History of American Citizenship (HSTAA 110 A)
Fall 2025
Tuesday/Thursday, 2:30-4:20 p.m.
Mechanical Engineering Building 248
Dr. Ross Coen
E-mail: rcoen@uw.edu
Office: Smith 103-G
In-person office hours: Tuesdays, 1:00-2:00 p.m., and by appointment
Zoom office hours: Wednesdays, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Teaching Assistant: Fatih Alici
Email: falici@uw.edu
Office: Smith 103-A
Office hours: Wednesday 2:30-4:30 p.m., and Thursday 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Course Description:
This course surveys the history of American citizenship from the colonial period to the present. Lectures address the theme of citizenship in American history and are meant to provide information and context, offer arguments, invite questions and comments, and develop an overall narrative.
The course interprets the history of the United States by examining how the American definition of citizenship evolved from colonial times to the present. More specifically, it considers how different groups within the American population, such as white men (with and without property), Native Americans, specific groups of immigrants, women, and enslaved and free African Americans, at different times were denied (or gained) “full membership” (or less-than-full membership) in the United States. Another related theme, developed particularly in the readings and the research paper, is the varied experience of families in American history.
Citizenship has been defined as the membership of an individual in a nation. In 1957 U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren argued,
"Citizenship is man’s basic right for it is nothing less than the right to have rights. Remove this priceless possession and there remains a stateless person, disgraced and degraded in the eyes of his countrymen. He has no lawful claim to protection from any nation, and no nation may assert rights on his behalf. His very existence is at the sufferance of the state within whose borders he happens to be. In this country the expatriate will presumably enjoy, at most, only the limited rights and privileges of aliens, and like the alien he might even be subject to deportation and thereby deprived of the right to assert any rights."
Warren’s definition of citizenship—as well as its implications—is problematic. Yet it points to a key aspect of citizenship in the United States: the possession of legal rights guaranteed by the Constitution and other authorities. And it points out that those without citizenship—and, it should be added, those without full citizenship, for throughout history many, many Americans have technically been “citizens” but never enjoyed all the rights normally associated with complete membership in the nation—have often been at the mercy of others to watch and speak out for them. For most of American history, the majority of peoples, both in the U.S. and around the world, were ineligible for full American citizenship due to their place of birth, nationality or race or sex or religion or sexual preference or age, or other factors. In many ways American citizenship has been an exclusive category. This course explores how that category has evolved, expanded, contracted, and taken on new meanings. While recognizing that full citizenship entails a wide range of rights and responsibilities, this class often uses the right to vote and the act of voting as shorthand for complete membership in the nation.
Course Schedule:
The course consists of units that will be covered on the dates below. Please pay close attention to readings and assignments. All readings should be completed by the first class in the given unit, and due dates for all assignments are listed below. The course schedule is subject to change. All changes will be announced in class and posted to Canvas.
Part 1: American Citizenship from Colonization to Civil War
Week 1: September 25
Introduction to Course
Week 2: September 30-October 2
European Colonizers of North America, 1492-1763
Native Americans’ Encounters with European Colonizers
Readings:
J. William T. Youngs, “The British American: William Byrd in Two Worlds,” in American Realities, Historical Episodes, vol. I, From the First Settlements to the Civil War, 5th ed. (New York: Longman, 2001), 55-73.
Paige Raibmon, “Naturalizing Power: Land and Sexual Violence along William Byrd’s Dividing Line,” in Virginia J. Scharff, ed., Seeing Nature through Gender (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003), 20-39.
Assignment: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, September 30
Week 3: October 7-9
Colonization and Citizens in British North America
English Colonization in the 17th and 18th Centuries
Readings: None. Please use time to begin working on your Family History Paper.
Week 4: October 14-16
Enslaved Persons, Citizens, and In Between: Revolutionary America, 1750-1850
American Slavery in the 17th and 18th Centuries
Slaves, Citizens, and Republican Government, 1775-1789
Party Politics in the New Republic, 1790s-1850s
Readings: Andrew C. Lannen, “Liberty and Slavery in Colonial America: The Case of Georgia, 1732-1770,” The Historian 79, no. 1 (2017), 32-55.
