Liberty and Union:
American Political Thought, 1765-1791
Fall 1999
NB: There is a reading assignment for the first class.
"What, then, is the American, this new man?"
Hector St. John de Crevecœur, Letters from an American Farmer (1782)
Course Description
The Declaration of Independence begins with an affirmation of "self-evident truths": "that all men are created equal"; that all men are "endowed" with "unalienable rights," including the rights to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"; that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed"; and that "whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." Drawing justification from a list of nearly thirty grievances against the government of George III, it ends by proclaiming that the "United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States" owing no "Allegiance to the British Crown" and without "political connection" to "the State of Great Britain." It also affirms the existence of "the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled," and declares the sovereignty of the "People."
The Declaration was unanimously adopted by the Continental Congress. But the precise meaning of its claims and assertions was not obvious. Who is (or can become) free? What are their rights? How should those rights be articulated in law and policy? What ought to be the relationships between the American people, the governments of the thirteen states, and the Union? These questions have dominated American public debate for over 200 years. This seminar explores answers to them posed during the founding period. It has three goals: to carefully analyze key documents in American political thought; to introduce contemporary historiographical and philosophical debates concerning those documents; and to explore key concepts in political thought, ranging from popular sovereignty and the rule of law to constitutionalism and the protection of rights. It was in America, during an age of revolution, that the ideals and institutions of modern democracy first received sustained public attention.
This is a discussion course; it is essential that you complete all assigned texts before each session. Writing assignments have been designed to facilitate engagement with the readings. This course should be of interest to historians as well as to political scientists specializing in political theory, American politics, and democratization.
Requirements
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Regular attendance of and participation in seminar. (20% of grade)
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Three five-page papers on assigned course readings. The first paper must be written during weeks 2 and 3; the second must be written during weeks 4, 5, and 6; the third must be written during weeks 8, 9, or 10. Papers are due by noon the day before class; copies should be distributed to all members of the seminar. (20% of grade each)
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A "document collection" for week 7. Collect five to eight documents dealing with "factions." Your documents should include at least two different types of sources (newspapers, pamphlets, debate transcripts, correspondence, diaries, cartoons, ballads, scholarly publications, etc.). At least two should be from the period 1787-89; at least two should be from the 20th century. The collection should be introduced by a five-page essay explaining its significance. Collections are due by noon on Wednesday, 10 November; copies of the introductory essay should be distributed to all members of the seminar. (20% of grade)
Course Materials
This course draws on an array of historical and contemporary documents. Many are available in multiple formats. I have indicated locations for each text as follows:
[web] = link to electronic text
[Xerox] = Xerox copy available in departmental lounge (SSB 314)
[book] = in one of the books listed below
Books may be either purchased or borrowed from the library. Many can be found in local bookstores; all are available from Amazon.com.
Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography and Other Writings
Thomas Jefferson, The Portable Jefferson
Gordon S. Wood, The Creation of the American Republic
Hannah Arendt, On Revolution
Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, The Federalist
Additional Information
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My office is in SSB 373. My phone number is 534-2951; my email address is ahouston@ucsd.edu. My office hours for Fall 1999 are Wednesdays 2:00 - 3:30; I am also available by appointment.
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This course presumes familiarity with basic outline of American history. To refresh your memory, you might consider one of the following:
Bernard Bailyn et al, The Great Republic, 3rd ed. (1985)
Eric Foner, ed., The New American History, 2nd ed. (1997) -
There are many provocative and engaging books on American political thought. If you would like suggestions for further readings, please do not hesitate to ask.
