History 349
History of Crime in America
Spring 2008
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8am
Social Sciences 222
(This course is also Sociology and Public Administration 349)
Dr. Jack D. Marietta
Office: Social Sciences 233
Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 1:00-2:00pm, Fri. 9-10am, and by appointment
Phone: 626-8427 or 621-1586
E-mail (preferred to phone): jack-marietta@ns.arizona.edu
The History of Crime in America covers the 17th century through the 20th. It is not a history of famous criminals or crimes--like Al Capone, Lizzie Borden, Jessie James, and others. It is a variety of social history that examines the kinds and volume of crime that occurred in America--like the very high homicide rates in the 1970s (or the low rate in the 1890s), Southern violence, immorality in early New England (and yes, witchcraft in Salem Village), urban vs. rural crime, female crime (not much) and the like. It treats crime as an integral part of American life and tries to uncover the character of the nation and people through the study of crime. The course devotes special attention to homicide and other violent crimes.
Reading
Books:
Roger Lane, Murder
in America: a History
Geoffrey Canada, Fist, Stick,
Knife, Gun: a Personal History of Violence in America
"Nobody ever paid the price of a book; they pay only for the printing." Louis I. Kahn
Articles:
Boyer and Nissebaum,
"Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft"
Marietta and Rowe,
"Violent Crime in Pennsylvania"
Bruce Laurie, "Fire
Companies and Gangs in Southwark, the 1840s"
Reading
assignments will be made in class as the semester progresses.
Exams and Quizzes
There will be at least seven quizzes which together count 30% of the course credit. There will be two midterm exams at approximately one-third and two-thirds of the way through the semester. And there is a final exam. The first and second midterm exams count 20 % each of the course credit and the final exam, 30%. The dates of the midterm exams will be chosen with your advice. Quizzes will normally treat the readings assigned for the day of the quiz, but quizzes will not be announced beforehand. Quizzes that you miss cannot be made up; however, only your five highest quiz scores will count. Any quiz you miss is a zero grade.Significant Dates
January 16. Wednesday. First class.
January 21. Monday. No class.
March 15-23. Spring break.
May 7. Wednesday. Last class.
February 12. Tuesday. Last day to drop the course and have it
removed from your record.
March 11. Tuesday. Last day to drop a course, without complete
withdrawal.
First Midterm Exam -- Feb. 27, Wednesday
Second Midterm Exam--April 9,
Wednesday
Reading Assignments
Outlines
of Lectures
Useful web sites:
Walnut
Street prison
Eastern State Penitentiary, PA (1829)
Rap ("Toasting"): Chuck D and Public Enemy and Lyrics ("Harder Than You Think")
Geoffrey Canada's Harlem Project