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QUESTION ONE In class, we discussed the discrepancy between British colonial theory and practice. We said that -- in theory -- the British believed that their imperial system was absolutely centralized in the Crown-in-Parliament. The British based this theory on: 1) the colonial models of Spain and France; 2) the economic principles of mercantilism; 3) the political thought of Jean Bodin; and, 4) the cultural system embodied in the mother-child metaphor. In contrast, we saw that -- in practice -- the colonial system was largely decentralized before the mid-eighteenth century. In fact, the American colonies were left to develop on their own before 1763. The colonies had developed, as Jack Greene argues: 1) a "stable, coherent, effective, and acknowledged local political and social elite"; 2) "local centers and institutions of acknowledged and functioning authority"; 3) remarkably elastic political systems, which were inclusivist rather than exclusivist; 4) competence in trade, education, religion, law, and finance; and, 5) a growing population and land area, which enriched the colonies and Great Britain. With this background in mind, think about the period after 1763. How did it reveal the discrepancy between British colonial theory and practice, and thus bring on the American Revolution? Focus particular attention on pages 46 to 60 of Woody Holton's book, Forced Founders, which examines the Navigation Acts and their relation to -- in the colonial mind -- the new British measures, like the Stamp Act and Townshend duties. Now for two inter-related questions: 1) Why did the British government believe that the new measures were necessary, and why did the British Parliamentarians believe they would work? And, 2) Why were the colonials so upset by the new measures, and what was their response? Note: I've put some notes and readings below that you might want to consider. Check under readings.
In Forced Founders, Woody Holton argues that "[Virginia's] slaves helped drive gentlemen . . . and smallholders . . . into the rebellion against Britain." Using pages 66 to 73 and 133 to 163, explain how Virginia's slaves "helped propel free Virginians into the independence movement."
One of the most important results of the American Revolution in Virginia was the development and spread of "religious liberty." As we discussed in class, our national Bill of Rights has two clauses in the First Amendment, which are drawn from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. The first is the "Establishment Clause," which forbids Congress from making a "law respecting the establishment of religion." The second is the "Free Exercise Clause," which bars Congress from "prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]." Of course, there is a great deal of controversy over the meaning of these statements. What do you think about the Supreme Court's recent interpretation of these clauses? Focus your attention on either Employment Division v. Smith, 494 US 872 (1990), which is a free exercise case, or Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe, 000 U.S. 99-62 (2000), which is an establishment case. Be sure, which ever case you choose, to discuss the ideas of the Virginia founders (especially Jefferson and Madison), and why they remain important for the Supreme Court today. -- Note: if you answer this question you should read the full decisions (and dissents) of the case you discuss, and the primary source materials from Jefferson and Madison. The material is listed below, under readings. QUESTION FOUR Discuss the difficulty modern scholars have had in explaining Thomas Jefferson's views on slavery. You may contrast Jefferson's philosophical and moral opposition to slavery with his ownership of more than 200 slaves. You may consider his Declaration of Independence, his bill for a territorial ban on slavery (1784), and his Notes on the State of Virginia. You may also look at the controversy surrounding his intimate relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, and the children that resulted from that union. -- Note: if you answer this question you should read the following materials: 1) Merrill Peterson's sixteen page biography of Thomas Jefferson; 2) William W. Freehling's "The Founding Fathers and Slavery," 3) Jan Lewis's introduction to the Sally Hemings's controversy; and 4) Joseph Ellis's "Jefferson: Post-DNA." These materials are listed below, under readings.
QUESTION
ONE: 2) Notes: New British Measures and the Conservative Colonial Stance [pdf] 3) Also, read 46 to 60 in Woody Holton's book, Forced Founders.
1) Read pages
66 to 73 and 133 to 163 in Woody Holton's book, Forced Founders. QUESTION
THREE: Employment
Division v. Smith, 494 US 872 (1990) Santa
Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe, 000 U.S. 99-62 (2000)
1) Merrill Peterson's sixteen page biography of Thomas Jefferson [here] 2) William W. Freehling's "Founding Fathers and Slavery" [pdf] 3) Jan Lewis's introduction to the Sally Hemings's controversy [pdf] 4) Joseph
Ellis's "Jefferson: Post-DNA" [pdf]
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