Reading Assignments and Course Schedule
1. Introduction (30 September)
Declaration of Independence (1776) [web]
Louis Hartz, The Liberal Tradition in America, pp. 3-32, 50-64 [Xerox]
Daniel Rodgers, "Republicanism: The Career of a Concept" [web]
2. Americans (7 October)
Benjamin Franklin, Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind (1751) [web] [book]
________, Information for those Who Would Remove to America (1784) [web] [Xerox]
________, Autobiography (1771-85) [web] [book]
Gary Nash, "The Transformation of Urban Politics 1700-1765" [web]
3. Empire (14 October)
Soames Jenyns, "Objections to the Taxation of our American Colonies" (1765) [web] [Xerox]
James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved (1764) [Xerox]
Stephen Hopkins, The Rights of the Colonies Examined (1764) [Xerox]
Martin Howard Jr., A Letter from a Gentleman at Halifax to his Friend in Rhode Island (1765) [Xerox]
John Dickinson, Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, #1-4, 6, 9, 10, 12 (1768) [Xerox]
Thomas Jefferson, A Summary View of the Rights of British North America (1774) [web] [book]
Daniel Leonard and John Adams, Massachusettensis and Novanglus, selections (1774-75) [Xerox]
Edmund Burke, "Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies" (1775) [Xerox]
Jack Greene, Peripheries and Centers, chs. 5 – 7 (pp. 79-150) [Xerox]
4. Revolution (21 October)
Tom Paine, Common Sense (1776) [web] [Xerox]
Eric Foner, "Tom Paine’s Republic" [Xerox]
Bernard Bailyn, "1776 in England and America" [Xerox]
Gordon S. Wood, "Conspiracy and the Paranoid Style" [web]
5. Self-Government (28 October)
John Adams, Thoughts on Government (1776) [web] [Xerox]
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1787) [web] [book]
Abigail and John Adams: letters (1776) [Xerox]
Linda Kerber, "No Political Relation to the State" [Xerox]
Benjamin Rush, An Address…Upon Slave-Keeping (1773) [Xerox]
Eric Foner, "To Call it Freedom" [Xerox]
6. Federalism (4 November)
Articles of Confederation (1781) [web]
Madison, "Vices of the Political System of the United States" (1787) [Xerox]
Constitution of the United States (1787) [web]
Agrippa #3, 4, 9, 18 (30 November 1787, 3 December 1787, 28 December 1787, 5 February 1788) [Xerox]
Dissent of the Minority of the Convention of Pennsylvania (18 December 1787) [web] [Xerox]
Richard Henry Lee, Letters of a Federal Farmer # 1 – 3 (8 – 10 October 1787) [web] [Xerox]
Robert Yates, Letters of Brutus #1 (18 October 1787), 6 (27 December 1787) [web] [Xerox]
Federalist #1, 9, 14, 23, 26, 37-39, 41, 46-51, 57, 60, 62, 63, 84 [web] [book]
Gordon Wood, Creation of the American Republic, chs. 10, 11 (pp. 393-467) [book]
7. Groups and Interests (11 November)
Madison, Federalist #10 [web] [book]
Document Collection
8. Commerce and the Nation-State (18 November)
Hamilton, Federalist #6, 7, 11, 12, 24, 25, 30, 34-36, 68, 70, 72, 76, 78 [web] [book]
Hamilton, Report on Manufactures (1791) [Xerox]
Marbury v Madison, Fletcher v Peck, McCulloch v Maryland [web] [Xerox]
Cathy Matsun and Peter Onuf, "Toward a Republican Empire" [web]
9. Constitutionalism (2 December)
Jefferson – Madison: Letters (6 September 1789; 4 February 1790) [Xerox]
Stephen Holmes, "Precommitment and Self-Rule" [Xerox]
________. "Gag Rules and the Politics of Omission" [Xerox]
Hannah Arendt, On Revolution, chs. 4 – 5 (pp. 139-215) [book]
10. Rights (9 December)
Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) [web] [Xerox]
Jefferson, "A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom" (1777) [web] [Xerox]
Madison, "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments" (1785) [web]
Jefferson – Madison: Letters (20 December 1787; 17 October 1788; 15 March 1789) [Xerox]
Amendments #1-10 to the Constitution (1791) [web]
Madison to the House of Representatives (8 June 1789) [web] [Xerox]
Jack Rakove, Original Meanings, ch. 10 (pp. 288-338) [Xerox]
Michael Sandel, Democracy’s Discontent, chs. 1 – 3 (pp. 3-90) [Xerox]
Harry Hirsch, A Theory of Liberty, ch. 2 (pp. 29-71) [Xerox]
