials. I will drop your lowest score. You may not make up a missed quiz unless you have made arrangements with me prior to missing class; no exceptions.

Thematic Papers (2 * 20% = 40%): A series of common themes runs through this course, along with a series of questions that helps us investigate themes. (The themes and questions are attached to the end of this syllabus.) The questions and themes are designed to aid you in taking notes and conceptualizing the history of the Pacific Northwest. We will often use them to organize classroom discussion. Twice during the semester you will be turn in a paper (approximately 6-7 pages) focusing on one of those themes and sets of questions of your choice. Your paper will reflect your understanding of the material presented in assigned readings, lectures, and discussions. Your paper will need to be argumentative (i.e., containing a thesis that answers the question[s]) and not just a summary of information. You must choose different themes for each paper, and they must be different from your final paper.

Final Thematic Paper (30%): You will write a final paper (approximately 12-14 pages) that will synthesize one of the themes. You will use the provided questions as a guide. You will need to cover as much of the period as possible, from the late-eighteenth century to the late-twentieth century, and as much of the region as possible. Like the shorter, thematic papers, this paper will reflect your understanding of the material presented in assigned readings, lectures, and discussions and be argumentative. Besides material used from the class, you will be required to consult at least three outsides sources. The sources need not be scholarly sources, but I have found them to be the easiest from which to extract the needed information. Please see me for relevant suggestions for additional reading.

Graduate Student Assignments

Students enrolled in History 523 will be accountable for the Preparedness grade and the two initial thematic papers.  They will have three options for the rest of the course.

OPTION 1: Research Paper: In lieu of your final thematic paper, you may choose to write a research paper based on primary (mainly) and secondary sources that may be used as a MA thesis or PhD dissertation chapter or an article. The length will be approximately 20-25 pages. If you choose this option, the initial thematic paper assignments will be modified.

OPTION 2: Intensive Readings: For doctoral students preparing for comprehensive examinations, you may elect to do some reading on Pacific Northwest history. This would include selecting a number secondary works in consultation with me for inclusion in each of the thematic papers. It would include periodic discussion with me, as well. You would become familiar with approximately 12-15 secondary works.

OPTION 3: Other: If you are taking this course out of general interest and not a specialized research or reading need, we will design together a third project with commensurate work with a combination of reading and writing.

POLICIES

Late Work Policy: Your grade drops one full grade for each day your work is late. You must be in class the day it is due to turn in work. If you do not come to class, your work will be counted as one day late unless you have made prior arrangements. With legitimate, documented excuses or for absences arranged ahead of time, exceptions can be made.

Grade Challenges: I am willing to entertain grade challenges provided they are submitted in writing and that you wait 48 hours after the assignment is returned before you hand in your objection. You will then need to set up an appointment with me to discuss the assignment and grade. Also, you must initiate this process within one week of the time the assignment was returned to the class. After re-evaluating a grade and meeting with you to discuss the assignment and evaluation, I may change it.

Plagiarism: To plagiarize is to present someone else’s work as your own. To present someone else’s work as your own means to use someone else’s information, ideas or writing without explicitly acknowledging with quotation marks and/or citations that the ideas and/or writing are not your own. You may be plagiarizing even if you are not directly quoting. Plagiarism is a serious offense and I will give a 0 to the first assignment in which a student plagiarizes. If a student plagiarizes again, I will fail that student in the course. If you have ANY questions or confusions about plagiarism, please let me know before you turn in your work. It is essential to be using others’ ideas and information; however, you just must provide credit where credit is due. You may find additional information about Academic Honesty (and dishonesty) as part of the Student Code of Conduct.

Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify me during the first week of class of an accommodation(s) needed for the course. Late notification may mean that requested accommodations might not be available. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Support Services located in the Idaho Commons Building, Rm. 333, 885-7200, or dss@uidaho.edu.

EXPECTATIONS

Students will:

The instructor will:

READING AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Please note that this is an approximation of what we will be doing and changes may be necessary. If so, they will be announced to the class. Also, the reading assignments are to be complete before you come to class on the day they are assigned.

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS: No Classes

Final Thematic Paper due during (or before) scheduled final exam— Wednesday, December 15, 2004, 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.—in my office.

COURSE THEMES AND QUESTIONS

As I have been teaching and researching in Pacific Northwest History, I have come to concentrate on a handful of themes. These areas provide constant reference points that allow us to watch change over time. When encountering new material in Northwest history, I often ask myself questions about how this new information relates to these themes. The themes selected below derive from the material we are reading. Besides forming the basis of your thematic papers, these themes and questions ought to provide you with a strong sense of how to organize your reading notes. It should be clear, as well, that these themes are interrelated very closely.

