This class is an overview of a very complex body of thought.  We will not cover all of the thinking of defenders of slavery, and we will not consider all of the counterargument.  Rather, the goal of the course is to investigate the broad sweep of proslavery thinking in the antebellum period, as a way of understanding the unique aspects of American racism.

The central question of the course can be simply put:  Is racism in America simply a manifestation of ethnic resentments, similar to those found in other nations and among other people, since the beginning of recorded history?  Or is American racism different, because it is the product of a set of explicit institutions whose role it was to legitimate and perpetuate slavery?

Grades:  The grades in the course will be based on class participation (25%), 5 two-page discussion papers (10% each), and an oral final examination (25%).

Textbooks:  Texts are available in the bookstore.  There are quite a few, and we will discuss which will be used the most intensively in the class.

Week 1:  Introduction

Week 2:  Classical Accounts of Slavery and Labor:
    Aristotle, Politics, Books I and II
    The Bible, Genesis and Exodus
    Augustine, City of God, Book XVI, Chapter 35, and Book XIX
    The Koran, Book IV   (click on "Browse")
    Plato, Laws, Books I-III

Weeks 3-4:  Pro-Slavery (Tise)

Week 5:  Ideology of Slavery (Faust)

Week 6:  Obedience to Authority (Milgram)

Week 7:  The Meme Machine (Blackmore)

Week 8:  Ideology and the Theory of Political Choice (Hinich and Munger)

Week 9:   Cannibals All!  (Fitzhugh)

Week 10:  Antebellum Apologists (various handouts)

Week 11:  An Analysis of Slave Revolts

Week 12:  An Analysis of State Supreme Court Decisions

Week 13:  Runaway Slaves (Franklin)

Week 14:  Course Review and Conclusions