Postgraduate Course: Space, Place and Movement in the Making of Slave Societies: Brazil, Cuba, the US and the The Atlantic World, 1791-1888 (PGHC11363)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgraduate (School of History and Classics) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course uses the theme of movement, space and place as a window onto the comparative social, political and economic history of Atlantic slave societies. One of the defining elements of enslavement was the lack of the right to control one¿s own movements; at the same time, Atlantic slavery involved the greatest forced movement of human beings in modern history. Geographical knowledge and human movement were tools for the structuring of colonial and post-colonial slave societies, polities and economies, but they also became a means by which such projects might be subverted, not least by the enslaved themselves. After introducing some key concepts and ideas, the course begins with an overview of the dynamics of slave trading in the making of an "Atlantic World" and the states and societies that composed it. Subsequent thematic weeks consider the role of human movement in a series of key areas: the creation of new societies and cultural mixtures in the Americas; the central importance of gender in shaping slaves¿ approach to space, place, and "resistance"; war and rebellions in the Atlantic World; and the movements of ideas, as well as people, in formulating abolitionist movements and arguments. The course then considers some of these themes in greater depth through three specific nineteenth-century case studies: Brazil, Cuba, and the United States. The final week draws comparative conclusions and considers post-emancipation responses. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to demonstrate:
- A thorough understanding of broad themes and historiographical debates in the comparative study of Atlantic slave societies
- An advanced understanding of three main slave societies of the nineteenth century: Brazil, Cuba, United States
- An advanced ability to distinguish between the general and the particular
- Advanced skills in critical evaluation of secondary and primary materials
- Advanced discussion and group presentation skills
- Advanced research and writing skills. |
Assessment Information
| One 3,000-word essay. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Space Place Movement Slave Societies Brazil Cuba US |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Camillia Cowling
Tel: (0131 6)50 3472
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Lindsay Scott
Tel: (0131 6)50 9948
Email: |
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