HISTORY OF WYOMING
History 1251, Spring Term, 2007
Phil Roberts
Office: 356 History Bldg., 766-5311 or 766-5101 M, W, F 9-9:50 a.m.
Office Hours: Mon., Wed., 10-11:30; and by appointment E-mail: philr@uwyo.edu
Please note that Prof. Roberts will NOT be available on Tuesdays due to research commitments.
TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Jacob Amend, 766-4333, Office Hours: M, W, 10-Noon, and by appointment; e-mail: jlamend@uwyo.edu
Xioyan Zhou, 766-4333, Office Hours: M, W, F, 10-11:30 a.m., and by appointment; e-mail: xzhou1@uwyo.edu
Xioyan will be grading papers of students who have last names beginning with the letters A-G
Jake will be grading papers of
students who have last names beginning with the letters H-P
Phil will be grading papers of students who have last names beginning with the
letters Q-Z
OBJECTIVE: The course is a survey which will 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. Students will be expected to understand the main events in the state’s history as well as recognize the wider national/international context.. The lectures and readings are designed to provide a general overview and to encourage further reading in Wyoming and Western history. This semester, the course will be taught chronologically, but with a strong topical component.. Consequently, it will be important for the student keep up with the reading assignments and to have a clear understanding of the chronology of Wyoming events, particularly those since 1890. This course satisfies the University Studies V1 requirement and, consequently, studies of the Wyoming and United States Constitutions are an important part of the class. Also, the class will include an opportunity for each student to work individually with primary documents in the American Heritage Center, providing training on how historians work with one-of-a-kind original documents.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: The readings for this class are neither difficult nor extensive. The main “text” actually is a book of readings. These readings will be particularly important in understanding the various themes in the state’s history. The lectures are designed to provide the chronological context and continuity, but they will NOT duplicate the readings Consequently, successful completion of the class requires careful reading of the assigned texts and good note-taking during lectures. Of course, this implies relentless attendance as necessary for success in this class.
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 has certain complexities and each will require careful reading. 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. If 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.
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REQUIRED BOOKS: Copies of all books (and the State Constitution) are on reserve in Coe Library.
John McPhee. Rising from the Plains. (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1986).
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).
Phil Roberts, editor. Readings in Wyoming History. (4th edition, published in 2004). The fourth edition contains a number of essays not included in earlier editions. Page numbers on the syllabus refer to this edition and articles on the web. Additional readings, not contained n the book but available on the webpage, will be assigned.
Elinore Pruitt Stewart. Letters of a Woman Homesteader. (Lincoln: Bison Books, 1989). Other editions also OK.
Samuel Western. Pushed Off the Mountain, Sold Down the River: Wyoming’s Search for Its Soul. (Moose: Homestead Pub., 2002).
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
Phil Roberts, David L. Roberts, and Steven L. Roberts. Wyoming Almanac. (Laramie: Skyline West Press, 2004).
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: Two exams, 100 points each (40%); the final exam, 100 points (20%); Constitution exam, 100 points (20%); research exercises, AHC research paper, 75 points (10%); a map exercise and four 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. 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. Students are expected to be familiar with the university rules governing plagiarism and academic dishonesty which will be enforced in this class. Up to 25 additional “extra-credit” points may be earned 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.
American Heritage Center visits are scheduled for the following dates: Feb. 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, March 2. Each student will be assigned one of these days to go during the regularly scheduled class period. The names/dates will be noted later on the webpage for this class.
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
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.
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES (Go to webpage for listing)
OUTLINE OF TOPICS, MEETINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Outlines of lectures will be posted periodically to the web. These are intended to supplement, but not replace student notes. Instead, students will be expected to attend and take note, using the outlines for general guidance on the main ideas presented.
Mon., Jan. 8: Introduction; distribution of syllabi, overview of class requirements.
Wed., Jan. 10: Organizing Concepts in Wyoming History
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, "Introduction," pp. 1-4.
