American Foreign Relations:  

From First Principles to

Spanish-American War

HISTORY 130A
Spring 2006


ASSIGNMENT SYLLABUS
Professor Diane Shaver Clemens
219 Dwinelle Tu Th 2-3:30pm

Course website  http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16  (used for 130a)

Syllabus and other documents are in the CourseMaterials>Diplomatic subdirectory of the History 16 website, or go directly to www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/   Files for 130a will begin with 130a- prefix with exception of film/book review instructions (see below)

Class e-mail group:  history130a@lists.berkeley.edu  mail posted to group will be read by all, for private communication use the athena1@berkeley.edu address.

Midterm, Week 8 Tu March 7 ( through War of  1812 or earlier cut-off date depending on lecture pace)

Paper Topics Due Week 10, Th March 23  Please e-mail to athena1@berkeley.edu   

Papers Due  Week 14 Tu April 25   8-10 pages, 2500-3000 words, proper research paper format, can be based on course texts and/or outside research.  Option for serious film or fiction review, see p.2

Final Exam  Exam group 2,  Friday May 12, 2006  12:30-3:30 place tba

DESCRIPTION

This course begins with the original development of diplomatic conventions and assumptions that formed the context for power relationships in the European and American worlds.  We start with the time of European outreach.  We then look at the foundations for United States conduct in foreign relationship (and its debt to the earlier period):  the experience of the American Revolution and the structuring of the Constitution.  The course follows the overland and maritime expansion of 19th century United States:  Louisiana Purchase, War of 1812, acquisition of the Floridas, Mexican War and Oregon territory, establishment of Caribbean and Pacific interests, and the subsequent emergence at the end of the century, with the Spanish American War and Philippine conquest, of the United States as a global power.  We end at 1904 with a United States fully involved in Asia (Open Door Policy) and having acquired an overseas empire based on Spanish possessions from the original Columbian-era outthrusts (Caribbean and Philippines).

A continuous element of the Anglo-American and later US power-relation experience was interaction with indigenous peoples encountered in the original outreach and subsequent expansion across continents and seas.  Diplomacy, war, conquest, removal, extirpation and concentration vis a vis Native Americans are a constant in our history.  The United States wages wars and perceives its opponents in terms significantly shaped by this centuries-long involvement with Native Americans.  For that reason a portion of the Paterson reader and other presentations will focus on this process.

DESCRIPTION

This course begins with the original development of diplomatic conventions and assumptions that formed the context for power relationships in the European and American worlds.  We start with the time of European outreach.  We then look at the foundations for United States conduct in foreign relationship (and its debt to the earlier period):  the experience of the American Revolution and the structuring of the Constitution.  The course follows the overland and maritime expansion of the 19th century United States:  Louisiana Purchase, War of 1812, acquisition of the Floridas, Mexican War and Oregon territory, establishment of Caribbean and Pacific interests, and the subsequent emergence at the end of the century, with the Spanish American War and Philippine conquest, of the United States as a global power.  We end at 1904 with a United States fully involved in Asia (Open Door Policy) and having acquired an overseas empire based on Spanish possessions from the original Columbian-era outthrusts (Caribbean and Philippines).

REQUIREMENTS

               Presence in class and engagement

               Midterm 25%  Week 8  Tuesday  March 7 in class

               Paper  25 % (topics due Week 10 Th March 23)   paper  8-10 pages,  due Week 14  Tu Apr 25

               Final    50%  Exam group 2 Friday May 12, 2005, 12;30-3:30 pm place tba

               (note:  low midterm grade may be discounted provided noticeable improvement on paper, final)

Special Needs:  if you have special needs for extra examination time and/or facilities please obtain the proper documentation and advise me and well in advance.

Documentary material and key essays in Paterson will be assigned reading for each lecture, as well as assignments from other texts.

Paper topics and materials may be suggested by lectures and/or taken from the texts and resource materials in Paterson.  Research beyond these materials is not required but you are encouraged to extend your range in the variety of research sources now available.

