U.S. HISTORY SINCE WORLD WAR II A315/C433; H511/C457

Fall 2002 R 4-6:40pm in CA 217

Professor Coleman

CA 503N office hours: 10:30-12:00 TR

email: acolema2@iupui.edu and by appointment

office/voice mail: 274-5817

Introduction

Since the Second World War Americans have struggled with the domestic and foreign implications of the nation's emergence as a military and economic superpower. While this dilemma will unite our survey of U.S. History since 1945, we will look more specifically at three trends: the changing role of and confidence in the presidency, the ongoing cultural and political struggle between those who have power and those who do not, and fluctuating assumptions about the United States’ proper role in foreign affairs. Classes will consist of both discussions and lectures and we will be studying a variety of sources including works of historical analysis, political documents, oral histories, and films.

Beyond delving into the main events, controversies, and personalities of the time period, students will learn to analyze primary sources from a critical standpoint and use them to develop their own interpretations of the past. Finally, students will read, analyze, and critique other historians’ arguments throughout the semester. Class discussion, writing assignments, and exams will serve as opportunities to develop skills on all three of these levels.

Studying these historical themes and learning these skills is an important part of a liberal arts education and will give you life skills that will serve you well. It is to this end that I have designed lectures, writing assignments, exams, and the general structure of the course. Beyond adding to an understanding of American society and culture and helping you to become good citizens, this course speaks to a number of IUPUI’s other Principles of Undergraduate Learning: it refines communication skills through class discussion, exams, and papers, it demands that students analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply a range of ideas and information both in class and in assignments, it teaches information and skills useful in a variety of real life situations, and in training students how to be good historians, it strengthens students’ intellectual depth and breadth.

Books

William Chafe, The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II (4th ed.)

Robert Griffith, ed., Major Problems in American History Since 1945 (2^nd ed, 2001)

Howell Raines, My Soul Is Rested: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in the Deep

South (1977)

Al Santoli, Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War (1981)

Requirements

1) A midterm and a final exam, each of which will include IDs and essay questions based on lectures and discussion, the reading, occasional films, and larger course themes. We will compile a list of identification terms from lecture as the semester proceeds, and you will have potential essay questions a week in advance of each exam. We will discuss how to prepare and write good exams during class. The final exam will consist of identifications from the second half of the semester; the essay questions may be cumulative. (Exams are worth 25% each towards your final course grade.)

2) Two five page papers based on the outside readings. I will provide you with general writing guidelines as well as specific paper topics for Raines and Santoli. Each topic will ask you to analyze some aspect of these oral histories in light of your secondary reading. Papers are due the day we discuss that particular book in class. (20% each)

3) Participation in class discussions and general signs of intellectual life. These are integral to the learning process and to the success of this course. We will be discussing readings every week, and you must come prepared. Please shoot for quality and consistency in your participation rather than mere quantity. I recommend writing notes in or on the reading—mark passages that confused you, reminded you of something we’ve talked about, seemed especially strange, or otherwise struck a chord with you. Note what the author’s main point is, how they made it, and what you think about it. Taking notes in this fashion is especially helpful since this class meets only once a week and you may have done the reading days before we actually discuss it. If you are painfully shy, you can always email me your comments or come visit during office hours. (10%)

4) Attendance. Faithful attendance is vital to your success in this course and is required, especially since we meet only once a week. You will miss a significant amount of material if you miss even one class and exams will be much more difficult. Since emergencies plague even the most diligent, however, you may miss up to two classes without penalty, no questions asked or excuses required. *For each and every class missed past two, I will deduct two points from your final grade. Avoid this at all costs since it can do significant damage to an otherwise hard-earned grade. Save your free misses for emergencies! Perfect and almost perfect attendance will bump up your participation grade.

I will expect you to meet deadlines and due dates. (If you have a problem, you must come talk to me BEFORE the deadline, otherwise I will need documentation of illness or other emergency.) Save your papers on disk just in case one gets lost. Late papers will be marked down one-third of a letter grade for each calendar day they are late. Avoid intellectual dishonesty at all costs--plagiarism, cheating, and the like will result in a grade of zero on the work in question and perhaps disciplinary action from the university. (See the Indiana University Bulletin or come see me if you have questions.) Do come see me or email me if you have questions, need help, or want to talk about the class one on one.

Schedule of Assignments:

Aug. 22 Introduction, Impact of World War II

Aug. 29 The Cold War Begins

(Chafe chapters 2-3; Major Problems chapters 2 and 3, documents only.)

Be prepared to discuss: 1) why the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb, and 2) how

and why Cold War began.

Sept. 5 Postwar Politics

(Chafe 4, plus excerpted chapter on Salt of the Earth, on ERROL)

Think about: how did the Cold War transform American politics and ideas of

reform? How was Salt of the Earth a reflection of contemporary politics?

Sept. 12 Postwar Society and Culture

(Chafe 5, MP 4 docs and essays)

Think about: How did World War II and the Cold War affect society and

culture—according to Chafe? The documents? Bailey? Marchand?

Sept. 19 Civil Rights

(Chafe 6, Raines, My Soul is Rested)

See separate assignment, discussion questions, and paper topic on Raines

*papers on Raines due

Sept. 26 JFK, Real Men, and the Cold War

(Chafe 7, MP 5—docs 4 and 5, both essays)

Think about: Did Kennedy handle the Cuban Missile Crisis appropriately?

Oct. 3 MIDTERM EXAM

Oct. 10 LBJ, the Great Society, and the Trial of Consensus

(Chafe 8, MP 6)

Oct. 17 Film Night - TBA

Oct 24 Vietnam

(Chafe 9-10, Santoli, Everything We Had)

*papers on Santoli due

Oct. 31 War at Home

(Chafe 11-12, MP 9)

Nov. 7 Nixon and Watergate

(Chafe 13, MP 11)

Nov. 14 1970s Culture and Society

(Chafe 14, MP 10, and Douglas, “The ERA as Catfight” on ERROL)

Nov. 21 Reagan and the 1980s

(Chafe 15, MP 12-13)

Nov. 28 Thanksgiving – no class

Dec. 5 The 1990s and Course Conclusions

(Chafe 16, and watch We Three Kings)

Dec. 13 FINAL EXAM 3:30-5:30pm