Fri., Jan. 12: Original Residents, Explorers (outline)
Mon., Jan. 15: NO CLASS. Martin Luther King, Jr./Wyoming Equality Day
Wed., Jan. 17: Explorers and the Fur Trade (continued)
Fri., Jan. 19: Fur Trade (outline)
Mon., Jan. 22: Trails Across Wyoming I.: Conflict on the Plains.
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 2: Trails Across Wyoming
Wed., Jan. 24: Trails Across Wyoming II: The Bozeman Trail
Fri., Jan. 26: Coming of Rails
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 3: Coming of Rails
Mon., Jan. 29 South Pass City, “Hell-on-Wheels” Towns and Pre-Territorial Wyoming
John Crowley's Diary of Early Laramie
Map Exercise
Wed., Jan. 31: Establishing the Territory: Women Suffrage and the Origins of the "Equality State"
Fri., Feb. 2: Territorial Life in Wyoming; Wyoming’s Third Boom and Bust: Cattle Ranching, 1867-87.
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “Cowboys Form a Health Coop,” pp. 4-11
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 4: Territorial Life
Mon., Feb. 5: Homesteading and Land Grants: Getting Free Land from the Federal Government.
Reading: Stewart, Letters of a Woman Homesteader (entire book).
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 5: Public Lands
Wed. Feb. 7: Special guest appearance by author Sam Western.
Fri., Feb. 9: Review for 1st Exam
Mon., Feb. 12: Exam #1
Wed., Feb. 14: Statehood and the End of the 19th Century: End of the Frontier?
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 6: Statehood
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “Commodification of Wildlife,” “Harvard Cook in the Wyoming Badlands,” pp. 13-40.
American Heritage Center visit, Group 1 (A-C)
Fri., Feb. 16: National Parks and Issues of Wilderness.
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 7 (part 1): Conservation and Parks
American Heritage Center visit, Group 2 (D-G)
Mon., Feb. 19: Johnson County War/Invasion
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “Preserving the Beasts of Waste and Desolation”
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 8: The War--The Invasion
Wed., Feb. 21: Johnson County War/Invasion (conclusion)
American Heritage Center visit, Group 3 (H-Mc)
Fri., Feb. 23: History of Wyoming Coal
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, Chapter 9 (part 1): History of Coal in Wyoming
"Frontier Wyoming’s Most Dangerous Occupation: The Quest for Mine Safety in Wyoming’s Coal Industry"
American Heritage Center visit, Group 4 (Me-P)
Mon., Feb. 26: Introduction to Wyoming Oil
Roberts, A New History of Wyoming, chap. 9 (part 2): History of Wyoming Oil
Wed., Feb. 28: Populism, Progressivism and the “Grand Old Men.”
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History,;
"Evolution of Roads," pp. 96-105; “Wyoming’s Estelle Reel,” pp. 78-95; “School Bells and Winchesters,” pp. 53-77.
Lovejoy’s Toy: Wyoming’s First Car
American Heritage Center visit, Group 5 (Q-Sp)
Fri., March 2: Water Ownership Issues, Irrigation and Reclamation.
Reading: O’Gara, What You See in Clear Water, (entire book)
Mon., March 5: Homesteaders and Crop Agriculture in the Early 20th Century
Wed., March 7: Wyoming in the Decade After Statehood
Fri., March 9: The 1920s: The Beginning of Wyoming’s “Great Depression”
Reading: “Give Them What They Want,” pp. 110-124 ; “Be Our Guest: Wyoming Dude Ranching,” p. 242; John McPhee, Rising from the Plains (all).
DRAWING FOR DOOR PRIZES!
March 12, 14, 16: No class. Spring Break.
Mon., Mar. 19: The 1920s (continued)
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “The Wyoming Sales Tax,” ON WEB EDITION ONLY
Wed., Mar. 21: The 1930s: Depression and New Deal
Fri., Mar. 23: Exam #2.
Mon., Mar. 26: The Wyoming Constitution.
Reading: Wyoming Constitution; Readings in Wyoming History, “The Contest for the Capital,” pp. 41-52 (review of this that you read earlier in the semester); and “Overview of the Wyoming Constitution,” pp. 250-252.
Wed., Mar. 28: The United States Constitution.