                                                          or

Movie or Book review:  You may undertake as a paper a serious review or discussion of relevant movie(s), e.g., Last of the Mohicans, The Patriot,  or fiction novel(s), e.g., Patrick O’Brian, The Fortune of War,  relating to foreign relations, or American expansion, and groups affected by that Expansion (e.g., Native Americans, Mexican-Americans).  Some suggestions and guidelines will be provided (for an idea of what is involved you can look at the files currently at the course website,

http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/130b-FilmReview.html

http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/130b-BookReview.html

For additional readings consult the bibliographies at the end of each section in Paterson and the bibliographical essays and reference notes in the other texts. Proposals for paper topics can be several sentences to several paragraphs long.  Papers should use notes and bibliography in an appropriate format such as those provided in Joseph Gibaldi, Phyllis Franklin;  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (5th Ed),  or Kate Turabian et. al, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing), U of Chicago Press, 1996.

Exam format is usually one major essay question, a choice of one or two shorter essay questions, short ids.

130A ON LINE. Class e-mail list is history130a@lists.berkeley.edu.  I assume you have a campus computer account and that you access it in a timely fashion  to monitor course announcements and distribution of relevant material.   If you do not have a campus e-mail account you are encouraged to get one,

via calmail.berkeley.edu .   Outside mail servers (hotmail, MSN, gmail etc) are prone to bounce or delay e-mail messages.

Graphics:  paintings, photo, and cartoon images relevant to 130A may be accessed at the following address:

http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/ click on Image Archive. 

Other 130a image material is in http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/ as jpeg files 

TEXTS: 

Dennis Merrill and Thomas G. Paterson, ed.  Major Problems in American Foreign Policy Vol I:  To 1920:  Documents and Essays, (6^th  ed). Boston:  Houghton-Mifflin 2005.

Thomas Paterson, J. Garry Clifford, Deborah Kisatsky et. al., eds.  American Foreign Relations: A History--to 1920, (6^th ed).  Boston:  Houghton- Mifflin, 2005.

Felix Gilbert.  To the Farewell Address.   Princeton, N.J., Princeton U Press, 1961.

Richard W. Van Alstyne. The Rising American Empire , New York: W.W. Norton, 1960.

Walter LaFeber.  The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion, 1860-1898. 35^th anniversary edition, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998

ASSIGNMENTS have been designed to provide a roughly equitable amount each week over the semester. However, reading assignments are somewhat increased in the second half of the semester owing to spacing of text divisions.  An alternative strategy would be to read the Gilbert, Van Alstyne, and LaFeber texts straight through for general background and full development of the themes each author stresses and to work closely with the Paterson textbook (American Foreign Relations) and Paterson essays and documents in Problems to complement the lecture pace.  NOTE: ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE READING ASSIGNMENTS WILL OUTPACE LECTURE SUBJECTS SINCE OUR TEXTS DO NOT PRESENT DETAILED COVERAGE OF THE EARLY FORMATIVE PERIODS PRIOR TO THE MID-18TH CENTURY.

LECTURE and READING SUBJECTS

I Background, The Atlantic World; Transfer of Ideas, Institutions, and Peoples: Roots and development of diplomatic principles 1492-1763: Development of the American colonial view; Europe and America at end of Seven Years War (1763).

II Road to American Revolution, Diplomacy of Revolution, Peace of Paris, US under the Articles of Confederation

III Constitution and George Washington, establishment of basic laws, Quasi-War with France, Jay's Treaty, End of Federalist period.

IV Jefferson, Louisiana Purchase, Tripolitan War, northwest expansion, Madison, the War of 1812 and Native American subjugation, Monroe, acquiring the Floridas, Adams-Onis Treaty, Monroe doctrine,

V Mexican-American War, Oregon Territory, continental expansion to the Pacific, acquisition of California, Slavery issues, impact and diplomacy of Civil War

VI  The new empire, Plains Wars, thrust into Caribbean and Pacific, "opening" of Japan, development of Navy, Spanish-American War, China and

READING ASSIGNMENTS: KEY TO TEXTS

 A   = Paterson, American Foreign Relations  6th edition

 P   = Paterson, Major Problems in American Foreign Policy, 6th edition

 G   = Felix Gilbert, To the Farewell Address

 VA  = Van Alstyne, The Rising American Empire

 LaF = Walter LaFeber, The New Empire

Week I  ( the descriptive phrases after the page numbers indicate major subjects in texts

 but do not replicate exact chapter titles)

