History 391PL - S-Plymouth1620: RethinkingHist

In 2020, Massachusetts will commemorate the landing of the Mayflower in 1620, framing it as an event of local, national and even global significance. The first part of the course will contextualize the events of 1620, starting with the deep history of Patuxet (the Wampanoag name for the place that became Plymouth) and Indigenous peoples in New England before contact; continuing to the European histories that launched the Mayflower and its passengers; and examining consequent events through the seventeenth century. The second part of the course will consider how this history has been told, taught, (mis)represented, forgotten, or commemorated by later generations, including ?The First Thanksgiving Myth,? pageants, monuments, associations such as the Mayflower Society, the ?Day of Mourning? protests that complicate the narrative, and the ongoing process of planning and discussion that is happening now, as we plan for 2020. Course requirements include research in primary sources, heavy reading in secondary sources, a series of short papers, class presentations, and a substantive final project.

Open to Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores only.