HONORS COLLOQUIUM:
THE HISTORY OF CRIME AND DEVIANCE IN THE ANGLO-AMERICAN WORLD
HIST 396H, Spring 2004
Section 05H, Thursday, 3-5:30 p.m., 602 Mundelein
Timothy J. Gilfoyle, Professor of American History "There are few subjects that interest us more generally
than the adventures of robbers and banditi." Charles Macfarlane, 1833
"Violence is American as apple pie." H. Rap Brown
Crime and violence fascinate. Yet, despite widespread occurrence and attention,
serious historical study of criminal and "deviant" behavior is comparatively
recent. This honors colloquium introduces students to the major historical questions
concerning the cultures of crime in the Anglo-American world. Specific themes
include the changing definitions of "deviancy" from the eighteenth century to
the present, evolving perceptions of violent behavior and criminal activity,
and social policies to counteract antisocial and deviant behavior. In the broadest
sense, the class will explore the historical meaning of good and evil.
The course requirements include one 15- to 20-page typewritten essay (50%),
weekly one-page, typewritten reactions to the assigned reading (25%), and class
participation (25%). Essay guidelines can be found at the end of this syllabus.
The primary responsibility of students is to complete the weekly reading before
the date of the scheduled class and contribute their thoughtful, reflective
opinions in class discussion. The readings can be interpreted in a variety of
ways and students should formulate some initial positions and questions to offer
in the class discussion. For every article or book, students should be prepared
to answer all of the questions found in the "Critical Reading" section of the
syllabus below. All required readings may be purchased at Barnes and Noble Bookstore
in the Granada Center on Sheridan Road. Students are not obligated to purchase
any of the books since each one has been placed on reserve at Cudahy Library.
Students who are disabled or impaired should meet with the professor within
the first two weeks of the semester to discuss the need for any special arrangements.
CLASS MEETING DATES AND ASSIGNMENTS
8 & 15 Jan. - Introduction
Lawrence M. Friedman, Crime and Punishment in American History (New
York: Basic Books, 1993), pp. 1-260.
22 Jan.: American Violence
Preliminary bibliography due.
David T. Courtwright, Violent Land: Single Men and Social Disorder From
the Frontier to the Inner City (Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1996).
29 Jan: The American Gun Culture - part 1
Michael A. Bellesiles, Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture
(New York: Knopf, 2000).
Class dinner at Tim Gilfoyle's, 718 W. Aldine Avenue, 5:30 p.m.
5 Feb.: The American Gun Culture - part 2
James Lindgren, "Fall From Grace: Arming America and the Bellesiles Scandal
(Part 1)," Yale Law Journal, 111 (June 2002), 2195-2249; also at
History News Network
Daniel Justin Herman, "Book Review: Michael A. Bellesiles's Arming
America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture," H-Net, 17 June 2002,
available at: History
News Network and
H-NET BOOK REVIEW
"Forum: Historians and Guns," William & Mary Quarterly, 59
(Jan. 2002), 203-68; available at
History Cooperative
Stanley N. Katz, Hanna H. Gray, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, "Report of the
Investigative Committee in the matter of Professor Michael Bellesiles,"
10 July 2002, available at:
Emory University
Michael Bellesiles, "Response to My Critics," from Weighed in
an Even Balance, pamphlet published 17 December 2003, excerpts at
History News Network
12 Feb.: Bandits
Eric Hobsbawm, Bandits (New York: New Press, 2000, originally 1969).
OR
T.J. Stiles, Jesse James: The Last Rebel of the Civil War (New York:
Knopf, 2002).
Recommended: A bibliography on bandits can be found at Bandits
Real and Imagined in Greco-Roman Egypt
For Jesse James, see: James - Younger Gang
19 Feb.: Sex and Crime in America
Timothy J. Gilfoyle, City of Eros: New York City, Prostitution, and the
Commercialization of Sex, 1790-1920 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1992).
26 Feb.: European Roots of Punishment
Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (New
York: Vintage, 1977).
511 Crown Center
(773) 508-2232
Office hours: Tuesday, 8 a.m. - Noon
11 March: The Prison
First Draft of Paper Due
Introduction.
Recommended: The web site for Eastern State Penitentiary:
Eastern State Penitentiary Prison
Other prisons with web sites can be found at:
Prison Museum Links
Pieter Spierenburg, "The Body and State; Early Modern Europe."
David Rothman, "Perfecting the Prison: United States, 1789-1865."
Edgardo Rotman, "The Failure of Reform: United States, 1865-1965."
Norval Morris, "The Contemporary Prison, 1965-Present."
