Notes: Intro to Of Modern US History — Course Overview and 1865 Mississippi Black Codes (Primary-Source Focus)

Course Title (implied): Of Modern US History — Introductory Lecture Notes

• Course goals and outcomes (end of course competencies)

  • Identify significant historical issues and trends in United States history.
  • Analyze from multiple perspectives and connect them to today’s world.
  • Identify significant people/groups in the periods covered and explore the US experience across all states and diversity.
  • Recognize factors driving major transformations (social, economic, political, cultural).
  • Think historically to understand people/events within their historical context; interpret relationships in terms of causality and chronological development.
  • Develop skills to gather, identify, and analyze primary and secondary sources in their various forms (written, visual, oral, material).
  • Hone critical reading, writing, and speaking skills, especially in developing historical arguments.

• Course setup and structure (class logistics)

  • The course is an hour and fifteen minutes per session; importance of punctuality.
  • Review of course grade breakdown and written assignment due dates (hard copies preferred).
  • Classes emphasize a combination of lectures, readings, and primary-source analysis.

• Critical stance toward AI tools in academia

  • Incoming freshmen often familiar with AI/large language models (e.g., ChatGPT); strong discouragement of using these tools in university settings.
  • Key reasons:
  • You are paying for a college education to learn to construct arguments and communicate clearly; relying on AI shortchanges you.
  • AI models have environmental costs (water use, emissions) and contribute to global environmental issues.
  • The current era features heightened political polarization and misinformation; excessive AI use can exacerbate these problems.
  • If AI must be used for information gathering, acknowledge it but avoid turning in AI-generated work.

• Academic honesty and integrity

  • Don’t cheat, don’t copy, don’t plagiarize; cite sources properly to show provenance of information.
  • Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
  • There is a policy page (page 3) including waivers and notes on AI usage; review before the next class.

• Classroom environment: respect, inclusivity, and engagement

  • Follow the golden rule: treat others with respect, tolerate disagreement, debate without hostility.
  • Attendance and engagement are tied to the final grade.
  • If late (more than 15 minutes), you’ll be marked absent unless you have a valid reason; you may miss up to two classes without grade impact.
  • Participation can take many forms: in-class reading, group discussions, office hours, or online discussion; not only speaking in class.

• Getting around in-class norms

  • You can leave for restroom breaks without asking for permission; do so considerately.
  • There is a significant amount of reading each week (two textbooks plus primary/secondary sources).
  • When using devices: computers/screens are discouraged as they distract you and others; keep devices closed if possible; hard copies are recommended for reading and note-taking.
  • If printing costs are prohibitive, talk to the instructor about alternatives.

• Technology and access: Brightspace, email, and MFA

  • Set up Brightspace and your campus email; instructors may need to contact you about syllabus updates or documents.
  • Brightspace access may be affected by a multi-factor authentication system; if you have issues, contact IT or the instructor for help.
  • The course uses Brightspace to post materials and announcements; ensure you have access for the semester.

• Office hours and instructor information

  • Instructor: Gabe Tenen (Professor Tenen); temporary appointment for a month before Professor Manovich returns.
  • Office hours: Wednesdays, 3:30–5:30 PM; walk-in during those hours; location posted on Brightspace.
  • Availability may shift when Professor Manovich returns; keep an eye on Brightspace for updates.

• Required course text and reading materials

  • Primary required text: Give Me Liberty! An American History, Volume II, 7th Edition, by Eric Foner, Kathleen Buhle (Duvall), Lisa McGurrin (authors listed in transcript as Eric Boner, Kathleen Duvall, and Lisa McGurr).
  • Edition: 7th, Volume II (the specified edition is essential).
  • All additional primary/secondary documents will be posted on Brightspace.
  • An additional open-access reading: American Yawp (free online textbook) for the first section; chapter 14 will be read in the Civil War unit (link provided in syllabus, page 9).
  • Some students asked about online availability; the edition must match page numbers/content.

• Course logistics and schedule overview

  • The first part covers the Civil War and Reconstruction; the plan is to immerse students in Civil War content and then move into Reconstruction, followed by the Progressive Era and New Deal in the later part of the course.
  • Specific dates mentioned (sample timeline):
  • In-class writing center workshop on Tuesday, 09/09.
  • Quiz 1: Reconstruction quiz on 09/18 (students must arrive at the start of class).
  • Quiz 2: Reconstruction quiz on 09/30.
  • Midterm study day on 10/09; no class on 10/14; Professor Manovich returns around this time.
  • Progressive Era and New Deal emphasis; Progressive Era quiz on 10/28; New Deal content follows; museum assignment due 11/13.
  • Unit three focuses on the Civil Rights Movement (mid-20th century).
  • Final exam review on 12/09; final exam on 12/16 (3:30–5:30 PM) – times may be clarified closer to the date.
  • Seating is assigned for those who arrive late; seats are fixed for the rest of the semester.
  • There is a partnership with a museum (Museum of the City of New York) for an assignment; the instructor works there and can answer related questions.

• Syllabus and policy reminders

  • Review the syllabus thoroughly, including schedule, assignments, and class policies.
  • There are additional resources for health and mental health services; be mindful of mental health and seek help when needed.
  • There are disability accommodations through QMeet (accommodations available on request).
  • The course references additional library and research resources (page 6 of the syllabus).

• Primary source emphasis and introduction to analysis

  • Primary documents are central to the study: understand what a primary document is, and how to analyze it.
  • Definition: A primary document is a source from the time period being studied (examples: diaries, letters, newspapers, laws, artifacts, manuscripts, music, poetry, literature, visual art, film, television).
  • The instructor distinguishes primary sources from secondary sources and emphasizes close reading and context.
  • We will begin with a primary document from 1865 about Reconstruction, focusing on Mississippi and the Black Codes.

