State v.
Nettles and Cannon:
A Murder Trial
as Social History
AMH 3930
R 6-8,
Keene-Flint 117
© Elizabeth Dale 2002
Professor:
Elizabeth Dale
Office: 025
Office
hours: W: 3-4 periods
R: 3-4 periods
Email: edale@history.ufl.edu
Required
texts: State v. Nettles and Cannon
(course pack, available at
Deborah Navas, Murdered by his Wife (2001)
Stephanie McCurry, Masters of Small Worlds (1997)
Jack K. Williams, Dueling in the Old South (1980)
Peter Bardaglio, Reconstructing the Household (1998)
Karen Halttunen, Murder Most Foul (2000)
Jules Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History (2001)
Assignments:
Research practice (each of
these assignments is worth 2 points)
1. Journal project, due week 2
2. Book review project, due
week 3
3. Case project, due week 4
4. Primary source project, due
week 5
5. Article project, due week 6
Paper projects (these assignments are worth different
points, the number is in the parenthesis):
1. Preliminary topic proposal,
due week 3 (2.5 points)
2. Specific topic proposal, due
week 5 (2.5 points)
3. Bibliography, due week 7
(worth 5 points)
4. Preliminary presentation,
due week 10 (worth 10 points)
5. Draft paper, due week 13
(worth 10 points)
6. Second presentations and
comments on papers, due week 15 (worth 5 points each)
7. Final paper, due Tuesday
December 17 (worth 50 points)
Total points
possible: 100
Recommended
paper topics:
The Murder of Geogles and
the Lynching of the Fiend Snyder, Bethlehem PA 1880. 813.008 A 512
Trial of Alpheus Hitchcock
for the Murder of his Wife, Belinda, New York 1807. Z1215.S48 no. 13731
Trial of Alpheus Livermore
and Samuel Angier for the Murder of Nicholas John Crevary, an Indian, 1813. Z1215.S48 no. 29967
Trial of Amos Broad and his
Wife for the Beating of Betty, a Slave, New York, 1809. Z1215.S48 no. 18777
Trial of Charles Wakely, for
the rape of Mrs. Rebecca Fay, New York 1810. Z1215.S48 No. 21515.
Trial of Cyrus Dean for
murder, Vermont, 1808. Z1215.S48 no. 16344
Trial of David Lynn, et al,
for murder, Maine 1809. Z1215.S48 no. 21516
Trial of Ebenezer Ball, for
murder, in Maine 1811. Z1215.S48 no. 24056
Trial of Edward Tinker, a
mariner, for murder, in North Carolina, 1811. Z1215.S48 no. 24057
Trial of General Von Harten
for forgeries amounting to $50,000, Baltimore 1806. Z1215.S48 no. 13735
Trial fo George Hersey for the
murder of Betty Francis Tirrell. KF223.H47 Y4 1997 (Levin College of Law Library)
Trial of George Travers for
murder, Massachusetts 1814. Z1215.S48 no. 36119
Trial of Helen Watt for the
murder of her Husband, London 1766. PR1134. E541 1982, reel #692 no. 10
Trial of Henry Hagerman for
assault with intent to commit murder, NY 1818. Z1215.S48 no. 43126.
Trial of Henry W. Allen for
kidnapping in relation to the fugitive slave laws, New York 1852. E449 .A62365 1998 (fiche)
51,313-51,316
Trial of James Anty, for
murder, Vermont, 1814. Z1215.S48 no. 32962
Alton Trials for Crimes of
Riot, involving the attack by a mob on the printing press of Elijah Lovejoy,
1837. E 499
.A62 365 1998 (fiche) 50,515-50,518
Maturin Livingston against
James Cheetham, for libel, New York, 1807. Z1215.S48 no. 13738
Trial of Miss Mary Ann
Tocker for alleged libel on R. Guerney. Z1215.S48 no. 43653
Kentucky Jurisprudence,
Trial of Miss Delia A. Webster on a charge of aiding slaves. E 449 .A62365 1998 (fiche)
50,679-50,681
Trial of Moses Adams for the
Murder of his Wife, Mass 1815. Z1215.S48 no.
36122.
Trial of Thomas Gaynor for
the murder of his Wife, Charleston SC 1810. Z1215.S48 no. 21390
First week beginning Monday,
August 26
Introduction to the course
Second week beginning
Monday, September 2
Reading: State v. Nettles and Cannon
transcription
Journal assignment due
Third week beginning Monday,
September 9
Book review project due, further
discussion of Nettles and Cannon
Preliminary topic proposal due
Blackstone on homicide
and on accessories
(if you have problems accessing the site, the URL is
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/blackstone/blacksto.htm#book4
(look for the sections on homicide and accessories there)
Fourth week beginning Monday
September 16
Reading: Dueling in the Old South
Case assignment due
Fifth week beginning Monday,
September 23
Specific paper proposal due, primary source project
Further discussion of Nettles and Cannon
Sixth week beginning Monday,
September 30
Reading: Masters of Small Worlds
Article project due
Seventh week beginning
Monday, October 7
Bibliography due, further discussion
of Nettles and Cannon
Eighth week beginning
Monday, October 14
Reading: Reconstructing the Household
Ninth week beginning Monday,
October 21
Individual conferences on projects,
no class
Tenth week beginning Monday,
October 28
Preliminary presentations on papers
Eleventh week beginning
Monday, November 4
Reading: Murder Most Foul
Twelfth week beginning
Monday, November 11
Reading: Murdered
by his Wife
Thirteenth week beginning
Monday, November 18
Drafts of papers due
Fourteenth week beginning
Monday, November 25
No class, Thanksgiving
Fifteenth week beginning
Monday, December 2
Presentations on papers, and
comments
Sixteenth week beginning
Monday, December 9
Individual conferences on papers
Finals week beginning
December 14
Assignment: final papers due on Tuesday,
December 17 at noon in my office