HIST 103DCE News

Gap sections
,I am still away dealing with my mom's estate and such, so I haven't got a chance to read and reply to last weeks posts or grade any assignments. I will be finished with that by this Friday, and start returning things shortly after that. I will be checking my email for pressing concerns, otherwise we will continue with this weeks discussion. I will post a summary of both week four and five this coming Monday. My apologies for being unable to get back to you with anything faster than that. This weeks quiz link will be up this evening.

For this weeks discussion:
Chapter 48: “Why Great Revolutions Will Become More Rare.” The American Revolution has been the subject of interpretation that explores its class base—some historians seeing it as a conservative revolution to protect property, others viewing it as a radical revolution bent on leveling classes. Class lecture here offers an ambivalent view. Tocqueville definitely sees a class basis for the revolution, but has his own peculiar view as to what will follow.

Answer the title question: Why will revolutions in democracies, such as the US, be rare?

Tocqueville assumes that middle-class values will dominate American life. What are these values? Are these our values?

How do these middle-class, post-revolutionary values affect individual creativity and social progress?

Some Business major ought to comment on the passage p. 265 that begins, "I know of nothing more opposite to revolutionary manners than commercial manners."

Some enterprising student should dig into this: Were the founding fathers content being English Gentlemen? What was the intent of the American Revolution?

A good place to start that question is with a work by a very prominent Colonial America historian named Fred Anderson, specifically a book titled "Crucible of War: The seven years war and the fate of Empire in British North America." It is roughly the size of 8 pound doorstop, so anyone that wants to review it as an assignment let me know and we'll double the point value for it. Its a pretty good read, but long, well researched, very surprising, and well worth the time if you are into colonial era history.

ML

Gap sections,
Thanks for the discussion last week, I think it went very well. I don't have much to add at this point about that. My apologies for this, but due to a death in the family you may not hear much from me this week or get assignments returned very quickly for a week or so as I will have limited internet access and be dealing with other issues as well.

For this week's discussion:Chapter 2: “Democratic Social Condition of the Anglo-Americans.” This continues Tocqueville's line of thought about why the American colonists became more and more democratic. Two terms you need to be able to define: primogeniture and partible inheritance.

What are the effects of these two systems of inheritance, primogeniture and partible inheritance, on a society, on democracy?

Take a look at the paragraph on p. 53 that begins, "In America, there are but few wealthy persons; nearly all Americans have to take a profession." Tocqueville here is talking about the effects of democracy on intellectual life. Now see if you can relate this paragraph to how the curriculum of the university is structured.

What is the effect of the social condition of equality on the political life of a nation? Is there a danger to it?

Thanks,ML

Gap sections,

Thanks to those who participated in last weeks discussion! You dealt with it very well. A quick recap: TQ stressed that the Tyranny of the Majority (basically the absolute rule of the Middle Class) controls American life. He was, and still is, correct there. The majority elects our representation to the government (not a true democracy, but a Democratic republic), and people are still beholden to the ideas of upward mobility, middle class morals, goals, etc. This brings into question the freedom of thought in America. There are a lot of opinion son this, but I think that freedom of thought exists, but turning those thoughts into action is largely hindered by the Tyranny of the Majority(for fear of peer pressure, public ridicule, conformity, etc.). This also takes on a new role concerning the Tyranny of the Majority; that of complacency. We won't get into that now, but it will be a topic in some other discussion particularly the ones dealing with TQ's ideas about revolution and military service later in the semester. I wish I had the time to respond to every post!

Some reminders:
Stay current with posting to the discussion. I don't accept outdated posts for points (we need to keep on track here due to time constraints and it helps when we're all on the same page). After today, I will not accept posts (nor reply to them) over week 2 discussions.

If you haven't gotten CDs yet, contact me. I know several people still need them, so if you don't have them . . .

Assessments are due during the week in which you write them. This means that assessment two is due today, assessment three next Monday, etc.

Things you can do this week:
Post to discussion three.
Take quiz 3.
Hand in an assignment (remember these don't have due dates other you can't hand in more than one in a week).
Assess Episode 3.

For this weeks discussion:
Chapter 1: “Origin of the Anglo-Americans.” The lecture deals with European colonization in general, whereas this chapter of Tocqueville focuses specifically on the English, but he does provide some clues as to why the imperial designs of the European nations might not be fulfilled the way they wish.

Tocqueville begins this chapter with a theory of how to explain national character—why nations are the way they are. What is his theory? What is peculiar about the US in respect to this theory?

Why was it impossible for Europeans to impose a social class system on the American colonies?

What were the differences between the Southern colonies and the New England colonies? Tocqueville obviously prefers New England—what was the contribution of that region to American development?

Near the end Tocqueville discusses "the spirit of Religion and the spirit of Liberty." What fundamental American principles is he dealing with here?

Thanks,
Ml

Hello all! This is a little late in being updated. You have my apologies for that. First, everyone should have Cd's by now, or made arrangements to pick them up. If not, contact me right away at lewis@plainsfolk.com. I have decided to also use this space as a place to post each weeks discussion email that I send out when we start each episode as well as general course news and announcements. Again, its a little late (with my apologies), but listed below is week two's email:

This week we really start into the course material. First, you do need to introduce yourself to the list. Participation in it is a mandatory part of the course . . .

Quizzes one and two are both up now. Quiz one will remain up for this week(but will go down next Monday, if you don't take it then, you can take it the last week of the semester without it counting as a missed quiz. Remember, you are only allowed to make up two quizzes that are missed without making arrangements, anything after two I require you to submit a written, viable excuse such as a medical emergency, military mobilization,or death in the family). Quiz two will be up until this coming Monday.The best piece of advice I can give here is not to wait until the last second to take them. They come down around 11:00am.

Things you can do this week:
Take quiz 2
Take quiz 1
Assess lecture two (from prior emails, remember that these are due the week that they correspond with, so I wont accept assessments of episode one after today)
Hand in an assignment
Post to the list

TQ can be a slippery writer. He often uses the second or third meaning of words, as is the case with his discussion of the Tyranny of the Majority. He is not talking about the absolute despotic rule of a single person. After you read chapter 12, respond to the GAP listserv about the questions listed below. This is a discussion, so after two or three people post their thoughts (such as defining what TQ means about the Tyranny of the Majority) respond to their post. The goal here is to think critically about it, not email me thirty some odd different definitions or similar answers. I moderate the discussion, so I will chime in with suggestions,guidance, etc. There is no wrong answer in the discussion . . .

For the discussion (this is also found on the homepage under the study guides): Chapter 12: “Unlimited Power of the Majority in the United States and Its Consequences.” In this chapter Tocqueville puts forward his most famous and controversial concept, the "tyranny of the majority." He applies this both to political life and to social custom. This concept, tyranny of the majority, is basic to understanding Tocqueville, so make sure you understand it. Listen in lecture for an application of the concept to Indian-European relations.

What is tyranny of the majority? Can you give an example?

Comment on: "When I refuse to obey an unjust law, I do not contest the right of the majority to command, but I simply appeal from the sovereignty of the people to the sovereignty of mankind."

Is there true freedom of thought in the United States, a democracy?