HISTORY OF WYOMING
History 1251, Spring Term, 2009
Extra Credit Opportunities
Dr. Phil Roberts M, W, F 9-9:50 a.m.
Office: 356 History Bldg., 766-5311 or 766-5101 57 History Bldg.
Office Hours: M, W, 10-11:30 a.m., and by appointment E-mail: philr@uwyo.edu
Tiffany Wilson, 766-4333, 56 History Bldg., TAWILSON@uwyo.edu
Office Hours: M, 10-10:50 a.m., 2:45-4 p.m. W, 10-10:50 a.m.. Tiffany will be grading papers for students with last names beginning with the letters G-N
Chris Eells, 766-4333, 56 History Bldg., peells@uwyo.edu
Office Hours: M, 10-10:30 a.m., W, 10-12:30, and by appointment. Chris will be grading papers for students with last names beginning with the letters O-Z
Phil will be grading papers for students with last names beginning with the letters.A-F.
Please note that Prof. Roberts will NOT be available on Thursdays due to research commitments.
OBJECTIVE: The course is a general thematic survey to encourage an understanding of Wyoming history, how it relates to the history of the West and the rest of America, and how it has influenced the present.
This semester, the professor will be taking a unique approach to the subject. Instead of following a strict chronological progression of the state’s history, the entire course will be set up thematically. In fact, in terms of chronology, students might even feel that the course is being taught “backwards” (today’s news events considered at the beginning of each class with the origins traced back into the state’s history). Because of this unusual approach to the subject matter, students will be expected to understand the main themes in the state’s history as well as to recognize the context in the wider national/international perspective.
The lectures and readings are designed to provide a general overview and to encourage further reading in Wyoming and Western history. Consequently, it will be important for the student keep up with the reading assignments (both printed and on the web) and to have a clear understanding of the chronology of Wyoming events, particularly those since 1890. Also, the class will include an opportunity for you to work with primary documents in the American Heritage Center, providing training on how historians work with one-of-a-kind original documents.
This course satisfies the University Studies V1 requirement and study of the Wyoming and United States Constitutions is an important part of the class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: The readings for this class are not difficult although, for those unfamiliar with history courses, initially, they may seem to be extensive. The main “texts” actually are sets of articles, available on the web. These readings will be particularly important to understand the various events in the state’s history while the lectures are designed to provide the thematic framework. The readings will provide context and continuity, but they will NOT duplicate the lectures. Successful completion of the class requires careful reading of the assigned texts and good note-taking during lectures.
Readings in Wyoming History is a compilation of scholarly articles with footnote citations and well-developed historical arguments. Don’t be deceived by the brevity of some of the readings, thinking they will be particularly easy to read and understand. Each article will require careful reading. A web-only work written by your professor, titled A New History of Wyoming, will be read as well. For contemporary aspects of the state’s history, particularly involving state government, we will be making regular reference to sections of the Wyoming Blue Book. The other assigned books were written for the popular audience and, consequently, are neither extensively footnoted nor difficult to read.
Written outlines may be provided for some lectures although students will be required to develop better note-taking skills to satisfy the requirements for the course. On the rare occasions when PowerPoint is used, the emphasis will be on photographic images and maps—not on repeating what is said in the lectures or duplicating student notes. Consequently, relentless attendance will be required in order to succeed in this class. Along with exams and quizzes, a short research paper, based on primary sources, will be required.
Because class attention will be necessary for successful completion of the course, all students are asked to turn off cell phones and pagers during lectures. The classroom in which we meet is not equipped with wi-fi. As a result, it is expected that students will be using computers, if desired, for note-taking and not for playing games or showing images that distract from full attention in the class. Violations of this behavior may be reflected in assessment of the final grade, particularly the portion respecting participation.
REQUIRED BOOKS: Copies of all books (and the State Constitution) are on reserve in Coe Library.
Geoffrey O’Gara. What You See in Clear Water: Indians, Whites, and A Battle Over Water in the American West. (New York: Random House, 2000).
