This survey is structured around three broad and persistent themes in the history of American capitalism:

• changes in the nature of American capitalism from the mid-18th century to the near-present;
• the ever-changing, though always essential, role of government, broadly construed, which both shaped and was shaped by American capitalism; and
• changes in American capitalism as a social world defined by social rules (law and norms) and distinctive social relations.

As we explore these themes in the history of American capitalism, the lectures, assigned readings, and writing assignments will:

• give you a basic knowledge of the changes that have taken place in American capitalism over the last two and one-half centuries;
• encourage you to develop your ability to think critically (see description and graphic),
  • in particular, to develop, as a reflex, attentiveness to all documents as artifacts; and
• train you to think historically (see examples).

If you do well in this course, you may describe yourself as “adept at analyzing complex, dynamic events, on the basis of incomplete information and conveying that analysis coherently and succinctly.” This is because:

• history is always about complex, dynamic events,
• historical information is always incomplete, and
• the writing assignments will give you lots of practice in presenting your analyses coherently and succinctly.

Lectures meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in 1651 Mosse Humanities Bldg.

For the detailed schedule of this semester's lectures, readings, and paper assignments, click here.

Classroom etiquette: If you cannot avoid arriving late for lectures (or leaving early), please enter (or leave) by the rear door and sit in one of the back rows. Laptops are welcome in my lecture hall, but if you do anything other than use it to take notes—especially anything that would distract your fellow students—sit in the rear of the lecture hall (or, better yet, don't bother to come to lecture!). If you must arrive late for discussion section, be sure to talk with your TA in advance. Cell phones: please turn off during lecture and sections; no texting, please. Note that no electronic devices whatsoever will be permitted at the final exam.

Readings: A Pocket Guide to Writing in History by Mary Lynn Rampolla (6th ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010) is a required text, available for purchase at local bookstores, online, or on reserve at College Library.  Other readings will be available on Learn@UW. The readings are a mixture of primary sources (i.e., documents produced in the years we are studying) and secondary sources (written by historians in later years, usually based on primary sources).

Discussion sections are an integral part of this course. Attendance is mandatory. Be sure to come prepared to participate actively and intelligently in the discussions. Your teaching assistant will provide additional details in the first section meeting.

Teaching Assistant: Naomi Williams

• Email: nrwilliams2@wisc.edu
• Office: 4271 Mosse Humanities
• Mailbox: #4116 Mosse Humanities
• Office hours: Thurs., 1:30-3:30 p.m.; or by appointment.

Section times/places

• Sec. 301: Wed., 1:20-2:10 p.m., 1217 Humanities
• Sec. 302: Wed., 2:25-3:15 p.m., 1131 Humanities
• Sec. 303: Thurs., 11:00-11:50 a.m., 4013 Vilas
• Sec. 304: Thurs., 9:55-10:45 a.m., 2231 Humanities

The writing assignments are designed to help you develop a variety of essential skills—reading and listening carefully, evaluating and synthesizing what you have heard/read, and expressing your knowledge coherently and persuasively in writing. Be sure to make use of resources such as The Pocket Guide to Writing in History and the UW's Writing Center.

Take-home papers

Paper	Handed out	Due	%
#1	Feb. 7	Feb. 14	10
#2	Mar. 6	Mar. 13	15
#3	Apr. 10	Apr. 24	25

We will have three take-home paper assignments this semester, ranging in length from 3 pages (#1) to 4 pages (#2) to 5 pages (#3). In each paper, you will be asked to respond to a question based solely on the lectures and assigned readings.

To get you off on the right track, I will hold a writing workshop in the lecture after the first paper assignment is handed out (i.e., on Feb. 9).

Final exam

This will be a closed-book, blue-book exam consisting of one or more essay questions. Further details will be forthcoming in lecture.

We'll have a review session on Monday, May 14, 4-5:00 p.m., and the final exam will be held, as scheduled, on Wed., May 16, 7:45-9:45 a.m. (location of both TBA). If you have a "legal" conflict (three exams within 24 hours), or if you are a McBurney student, please see Prof. D.

Your grade for the semester will be based on:

Component	Percent
Discussion sections	20%
Take-home essays	50% (10-15-25)
Final exam	30%

If you have questions about the grade that you receive on one of the take-home essays, please feel free to discuss the matter, first, with your teaching assistant. If you still have questions, come to my office hours or see me after lecture to arrange an appointment.

Important note: Your assignments will be graded on the (un)usual UW scale of A, AB, etc., but with pluses or minuses to give you more nuanced feedback. Bear in mind, however, that a plus or minus does not change the basic grade category that we have to use at the end of the semester. Both a high AB (AB+) and a low AB (AB-), for example, will be reported as an AB.

What is "plagiarism"? Here's a definition from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.).

To plagiarize is "to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own;  . . . [to] present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source." 

In taking this course, you have commited yourself to submitting assignments that present your own, original words and ideas and to acknowledging clearly when you are relying on the words or ideas of others.

Plagiarism has become an increasingly serious offense as Western society has become increasingly property-oriented. The very notion of "stealing" ideas or words implies private-property rights in them -- a concept made explicit in the term intellectual property rights, a matter of great controversy in the internet/media world today.  The minimum penalty for plagiarism in this class is an "F" for the semester, and all cases will be reported to the Dean of Students for possible further action.

If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, an excellent source of information is PlagiarismDotOrg (or you may download a pdf copy of Turnitin's manual on plagiarism). Also, be sure to read ch. 6 in A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.

I am committed to creating and maintaining a bias-free learning environment that allows each of you to do your best work.

Please note carefully the following excerpt from UW policies:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, seeks to protect its students from discrimination. S. 36.12 of the Wisconsin Statutes reads in part: No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or [be] discriminated against in any service, program, course, or facility of the (UW) system or its institutions or centers because of a the student's race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, or parental status.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please don't hesitate to bring them to me or to the Dean of Students in the Division of Student Life. For more information on the university's policies, contact UW-Madison's Office for Equity and Diversity, 179A Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706; (608) 263-2378.

Here's a brief collection of my tips on how to do well in this course. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to come and talk with me or with your teaching assistant.

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