AIP 335 Understanding American Slavery (UP)
Slavery is a complex and controversial subject. Hundreds of books, articles, autobiographies, and novels have been written about it. Yet scholars still debate its exact nature and impact on American culture and society. The aim of this fast-paced and exciting course is to acquaint students with the scholarship and issues generated by the slavery debate. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we will consider the following questions: What is slavery? What is its origin? When and why did it happen in the United States? What is the relationship of slavery to racism? Was there such a thing as a “slave personality”? How did enslaved people react to bondage? What role did religion and other forms of culture play in the lives of enslaved people?