All in Norval Morris and David Rothman, eds., The Oxford History of the Prison
(New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1995)
18 March: The Jail
Sean McConville, "Local Justice: The Jail," in Norval Morris and David Rothman, eds., The Oxford History of the Prison (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1995).
Timothy J. Gilfoyle, "'America's Greatest Criminal Barracks': The Tombs and the Experience of Criminal Justice in New York City, 1838-1897," Journal of Urban History, 29 (July, 2003), 525-54.
25 March: The Twentieth Century
Lawrence M. Friedman, Crime and Punishment in American History (New York: Basic Books, 1993), pp. 261-465.
1 April: Gangs, Drugs & Community
Eric Schneider, Vampires, Dragons and Egyptian Kings: Youth Gangs in Postwar New York (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999).
OR
Philippe Bourgois, In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999).
8 April: The Decline of Crime
Final Papers Due
James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, "Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety," The Atlantic Monthly, March 1982, and
Recommended: Debates on the "broken windows" theory appear at:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
FMC Program Segments 1960-2000
8 April: MIDNIGHT BIKE RIDE American History and Crime in Chicago
DISCUSSIONS AND CRITICAL READING
Discussion and class participation is an important part of student evaluation (25 percent). Incisive, imaginative and thoughtful comments that generate and facilitate discussion are weighed heavily in final grades. Asking questions, responding to student questions and contributing to an ongoing discussion are a necessary part of the learning experience. Failure to speak in class only lowers a student's final grade. Discussions take place in every class period, each worth 2 "points." Students will receive 0 points for nonparticipation, 1 point for minimal participation, and 2 points for active participation. Students who raise questions that generate discussion will earn extra points.
The best ways to prepare for and contribute to class discussion are: 1) complete the reading on time, and 2) critically analyze the reading. The primary goal of critical reading is to identify the author's interpretation and evaluate the evidence and influences leading to that conclusion. Never assume a "passive" position when reading a text. To fully comprehend and understand any reading, ask the following questions:
1. What is the thesis of the author?
2. Does the author have a stated or unstated point of view? How does the author construct their argument? Are the author's goals, viewpoints, or agendas revealed in the introduction or preface? Does the author provide evidence to support the argument? Is it the right evidence? In the final analysis, do you think the author proves the argument or does the author rely on preconceived views or personal ideology? Why do you think that?
3. Does the author have a moral or political posture? Is it made explicit or implicit in the way the story is told? What is the author's view of human nature? Does change come from human agency and "free will" or broad socio-economic forces?
4. What assumptions does the author hold about society? Does the author see society as hierarchical, pluralistic, democratic or elitist? Does the author present convincing evidence to support this view?
5. How is the narrative constructed or organized? Does the author present the story from the viewpoint of a certain character or group? Why does the author begin and end at certain points? Is the story one of progress or decline? Why does the author write this way?
6. What issues and events does the author ignore? Why? Can you think of alternative interpretations or stories that might present a different interpretation? Why does the author ignore certain events or facts?
ESSAYS
The essay requirement class serves several purposes. First, good, thoughtful writing disciplines and educates the mind. To write well, one must think well. If one's writing improves, so does their thinking and intelligence. Second, students personally experience on a first-hand basis some form of historical writing. A research paper relying on primary sources exposes students to the challenges, difficulties and even contradictions of analyzing historical events. Ideally, students will think more "historically" as a result of the exercise. Third, the essay can later function as a writing sample for students applying for future employment positions as well as to graduate or professional school.
Two types of long essays are acceptable for this course: research and historiographical. Research essays analyze a specific topic using primary or original sources. Examples of primary sources include (but are not limited to) newspapers, diaries, letters, oral interviews, books published during the period under study, manuscript collections, and old maps. A research essay relies on source material produced by the subject or by institutions and individuals associated in some capacity with the subject. The use and immersion of the writer/researcher in such primary and original sources is often labelled "doing history." Most of the articles and books assigned for class discussion represent this type of historical writing.
Historiographical essays are based upon at least ten different secondary sources, or what historians have written about a subject. Such a paper examines how historians' interpretations have differed and evolved over time regarding a specific topic or theme. The major focus of a historiographical essay are the ideas of historians, how they compare with each other and how they have changed over time. Examples and models for such essays can be found in the following collections:
Louis Masur, ed., The Challenge of American History (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1999); originally Reviews in American History, vol. 26, no. 1 (March 1998).
Eric Foner, ed., The New American History (Philadelphia: Temple Univ. Press, 1990), especially essays in part II.
