The Politics of National Memory
Fall Semester 2015
Washington’s Monument, February 1885
Walt Whitman
Ah, not this marble, dead and cold:
Far from its base and shaft expanding—the round zones circling,
Thou, Washington, art all the world's, the continents' entire—
not yours alone, America,
Europe's as well, in every part, castle of lord or laborer's cot,
Or frozen North, or sultry South—the African's—the Arab's in
his tent,
Old Asia's there with venerable smile, seated amid her ruins;
(Greets the antique the hero new? 'tis but the same—the heir
legitimate, continued ever,
The indomitable heart and arm—proofs of the never-broken
line,
Courage, alertness, patience, faith, the same—e'en in defeat
defeated not, the same)
Wherever sails a ship, or house is built on land, or day or night,
Through teeming cities' streets, indoors or out, factories or farms,
Now, or to come, or past—where patriot wills existed or exist,
Wherever Freedom, pois'd by Toleration, sway'd by Law,
Stands or is rising thy true monument.
Professor Contact Information
Joel L. Swerdlow, Ph.D.
[email protected]
202-549-8111 cell
Please put “Archer Fall 2015”2in subject line for every email.
I will always return your email or telephone call within 24 hours. If you do not hear from me,
please assume your message or email never arrived, and call or write again.
Office Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 4-6 pm on days we have class at the Archer Center, and by
appointment.
Course Pre-requisites and Other Restrictions: Acceptance into the Archer Fellowship
Program
Course Description
This course focuses on the politics of national memory by fostering an ongoing conversation
about the meaning of the American Republic and the historical memory found in memorials,
monuments and museums in Washington, D.C. The course will explore political and artistic
controversies that have shaped the design and building of many monuments and memorials that
define the architectural landscape of the nation’s capital. Along with visiting many of these
sites, the course will involve a critical discussion in the classroom of the monuments, museums
and memorials in light of primary texts. Students will engage in critical reflection about their
personal experience of Washington, D.C., the National Mall, and many of the structures that do
so much to define this city and national memory today.
Student Learning Objectives & Outcomes
After completing the course students will be able to:
1. Describe and explain the development of Washington, D.C., and the National Mall as
places of historical memory.
2. Describe the political controversies that have shaped the building of various national
moments, buildings, and museums in Washington, D.C.
3. Critically evaluate the goals and objectives of the various national monuments in light of
different political and historical contexts.
4. Understand through personal participation the process through which complex ideas,
historic evidence and personal experience are woven together to formulate a useful and
testable overall theory that stimulates discussion and invites improvements.
Required Text
Reading of primary source documents will be assigned with every module below.
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Additional Requirement: Readers Card at the Library of Congress
You must bring your card to class on August 31/September 1.
Grading Policy and Participation
Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the material. The model for this class
is a graduate seminar. You are expected to participate in class with questions and ideas, and by
engaging in debates and discussions. More opportunities to participate will come by
volunteering to make extra presentations (see below); read from your journal; and take the lead
in activities we will conduct during class.
It is assumed you are all honors-level students who will attend all classes and complete all
assignments satisfactorily and in a timely manner. All excuses for compelling personal or workrelated reasons must be granted beforehand. Even one unexcused absence or late work will
result in lower grades. Students will at all times conduct themselves according to their home
University’s rules.
Midterm grades will be discussed with each student 7-8 weeks into the semester.
Final grades will be reported to your home UT System institution by xxx, 2015, and posted in
accordance with their respective grade submission deadlines.
There will be no quizzes or tests, unless it becomes clear that members of the class are not
completing the required work.
Electronics in Class
You may take notes on your laptop or mobile device and with prior permission use a laptop or
phone to explore something related to class discussion (simply raise your hand and ask). A zerotolerance policy for other uses of electronics for other purposes will be enforced. You will be
asked to leave immediately if you break this rule.
Invited Speakers
Experts or other notable people will be invited to speak for a portion of a class if their life
experiences and accomplishments relate to the class agenda. All speakers will be able to help
students network.
Modules: Site Visits and Classes at the Archer Center
The semester is divided into five modules, three focused on Memorials, and two focused on
museums. Each module consists of visits museums, monuments and memorials as a class,
followed by classroom discussions that focus on questions and issues raised in each module.
Often, before a class at a site, you will be required to visit other sites. These “pre-class”
visits are mandatory. Unexcused failures to visit sites will result in a lower grade.
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Journals
You must submit journal entries for three of the five modules (you can choose which three).
