Nation State
iClicker Participation and Grades
iClicker Overview: Students should monitor participation through Canvas, not the iClicker display.
Ignore attendance/participation percentages shown on iClicker; they don't reflect actual scores.
Only the scores uploaded to Canvas after lectures matter for participation.
Quizzes Overview:
Quizzes have scrambled questions; students receive different questions in different orders.
At the end of each quiz, students will see how many they got right or wrong.
The grading criteria (A, B, C, D) will be communicated for every quiz, similar to the first quiz.
Course Structure and Progression
Current Focus: The course is exploring the rise of the modern discipline of history writing, particularly in relation to identity and national identity.
Historical Foundations:
Review of ancient history from Herodotus and Thucydides: two strands of history writing, one authoritative (top-down), another polyphonic (bottom-up).
Recent discussions addressed foundational controversies between history writing and identity.
Modern Discipline Context: Current discussions will involve the impact of the discipline on public and political perception of history, especially during certain political revolutions.
Lecture Goals
Objective: By the end of the lecture, students should understand the connection between history writing and national identity.
Lecture Parts:
Emergence of the Nation-State: Political evolution from 1789 to 1848 focusing on revolutions and industrial effects.
Foundations of History Writing: Using Leopold von Ranke as a pivot point illustrating the shift towards a modern discipline.
Interconnectedness: Show how the developments coincided and influenced one another.
Emergence of the Nation-State (1789-1848)
Key Historical Context:
The time frame is marked by the French Revolution and political revolutions across Europe which spurred changes toward modern nation-states.
Discuss the transformation from multiethnic empires to nation-states primarily in Europe and stress the concept of self-determination.
Significant Events:
1789 – French Revolution: Marks a turning point.
Complex causes including social inequalities, heavy imperial debt, agrarian market changes, bourgeois rise, and Enlightenment thought.
Enlightenment Influences: Outline new governance principles focused on communal well-being, rationality, human rights, and societal progress.
Key Mottos: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” encapsulates revolution ideals.
Important Document: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen defines basic civil rights and liberties.
Political Results: After the revolution, establish a new constitution:
Retained monarchy but established a strong parliament, only allowing for property-owning males.
Long-term Legacy:
Recognition of individual rights and people’s sovereignty as universal ideals.
Shifts toward more democratic structures post-1848 revolutions, with increased efforts towards state formation from national identities.
Historical Development of Historical Writing
Leopold von Ranke’s Role:
Considered the father of modern historical discipline; marked institutionalization of history writing in universities and established critical analysis methods.
Context: Emerged from a period of increased interest in historical scholarship in newly founded universities (especially Gottingen).
Historical Background: Historiography and critical examinations of sources began to emerge.
State support for historical scholarship led to a professionalization of history as a discipline.
Institutions like the Prussian Academy of Sciences and Humboldt University played critical roles in this development.
Historiographical Methods and Practices:
Emphasis on primary sources and firsthand data collection as essential in historical research.
Defined history not as a site of judgment but as an objective recounting of facts:
Promote a strict narrative based on fact over emotion/narrative.
Consequences of this practice highlighted the separation of history and fiction writing, setting norms that prioritized critical analysis.
Interplay of Nationalism and History Writing
Concepts of Nation and Nationalism:
Nation: Defined broadly as a large body of people viewing themselves as a distinct group.
Flexibility in definition; often connected but not limited by geographic, ethnic, or cultural identities.
Nationalism: Principle stating that the political unit (state) should align with the national unit (nation).
Potential for exclusion: Not all societies deemed deserving of self-determination, raising questions on who decides nationhood standards.
State Formation and Historical Discourse:
History serves as a critical tool in constructing national identities and historical narratives, influencing and being influenced by sociopolitical realities.
Notably, von Ranke’s historiographical practices helped solidify national narratives in state agendas during the rise of nationalism.
Ethical and Philosophical Considerations
Historical Narratives as Constructs: It's important to note that many national identities are constructed rather than naturally occurring. Historical revisionism and national narratives influence contemporary discourse on statehood and identity, as highlighted by the American Historical Association.
Current Implications: Today, historical narratives and their interpretations can significantly affect political stances and discussions on national identities in various countries, including debates over how American history is taught.
Conclusion and Upcoming Reminders
Reiteration of complexities in nationalism vs. historical perspectives and the essential role of history in state formation.
Next Session: Reminder to prepare for the quiz on Sir Walter Scott's reading, to be held in conjunction with in-class textual analyses.
Importantly, students should have access to the reading, as it will not be referenced in the quiz but will be required for discussions in class.
Emergence of the Nation-State (1789-1848)
Key Historical Context: - The time frame is marked by the French Revolution and political revolutions across Europe which spurred changes toward modern nation-states.
Discuss the transformation from multiethnic empires to nation-states primarily in Europe and stress the concept of self-determination.
Significant Events:- 1789 – French Revolution: Marks a turning point.- Complex causes including social inequalities, heavy imperial debt, agrarian market changes, bourgeois rise, and Enlightenment thought.
<!-- -->Enlightenment Influences: Outline new governance principles focused on communal well-being, rationality, human rights, and societal progress.
Key Mottos: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” encapsulates revolution ideals.- Important Document: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen defines basic civil rights and liberties.
Political Results: After the revolution, establish a new constitution: - Retained monarchy but established a strong parliament, only allowing for property-owning males.
Long-term Legacy: - Recognition of individual rights and people’s sovereignty as universal ideals.
Shifts toward more democratic structures post-1848 revolutions, with increased efforts towards state formation from national identities.
Historical Development of Historical Writing
Leopold von Ranke’s Role: - Considered the father of modern historical discipline; marked institutionalization of history writing in universities and established critical analysis methods.
Context: Emerged from a period of increased interest in historical scholarship in newly founded universities (especially Gottingen).
Historical Background: Historiography and critical examinations of sources began to emerge.
State support for historical scholarship led to a professionalization of history as a discipline. - Institutions like the Prussian Academy of Sciences and Humboldt University played critical roles in this development.
Historiographical Methods and Practices: - Emphasis on primary sources and firsthand data collection as essential in historical research.
Defined history not as a site of judgment but as an objective recounting of facts: - Promote a strict narrative based on fact over emotion/narrative.
Consequences of this practice highlighted the separation of history and fiction writing, setting norms that prioritized critical analysis.
Interplay of Nationalism and History Writing
Concepts of Nation and Nationalism:- Nation: Defined broadly as a large body of people viewing themselves as a distinct group.- Flexibility in definition; often connected but not limited by geographic, ethnic, or cultural identities.
<!-- -->Nationalism: Principle stating that the political unit (state) should align with the national unit (nation).- Potential for exclusion: Not all societies deemed deserving of self-determination, raising questions on who decides nationhood standards.
State Formation and Historical Discourse:- History serves as a critical tool in constructing national identities and