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26014-01 - Lecture: American Literature Survey I/IV: Beginnings to Early Republic (2 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | When, testifying about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, FBI Director James Comey said that "we remain that shining city on the hill, and they don't like it," he reiterated a belief that was first put into words in 1630, by the Puritan political leader and historian John Winthrop: that America is a shining "city upon a hill," a beacon of freedom that is admired and imitated but also watched by the whole world. Nine years earlier, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama also tapped deep into the American past when he coined his campaign slogan "yes, we can," giving yet another twist to the can-do attitude celebrated in Benjamin Franklin's "Autobiography" (1771-1790). In this first part of my survey of American literary and cultural history, we will explore the origins of a multitude of topoi, beliefs, and myths that continue to shape how Americans see themselves today. Along the way, you will encounter Native American creation myths, Christopher Columbus's wonder and horror at the New World, the dissenting Puritan voice of Anne Hutchinson, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur's reflections on not only the American melting pot but also slavery, and the cross-dressing heroine of Tabitha Tenney's "Female Quixotism" (1801). |
| Learning objectives | You are introduced to a formative period of American literary and cultural history. |
| Bibliography | Recommendations for moderate weekly readings are taken from the seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth edition of Volume A (Beginnings to 1820) of Nina Baym (gen. ed.), "The Norton Anthology of American Literature" (New York: W. W. Norton). Copies are available at the Labyrinth bookstore. If you plan to attend more than one part of this four-part lecture course and intend to do the recommended reading, it makes sense to buy all volumes (A-B + C-E) of "The Norton Anthology of American Literature" because this is the cheaper option. |
| Comments | The lecture slides are made available on ADAM. Make sure you bring them along to each session, including the first. They will facilitate your note-taking. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | None |
| Course application | Enrol on services.unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 17.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 116 |
| Wednesday 24.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 01.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 08.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 15.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 22.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 29.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 05.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 12.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 19.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 26.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 03.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 10.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Wednesday 17.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 115 |
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Koordinaten der Kreativität (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Module: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology (Start of studies before 01.08.2022)) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: English) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: German Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Module: Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Written test (90 mins) toward the end of term. The test is based on the lectures; the recommended weekly readings are not part of it. You need 30 out of 52 points to pass. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, repetition counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |