History 225
Fall 2015
MWF 10:30-11:30
PH 208
Dr. Angela Lahr
[email protected]
Office: Patterson 323
Office Phone: (724) 946-6246
Office Hours: MWF 1:00-1:50 and 3:10-4:00, TR 2:30-3:30; Or by appointment
Image: After the Brown v. Board case, schools like this one in Nashville in 1957 moved to integrate.
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/00651013/)
This course will cover United States history from 1945 (and the aftermath of World War II) to 1974 (and the resignation of Richard
Nixon). We will explore the ways in which this period was transitional for the United States politically, socially, and culturally. One
theme of the course will describe the period as one that included both an imperfect consensus and sometimes explosive division. We
will examine political, economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and diplomatic trends, and students will consider multiple perspectives
while learning about the Cold War, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the rise of the New Right, and Watergate among
other topics. Students will also learn about and practice the methods of historians.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will learn about and consider the significance of the political, economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and diplomatic
developments in the United States from the end of World War II to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
2. Students will analyze the importance of perspective to evaluating U.S. history from 1945-1974.
3. Student will be able to explain the United States’ evolving world role in the post-World War II period.
4. Students will evaluate primary sources and use them to draw conclusions about the United States from 1945-1974.
5. Students will discover and assess historians’ conclusions about the history of the United States from 1945-1974.
Required Readings:
 Mark Hamilton Lytle, America’s Uncivil Wars: The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2006). [ISBN: 978-0-19-517497-7]
 The 1960s: A Documentary Reader, ed. Brian Ward (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). [ISBN: 978-1-4051-6330-9]
 Other readings as posted.
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Requirements and Assignments at a Glance:
 Attendance/Participation/Behavior: 30 points (approximately 6%)
 Reading quizzes: 50 points (approximately 10%)
 Midterm: 100 points (approximately 19%)
 Final: 100 points (approximately 19%)
 Primary source reports (4 at 30 points each): 120 points (approximately 23%)
 Historiography quiz and debate: 20 points (approximately 4%)
 Research paper: 100 points (approximately 19%)
Grading Scale:
 A+
 A
 A B+
 B
 B C+
 C
 C D+
 D
 D F
[Assesses objectives 1-5.]
[Assesses objectives 1 and 5.]
[Assesses objectives 1-3.]
[Assesses objectives 1-3.]
[Assess objectives 1, 2, and 4.]
[Assesses objectives 1, 2, and 5.]
[Assesses objectives 1, 2, 4, 5, and possibly 3.]
520 – 509 points
508 – 483 points
482 – 468 points
467 – 457 points
456 – 431 points
430 – 416 points
415 – 405 points
404 – 379 points
378 – 364 points
363 – 353 points
352 – 327 points
326 – 312 points
311 and below
Accessibility Statement:
Students with documented or suspected disabilities that prevent full access to course resources and/or facilities should contact Faith
Craig, Disability Resources Director. Find the Disability Resource Office in 209 Thompson-Clark Hall or call 724-946-7192 for more
information and assistance.
Learning Center:
If you are having trouble in class you are always welcome to contact me for additional help. The learning center is also available.
Contact them at ext. 6700.
Academic Integrity:
An explanation of the Academic Integrity Policy is listed in your Westminster Catalog. You must submit your own work and properly
acknowledge anyone else’s work you use. If I determine that a student has violated this policy, they will – at a minimum – fail the
assignment. (You should know that I, like most college instructors, am pretty good at detecting cheating or plagiarism. I do make use
of “Turn It In.”) In addition, the following might result:
“After reviewing the instructor’s explanation of the violation and penalty, as well as the student’s record of previous offenses,
the VPAA (Vice President for Academic Affairs) will take the following additional action:
“a. FOR A FIRST OFFENSE, the VPAA may supplement the instructor’s penalty with further action, up to and
including suspension and permanent dismissal. . .
“b. FOR A SECOND OFFENSE, the VPAA will impose a one-semester suspension. . .