Prototypical journals will be discussed during the first class meetings. You will not be graded on
writing ability, but for the first journal, you will be told one specific way you can improve your
writing (it is assumed that as Archer Fellows you write reasonably well.) Maximum length for
each journal entry is 500 words; you may include one or more visuals (best would be photos you
take). Those who want to may produce and submit a maximum three-minute video instead of
a journal entry.
The journal will focus on what you have learned about how to "read" monuments, memorials and
museums to better understand the politics of national memory.
Adjustments Due to the Weather
For our visits to outdoor monuments and memorials, please be prepared for outdoor conditions
by dressing appropriately (e.g. rain protection and comfortable walking shoes). In cases of
extreme weather, classes will be at The Archer Center; you will be notified via text message or
email by 3pm the day of the site visit. Whether we meet outside, or inside a museum, you must
be on time so the entire class does not have to wait. Plan your travel; the subway running late, or
that you got lost are not valid excuses.
Calendar
August 25 (Tuesday): 10am-noon Archer Center: Framework, Part I:
“Washington, D.C. and Historic Memory”
Invited speaker: Dr. Edward J. Harpham, Associate Provost, Univ. of Texas at Dallas
A recap of the development of Washington, D.C. as the nation’s capital, including a discussion
of the evolving visions, plans, and controversies for the city as a whole, the National Mall and
the city’s memorials, monuments and museums in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. This lecture
will present the guiding theory for the class; we will weave it into our discussions during each
module below.
September 2 (Wednesday, joint class) Framework, Part II: “No Other Place
Like This, Anywhere, Any Time in History”
Before class visit:
• Top of the Washington Monument (Will visit August 27, 1 PM, as a cohort)
• Women in Military Service for America Memorial
• Arlington National Cemetery to see:
• Section 60 where recent combat fatalities are buried
• Graves of the four Kennedy brothers
• Tomb of the Unknowns
• Pentagon 9/11 Memorial (open 24/7 accessible by subway)
• Iwo Jima statue (will require Uber)
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MODULE ONE
Lincoln Memorial
September 10 (Thursday, joint class): Meet at bottom steps of the Lincoln
Memorial
Before class visit:
• Lincoln Park, formerly known as the “Lincoln Memorial,” to see “emancipation statue” built
by people who knew Lincoln
• Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
• James A. Garfield Monument
• Civil War Sailors Monument (also known as the Peace Monument)
Journal One Due: Midnight, Wednesday September 9
September 17 (Thursday, joint class), The Archer Center (moved to
accommodate High Holidays), discussion of Lincoln
MODULE TWO
September 26, 10:30AM – (Saturday, Joint Class), Newseum (meet at the
Group Entrance)Your ticket to the Newseum allows you to visit at no charge all
weekend.
Before class visit: The National Archives; see originals of the Declaration of Independence, U.S.
Constitution, and Bill of Rights
Journal Two due: Midnight, Sunday, Sept 27
MODULE THREE
September 28/29 (Monday, Tuesday)—Tidal Basin Walk:
Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, Franklin D. Roosevelt
and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorials
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Before class visit: site of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
Journal Three Due: Midnight, Sunday September 30
October 5/6 (Monday, Tuesday)— Archer Center:discussion of Tidal Basin
Walk
NOTE: The Monday and Tuesday sections will
SWAP classes beginning on OCT 19.
MODULE FOUR
October 19/20 (Monday/ Tuesday)—War Memorials: Meet at Vietnam
Veterans Memorial (statue of the three soldiers). We will walk to Korean War
and World War I and II memorials; and to the Japanese Lantern.
Before class visit:
• Memorial to Japanese-American Patriotism in World War II
• American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial
Journal Four Due: Wednesday, Midnight October 21
October 26/27 (Monday, Tuesday): Archer Center; discussion of war
memorials
SPECIAL TRIP MODULE
November 07 (Saturday): PHILADELPHIA
November 9/10 (Monday, Tuesday): Archer Center; class discussion
Journal Five Due: Midnight, Sunday, November 8
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MODULE FIVE: MUSEUMS
November 21 (Saturday): AIR & SPACE MUSUEM 10:30 am Meet at
exhibition on drones; we will also go to the Natural History Museum and the
Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Before class visit: the U.S. Botanical Gardens.
November 23/24 (Monday, Tuesday) : Archer Center Discussion of Museums
December 5 (Saturday): Holocaust Memorial Museum: 10:30 AM: meet at
Eisenhower Plaza
Before class visit: National Museum of the American Indian
Final Class: Pulling the Modules Together
December 9 or 10 (Tuesday or Wednesday): Archer Center
Invited speaker: Dr. Harpham
Building upon observations and ideas that have emerged during the six modules, students (as
individuals and in pre-arranged teams) will make presentations.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
ENJOY YOUR VACATION!!!!!
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