• Sample primary-source reading: Mississippi Black Codes (1865) – close reading exercise

  • Context: Just after the Civil War (end of the war; beginning of Reconstruction).
  • Southern states enacted Black Codes to regulate the lives of the newly freed African Americans after emancipation.
  • Mississippi and South Carolina passed laws to regulate Black life while offering some limited rights (property, marriage, contracts).
  • Key focus in the reading: Mississippi’s 1865 Black Codes and related legislation aimed at policing Black life and enforcing social/economic subordination.

• Excerpt and analysis from Mississippi Black Codes (1865) – major points

  • Section 2 (vagrancy clause) and its practical implications:
  • Required all freedmen to carry papers proving employment; failure could lead to arrest, fines, or re-enslavement and leasing to their former enslavers.
  • The section is designed to deter cross-racial interaction and social mixing, effectively criminalizing certain social behaviors and assembly.
  • It criminalizes cross-racial cooperation and social interaction, with harsher penalties for white participants interacting with Black people.
  • Section 7 (arms restriction) and its implications:
  • Prohibits freedmen from owning firearms or carrying ammunition; imposes fines and incarceration for violators; arms forfeited to informers; mandates police to arrest violators.
  • This precludes self-defense for Black Americans and supports white racial vigilantism and terrorism; tied to broader questions of citizenship and equal rights.
  • Section 8 (appeals and fines):
  • Five-day window to appeal; fines range from $25 to $150; lack of funds to appeal would trap many in the system; criminalizes poverty.
  • General framework and aftermath:
  • The codes extend the logic of slavery by other means, effectively punishing Black life while preserving the social order.
  • The provisions re-enact earlier penal and criminal laws against enslaved and free Black people, with modifications to the trial and punishment process.
  • The document as a whole shows:
  • Reestablishment of white supremacy as law in the post-Civil War South.
  • A strategy to keep Black and white populations socially and economically divided, curtailing Black political and economic agency.
  • The creation of a pathway for forced labor and criminal penalties that resemble slavery despite formal emancipation.

• Discussion prompts and student reflections (during primary-source activity)

  • Practical implications discussed by students:
  • Employment requirements bind freedpeople to the plantations and limit opportunities beyond sharecropping.
  • Laws criminalize cross-racial cooperation and socialization; create a legal framework to deter Black social/political organization.
  • Observations about “slavery by another name” and the broader constitutional context:
  • The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery but allowed forced labor as punishment for a crime; Mississippi laws exploited this loophole.
  • The text connects to broader constitutional debates about citizenship, rights, and the reach of federal authority into the South.
  • Modern-day relevance and long-term implications:
  • The Black Codes lay groundwork for Jim Crow laws that persist into the 20th century.
  • Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) address some of these injustices; the legacy of Black Codes informs ongoing debates about voting rights, policing, and civil liberties.

• Historiographical and methodological takeaways from the discussion

  • The past is not dead; it continues to shape present and future choices (Faulkner quote: "The past is never dead. It's not even past.").
  • Understanding history requires looking at both the harms and the forms of resistance to them; many groups fought back and asserted agency within oppressive systems.
  • The study of history involves tracing continuities and changes over time, including how laws and social norms evolve, often reappearing in new guises (e.g., post-Reconstruction Jim Crow as a continuation of the same project).
  • The importance of primary documents: they reveal the attitudes, power dynamics, and everyday practices of the time, and help us understand long arcs in American political and social life.

• Connections to broader themes and future topics in the course

  • The Mississippi Black Codes set the stage for the Jim Crow era and the long arc of civil rights struggle in the United States.
  • The course will connect Reconstruction-era policies to later 20th-century movements and policy changes, including civil rights legislation.
  • Expect discussions on the interplay between economic systems (land ownership, sharecropping), political rights (voting, representation), and social control (policing, criminal penalties).

• Key takeaways to remember

  • Primary documents provide a lens into the lived realities of their time and the power structures that shaped society.
  • Legal frameworks often encode racial hierarchy and economic subordination, with long-lasting effects on wealth accumulation and political life.
  • The past continues to influence present debates on constitutional rights, civil liberties, and social justice.

• Quick reference: important dates and terms mentioned

  • 1865: Black Codes enacted in Mississippi after the Civil War; Reconstruction begins; end of slavery formalized by the 13th Amendment.
  • 1868: Fourteenth Amendment (citizenship and equal protection under the law).
  • 1873: Comstock Act (restricting distribution of obscene materials via the postal service; later invoked in debates about abortion materials).
  • 1964: Civil Rights Act (landmark federal civil rights legislation).
  • 1965: Voting Rights Act (protecting voting rights).
  • 2014–2024: Modern constitutional/civil rights debates referenced in class discussions (contextual background for ongoing rights debates).

• Notes on course philosophy and big-picture goals

  • History is about understanding the phenomena that drive change (economics, identity, culture, politics) rather than memorizing dates and names.
  • The historian’s job is to analyze why events happened and how they relate to one another across time, not just to recount what happened.
  • The course emphasizes that history is close to us and relevant to current and future events, including how families’ pasts connect to today’s society.

• Final reminder for students

  • Engage with the material, participate in discussions, and use office hours to deepen understanding.
  • Prepare for in-class quizzes and major assignments; stay on top of readings and documents (including Brightspace and the required text).
  • Be mindful of the ethical and practical implications of historical study (accurate sourcing, honest interpretation, and respectful discourse.)

If you’d like, I can organize these notes into a printable study guide or tailor a focused outline for the Civil War and Reconstruction portion, including a timeline and key primary documents to analyze for exams.