“c. FOR A THIRD OFFENSE, the VPAA will impose a penalty of permanent dismissal from the College.”
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The Watergate burglars (from left to right James McCord, Jr., Virgilio Gonzalez, Frank Sturgis, Eugenio Martinez, and
Bernard Baker) got caught! Avoid the consequences of violating the Academic Integrity Policy or the other course policies.
Learning Environment and Professional Behavior:
The following guidelines revolve around respecting others’ thoughts and ideas. Offenses will result in a penalty to the
attendance/behavior grade or in a penalty on a relevant assignment.
 Do not speak when someone else is speaking. (That includes speaking to a neighbor during the lecture.)
 There will be no name-calling or interrupting.
 Please respect everyone’s right to participate in class.
 Do not pack up your things before class is over.
 Try to arrive on time. If you know you will be habitually late, please let me know.
 Plagiarism, using another’s words or ideas without acknowledging them, is unacceptable. It could result in a failing grade for an
assignment or for the class. See the section on academic integrity above.
 You may use a laptop or other electronic devices to take notes in class, but you must be taking notes. I reserve the right to ask
you to turn it off if you are using it inappropriately or disturbing other students.
 Please turn off your cell phones and keep them out of your reach. Do not engage in text-messaging during class.
 Walking in and out of the room during class is disruptive. Avoid it.
 Please avoid making appointments (etc.) that will require you to leave class early.
 Use common sense. If you disrupt class repeatedly, your grade will be impacted.
Attendance:
Your attendance grade will be assessed alongside your participation and behavior. In order to receive full credit you should try not to
miss more than two classes. Missing more than five sessions could be detrimental to your grade. If you know you will be absent for
faith-based holidays, etc., please let me know now. Unless an arrangement has been made with Disability Services, doctor’s
appointments, etc. will not be excused. If you know you will be absent for a college-sponsored event, you will need to let me know
well in advance. Absences will not only negatively impact your attendance grade, but you will also miss out on quite a bit of course
material, making it much more difficult to learn the material and to receive a good grade. Please make every effort to attend every
class.
Class participation:
Attendance, class participation, and professional behavior will be assessed together and that grade is worth 30 points. You are
encouraged to participate with relevant and appropriate questions and comments. We might also do in-class assignments that will be
graded and will affect your participation grade. If you are absent on these days, you will lose points. Please note that class
participation will be assessed for quality as well as quantity. Comments that do not add to the overall discussion or that are habitually
disruptive will hurt your grade. I do NOT negotiate attendance/participation grades.
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Young people from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) drafted different
statements about their generation and the era. I hope that you will follow their example and participate in analyzing the
period!
In-Class Reading Quizzes:
I will occasionally ask you to complete brief (multiple choice questions for the most part) reading quizzes on the current day’s
required readings. These quizzes are meant to help you better retain the material and prepare for class, enhancing your learning
experience and making class time more engaging. If you have done the reading carefully, you should have no trouble getting full
credit. If you have not done the reading, you will probably not know the answers. There will be six of these quizzes and I will count
your five highest scores. Since I will be dropping your lowest quiz score, you will not be allowed to make-up any missed quizzes.
Please do not ask. If you have been excused because of the reasons listed in the “Attendance” section above, I will allow you to make
up a quiz, but the format will probably be different. These assignments are worth a total of 50 points.
Exams:
You will take a midterm and a non-cumulative final. Each exam will include three sections: a map section that will ask you to identify
the locations of events covered in class, a short answer section that will be based on a list of terms covered in class and your fellow
students’ primary source reports, and an essay section. Study guides will be posted on D2L with further information. Your midterm
and final will be worth a total of 100 points each. The midterm is scheduled for Monday, October 12. Your final will be held on
Tuesday, December 15 at 8:00 a.m.