·         Racial/Ethnic Diversity: From the earliest human occupation, the Pacific Northwest has been a region brimming with different cultures. The earliest Native populations represented several cultural traditions and as Europeans and later Asians, African Americans (and Africans), and Latin Americans migrated to the region, cultural interaction and, often, conflict characterized the social relationships here. Throughout the region's history and to this day, diverse human populations help make the PNW a rich place. Racial/Ethnic Diversity: How has racial or ethnic diversity shaped interaction among people and institutions? How do developments in the region affect racial and ethnic groups differently? What conflicts have resulted because of racial and ethnic difference? What instances of cooperation exist? Why did cooperation prevail then? How did groups interact within their own cultural group and cross-culturally?

·         Economy: Of course, humans always participate in economic arrangements and relationships. Understanding how American Indians and European, Asian, African, Canadian, and American residents made a living reveals much about the nature of PNW history. It is important to recognize the extra-regional links of the PNW economy. A significant sub-category of the economy is that of socioeconomic classes that formed by the economic arrangements in the Northwest Economy: What economic relationships and arrangements are present here? What have been the causes and consequences (e.g., economic, social, political, and environmental consequences) of the economy? How has capitalism shaped economic relationships between individuals and institutions? What have been the consequences of those relationships? How did various socioeconomic classes develop? How did those in the subordinate classes resist their subordination? How did those in the dominant classes dominate? How do rural and urban (or rural and industrial) economies interact? What has been the basis of the Northwest's economy over time? To what extent has been the Pacific Northwest’s economy colonial in relationship to the East and/or to the federal government? If the Northwest has emerged (even partially) from that relationship, when and how did that occur?

·         Environment: For most of PNW history, the natural environment furnished the materials necessary to fuel economic growth. Nature also has provided the basis of many residents' identity. Today, a close association with the natural world is one of our region's hallmarks. Predictably, conflict among various viewpoints has animated the region for well over a century. Environment: How have factors related to the environment (e.g., climate, geography, politics) shaped the economy, politics, and culture of the Pacific Northwest? How have Northwesterners forged a regional identity with the natural environment? What opportunities and limits has the environment offered the region? How have Northwesterners shaped the environment? What have been the consequences? How have Northwesterners handled the inherent conflict between the environment as a source of economic survival to be used and the environment as a source of inspiration and identity to be used sparingly, if at all? How have the diverse environments within the Pacific Northwest shaped Northwest history?

·         Gender: Just as diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups faced different experiences in the West, so did men and women. For a long time it was assumed in historical scholarship that men’s experiences spoke for all people, or alternately that women’s experiences were not important. We have moved beyond those perspectives somewhat, though much remains to be discovered. Two new areas of importance to Northwest historians have been the examining sexuality and investigating men as gendered individuals. Gender: How and why did women and men enjoy separate experiences in the PNW? What experiences did they share? What ideals did society hold up to women and to men to guide their behavior in public and in private? How well did individual women and men meet those ideals? How have those ideals changed over time? How does sexuality shape Northwestern experience? How have ethnicity and gender interacted?

·         Politics: The Northwest has often had quirky political developments. We tend to be independent, voting on the basis of personality and issue—not tradition. Of course, politics has been the realm through which many push their agendas related to the other themes of diversity, economy, and environment. Politics: What political system and arrangements of political power are present here? Who exercises political power and to what end? Who gains and who loses in this particular political system? What common threads characterize Pacific Northwestern politics? How have political reforms been enacted? What have been their consequences? (NOTE: This theme and its questions are useful and important, but you may have difficulty sustaining an entire paper on this theme given the assigned readings. I encourage you to think very carefully before selecting this theme for your thematic papers, especially the first two.)

There is one additional theme that is important to consider in this course, especially in part of our discussions. However, the assigned reading does not cover it well enough for you to be able to write satisfactory papers. Thus, this theme is not available for you to write thematic papers about.

·         Region, Nation, World: It is important to see the Pacific Northwest in its many contexts. First, we need to recognize what makes the region unique compared to other places. This uniqueness changes over time. Next, we must recognize the Northwest's relationship to the rest of the nation (or nations, including Canada). Finally, it is useful to locate the region within global history. Region, Nation, World: What is unique to the region? How does the region relate to the nation? How does the region relate to the rest of the world? How do national and international developments affect the Pacific Northwest?