Robert Righter. Crucible for Conservation: The Struggle for Grand Teton National Park. (Moose: Grand Teton Natural History Assoc., 1982, 2000)
Phil Roberts. A New History of Wyoming. (currently available only on the web)
Phil Roberts, editor. Readings in Wyoming History. (web edition), available entirely only on the web. The fifth edition contains a number of essays not included in earlier editions.
Phil Roberts, editor. Wyoming Blue Book. Volume 5. (Cheyenne: Wyoming State Archives, State Parks and Cultural Resources Department, 2008). We will read the sections on biography of government officials and brief essays on various aspects of state government. The book is a handy guide for anyone who lives in Wyoming.
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past. A few of these very short informal articles, once syndicated statewide by the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources in a newspaper column, also will be read. Available only on the web.
Elinore Pruitt Stewart. Letters of a Woman Homesteader. (Lincoln: Bison Books, 1989). Other editions also OK.
The Wyoming Constitution. (Available for purchase, but also on reserve at Coe Library circulation and on the web).
The United States Constitution. (On reserve at Coe Library circulation and on the web).
RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED:
Annals of Wyoming: The Wyoming History Journal. The quarterly journal of the Wyoming State Historical Society contains important articles about Wyoming and Western history. The journal is sent to all society members. Membership is open to all. Students may join for just $15 annually. For additional information about membership, ask your professor or consult his website.
T. A. Larson. History of Wyoming. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2d rev. ed., 1990). Dr. Larson was the foremost authority on Wyoming history. A copy of this book is on reserve in Coe Library.
Mike Mackey. Remembering Heart Mountain: Essays on Japanese American Internment in Wyoming. (Powell: Western History Publications, 1998). ISBN 0-9661556-1-0
“Made in Wyoming: Our Legacy of Success,” joint publication/web pages of the Casper Star-Tribune and Casper Journal, available on the web at: http://www.madeinwyoming.net/
Phil Roberts, David L. Roberts, and Steven L. Roberts. Wyoming Almanac. (Laramie: Skyline West Press, 2008).
Samuel Western. Pushed Off the Mountain, Sold Down the River: Wyoming’s Search for Its Soul. (Moose: Homestead Pub., 2002).
Helena Huntington Smith. War on Powder River: The History of an Insurrection. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1966). A reliable and lively account of the Johnson County Invasion.
EXAMS: Mid-term exam, 100 points (40%); the final exam, 200 points (40%); Constitution exam, 100 points (20%); research exercises, AHC research paper, 75 points (10%); five unannounced quizzes, 25 points, (5%).. Absolutely no make-up quizzes will be given. Make-up exams will be given ONLY IF the student informs the professor or TA before the exam is to be administered with a valid reason for missing the scheduled time. Students are expected to be familiar with the university rules governing plagiarism and academic dishonesty which will be enforced in this class. This applies to the AHC assignments as well as to the exams.
American Heritage Center visits will be scheduled, beginning in early February. Each student will be assigned one of these days to go during the regularly scheduled class period. The names/dates will be noted on the webpage for this class. When the American Heritage Center assignments are made, students are expected to attend on the date they are assigned. Unless PRIOR approval of the instructor is given, missing the date will result in losing all credit for the AHC assignment.
Extra Credit: Additional “extra-credit” points may be earned, from time to time, by attending history-related lectures outside regularly scheduled classes. These opportunities will be announced in advance and will require proof of attendance at the event and a brief statement about the lecture program. Points given will be determined by the nature of the event.
GRADING PROCEDURE: The final grade will be calculated on the total "points" earned during the semester, tentatively based on the following scale: A: 450-500 points B: 400-449 points C: 350-399 points D: 300-349 points F: 299 or fewer. The grades in this course will not be “curved.” You will earn your own grade regardless of what others in the class may do. Everyone could earn the grade of “A,” but also the grade of “F.”
PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Students are expected to know and understand the university’s policies on plagiarism and academic dishonesty. The university rules will be strictly enforced in this class. http://www.uwyo.edu/DOSsupport/docs/Policies%20and%20Resources/Academic%20Honesty.docx
OUTLINE OF TOPICS, MEETINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS (subject to minor change)
Mon., Jan. 12: Introduction.