Primary Source Reports:
You will complete four one-page reports on four documents in the document reader. Your written reports should identify the author,
nature of the source, date, and intended audience. It should briefly summarize the contents and main points of the document. Finally, it
should explain what the document tells us about the period from 1945-1974. You might need to do some additional research to clarify
some references or to find out more about the author and his or her perspective. Please use footnotes or endnotes to cite any sources
that you use. (Remember that there is a document titled “Citation Help” posted on D2L to help you with this.) If you do cite sources, it
is better to use published reference sources (like those found on the Credo Reference database on the library’s website) and/or
academic sources. Using questionable Internet sources may negatively impact your grade. Upload an electronic copy of your report to
D2L BEFORE class on the due date in the course schedule. If you do this, you will not have to turn in a paper copy of your report.
In addition to your written reports, you will summarize your conclusions for the rest of the class on the days designated in the course
schedule. Your summaries should be between 5 and 10 minutes long. (Do not go over 10 minutes.) They should explain the
conclusions in your report. These oral reports are semi-formal. That is, you do not have to dress up nor do you have to have
accompanying visual materials (though you may certainly do so if you wish). You should, however, prepare your oral report in
advance. It probably won’t take you long to explain the nature of the source, the date, etc. That means that you will need to clearly
present detailed information about the author, his or her main conclusions, and your arguments about the document’s significance.
Even though you will have written a report, you should PRACTICE communicating your conclusions before delivering your oral
report.
There will be time after the presentations to discuss the documents together. All students will be expected to participate in these
discussions (whether you presented or not). Students should be prepared to ask questions, draw connections between the documents,
answer questions raised, and craft conclusions. If you do not present, you still need to take notes on the other students’ presentations.
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Material from them will appear on the exams. Unless you have been excused the reasons outlined above, if you miss a day of primary
source reports (even if you are not scheduled to report on that day), you will lose points on these assignments.
Each report will be worth a total of 30 points. The written reports will be worth 20 points. They will be assessed on how well you
followed the guidelines above, the level of sophistication of the analysis of the document, how well your conclusions demonstrated an
understanding of the period, and grammar, clarity of writing, etc. Your oral presentation and your participation in discussions will be
worth 10 points. I will allow you to choose documents if you wish, but you must contact me with your preferences ASAP. I will
assign documents on a first-come-first-served basis.
Debating the Historiography – The End of World War II and the Long Sixties:
On the last day of class (Friday, December 11), we will review material we have covered this semester and hold a debate on
historiography. We will begin with a brief quiz. After having studied material on historiography that is posted on D2L, be prepared to
match the historian with the correct title and argument. We will then discuss and debate the meaning of the period. The quiz will be
worth 10 points, and your participation in the subsequent debate will be worth 10 points.
Many debates like this one at the 1959 Moscow Exhibition between Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita
Khrushchev took place during the Cold War. How have historians debated the meaning of the long sixties?
Research Paper:
General Guidelines - As this is a formal writing assignment, grammar, style, spelling, etc. will be considered. Use footnotes or
endnotes to cite outside sources. For those of you who have never used this type of citation, we will go over it in class. I have also
posted a detailed handout on D2L that explains how to insert superscripted notes and provides specific examples of format. If you do
not at least try to use notes, your essay will automatically be deducted. I am willing to look at drafts but only if you get them to me
a full week before the paper is due. If you do submit a draft, understand that that does not guarantee you a particular grade. A late
essay will be docked one letter grade. You may choose to revise these assignments; revisions are due on Friday, December 11.
(Consult the “Revision Guide” handout on D2L, and please remember to turn in your original paper with revisions.) Double-space
your work and use “normal” font size and margins. You may print all writing assignments on both sides of the page to save paper if
you would like. Please turn in a paper copy AND an electronic copy. To post your papers, log-on to D2L, go to the History 225
page, select “Dropbox” on the gray tool bar, select the appropriate assignment, and upload your essay by following the instructions.
Remember to select “Submit” to finalize your submission. (Note: While I will penalize an essay that does not reach the minimum page
length, if you need to go over the maximum length that is fine with me.) Your paper is worth a total of 100 points. See the grading
rubric posted on D2L for an explanation of how it will be assessed. It is due on Monday, November 16.
