Civil Rights, Vietnam, Women’s Rights, Black Power, Brown Power, and campus activism. Rock ‘n’ Roll, Motown, The Graduate, Woodstock, and Hippies. The 1960s staged some of the most transformative political and cultural developments in American history. This course examines the 1960s as a series of cultural and political battles in which various groups fought over what it means to be an American. We’ll consider the political battles that were waged from the early days of the civil rights movement to the activism on college campuses to the resignation of Richard Nixon. We’ll also consider the cultural battles from the youth culture and black culture origins of rock ‘n’ roll to the popularity of the Beatles to the emergence of a counterculture. Along the way, with a focus on race, ethnicity, and gender, we will pay close attention to those who mobilized for social, political, and cultural change and to those who mobilized in defense of the status quo.

Course Requirements:

Reading, Two Exams, One Essay, Regular Participation. Most assignments will be completed and submitted asynchronously. Discussion sections will require synchronous participation.

Class Format:

This course will use Canvas for all asynchronous online components. Synchronous weekly meetings will be conducted through Zoom. Students should have access to an internet connected computer, a camera and microphone.