Both types of assignments should be the length of a standard scholarly article (approximately 15-20 typewritten pages of text, plus notes). Students should select a topic as soon as possible, in consultation with the instructor. A preliminary bibliography which includes books, articles, oral interviews, or other possible sources should be completed and handed in by 3 p.m., Thursday, 22 January 2004.
All essays should be typed. Students who complete the essay early have the option to rewrite the paper upon its evaluation and return (remember the only good writing is good rewriting). For students who wish to have the option of rewriting the essay, the first draft of the essay should be in the professor's possession by 3 p.m., Thursday, 26 February 2004. All other and rewritten essays are due at the last class on 8 April 2004. Students MUST submit TWO copies of the final version of essay. Students who rewrite the essay should also include the corrected first draft.
Essays are to be written for this class ONLY. No essay used to fulfill the requirements of a past or current course may be submitted. Failure to follow this rule will result in an automatic grade of F for the assignment. Extensions are granted automatically. However, grades on essays handed in 48 hours (or more late) will be reduced by a fraction (A to A , A to B+, etc.). Every three days thereafter another fraction will be dropped from the paper's final grade.
Students in search of a paper topic can begin their investigation with a cursory reading of any published overview on the history of crime, deviancy, and violence. Examples include:
Eric H. Monkkonen, ed. Crime and Justice in American History: Historical Articles on the Origins and Evolution of American Criminal Justice (Westport, Conn.: Meckler, 1991), 11 vols.
Eric A. Johnson and Eric H. Monkkonen, eds. The Civilization of Crime: Violence in Town and Country Since the Middle Ages (Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1996).
Clive Emsley and Louis A. Knafla, eds., Crime History and Histories of Crime (Westport, Conn., 1996).
Hugh Davis Graham and Ted Robert Gurr (eds.), The History of Violence in America (New York: Praeger, 1969), 2 vols.
Edward Muir and Guido Ruggiero, eds., History From Crime: Selections from Quaderni Storici (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1994) [European history].
The following journals are also useful: Criminal Justice History, Newsletter of the International Association of the Association for Criminal Justice History, Journal of Social History.
A good bibliography of recent historical work on crime with links to relevant historical journals is provided by the Social Science History Association Criminal Justice network at: Criminal Justice/Legal History Network
BASIC STYLE SHEET FOR NOTES IN ESSAYS
BOOKS
1. Constance McLaughlin Green, Holyoke: A Case History of the Massachusetts Industrial Revolution in America (New Haven, 1939), 24-27.
2. Bessie L. Pierce, A History of Chicago, 3 vols. (New York, 1937-1957), I, 213-220.
3. Ferdinand Toennies, Community and Society (1887), translated by C.F. Loomis (New York, 1963), 13-14.
ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS
1. Eric Lampard, "American Historians and the Study of Urbanization," American Historical Review 67 (1961), 61-63.
2. Oscar Handlin, "The Modern City as a Field of Historical Study," in Oscar Handlin and John Burchard, eds., The Historian and the City (Cambridge, 1966), 26.
3. Ernest W. Burgess, "The Growth of the City," Publications of the American Sociological Society 18 (1924), 85-97.
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
1. Story v. New York Elevated Railroad Co., 90 NY 122 (1883).
2. U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census of the United States, 1880, Report of the Social Statistics of Cities, comp. by George Waring, Jr., 2 vols. (Washington, D.C., 1887), I, 220.
NEWSPAPERS
1. New York Times, June 18, 1947, February 2, 3, 1948; Chicago Tribune, June 4, 1950.
UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL
1. Robert David Weber, "Rationalizers and Reformers: Chicago Local Transportation in the Nineteenth Century" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin, 1971), 178-197.
2. Graeme Davison, "Explanations of Urban Radicalism: Old Theories and New Historians" (paper delivered to the New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science Congress, Melbourne, August, 1977), 22-34.
After a work has been fully cited, subsequent citations should use only the the author's last name, a short title and page numbers. Consecutive citations of the same publication should employ ibid. and page numbers. The use of abbreviations is permissible, as long as the practice is consistent.
Plurals of dates do not need an apostrophe; write 1850s, not 1850's.
Commas are used to separate the last two items in a series of three or more: thus, one, two, and three . . .
Regions are capitalized when used as nouns (North, Midwest), but not capitalized when used as adjectives.
Chronological range always includes full dates; write 1956-1995, not 1956-95.
Certain terms are hyphenated only when used as adjectives; write nineteenth-century cities, not nineteenth century cities; or middle-class reformers, not middle class reformers.
