Discussion Questions for November 6

Here are some questions to help you prepare for our discussion tomorrow about Paul Johnson’s article on Mayo Greenleaf Patch. Don’t forget to print out the article online (in the JSTOR database), and bring it to class with you.

What is Johnson’s thesis?

Why did he choose to write about this family?

What are some of the major themes in this article?

What was his occupation, and how did it help Patch gain a degree of economic independence?

The year 1807 marked a dramatic turning point in the lives of the Patches and, if you buy Johnson’s argument, in the lives of Americans (at least, New Englanders) in general. What happened in 1807?

Why is this move significant and how did it change the structure of the Patch family?

How could we describe the relationship between Mayo and Abigail?

How did the naming of the Patch children illustrate the power relations in the family?

Announcements for November 3rd

1) I have posted the PowerPoint from today’s lecture on the Market Revolution under the link on the right.

2) Don’t forget that the reading for Friday is available on JSTOR, one of the library’s internet databases.  You should use the “article locator” search in JSTOR to find the article (the article’s title is listed in the syllabus).  You will need to print this out, read it, and bring it to class on Friday.