This seminar investigates the rise of stereotypes, shared identities, and norms as they took shape in the first three centuries of European colonization of North America. How did the division of labor in the colonies produce ideas about race, gender, and sexuality? How did people understand their attractions and gender identities? When and why did categories like “black,” “red,” and “white” come to be universally understood? Readings will include Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko, Richard Ligon’s A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados, William Earle Jr.’s Obi, or the History of Three-Fingered Jack, private diaries, letters, and Native- and African-American memoirs. Assignments include a short essay on a text in class and a longer final essay that investigates the history of a keyword in the form of a traditional research paper or an online Storymap or Timeline exhibit.
Course Requirements:
Assignments include a short essay on a text in class and a longer final essay that investigates the history of a keyword in the form of a traditional research paper or an online Storymap or Timeline exhibit.