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Slavery & Freedom: US History, 1763-1945 (HIST20059)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
The American Revolution promised to forge a new Republic founded on the radical idea that all men were created equal. Yet, the founding of the United States cemented racial slavery in its economic and social systems, and slavery grew dramatically within the young nation in the nineteenth century. This subject examines the historical significance of these tensions between the promise of freedom and the subordination of certain groups within American society from the Revolution through to 1945, when the US emerged as a major world power. The subject explores the consequences of the existence of slavery in a free society, including the fighting of a terrible civil war. It also considers the nineteenth-century movements of enslaved and free Black people, women’s rights advocates, and Native Americans, to expand the circle of full citizenship. The dynamics and consequences of growth is the second major theme: topics include the emergence of a market economy, the frontier and the fate of indigenous Americans during the decades of westward expansion. Finally, the subject traces the emergence of an internationally influential modern mass society and culture in the early twentieth century – topics here include Prohibition, the Great Depression and New Deal, film and broadcasting, the segregated South, immigration, and the two world wars. Here again we examine the tensions between the promises of new freedoms and the constraints facing particular groups in American society. The subject blends social, cultural and political history, attending to the histories of ordinary people, leaders of social and political movements, and presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:
- Understand some of the major issues in US history 1776-1945 and the significant changes in US society over this period
- Understand the social, political and cultural context of events in US history 1776-1945
- Demonstrate an ability to research a topic in US history 1776-1945 using primary sources
- Have an enhanced understanding of some of the major interpretive arguments made by historians of US history 1776-1945
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate historical arguments in writing and orally.
Last updated: 27 April 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 27 April 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Research question proposal and document exercise
| Early in the teaching period | 20% |
A reflective essay
| During the examination period | 20% |
A research essay
| Late in the teaching period | 60% |
Hurdle requirement: 1. Attendance hurdle requirement: This subject has a minimum requirement of 80% attendance at tutorials, seminars, or workshops. There is an expectation that students attend lectures. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Hurdle requirement: 2. Late Penalty and Assessment hurdle requirement: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at five per cent (5%) of the possible marks available for the assessment task per day or part thereof. All pieces of assessment must be submitted to pass the subject. Each submitted assessment must be complete, constitute a genuine attempt to address the requirements of the task and will not be accepted after 20 University business days from the original assessment due date without written approval. | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Last updated: 27 April 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Patrick McGrath Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 29 hours : 1 x 1.5 hour lecture every week and 1 x 1 hour tutorial from weeks 2-12. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 February 2024 to 26 May 2024 Last self-enrol date 8 March 2024 Census date 3 April 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 3 May 2024 Assessment period ends 21 June 2024 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 27 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Subject readings will be available on line.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Major History - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 27 April 2024