History looks different when told from the perspective of those without power. This course will introduce students to the practice of "doing history from below," which includes finding the voices of the marginalized and illuminating the actions of those who fought against established power structures. Each week, we'll read about the discontented from the 17th to 19th centuries, including the poor, criminals, women, the enslaved, pirates, Indigenous nations, and workers. We will discuss how the very institutions of historical practice reify the status quo and elide the experiences of those who fought for alternate (and better) futures. |