African American History
Module title | African American History |
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Module code | HIH2209A |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
Credits | 30 |
Module staff | Dr Matthias Reiss (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 10 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 36 |
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Module description
This module will examine the history of African Americans in the United States from colonial times to the present and well as discuss the ways in which “race” has shaped the course of American History. It will emphasise the active role African Americans have played in shaping the European settlements in North America since the sixteenth century and thereby offer an alternative perspective on the “American Experiment”. It will introduce you to a wide variety of primary sources and analyse how they reflect the experience of people of African descent. No prior knowledge of American History is necessary, and the module is designed for non-specialist students. It is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways as it also deals with political science, sociology and cultural studies.
Module aims - intentions of the module
You will need effective communication and analytical skills, oral and written, to complete many of your modules and in a job after you graduate. This module aims to help you develop your skills in researching, interpreting, and analysing both primary and secondary material, and in reporting on your work. It provides you with an opportunity to explore an area of history in more depth, and helps you to develop the depth of understanding you will require to study more specialised areas of history.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key developments in the history of people of African descent in North America
- 2. Critically evaluate the key concepts and factors which shaped the experience of black people of African descent in North America
- 3. Summarise and evaluate different historical perspectives relating to the history of black people of African descent in North America
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Analyse the key developments in a complex historical environment
- 5. Demonstrate an ability to handle profoundly different approaches to history in a deeply contested area
- 6. Demonstrate an ability to understand and deploy complex historical terminology in a comprehensible manner
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Select, organise and analyse material for written work and oral presentations of different prescribed lengths and formats.
- 8. Present complex arguments orally.
- 9. Present an argument in a written form in a clear and organised manner, with appropriate use of correct English
- 10. Through essay development process, demonstrate ability to reflect critically on your own work, to respond constructively to feedback, and to implement suggestions and improve work on this basis
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- African-Americans in the Early Republic
- Slave Resistance and Rebellion
- The American Civil War
- The Age of Jim Crow
- The First World War and the Great Migration
- The New Negro
- The Second World War: The "Forgotten Years" of the Negro Revolution
- The Civil Rights Movement
- Black Militancy and Nationalism
- Race and Racism After the Civil Rights Era
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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40 | 260 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 10 | 10 x 1-hour lectures |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 20 | 10 x 2-hour seminars |
Scheduled learning and teaching | 10 | 10 x 1-hour workshops |
Guided independent study | 260 | Reading and preparation for seminars and presentations |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Written assignment proposal | 1000 words or equivalent | 1-8 (oral), 1-7, 9-10 (written) | Oral and/or written, as appropriate |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Group Presentation | 30 | 30 minute live, group presentation, + supporting materials; also evidenced by reflective coversheet (1-2 sides A4) | 1-8 | Written |
Written assignment | 70 | 3000 words | 1-7, 9-10 | Written |
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0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Group presentation | 750-word-equivalent recorded presentation with other materials as standard; if not possible, then 750-word script for presentation with other materials as standard | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Written assignment | Written assignment | 1-7, 9-10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
The re-assessment consists of a 3000-word written assignment, as in the original assessment, but replaces participation in the group presentation with an individual presentation equivalent to an individual’s contribution, to be recorded and submitted with all supporting materials as for the original assessment; failing this, students should submit a written script that could be delivered in such a presentation (750 words) along with all supporting materials as for the original assessment.
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Bracey, John H. Jr., and Manisha Sinha (eds.), African American Mosaic: A Documentary History from the Slave Trade to the Twenty-First Century, 2 vols. (Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2004).
- Hine, Darlene Clark, William C. Hine and Stanley Harrold, The African-American Odyssey (Combined Volume, 5th ed.; Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2011).
- Holt, Thomas C. (ed.), Major Problems in African-American History, 2 vols. (Boston, 2000).
- Kelley, Robin D.G., and Earl Lewis (eds.), To Make our World Anew, 2 vols. (Oxford, 2005).
- Painter, Nell Irvin, Creating Black Americans: African-American History and its Meanings, 1619 to the Present (New York, 2006).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11971
- The Avalon Project: African Americans – http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/african_americans.asp
- Black Past – http://www.blackpast.org/
- PBS Eyes on the Price: America’s Civil Rights Movement 1954-1985 – http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/index.html
- The Martin Luther King Research and Education Institute – http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/
- Race and Place: An African-American Community in the Jim Crow South: Charlottesville, VA – http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/afam/raceandplace/index.html
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture – http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/64/node/65914
- Without Sanctuary: Photographs and Postcards of Lynching in America – http://withoutsanctuary.org/main.html
Credit value | 30 |
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Module ECTS | 15 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 5 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 01/10/2011 |
Last revision date | 30/01/2023 |