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COURSE OBJECTIVES
AND CONTENT
This course
analyzes the political, cultural, and intellectual history of America
in the turbulent 1960s. This was an era  marked by intense
social strife seldom witnessed in the nation’s history. Hence,
the class will examine the upheaval of the era with special attention
to the ethnic, racial, and sexual liberation movements. The
African-American freedom struggle, the newly empowered Hispanic
community, the Red Power movement, sexual liberation, the
counterculture, and conservative backlash will be studied in
detail. Other topics include the Great Society, the rise of the
New Right and the New Left, the controversies surrounding America’s
involvement in Vietnam, and student radicalism. Studying popular music,
film, literature, and works of history, students will focus on the
tensions between: integration and separatism; conservatism and
liberalism; and youth culture and traditional society.
REQUIRED READING
(Available at the ENC college bookstore and on Amazon.com)
David
Farber, The
Age of Great Dreams: America
in the 1960s (1994, ISBN:
0809015676).
Debi Unger and
Irwin Unger, eds., The
Times Were a Changin': The Sixties Reader
(1998, ISBN: 0609803379).
Norman Mailer, Miami
and the Siege of Chicago: An Informal History of the Republican and
Democratic
Conventions of 1968
(1986,
ISBN: 0917657853).
Philip Caputo, A
Rumor of War (1996, ISBN: 080504695X).
Rick Perlstein, Nixonland:
The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America (2009,
ISBN:
074324303X). We will not be reading this in its entirety. This
book is available as an audiobook on iTunes.
Additional reading
to be handed as part of a course pack.
EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
Discussion and Reading Assignments
Students will be
evaluated on how well they identify and critique the significance
events, terms, and individuals covered and on the basis of their
reading, writing, and thinking skills. You must read every
assignment and come prepared to discuss these in class. Since
this is designed as a seminar/discussion
course, your participation will be critical. Always be prepared;
I may call upon you at any time. While going over each week’s
assignment, identify the major themes, challenge or affirm the key
arguments, and offer a clear analysis of the material covered.
Those who fail to keep up with the reading will do poorly.
Participation and attendance is absolutely mandatory for each
individual in this class and will figure largely into your overall
grade. (Obviously, if you don’t attend or read the assignments,
you can not participate.)
Tests and Quizzes
Two tests will be
administered over the semester involving short answer and essay
questions. In addition, unannounced pop quizzes may be
administered occasionally at the beginning of class. These
quizzes will cover the most recent reading assignments and our in-class
discussions. Those who arrive late or fail to attend class will
not be allowed to retake quizzes or tests, unless, of course, a written
medical excuse can be provided.
Short Writing Assignments
In addition to a
satisfactory evaluation of this work based on content, you are expected
to demonstrate competence in writing, argumentation, and English composition
 and grammar.
You must submit a total of eight 1.5 to 2 page double-spaced, typed
answers to question sets, posted here:
http://www.enc.edu/history/Am_60s_qs.html. These short sets
will be graded on a pass/fail basis. They will be due in class on
the Tues. or Thurs. that the reading is assigned. Students
will also write a short 2-3 page review of one of the supplementary
books. This review must be typed, 2-3 pages long, and
double-spaced. They will be graded on a scale of 1-100.
In-Class Presentation
At the end of the
semester, each student will give a short in-class presentation on any
of the following: a leader of the civil rights or
anti-civil rights movement; a politician associated with a powerful
national movement; a civil rights organization; a campaign that was
instrumental to a political movement; a publication (magazine, book,
newsletter) that had a significant impact on the era; the Vietnam War’s
affect on American society. . . Any number of other topics would be
suitable as well. I have compiled a very large useful list of
on-line resources for this project here: www.enc.edu/history/
Am_60s_links.html. More details will be provided as the semester
progresses. A short bibliography of at least 7 works and a two
page abstract on the topic must be turned in on the dates listed
below. Students are strongly encouraged to use PowerPoint for the
presentation.
Students pursuing honors credit for the course will
complete an 8-10 page research paper on an acceptable topic and will
present that research in class at the end of the semester.
Boston-Area Lectures
This fall a number
of Boston libraries, bookstores, schools, and museums will host
lectures on a variety of topics relevant to the course. The
Kennedy Library alone will feature several high-profile political
figures and authors. Dozens of other lecture venues are listed
here: http://www.enc.edu/history/studying_history.html. Each
student must attend two public lectures over the course of the
semester. Many specific lectures will be listed at
www.enc.edu/history/boston_lectures.html. (See listings marked
with “+”.) After attending each, students will write up a 1.5-2
page summary, citing specific examples and detailing how the talk
relates to the course. Summaries will be discussed briefly in
class. Other lectures may be attended for extra credit.
Academic Honesty
Finally, a note on
proper behavior and academic honesty. Talking with fellow
classmates, eating, doing other work, reading newspapers, leaving cell
phones on, walking out early or arriving late all reflect poorly on you
as a student and will hurt your overall grade. Cheating and
plagiarism are even worse and will not be tolerated. Be advised:
ANY instance of cheating on tests, essays, or other assignments will
result in immediate failure of the course. For more on this fascinating
topic, please refer to the ENC history dept. guidelines concerning
academic honesty:
http://www.enc.edu/history/stephens.plagiarism.html. Those who
are guilty will be caught. Incriminating evidence is only a
Google™ search away.
GRADING
Attendance and Pop
Quizzes = 10%
Participation = 15%
1 in-class presentation (honors credit includes a
research essay as well) = 20%
Bibliography (5%) and Abstract (5%) for Research Paper
= 10%
8 Short Response Papers = 20%
2 Exams – 12.5% each = 25%
A = 100-94; A- =
93-90; B+ = 89-87; B = 86-84; B- = 83-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-74; C- =
73-70; D = 69-60
Failure to complete
any of the assignments will obviously result in a significant lowering
of your total grade. If this all seems too daunting, remember
that the last day to drop a course with no penalties is Sept 15.
Daily discussion
questions
Research and
other links on the 1960s
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