Century titles are always written out in full; write twentieth-century cities, not 20th-century cities.
Numbers must be used consistently throughout an article or essay and will always be given as numerals except if the number begins a sentence (e.g., Two-hundred-and-forty-seven people gathered to hear seventy-two artists sing 134 songs.). Ratios should be given as 2-1, 5-4, etc.
POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR HISTORIOGRAPHICAL ESSAYS
The history of piracy and pirates
Convict labor in colonial America
How biographers and historians have examined and interpreted a famous criminal, such as: Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, Al Capone, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper
Slave revolts in North and South America before 1860
The history of prostitution
The history of serial killers
The creation and evolution of the police in American cities
The lynch mob and lynching in American history
The riot or the "crowd" in certain period of American history
Changing interpretation of dueling in American history
The creation and evolution of the detective in the U.S.
The history of the prison and the jail (they are different)
The FBI and J. Edgar Hoover
The history of some aspect of organized crime
Historians and the Lizzie Borden case.
Historians, journalists and the Leopold and Loeb trial.
The changing treatment of domestic violence (i.e. wife-beating and child abuse).
The history of pornography or obscenity.
The role of public executions and capital punishment.
Changing interpretations on the meaning of juvenile delinquency.
Literary critics and the detective or crime novel (Arthur Conan Doyle, Elmore Leonard, Raymond Chandler).
Literary critics and comic book superheroes/crime fighters (Batman, Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Captain America).
Historians and witchcraft in colonial America. Changing interpretations regarding the history of "organized crime" and the mafia
POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
Compare published autobiographies of prostitutes and madams.
For a case study, choose a specific criminal trial and examine the media coverage over a certain period of time. For example, compare the coverage of the trials of John Gotti in the 1980s and 1990s with that of Lucky Luciana in the 1930s.
Compare media coverage of sex crimes in peak years 1937-39, 1949-51, and 1957-59, using New York Times Index and Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature.
Compare the various warnings and fears about crime and the underworld found in various urban guidebooks, such as the "mysteries and miseries of the city" series from the 19th century.
Changing conceptions and definitions of sexual psychopaths (rapists, homosexuals, child molesters), using a single or several medical journals (i.e. Journal of Criminal Psychopathology began in 1940, Psychoanalytic Review began in 1913, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry began in 1930, Mental Hygiene began in 1916, Journal of Social Hygiene began in 1914).
Describe and analyze the changing conceptions and meanings of eugenics and definitions of "the unfit" in the Journal of Psycho-Asthenics and the American Journal of Sociology from 1895 to 1940.
Changing definitions of mental illness regarding sex offenders rapists, child molesters, homosexuals, etc.
History of some aspect of homosexual life in Chicago using gay publications like Windy City Times.
History of some aspect of 19th or 20th century abortion in Illinois using the Abortionists File and/or the Abortifacient File in Historical Health Fraud Collection at the American Medical Association Library in Chicago.
Compare the writings of Anthony Comstock (1870s and 1880s) and the Meese Commission Report [U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, Final Report (Washington, D.C., 1986), 2 vols.].
Changes in the debate on the social impact of pornography from 1950 to 1990.
Compare the various ideas on incarceration and prison by different 19th- and 20th-century wardens and criminologists: Enoch C. Wines, Zebulon Brockway, Richard Dugdale, Frederick H. Wines, Lewis Lawes.
Identify and compare over time a series of police memoirs.
Compare and contrast a body of memoirs or autobiographies certain kinds of
criminals, police officers, corrections officials, or criminal attorneys.
STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism will result in a final grade of F for the course as well
a letter, detailing the event, to be placed in the offending student's permanent
file in the Dean's office. The definition of plagiarism is:
Wayne Booth, Gregory C. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995), p. 167.
To avoid plagiarism, take notes carefully, putting all real quotes within quotation marks, while summarizing other parts in your own language. This is difficult; if you do not do it correctly, it is better to have all your notes in quotes. The worst thing is to alter a few words from the source, use no quotation marks, and treat the notes as a genuine summary. You will likely copy it out as written on your notecard, and thus inadvertently commit plagiarism. Changing around a word, a phrase, or a clause is still plagiarism if it follows the thought sequence or pattern in the original. On the other had, do not avoid plagiarism by making your paper a string of quotations. This results in poor writing, although it is not criminal.
In any case, do not let this prevent you from quoting your primary sources. As they are the 'evidence' on which you build your argument, you will need to quote them at necessary points. Just be sure to put quotation marks around them, or double indent them as in the example above, and follow the quote with a proper foot or endnote.