Tu  Jan 17 Introduction

Th  Jan 19  P 1-27 Overview essays; VA 1-27  Origins of Concept of "American Empire"

Week II

 Tu  Jan 24  A, 1-35 Revolutionary war period to 1789:  P 29-53  Revolutionary Era and Constitution

 Th  Jan 26  P 55-68 (1790’s), G 1-44  Early American Diplomatic Principles thru Revolution

Week III

 Tu  Jan 31   P 68-79  Washington-Jefferson VA 28-77 French Alliance, A  39-58  Federalist Period

 Th  Feb 2 G 44-75,

Week IV

 Tu  Feb 7   G 76-114, P 80-89 LA Purchase  

 Th   Feb 9 G 76-136, P  89-103  Jefferson and LA Purchase 

Week V

 Tu  Feb 14  A  58-78 LA Purchase thru 1812 war  P 105-115 War of 1812 docs, VA 78-99, American Leviathan, 1789-1823

 Th  Feb 16   P 115-129  Essays: War of 1812

Week VI

 Tu  Feb 22  A  83-98 Early Manifest Destiny   P 131-139  Monroe Doctrine, docs

 Th  Feb 23  A  98-121  (years 1823-1846  Overview, Manifest Destiny, Monroe Doctrine, Adams-Onis Treaty (Floridas), Indian Removal, P 139-156 Monroe Doctrine, essays

Week VII

 Tu  Feb 28   P 158-170  Indian Removal

 Th  March 2  Review reading, catch-up

Week VIII                                      MIDTERM Tu  March 7

 Tu March 7  MIDTERM (Will cover events through War of 1812 or earlier cut-off depending on lecture pace)

 Th  March 9  P 170-190  Westward Expansion and Indian Removal, essays

Week IX 

 Tu  March 14  P 192-206  Manifest Destiny, Mexican War,  A 110-124 

 Th  March 16  P  206-226  Manifest Destiny, Texas, Mexican war, Oregon

 Week X  PAPER TOPICS DUE Thursday March 21, please e-mail to athena1@berkeley.edu

 Tu   March 21  VA 124-146 Pacific Maritime Outthrust,  P 228-243  Documents: Pacific outreach

 Th   March 23   P 243-258 Pacific outreach   A  128 -136 “Opening Japan” Paper Topics Due

SPRING BREAK MARCH 27-MARCH 31

 Week XI    

 Tu Apr 4  A  125-153  Sectionalism and filibustering, Civil War  P 260-288 Civil War

 LaF 1-60 Background, years 1860-1889 

 Th Apr 6  A  159-170 Post Civil War,  P 290-323 Becoming a World Power   

Week XII

 Tu  Apr 11  A 170-192  Post Civ War, VA 147-169 Thrust into Caribbean, LaF 62-101 Intellectual Background

 Th  Apr 13    LaF 102-196 Strategic/Economic formulation and LaF 197-241 Depression Diplomacy 

 Week XIII

 Tu  Apr 18 A  197-212 into Span-Am War , VA 171-194 Lure of East Asia , P 325-337  Span-Am War (docs)

 Th  Apr  20 A 212-225  To Open Door in Asia,  US as global power, P 337-356  Span-Am War Essays    

 Week XIV   PAPERS DUE TUESDAY APRIL 25

 Tu  Apr 25     Papers due

Th  Apr 27   P 358-367 Open door, Asia   LaF 242-283 Venzuelan Crisis

 Week XV 

 Tu   May 2  P 367-392  China Open Door  VA 196-205 Apotheosis  LaF 284-325 Approach to War

 Th   May 4 LaF 326-417 

 FINAL EXAM  EXAM GROUP 2 FRI MAY 12  12:30-3:30  LOCATION TBA

Incompletes:  Are severely discouraged, may be given at instructor’s discretion if 50% of course work is completed with passing grade of C or above, are fraught with administrative hazard and transmogrify into F after a year.   

 Spring 2006-- Professor Clemens