History 506:401 Section 10

Undergraduate Seminar

Coffee, Sugar and Other Addictive Substances

Fall 2009

Monday 12:35-3:35

Gail D. Triner Van Dyck Hall 106 e-mail: gtriner@gmail.com web site: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~triner

Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. ; 4:30-5:30 or by appointment

This seminar will explore the social and cultural histories of sugar, coffee and other addictive substances, such as tobacco, chocolate, tea, heroin, cocaine …. The introduction of these substances has had manifold and fascinating implications for human endeavor. They have affected lifestyles and social relations, labor (slavery, other coercive labor systems, and others), imperial and colonial systems of government, criminality, personal behavior and technology – among other considerations in how people have organized themselves. These issues have arisen throughout the world and in all time periods. We will begin with an introduction to identify some of the historical issues that addictive substances have in common, using sugar as an example. Then, each seminar participant will research the history of an addictive substance or a specific aspect of its importance, covering a time period that does not extend beyond 1950. Research will use original historical documents, which can range from pre-modern documents to newspaper advertisements. Participants will write a paper of approximately 25 pages to communicate their findings. This paper may be either a research paper or, at your option, a work of historical fiction or other creative writing. (Depending on the nature of a creative writing project, the page requirement may vary.)

Attached to this syllabus are:

· Course requirements (please read carefully)

· A schedule of class sessions and readings

· A partial list of ideas for project topics:. You will meet with me to define a paper topic of your interest; so the suggested topics should only serve as a suggestive guideline.

· Source requirements and partial bibliography of potential sources available in English (and in the Rutgers University Library). If you read languages other than English, you have a much-expanded range of source material.

· Selected writing guidelines (general guidelines and fiction)

The Undergraduate History Seminar is the first (and perhaps only) opportunity for history majors to engage in the practice of what historians do. As such, it is a course that requires a serious commitment from its participants. The requirements for the course reflect that, with a fairly heavy workload. However, I also assume that you have not had a class of this nature before. I hope and expect to guide students on a close individual basis.

Readings

Available at Rutgers Bookstore and at the Undergraduate Reserve Reading desk in Douglass Library

Mintz; Sweetness and Power

Storey; Writing History

Martin; Writing Historical Fiction (on reserve only)

On-line readings (follow links, on on-line syllabus)

L. Pérez, ed. Slaves, Sugar and Colonial Society: Travel Accounts of Cuba, 1801-1899

Liss, The Coffee Trader Chapters 1, 4, 8 and 10

Course Requirements and Grading (please read carefully):

1. Attendance at all scheduled class meetings. This class requires that you complete all assignments prior to class, and participate in discussions of the readings and all other class activities. Classes will begin at the scheduled time. The participation component of your grade will reflect the quantity and quality of your contributions to class discussions. (Attendance, without contribution to discussion does not count as participation.) Class participation will account for 20% of your grade for the class.

2. Three short papers (each about 3-5 pages) based on the assigned readings. Paper topics are on the schedule of class session. These are broad topics; you should discuss them from the perspective that seems most relevant or interesting to you. (Each paper will be 5% of your course grade; but failure to submit a paper will lower your final grade for the class by ½ grade.) You need to underline your thesis statement in every paper you submit.

3. Interim steps towards your final paper:

· A formal research proposal, with statement of topic and preliminary bibliography.

· Interim progress reports on the work that you have done on your project during the previous week (dates for progress reports are noted with the class sessions)

· Outline of paper, with initial thesis statement underlined.

· Rough draft of paper (defined as complete draft, including all topics your paper will cover, footnotes and bibliography), with current version of thesis statement underlined.

· A 10-15 minute presentation to the class of your final paper.

Due dates are noted in class schedule below. Each of these assignments is due at the beginning of the class of their due dates. The research proposal, outline and rough draft are ungraded. However, any one of these (including progress reports) not submitted on schedule will result lowering your final grade by ½ grade.

4. A 20-30 page paper which cogently discusses your topic, sources, methodology and findings, and with thesis statement underlined. (The paper, including the interim steps above, will contribute towards 65% of your final grade.)

2 Sept.	Introduction
9 Sept.	Choosing a topic · Working with "primary sources" · What is a research project proposal? · What is a progress report?
	Read	S. Mintz, Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History Writing History, Ch. 1
	Due	3-5 page paper on: the role of the British in establishing sugar as a central foodstuff in modern life. You will want to indicate the important ways in which the British were in important in the spread of sugar use, consumption or production, or the importance of sugar in British society and culture. However, you should develop a cohesive argument focused on a specific aspect that you find most compellingly important. (Underline your thesis statement.)
16 Sept.	Issues in research
	Read		Writing History, Chs. 2 and 3
	Meet with me during week of 16-23 Sept (after class on 16 Sept., during office hours, or by appointment) to discuss your first ideas for a project topic.
23 Sept.	Issues in research
	Read	L. Pérez, ed. Slaves, Sugar and Colonial Society: Travel Accounts of Cuba, 1801-1899 Writing History, Chs. 2 and 3
	Due	Project proposal – with initial primary sources indicated. 3-5 page paper in which you use the accounts excerpted in these readings to more fully demonstrate – or contradict – arguments made in Sweetness and Power about the production of sugar. You may want to focus on techniques and technologies of sugar-making, the organization of slave labor in Cuba (and the impact of the labor regimen on slave life), management of sugar plantations, or any other topics that the reading suggests to you. (Underline your thesis statement.)
30 Sept.	No class. You should be beginning your project research during this time.

7 Oct.	Issues in research
	Read	Liss, The Coffee Trader, Chs. 1, 4, 8 and 10 Writing History, Ch. 4 and 6
	Due	3-5 page paper considering two issues about writing historical fiction: · These chapters from The Coffee Trader are excerpts from a longer novel that involves many interesting issues. For purposes of this essay, concentrate your attention on coffee. What do we learn about the formation of the earliest international markets for coffee? How did people in Amsterdam react to this “new” product? · What sorts of primary sources must the author of the novel have used in order to write these chapters? First progress report
14 Oct.	Issues in Research
	Read	Writing History, Ch. 8 and 9
	Due	Progress report Bring to class: ONE of the primary sources for your project. Be prepared to discuss your primary source: What is it? What do you expect it to provide for your project?
21 Oct.	Issues in research
	Read	Writing History Ch. 5
	Due	Progress report
28 Oct.	Issues in research
	Due	Outline – with initial thesis statement and current bibliography
4 Nov.	No class *
	Due	Progress report
11 Nov.	Issues in research
	Read	Writing History, Chs. 7 and 10
	Due	Progress report Draft of one section of the body of your paper (not from the introduction or conclusion) – and if drafting this section has changed your mind about your thesis, included your re-stated thesis. E-mail your draft to me before class; bring two hard copies with you to class.

18 Nov.	Issues in research:
	Due	1^st full draft of paper (with current version of thesis statement underlined); E-mail your draft to me before class; bring two hard copies with you to class.
25 Nov.	No class * · Feel free to schedule meetings with me to discuss your project, as you feel necessary.
	Due	Progress reports
2 Dec.	Presentations
9 Dec.	Presentations Final papers due (again, underline your thesis) E-mail your draft to me before class

* On dates when class does not meet, but assignments and/or progress reports are due, you can submit them by e-mail. (However, “machine problems” are not an excuse for late work.) On dates when we do not meet, feel free to meet with me individually to talk about your project.