An Interdisciplinary Seminar in American Studies

8-14 October 2000

The history of the Americas from 1492 is not simply the history of the European settlement of the Western Hemisphere. When the Spanish first arrived in the New World and took it as their own, they needed to determine the relationship between themselves, as colonists and as administrators of an empire, and the people native to these new lands. The English, when they settled North America a century later, had the same problems. Much has been written about the conflict between Europeans and Native Americans during the centuries of colonization. Much of this writing portrays Europeans as conquerors who, because of the doctrine of "right of discovery," annihilated the peoples of the New World. While these writing have much truth to them, the story does simply end there. There was much interaction between Europeans and Indians of a peaceful nature. This seminar will explore both sides of the story of European-Native interaction during the colonial era.

The seminar is geared toward undergraduate students of history, the social sciences, and American studies. The course will be conducted in English and covers the material of an entire semester (15 sessions) within the span of one week. Students are expected to prepare for the seminar in advance and will receive a reading assignment of approximately 500-700 pages one month prior to the seminar. In order to earn university credit (Schein) from Martin Luther University, participants are required to submit a research paper no later than four months after the end of the seminar.

During the seminar students are housed at the Leucorea Foundation. The seminar fee for admitted students is DM 150 and includes the seminar reader, instruction, accommodations, and meals. Transportation costs to and from Wittenberg are the student's responsibility.

If you are interested in participating in the course, please send a cover letter, your curriculum vitae, and one letter of recommendation to Dr. J. Kelly Robison. The cover letter should include the following:

• Seminar title, dates, and instructor´s name.

• Your name, address, year of study, and university affiliation.

• Your interest in and commitment to the seminar and the topic.

• Your fields of study, academic advisor, related university-level courses you have taken, your proficiency in English, and other relevant experience and competencies.