Wed., Jan. 14: Organizing Concepts in Wyoming History
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, "Introduction"
Fri., Jan. 16: The 21st Century Boom and the Quest for Economic Diversification
Wyoming Blue Book, biographies of governors (pp. 12-15); Secretaries of State (pp. 25-27); State Auditor (pp. 34-35); State Treasurer (pp. 40-41); State Superintendents of Public Instruction (pp. 47-49); Supreme Court Justices, (pp. 148-152).
Week of Jan. 19: Nine Booms, Eight Busts: Wyoming’s Economy Across Time
New History of Wyoming, Chapter 2, The Fur Trade
Readings in Wyoming History, “Cowboys Form a Health Coop”
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 14: The 1920s in Wyoming, including "Teapot Dome" and "Wyoming's Other Governor Ross"
Wyoming Blue Book, "Economy and Natural Resources," pp. 237-300.
New History of Wyoming, Chapter 15: Depression and New Deal
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 19: Boom and Bust, Again: Wyoming in the 1970s
Readings in Wyoming History, “Home on the Range No More”
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 7: Minerals in Territorial Wyoming
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 9: History of Wyoming Oil
Week of Jan. 26: Only Workers and Managers: The Problem of Absentee Ownership
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 4: Coming of Rails, including Pacific Railway Act
Readings in Wyoming History, "Selections from John Crowley’s Diary"
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 20: The End of the 20th Century
Week of Feb. 2: Living with Uncle Sam: Federal-State Relations
Wyoming Blue Book, "Federal Officials," pp. 166-178.
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 6: Public Lands
Readings in Wyoming History, "The 100-Octane Fuel Plant"
Readings in Wyoming History, “O’Mahoney and Japanese Relocation.”
Readings in Wyoming History, “Project Wagon Wheel: A Nuclear Plowshare for Wyoming"
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past, "Sleeping with the Nuclear Genie: Health Officials Comment on Wyoming-Made Uranium Bags and Pillows, 1955"
Group 1 goes to the American Heritage Center on Friday, Feb. 6.
Week of Feb. 9: Politics of a “Cowboy Culture”
Readings in Wyoming History, "The Textbook Controversy at the University of Wyoming"
New History of Wyoming, Chapter 17: The 1950s,
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past: President Kennedy's Visit to Wyoming, 1963
Group 2 goes to the American Heritage Center on Wed, Feb. 11.
Week of Feb. 16: Bucking Horse and Buffalo: Significance of Symbols in Wyoming History and Myth
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 10: Wyoming’s Self-Image
Readings in Wyoming History, "Equality State or Cowboy State? An Essay"
Readings in Wyoming History, “Visions Beyond an Arrow of Fire”
Readings in Wyoming History, "Quest for Public Television”
Readings in Wyoming History, “Give Them What They Want”
Readings in Wyoming History, "Reflecting Community: Case Studies of Three Wyoming Museums and the Impact of Each on the Community"
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past: "Edison, the Light Bulb and the Eclipse"
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past: "Hooray for Laramie?"
Group 3 goes to the American Heritage Center on Wed., Feb. 18
Group 4 goes to the American Heritage Center on Fri., Feb. 20.
Week of Feb. 23: Unified/Divided: The Issues of Sectionalism
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 8, “The War, The Invasion”
Readings in Wyoming History, “The Contest for the Capital”
Group 5 goes to the American Heritage Center on Wed., Feb. 25.
Feb. 27: EXAM #1. On all readings, lectures and materials covered so far.
The exam will be essay in style. Please bring an examination "blue-book" to class. No electronic devices are allowed today and students are reminded to keep cell phones turned off during the exam. The exam will be designed for completion in 50 minutes and you will not be given additional time due to scheduling commitments in this room. Keep this in mind as you prepare for the exam.
Week of March 2: Statehood and the Constitution.
Reading: Wyoming Constitution
Reading: U. S. Constitution.
Readings in Wyoming History,: "The Wyoming Constitution: An Overview”
Week of March 9: Drought More Than Flood: Water in Wyoming
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 13, Water and Irrigation, “Colorado River compact”.