Assignment Description – Choose ONE set of questions listed below (based on the discussion questions posed in your documentary
reader – a few were taken directly from the book). After doing some research on the topic, write a short 7-9 page paper answering the
question and providing evidence (both primary and secondary source evidence) to support your conclusions.
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What were the most important anxieties for Americans after World War II through the 1950s? Why?
How did the consumer culture impact the 1960s?
How did Americans define freedom during the Cold War? How did that definition (or those definitions) impact American
Cold War foreign policy in the long sixties?
Describe at least two approaches to the struggle for African American rights during the civil rights movement of this era.
How do they compare and contrast?
What were the main elements in New Left and countercultural critiques of American society and values in the 1960s and
what alternatives did they propose?
What were the main reasons for United States involvement in Vietnam?
Describe some of the divisions within the women’s liberation movement of this period. What explains these differences?
How did conservatives of the developing New Right interpret the liberalism of the 1960s?
What explains the emergence of the environmentalism of the era?
Characterize the broad civil rights movement of the long sixties. How did it represent the relationship between national and
group identity?
Why did cynical public attitudes about mainstream politics, the federal government, and other expressions of state power
exist at the start of the 1970s?
What were the major accomplishment of the long sixties? Why? What were the biggest failures of the long sixties? Why?
After choosing your topic, finish your paper by adhering to the following steps and guidelines:
1. Gather primary sources. You will need to cite AT LEAST FIVE primary sources. Those may come from the
documentary reader, from other published sources, or from the sites I have bookmarked on D2L. You might find other
primary sources on the Internet, but before them, email me the links (at least a week before the paper is due) so that I can
approve them. [Note: Each document counts as one source. Using five separate documents from The 1960s: A Documentary
Reader, then, will fulfill the primary source requirement.]
[Review: Primary sources are materials that often come from the period being studied, but they can also include
eyewitness accounts collected later. Primary sources are those sources that have not been filtered through interpretation
or analysis. Letters, diary entries, legal briefs, laws, photographs, advertisements, etc. might all be primary sources.
Secondary sources are those sources that use primary sources and other secondary sources to present an analysis of a
particular topic in the past. Textbooks, historians’ monographs about a particular topic, and scholarly journal articles are
all examples of secondary sources.]
2. Gather secondary sources. You will need to cite AT LEAST FIVE secondary sources. A good place to start is the
“Further Reading” section in The 1960s: A Documentary Reader and the “Notes on Sources” section in America’s Uncivil
Wars. America’s Uncivil Wars can count as one of your secondary sources, but you will still need to locate four additional
sources if you use it. Locate peer-reviewed, academic secondary sources. Part of your grade will reflect the nature of the
sources you cite. Non-academic secondary sources from the Internet will not receive a high score. To receive a better grade,
use library books or scholarly journal articles found on library databases like JSTOR. A handout with instructions on how to
find articles on JSTOR will be posted on D2L to assist you.
3. Read your sources. This may be obvious, but you will have to read your sources closely keeping your main question in
mind as you do so. Take good notes as you go along jotting down page numbers so that you can find your evidence easily
when it comes time for you to write your paper. If it helps, I find post-it notes useful. I simply mark pages that I might use
and write brief comments on them as reminders of the significance of the passages.
4. Construct your argument. Considering what you have learned from your sources, how would you answer the main
question? Try to compose a few sentences that reflect your conclusions. This is your thesis and should ultimately go at the
end of your introduction paragraph.
5. Organize and outline your essay. Look over the evidence you have collected and organize it. I will provide a sample,
generic outline that might help you do so.
6. Write your essay. Use your outline to help you. Remember to include all of the necessary information in your main text
when incorporating your primary and secondary sources. For example, if you plan on summarizing an argument from one of
your secondary sources, include the author’s name and some brief introductory information on that author. You should also
include the author, date, and major relevant points of each of your primary sources. It might be necessary for you to comment
on the sources’ intended audiences and/or the authors’ biases as well. Use footnotes or endnotes to cite all of your sources,
and consult the “Citation Help” document posted on D2L for guidance. If you need additional help with formatting your
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sources, do not hesitate to ask. HINT: Do not wait to insert your citations until after you are finished writing. Insert citations
as you go along; it’s much easier in the long run. Remember that the paper should be 7-9 pages long.