Assignment #1: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, October 14
Assignment #2: Family History Paper, 1-page paper on topic, due at the start of class on Tuesday, October 14
Week 5: October 21-23
Citizens, Immigrants, and The Market Economy: North and South, 1790-1860
Growth of the Market Economy, 1790-1860
The Expansive North and the Rise of Reformers
The Slave South
Immigrants in the Antebellum Republic
Readings: John F. Quinn, “Expecting the Impossible? Abolitionist Appeals to the Irish in Antebellum America,” New England Quarterly 82, no. 4 (December 2009), 667-710.
Assignment: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, October 21
Week 6: October 28-30
Disunion, Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction, 1820-1896
America Grows Apart over Issues of Slavery and Citizenship, 1820-1857
Civil War and the Emancipation of Slaves
Reconstruction and African American Citizenship
The Rise of Jim Crow and the Demise of African Americans’ Rights
Readings: None. Please use the time to study for the Midterm Exam.
Assignment: Midterm Exam will be given in class on Thursday, October 30
Part 2: Citizenship during the U.S. Rise to Global Power
Week 7: November 4-6
Indigenous Americans and the “Promise” of Citizenship
Indians and Indian Policy in the 19th Century
Readings: Chief Seattle Speech (2 versions)
Assignment: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, November 4
Week 8: November 11-13
Westward Expansion, Racial Minorities, and American Empire, 1840-1914
The American West in the 19th Century
Mexicans and 19th-century Americans
The Industrializing West and Chinese Immigrants
Foreign Policy and Empire: U.S. Acquisition of Overseas Territory, 1890-1941
Readings: Daniel Immerwahr, How to Hide an Empire, Chapter 5: Empire State of Mind
Assignment #1: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, November 11
Assignment #2: Family History Project, Bibliography due at the start of class on Tuesday, November 11
Week 9: November 18-20
Industry, Immigration, and Reform, 1877-1930
Industrialization and Immigration
Radicals, Progressives, and Modernizing America
Redefining Who Can Vote and Who Can Immigrate, 1882-1934
Race, Migration, and Cultural Change, 1920-1960
Readings: Fae Myenne Ng, Orphan Bachelors, Chapters 1-2, 4
Assignment #1: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, November 18
Assignment #2: Family History Project, submit at least one page of your rough draft, due at the start of class on Tuesday, November 18
Week 10: November 25
American Citizenship from Depression to Cold War and Beyond, 1930-2000
Depression, New Deal, and Economic Citizenship
Readings: John Okada, No-No Boy, Chapter 1
Assignment: Portfolio essay due (uploaded to Canvas) by the start of class on Tuesday, November 25
No class on Thursday, November 27: Happy Thanksgiving!
Week 11: December 2-4
World War Two and Immigrants in the U.S.
Cold War and Containment Policy
African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement
The Courts and “Rights-Based” Citizenship in Postwar America
Citizenship Amid Economic and Political Change, 1970-2000
Readings: None.
Assignment: Family History Project, FINAL PAPER due at the start of class on Tuesday, December 2
Week 12 (Finals Week)
The Final Exam will be given at 4:30-6:20 p.m., Tuesday, December 9.
Course goals:
The overall goals of the course are to improve students’ abilities to read critically, think historically and conceptually, write well, and broaden their understanding of the history of the United States. In support of those aims, students in HSTAA 110 are expected to attend lectures, participate in class discussions, read and think about the assigned readings and videos, and complete all assignments. Please note that although this is a 100-level lecture course, class discussions are an important component of class meetings and students will be expected to participate.
Course readings:
There is no required textbook for the course. Instead, throughout the quarter students will read a selection of articles, chapters, speeches, and other materials that are posted under the appropriate Module on Canvas. Please see the course schedule below for more information. The instructor has attempted to stagger the reading load across the quarter so as to make it manageable for students. The instructor will give reminders during lectures of upcoming reading assignments, and it is the student’s responsibility to keep apprised of the readings and complete them each week. In order to facilitate class discussions of the readings, the professor will provide study questions in advance of all readings. These questions are intended to guide students through the readings and direct their attention to important aspects, topics, arguments, etc.
Assignments and Grading:
Students will complete four written assignments: Weekly Portfolio, Family History Paper, Midterm Exam, and Final Exam. Complete instructions for the Family History Paper and Exams will be provided separately. The grade breakdown is as follows:
Weekly Portfolio 20%
Family History Paper 40%
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 20%
Students must complete all assignments to receive a passing grade. Late papers will not be accepted without permission of the professor, and they may be graded down at the discretion of the professor.
