Seminar in United States History

HIUS 4501 (3)

Seminar in United States History

"Slavery and Social Life in the Academical Village"

Kirt von Daacke

This seminar examines the construction and administration of the Academical Village at the University of Virginia from its founding in 1819 to ca. 1870. In particular, we will explore the social history of the early university—the space where students, faculty, administrators, support staff, laborers, slaves, free blacks and a host of other local Albemarle residentslived and interacted—thereby illuminating the plantation complex at the heart of both the antebellum University and central Virginia. The focus of the course will be on the preparation of a 25-page research paper based upon a wide array of primary sources available in our own libraries. This will involve identifying a suitable topic, preparing a project proposal, conducting archival research,  and writing and revising the research paper.