Your introduction should include a hook in the beginning (an interesting quote or brief story that interests your
reader at the outset), a brief description of the paper’s topic and question, and your thesis. Following your introduction,
include a paragraph or two that establishes historical context and background. Your secondary sources should help you with
this. In the body of your paper, use evidence from your sources to support your thesis and conclusions. In your conclusion
paragraph, address why your main points are significant to understanding this era of American history.
7. Revise your first draft. Read “Dr. Lahr’s Pet Peeves,” posted on D2L, and copyedit your paper. It might help to read it
aloud and/or to have a friend copyedit it for you. Make sure to use grammar and spell check and to consult the grading rubric
(found on D2L). Make any necessary changes before printing your paper. Turn in a hard copy AND an electronic copy. . .
. You’re finished!
Requirements at a glance:
1. Page length = 7-9 pages (with “normal” font size and margins; double-spaced)
2. An analysis of the period that answers one set of questions listed above.
3. Primary sources = Cite at least five primary sources.
4. Secondary sources = Cite at least five secondary sources.
5. Use footnotes or endnotes to cite your sources. (See the handout posted on D2L.)
6. Due date = Monday, November 16
7. OPTIONAL revisions due = Friday, December 11
Extra Credit Opportunities:
I will sometimes announce extra credit opportunities in class or via email, but I do not offer extra credit to individuals that I do not
also make available to everyone else. (Please do not ask.)
Other Items of Note:
 For the most part, I do not post Power Point slides or my notes. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to keep up with the
reading and to borrow the notes from someone. The outlines in class are only meant to aid your note taking. Do not assume
that you only need to write down what appears on the slides. Part of critical thinking involves listening for and identifying
points of significance. Please ASK if you need me to slow down, pause, or repeat something. I’m willing (even eager) to
clarify or discuss points and questions.
 I frequently send out important email announcements. In addition to checking the syllabus every day for the reading
assignment, you should form a habit of checking your Westminster email account at least once a week.
 You should assume that it will take me at least one week to return exams and papers. If you miss class the day I hand back
assignments, you may ask me for those at the end of the next class you attend. After returning your work, I will post the
grades on D2L. Please note that I do not assign attendance/participation grades until the very end of the semester.
 If Westminster cancels classes, please check your email account for updates. If the weather is bad and Westminster does not
cancel classes, I still might cancel on my own. On those days, you should check your email before coming to class, since I
will certainly send out a message if I do cancel. Due dates and exam dates are liable to be changed if weather interferes. You
are responsible for knowing about and adhering to any weather-related changes.
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Course Schedule
Monday, Aug. 31 – Course Introduction
Wednesday, Sept. 2 – Introduction
Read: Lytle preface (you can skip the acknowledgments) and introduction
Friday, Sept. 4 – No Class – There is no class, but you should still read the following and complete the assignment distributed in
class. The assignment is also posted on D2L.
Read: The 1960s introduction AND excerpts from Studs Terkel’s The Good War [posted on D2L]
Monday, Sept. 7 – Postwar America
Read: William Chafe, “The Paradox of Change” from The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II
[posted on D2L]
Wednesday, Sept. 9 – Postwar America
Read: Finish Chafe, “The Paradox of Change”
A 1953 poster advertising a Billy Graham campaign. Graham’s influence in postwar America demonstrated the importance
many Americans placed on religion. Religious conservatism would be a crucial component of the New Right.
