Course Overview
This senior colloquium will examine the dramatic history of the United States in the 1960s. Through weekly readings, the seminar will follow the history of the 1960s from the optimism of the Kennedy years to the frustration and anger that marked the end of the decade. We will attempt to recover the variety of events and movements that stirred passions during the sixties, and will seek to understand their legacy today (at a time when that legacy is being debated by scholars, politicians, and pundits). Consequently, much of our attention will be given to the social, political, and cultural forces at work during this period, and we will, in particular, zero in on the experiences of ordinary Americans.
Required Readings
The following books are available for purchase at the Durham Book Exchange and one copy of each will be held on reserve in the Dimond Library:
John Andrew, The Other Side of the Sixties: Young Americans for Freedom and the Rise of Conservative Politics
Christian Appy, Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam
Wini Breines, Community and Organization in the New Left: The Great Refusal
David Burner, The Torch is Passed: The Kennedy Brothers and American Liberalism
David Burner, Making Peace With the 60s
Clayborne Carson, In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s
Martin Duberman, Stonewall
Sara Evans, Personal Politics: The Roots of Women's Liberation in the Civil Rights Movement and the New Left
Jay Stevens, Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream
Assignments and Grades
Your final grade in this course will be calculated as follows:
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Class participation (including response papers)
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30%
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First paper and leading discussion
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20%
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| Second paper
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20%
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| Final paper and presentation
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30%
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Class Participation
This class meets only once each week, and attendance is absolutely required. I do keep track of attendance and of who takes part in discussions. Please read the assigned books critically, and come to class prepared to discuss it or with questions in mind. To that end, every student will prepare a one-page response to each week's readings (due in class), that will count as part of the class participation grade. These response papers often will form the basis for our discussions.
Short Papers
You will write two short papers. The first assignment asks you to write a critical essay (5-7 pages, typed, double-spaced) on one of the books assigned in the course. This paper will be due on the day we discuss the book in class, and students who have written papers will be responsible for leading discussion. (You will be asked to choose the book for this assignment at the first class meeting.) In addition, the student(s) who are designated to lead discussion will prepare a brief interpretive outline of the assigned book, and a dozen or so discussion questions to stimulate a probing analysis of the meanings, importance, strengths, and weaknesses of the book. A copy of the outline and questions is due in my departmental mailbox by noon on the day of the class discussion.
You may thank the National Broadcasting Corporation for your second assignment. Without any input from me, NBC has produced a mini-series on the 1960s, due to air in early February. For your second paper assignment, you are being asked to write another critical essay (5-7 pages, typed, double-spaced) on this mini-series. If you are unable to watch the program when it airs, please make arrangements to tape it; in addition, I will plan to tape it and make the tapes accessible. This paper will not be due until we are finished with the readings for the course, and you are able to compare the historical interpretation presented in the books you have read with the historical interpretation presented on television.
Final Paper and Presentation
For your final paper, you have a choice of two options: You may write an article-length research paper (20-25 pages), based on primary sources on a subject related to the 1960s; or you may write an historiographical essay based on several monographs that focus on a major person, event, or development central to the history of the 1960s. The topics and sources for either assignment are to be approved by the instructor. In both cases, you will present the fruits of your research to the seminar in the final weeks of the semester. The final paper will be due in my departmental mailbox on May 3 and May 10, depending on when you present your research.
Help and Assistance
I will do everything possible to be accessible. My office hours are listed at the top of this syllabus and I am available by appointment as well. Please contact me at home (before 9:00 p.m.) If you have any questions about any aspect of this course. If I am not there, leave a message on the machine, and I will respond as soon as possible. In addition, I try to check my e-mail every day: msfoley@hopper.unh.edu.
If you think you could use some assistance with your writing, check out the University Writing Center at Hamilton Smith Hall (862-3272). There you will find trained writing consultants who can help with all aspects of writing for a history course (though they are not an editing or proofreading service). The Center is an excellent resource; please take advantage of it.