March 13: CONSTITUTION EXAM DUE.
Week of March 16: SPRING BREAK. NO CLASS THIS WEEK.
Week of March 23: Women Suffrage and Issues of Equality
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 5: Establishing the Territory and Granting Women Equal Rights, including “The 1st Woman Juror,” and "John Hoyt on Suffrage”
Readings in Wyoming History, "Near Repeal of Women Suffrage"
Readings in Wyoming History, “Wyoming’s Estelle Reel”
Readings in Wyoming History, “School Bells and Winchesters”
Reading: Stewart, Letters of a Woman Homesteader (entire book).
Week of March 30: Wilderness Conundrum: Preservation, Conservation, Development
Reading: Robert Righter. Crucible for Conservation: The Crusade to Save Grand Teton National Park. (entire book).
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 11: Conservation and National Parks,
Readings in Wyoming History, “ Preserving the Beasts of Waste and Desolation: Theodore Roosevelt and Professional Land Management Agencies in the Yellowstone Ecosystem"
Readings in Wyoming History, “Commodification of Wildlife”
Readings in Wyoming History, “Harvard Cook in the Wyoming Badlands”
Week of April 6: A Diverse Culture
Readings in Wyoming History, “Ethnicity in Wyoming”
Readings in Wyoming History, "Lovell's Mexican Colony”
Readings in Wyoming History, “My One Hobby”
Readings in Wyoming History, "The Wyoming Experience: Chinese in Wyoming”
Readings in Wyoming History, “Fired by Conscience”
Readings in Wyoming History, “The Black 14: Williams v. Eaton”
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 18: The 1960s,
Readings in Wyoming History, “The Emerging Civil Rights Movement”
Readings in Wyoming History, “The Virginian Meets Matt Shepard”
Readings in Wyoming History, “'Mrs. Barriers' and the Crusade to Make Wyoming Public Buildings Accessible”
THERE IS NO CLASS ON APRIL 10--UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY
The exam previously scheduled for this date will be included with the final exam, bringing the combined point total to 200 points. The exam will include questions on all of the readings and lectures since March 9 (including Letters of a Woman Homesteader and Crucible for Conservation).
Week of April 13: Wyoming as a Trail to Somewhere Else
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 12: Into the 20th Century, including “Edward Gillette Describes How Gillette Was Named”
Readings in Wyoming History, "Evolution of Roads"
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past, "Lovejoy's Toy: Wyoming's First Car"
April 17: 2nd CONSTITUTION EXAM. Open book. Please bring copies of the U. S. Constitution and the Wyoming Constitution. Also, you may bring notes to the class, but time will be limited to 50 minutes. It will be multiple-choice in style so, consequently, there will be little time to consult any other outside materials besides the two Constitutions.
Week of April 20: Early Exploration.
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 1 Original Residents, Explorers and the Fur Trade
New History of Wyoming, Chap. 3: Trails Across Wyoming, including Fort Laramie treaties
Week of April 27: Wyoming's First People and Earlier....
Reading: O’Gara, What You See in Clear Water (entire book).
Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past: "The Builder of the World's Oldest Cabin"
Reading for April 29: Buffalo Bones: Stories from Wyoming's Past: “'Drizzling Rain Kept All Indoors': Wyoming’s First Arbor Day, 1888" (Tomorrow, April 30, is Arbor Day).
Fri., May 1: “Stump the Professor” review exercise (time permitting).
End of semester review session, our regular classroom. exact time: TBA
Mon., May 4, 8-10 a.m., Final Exam, to be administered in our regular classroom.
The final exam will be essay in style. Please bring an examination "blue-book" to class. No electronic devices are allowed today and students are reminded to keep cell phones turned off during the exam. The exam will be designed for completion in 50 minutes, but you will have two hours for this exam, consistent with university final exam policies.
Throughout the semester, outlines of lectures will be posted periodically to the web. (These will NOT be transcripts, but only brief outlines). These are intended to supplement, but not replace student notes. Instead, students will be expected to attend and take notes, using the outlines for general guidance on the main ideas presented.