This course examines a series of topics--economic, demographic, social, cultural and political--in African-American history from slavery to the Civil War. The evolution of race relations is an important component of the course, but the major emphasis is placed on the internal experiences of black people within the framework of larger socioeconomic and political processes in U.S. history. Although the course includes a general text, assigned readings revolve around detailed studies of particular topics (e.g., work, family, and religion) or chronological periods (e.g., the colonial, revolutionary, and ante-bellum eras).
