HI 460 Cross-Cultural Encounters

Over the next two class sessions, we’ll be discussing Ned Blackhawk‘s fine award-winning monograph, Violence Over the Land: Indians and Empires in the Early American West (2006). We’re reading it for two reasons.

1) as an examplar of new Western history, i.e. one that acknowledges the presence and historical agency of Indians as well as Spanish colonizers and others — and does so by reading traditional sources in new ways

2) for practice with reading an entire book-length scholarly work over a short period of time – a reading skill that you will need for this class, and which will benefit you going forward

For Wed 9/21, prepare to discuss pp. 1-145 Intro and Chapters 1-4

For Mon 9/26, prepare to discuss pp. 145-293 Chapters 5-7 and Epilogue

Also pay some attention to the other supporting material provided in the book, including the visual images and the appendices from pp. 295-372 and how they help deepen the reader’s understanding of this important episode in Western history.

Reminder, you have a second journal entry on the syllabus for Friday Sept 23. I’ll push the date back to Monday, Sept 26 since I didn’t post the prompt until Friday the 26th. Please write a post (600-700 words) about your initial topic and research explorations. You could include our library visit, or something from your background reading so far, or something else you’ve read as part of your early research. What are your guiding research questions / curiosities at this point? Please be sure to mention which Launch Pad book you have chosen – ideally you should have that book in your possession by this point and should be reading it this week.