Weekly Portfolio
Seven times during the quarter students will submit via Canvas a typed, 300-word essay response to assigned readings. The instructor will provide study questions for each reading one week before they are due, and the student has the option of answering one or more of the questions or responding more broadly to some aspect(s) of that week’s reading they found interesting. As long as the essays demonstrate that students have done the reading and engaged them in a thoughtful manner, full credit will be awarded.
The essays must be submitted on Canvas no later than the start of class each Tuesday. Late papers will not be accepted without permission. Permission will be granted for valid reasons only. The essays will not be graded on an individual basis but will be assessed on a completed/not completed basis. The portfolio is worth 20 percent of your course grade.
Family History Paper
Students will write a Family History Paper of 7-8 pages in which they illustrate how personal and family stories intersect with U.S. history. Students will interview one or two family members, conduct research in secondary sources on themes raised in the interviews, and integrate their personal stories with events or forces operating at the national level. More information will be provided. The paper is worth 40 percent of the course grade, and it is due at the start of class on Tuesday, December 2.
Midterm Exam
Students will complete a mid-term exam on Thursday, October 30. More information on the exam, including a study guide, will be provided as the date draws near. The Midterm Exam is worth 20 percent of your course grade.
Final Exam
Students will complete a final exam on Tuesday, December 9. More information on the exam will be provided as the date draws near. The final exam is worth 20 percent of your course grade.
Class Attendance:
Students are expected to attend class having completed readings and other assignments. Students should contact the professor if they know they will be absent or unable to complete the assignments on time. Students should prioritize their physical and mental health, as well as that of their classmates. Do not attend class if you are feeling unwell.
Covid-19 Recommendations and Resources for Covid:
Student Resources in Times of Need
We understand that with student life and possible health issues, there are emotional stresses and strains. We have compiled a list of helpful resources, and we encourage you to reach out to our advisers, to your instructors, and to your peers for additional support. https://history.washington.edu/student-resources-times-need
Plagiarism & Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct, such as unauthorized collaboration, cheating on exams, and plagiarism, is prohibited at UW and may result in disciplinary action. Here is more information.
Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct at UW. It is defined as the use of creations, ideas, or words of publicly available work without formally acknowledging the author or source through appropriate use of quotation marks, references, and the like. Along with the University of Washington, the Department of History takes plagiarism very seriously. Plagiarism may lead to disciplinary action by the University against the student who submitted the work. Any student who is uncertain whether their use of the work of others constitutes plagiarism should consult the course instructor for guidance before submitting coursework. Disciplinary action on your school record can affect admission to graduate or professional schools.
The unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, can be academic misconduct at UW. We mean here tools that use AI and large language models to generate text or images, such as ChatGPT, GPT4, Bing Chat, and “Write with AI” in Google Docs. These are often prohibited by instructors in Department of History courses. The history department has a commitment to critical thinking and analysis. Different faculty have different positions about whether AI tools can be used in their classes, and about how they can be used. Attend to explicit instructions in your class syllabus or meetings. If you do not see any instructions regarding AI use, consult your instructor before using any AI. The unauthorized use of such tools can constitute academic misconduct and could result in disciplinary action.
Standards of Conduct and Academic Integrity: (see WAC 478-121)
The following abilities and behavioral expectations complement the UW Student Conduct Code. All students need to demonstrate the following behaviors and abilities:
Communication: All students must communicate effectively with other students, faculty, staff, and other professionals within the Department of History. Students must attempt to express ideas and feelings clearly and demonstrate a willingness and ability to give and receive feedback. All students must be able to reason, analyze, integrate, synthesize, and evaluate in the context of the class. Students must be able to evaluate and apply information and engage in critical thinking in the classroom and professional setting.
Behavioral/Emotional: Students must demonstrate the emotional maturity required for the adequate utilization of intellectual abilities, the exercise of sound judgment, and the timely completion of responsibilities in the class. Further, students must be able to maintain mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with students, faculty, staff, and other professionals while engaging in the class and within the Department of History. Students must have the emotional stability to function effectively in the classroom.
Students must be able and willing to examine and change behaviors when they interfere with productive individual or team
relationships.
