History 440-271 Lec 4
The 1960s: A Cultural History
Spring 2015/TuTh 11-11.50am
MIT 191
Prof. Joseph A. Rodriguez
TA: Hayley McNeill
The decade of the 1960s spawned many cultural changes that continue to shape American
life. Many current debates about racial issues, politics, the family, the media, religion,
feminism, welfare, drug use, the military, music, and art began in the 1960s. Currently,
the sixties are alive in the Occupy movement.
Course objectives: Students will learn an overview of post-WWII United States history
with a concentration on the social and cultural changes of the sixties. Students will learn
about the history of gender and ethnic relations and racial conflicts and policies and
cultural life. Students will learn how to discuss and analyze primary and secondary
sources. Students will improve their test taking and writing skills.
Course requirements: One midterm examination (worth 100 points) held in lecture on
March 10 and a final exam on May 12th (10 am 12 noon) worth 200 points. You must
take the exams at those times. A 5-7 page research paper (also worth 100 points) is due
on April 30 in lecture. This paper will give you research experience with primary sources
related to an aspect of the 1960s.
Attendance in a weekly 50-minute discussion section is mandatory. Attendance and
additional quizzes or other assignments given by the teaching assistant in the discussion
section are worth 100 points. The exams must be taken on the dates given. Any
emergency that causes a missed exam must be documented in order to take a makeup. In
case of an emergency, you must notify the professor or TA as soon as possible.
Total Possible Points: 500
A
AB+
B
BC+
Grade and Points breakdown:
465-500
450-464
440-449
415-439
400-414
390-399
C
CD+
D
DF
365-389
350-364
340-349
315-339
300-314
000-299
Anyone who needs special assistance should see me or the teaching assistant during the
first week of classes. This includes anyone who must miss class due to activities such as
military service, sporting competitions, and/or religious observance. My office is 325
Holton Hall; telephone: 229-3963; email address: joerod@uwm.edu. Office hours: TR
3.15-4.15 and by appointment.
Please review university policies on final exams, incompletes, complaints/appeals,
accommodations for students with disabilities, absences due to religion and military
History 271/Spring 2015
The 1960s: A Cultural History - 2 -
service, sexual harassment, and academic misconduct (i.e. cheating and plagiarism) at:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf
Lecture Requirements
I will take attendance in lecture. Students who come to lecture perform well in the class.
Lectures will include the opportunity for students to comment on reading material, ask
questions, and hear responses from fellow students. I will also clarify reading
assignments, give details and hints about the examinations. The TA will take attendance
daily in Discussion Section and attendance is mandatory.
Student behavior in lecture:
1. Arrive on time and stay until the lecture is over.
2. Remain quiet during the lecture unless I indicate that it is time for discussion. But feel
free to raise your hand and ask a question at anytime during lecture.
3. UWM building rules prohibit eating or drinking in classrooms.
4. If you must use the bathroom during lecture please do not return.
5. Turn off cell phones, no surfing the web during class, and no headphones.
Required textbooks and other readings:
Alexander Bloom and Wini Breines, Takin’ it to the Streets: A Sixties Reader
(abbreviated in syllabus as SR). This book has several editions. The syllabus pagination
is taken from the 3rd edition (2011) but other editions may be used. However some
readings will not be available in earlier editions. The Sixties Reader is available in the
UWM bookstore and on 2-hour reserve.
David Farber, The Age of Great Dreams: America in the 1960s (AGD); in bookstore
and on reserve.
For the electronic reserve readings go to the main UWM Library web page, click on
Course Reserve then use the drop down menu to find Rodriguez—History 271 at:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Library/ERES/rdrguez/448-271.html
For information on academic advising including how to become a History major or
minor, see: http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/history/undergrad/
Week and Lecture Topic
Week 1
Jan. 27-Introduction
Jan. 29-Post-War America
Week 2
Feb. 3-JFK-A New Generation
Feb. 5-Civil Rights Movement I
Week 3
Feb. 10- Free Speech Movement
Feb. 12 -Vietnam War
Reading Assignments
“Past as Prologue” in SR, pp. 1-11.
“High Treason” (reading on electronic reserve, UWM library)
Ch. 1, SR-pp. 12-33; AGD, ch. 1
SR, Free Speech Movement and Leaflets, pp. 86-98;
SR,“Hey Hey LBJ” and Background to the War, pp. 152-165.
History 271/Spring 2015
Week 4
Feb. 17-Vietnam War
Feb. 19-The New Left
Week 5
Feb. 24-Anti-War Movement
Feb. 26-Urban crisis and Great
Society
Week 6
March 3-Malcolm and the Panthers
March 5-Brown Power-Latinos
Week 7
March 10-Red Power-American
Indian Movement
March 12-Midterm
Spring Break-March 15-22
Week 8
March 24-Asian Americans
March 26-Women’s Movement
Week 9
March 31-Sexual Revolution and
Gay Liberation
April 2 -The Counterculture
Week 10
April 7-Hippies/Communes
April 9-Milwaukee
Week 11
April 14- Environmental Movement
April 16-Rock and Roll
Week 12
April 21-Rock and Roll
April 23-TV/Film
Week 13
April 28-Sports
April 30-Religion (Paper due in
Lecture)
Week 14
May 5-Conservative Movement
May 7-Legacies of the 1960s
May 8-Study Day-no sections
The 1960s: A Cultural History - 3 -
SR, Experiences of War, pp. 167-182
SR, My Generation, pp. 50-79.
SR, Ch. 4, “The Anti-War Movement,” pp. 182-224; 329-339; 371388.
SR, LBJ and the Great Society, pp. 80-86; 361-371.
SR, Ch. 3, “Say it Loud Say it Proud,” pp.107-136; SR, Latinos, pp.
136-146; Guzman, La Vida Pura (e-reserve).
SR, American Indians, pp. 149-15; George Horse Capture, “From the
Reservation to the Smithsonian,” (e-reserve, UWM Library)
SR, Asian Americans, pp. 146-8; “An Interview with Warren
Furutani” (e-reserve)
SR, ch. 8, pp. 392-426.
SR, Sexual Revolution, pp. 264-268; 427-438;
Gay Liberation, pp.490-504;COINTELPRO and Homophobia, pp.
320-21; Homosexual and Citizenship in FL(e-reserve); SR, “Eight
Miles High,” pp. 225-227.
Ch. 5, SR, “The Drug Culture,” “Hippies” “Yippies,” and
“Communes,” (pp., 255-264; 268-285); Patrick Jones, “Not a Color
But an Attitude” (e-reserve in UWM library);
SR, “Environmental Movement” (pp. 517-527); SR, “People’s Park,”
(pp. 466-472); SR, pp. 231-245, 323-328.
SR, Woodstock and Altamont, pp. 505-516.
Stark, “Glued to the set” pp. 173-198 (e-reserve); SR, pp. 245-249.
Harry Edwards, “The Revolt of the Black Athlete,” SR, pp. 129-131.
Remnick, “Muhammad Ali, King of the World” (e-reserve); Daniel
Berrigan at Cornell, SR, pp. 199; SR, “Religion” pp. 250-255.
Ch. 6, “Love it or Leave it: The Conservative Impulse” (pp. 286316); SR, The End of the Decade, p. 528-532.
NOTE: Final Exam: Tuesday, May 12, 10 am–12 noon, MIT 191