Reading: U. S. Constitution..
Fri., Mar. 30: Comparing Constitutions
Mon., April 2: Bill of Rights: Contemporary Issues of Civil Liberties.
Wed., April 4: Constitution Exam.
Fri., April 6: NO CLASS. VACATION DAY
Mon., April 9: World War II in Wyoming and the Aftermath: Wyoming Transformed?.
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, "The 100-Octane Fuel Plant," pp. 125-131: “O’Mahoney and Japanese Relocation,” ON WEB EDITION ONLY.
Wed., April 11: The 1950s: Red Scare and Yellow Stripes: Assessing the Silent Decade.
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, "Visions Beyond an Arrow of Fire," pp. 243-249; The Textbook Controversy at the University of Wyoming, 1947-48
Fri., April 13: The 1960s: Issues of Civil Rights, Race, and the “Black 14” .
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “The Emerging Civil Rights Movement,” “Fired by Conscience,” “The Black 14: Williams v. Eaton,” pp. 166-205.
Mon., April 16: The 1960s: Vietnam and Severance Taxes; Diversity: “Internationalizing” Wyoming
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “Ethnicity in Wyoming”; "Lovell's Mexican Colony,” “My One Hobby,” pp.132-156.
Wed., April 18: Issues of Post-World War II: Ethnic Diversity. Special guest: Stev Lucero, renowned regional artist
Fri., April 20: REVIEW SHEET FOR FINAL EXAM.
Boom and Bust in the Post-war Years: Social Dislocations and Coping with Impact
Reading: Readings in Wyoming History, “Project Wagon Wheel: A Nuclear Plowshare for Wyoming,", “Home on the Range No More,,” pp. 214-235.
Mon., April 23: Wyoming and the Depression of the 1980s.
Reading: Western, Pushed Off the Mountain, Sold Down the River (entire book);
Readings in Wyoming History, “Cabinet Confirmation,” pp. 236-241.
Wed., April 25: The 21st Century Boom and the Quest for Economic Diversification. Special Guest: Jim Geringer, former governor of Wyoming (1995-2003)
Reading: Readings in Wyo. History, “The Virginian Meets Matt Shepard,” pp. 206-13
Fri., April 27: “Stump the Professor” review exercise.
April 30-May 4: FINAL EXAM WEEK,
FOR THE MAP QUIZ, KNOW THE FOLLOWING:
Counties, county seat towns: Albany (Laramie); Big Horn (Basin); Campbell (Gillette); Carbon (Rawlins); Converse (Douglas); Crook (Sundance); Fremont (Lander); Goshen (Torrington); Hot Springs (Thermopolis); Johnson (Buffalo); Laramie (Cheyenne); Lincoln (Kemmerer); Natrona (Casper); Niobrara (Lusk); Park (Cody); Platte (Wheatland); Sheridan (Sheridan); Sublette (Pinedale); Sweetwater (Green River); Teton (Jackson); Uinta (Evanston); Washakie (Worland); Weston (Newcastle).
Non-county seat towns: Riverton, Rock Springs, Powell, Greybull, Afton, Kaycee, South Pass City, Medicine Bow, Guernsey.
Major rivers: Big Horn-Wind, Green, Sweetwater, North Platte, Powder River, Yellowstone, Laramie.
Significant mountains and ranges: Big Horns, Tetons, Absarokas, Wind River Range, Laramie Range, Black Hills, Gannett Peak.
National parks/monuments: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Devils Tower
Forts: Russell (Warren), Laramie, Bridger, Phil Kearny, Washakie, McKinney.
Lakes and reservoirs: Buffalo Bill, Pathfinder, Alcova, Glendo, Flaming Gorge, Yellowstone Lake, Jackson Lake.
Major roads and trails: I-80, I-25, I-90, Union Pacific Railroad route, Oregon-California-Mormon trails, Texas Trail, Bozeman Trail, Overland stage route.
The following "special sites": Medicine Wheel, Como Bluff, Heart Mountain Relocation Center site, Wind River Indian Reservation, South Pass, Teapot Dome, Salt Creek oil field