Problematic behavior documented: Problematic behavior will be documented by the Department and if deemed appropriate forwarded on to Community Standards and Student Conduct. If a pattern of behavior or a single, serious lapse in the behavioral expectations becomes evident, the steps below will be followed so that the student is
apprised of a warning indicating that the student’s continuation in the class and/or major is in jeopardy. The student’s
instructor and/or appropriate program advisor or teaching assistant will document, either verbally or in writing, the concerning behavior and notify the student that they are receiving a warning. Notification of the warning will be forwarded to the Chair of the Department and Student Conduct and Community Standards via email or in hard copy. The warning identifies what the concerning behavior was and that any further disruptions or concerning incidents will result in the student being asked to leave the class. When incidents occur that represent a significant impact to the program or its participants, students may be asked to leave immediately without prior warning.
Incompletes
Instructors may grant an incomplete grade if the student has done satisfactory work to within three weeks of the last day of the quarter and if circumstances prevent the student from completing the remaining work for the course by the end of the quarter. Instructors are never obligated to grant a student’s request for an Incomplete. History faculty expect good communication and good work on class requirements to seriously consider allowing an Incomplete for the last 3 weeks. Please see the UW Seattle’s policies and form to request an incomplete here: https://registrar.washington.edu/grades/incomplete-grade-policy/
Grading Procedures
Except in case of error, no instructor may change a grade that they have turned in to the Registrar. Grades cannot be changed after a degree has been granted.
Grade Appeal Procedure
A student who believes they have been improperly graded must first discuss the matter with the instructor. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor's explanation, the student, no later than ten days after their discussion with the instructor, may submit a written appeal to the Chair of the Department of History with a copy of the appeal also sent to the instructor. Within 10 calendar days, the Chair consults with the instructor to ensure that the evaluation of the student's performance has not been arbitrary or capricious. Should the Chair believe the instructor's conduct to be arbitrary or capricious and the instructor declines to revise the grade, the Chair, with the approval of the voting members of their faculty, shall appoint an appropriate member, or members, of the faculty of the Department of History to evaluate the performance of the student and assign a grade. The Dean and Provost should be informed of this action. Once a student submits a written appeal, this document and all subsequent actions on this appeal are recorded in written form for deposit in a Department of History file.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined as the use of one’s authority or power, either explicitly or implicitly, to coerce another into
unwanted sexual relations or to punish another for their refusal to engage in sexual acts. It is also defined as the creation by a member of the University community of an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or educational environment through verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
If you are being harassed, seek help—the earlier the better. You may speak with your instructor, your teaching assistant, History Undergraduate Advising, the Department’s Director of Academic Services (Smith 315A) or the Chair of the Department (Smith 308). In addition, the Office of the Ombud (206 543-6028) is a University resource for all students, faculty and staff. Community Standards and Student Conduct Office (cssc@uw.edu) is a resource for students.
Equal Opportunity
The University of Washington reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, marital status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or status as a protected veteran. This policy applies to all programs and facilities, including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs, employment, and patient and hospital services. A discriminatory action can be a cause for disciplinary action.
Religious Accommodations
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
Access and Accommodations
Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
Department of History Diversity Committee
The Department of History Diversity Committee initiates and facilitates an ongoing conversation about diversity, proposes measures to address institutional disparities, and also serves as a confidential resource for students, staff, and faculty who have concerns related to climate and diversity. Any member of the department's learning and working community may contact the committee with concerns and questions. https://history.washington.edu/diversity-resources
Safety and Evacuation
Evacuation routes are posted throughout the building. In case of a fire, please evacuate and go to the evacuation assembly point, locations of which are posted on building walls. In case of a power outage or earthquake, please stay where you are and, for the latter, protect your head and neck. Students with disabilities which could impair evacuation should notify the instructor early in the quarter so accommodations can be made.
Concerns about a course, an instructor, or a teaching assistant
Instructors
If you have any concerns about the course or the instructor in charge of the course, please see the instructor about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the instructor or not satisfied with the response that you receive, contact the Department of History’s Director of Academic Services, Tracy Maschman Morrissey, in Smith 315A. If you are not satisfied with the response that you received from Tracy, make an appointment with the Assistant to the Chair in Smith 308B to speak with the Chair.
TAs
If you have any concerns about the teaching assistant, please see them about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the teaching assistant or not satisfied with the response that you receive, contact the instructor in charge of the course. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may follow the procedure previously outlined, or contact the Graduate School in G-1 Communications.
Rev. September 2025