Friday, Sept. 11 – The Cold War Begins
Read: William Chafe, “Origins of the Cold War” from The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II
[posted on D2L]
Monday, Sept. 14 – The Cold War Begins
Read: William Chafe, “Truman and the Cold War” from The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II
[posted on D2L]
Wednesday, Sept. 16 – The 1950s
Read: James Patterson, “The Biggest Boom Yet” from Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974
[posted on D2L]
Friday, Sept. 18 – The 1950s
Read: Finish Patterson, “The Biggest Boom Yet”
Monday, Sept. 21 – Cold War Consensus
Read: Lytle chapter 1
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Wednesday, Sept. 23 – Cultural Cold War
Read: Lytle chapter 2
Friday, Sept. 25 – Cracks in the Consensus
Read: Lytle chapter 3
**Monday, Sept. 28 – The End of the 1950s through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 1
Due: Reports on chapter 1 documents
**Wednesday, Sept. 30 – The Postwar Economy through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 2
Due: Reports on chapter 2 documents
Friday, Oct. 2 – The Impact of a New Generation
Read: Lytle chapter 4
Monday, Oct. 5 – Kennedy and the Cold War
Read: Lytle chapter 5
**Wednesday, Oct. 7 – The Cold War Context through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 3
Due: Reports on chapter 3 documents
Friday, Oct. 9 – The Civil Rights Movement in the Early 1960s
Read: Lytle chapter 6
Monday, Oct. 12 – Midterm
Wednesday, Oct. 14 – 1964
Read: Lytle chapter 7
Friday, Oct. 16 – The Uncivil Wars Heat Up
Read: Lytle chapter 8
**Monday, Oct. 19 – The Civil Rights Movement through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 4
Due: Reports on chapter 4 documents
Wednesday, Oct. 21 – The Counterculture
Read: Lytle chapter 9
**Friday, Oct. 23 – The New Left and the Counterculture through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 5
Due: Reports on chapter 5 documents
Monday, Oct. 26 – No Class – Mid Break
Wednesday, Oct. 28 – 1968
Read: Lytle chapter 10
Friday, Oct. 30 – Vietnam
Read: James Patterson, “Escalation in Vietnam” from Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974 [posted on
D2L]
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Monday, Nov. 2 – Vietnam and Domestic Conflict
Read: Lytle chapter 11
**Wednesday, Nov. 4 – Vietnam through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 6
Due: Reports on chapter 6 documents
Friday, Nov. 6 – The New Right
Read: Lisa McGirr, Introduction to Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right
**Monday, Nov. 9 – The New Right through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 8
Due: Reports on chapter 8 documents
Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Frontiers of the 1960s: Science, Technology, and the Environment
No reading
**Friday, Nov. 13 – Science, Technology, and the Environment through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 9
Due: Reports on chapter 9 documents
Monday, Nov. 16 - No reading
Due: Research Paper
In 1968, feminists picketed the Miss America pageant.
Wednesday, Nov. 18 – The Civil Rights Movement into the 1970s - Gender
Read: Lytle chapter 12
**Friday, Nov. 20 – The Civil Rights Movement into the 1970s through Primary Sources – Gender
Read: The 1960s chapter 7
Due: Reports on chapter 7 documents
Monday, Nov. 23 – The Civil Rights Movement into the 1970s – Race and Ethnicity
Read: Lytle chapter 13
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – No Class – Thanksgiving
Friday, Nov. 27 – No Class - Thanksgiving
**Monday, Nov. 30 – Identity and Politics through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapter 10
Due: Reports on chapter 10 documents
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Wednesday, Dec. 2 – The Activist Legacy of the 1960s
Read: Lytle chapter 14
Friday, Dec. 4 – Division in the 1960s and Early 1970s
Read: Lytle chapter 15
Monday, Dec. 7 – Watergate and the Resignation of a President
Read: Lytle chapter 16 and the epilogue
**Wednesday, Dec. 9 – The Impact of the Long Sixties through Primary Sources
Read: The 1960s chapters 11 and 12
Due: Reports on chapters 11 and 12 documents
Friday, Dec. 11 – Historiography Debate
Historiography Quiz
Due: Optional Revisions (Please remember to turn in your original paper with revisions.)
Final Exam – Tuesday, December 15, 8:00-10:30
You’re finished! I hope that you had a meaningful semester. (Image: Woodstock)
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