University of Maryland at College Park
HONORS 248W:AMERICA IN THE 60s
Syllabus for Spring 2010
Instructor: Professor John M. Newman; 540-746-3196; jmn1950@comcast.net
Class: ANA 0120; Monday, 12:00-2:30
Course Objective
The objective of this course is to provide you with an understanding of the history
and issues of the 1960s from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Civil Rights, American
Culture, The Cold War, the Vietnam War, Cuba, and the power struggles of Presidents
Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon are some of the principal areas to which we will devote
attention.
Required Assignments and Grading Policy
Your grade will be determined as follows: class participation 10%; film survey
paper 10%; analytic paper on the Vietnam War 20%; term paper 25%; final exam 35%.
Refer to the sections below for more information on these assignments.
Required Readings
John Newman, JFK and Vietnam (New York: Warner Books, 1992). Note: you may
purchase this book at the bookstore in Stamp Union.
Course Packet #126. Note: you may purchase this packet only at the Maryland Book
Exchange. The packet contains the following articles and/or excerpts:
Branch, Taylor, Parting the Waters (New York: Simon and Schuster1988), and Pillar of
Fire (New York: Simon and Schuster , 1998)
Hampton, Henry, and Steve Fayer, Voices of Freedom (New York: Bantam Books, 1991)
Selected CIA documents on Martin Luther King from the National Archives and Records
Administration
Thornton, Richard C, The Nixon-Kissinger Years (New York: Paragon House, 1989),
and “Soviet Strategy and the Vietnam War,” Asian Affairs, March-April, 1974
McNamara, Robert S, In Retrospect (New York: Times Books, 1995)
Brewin, Bob, and Sydney Shaw, Vietnam on Trial (New York: Atheneum 1987)
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
House Select Committee on Assassinations, Alleged Assassination Plots (Washington
DC: US Government Printing Office, 1979)
CIA, Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation (October 1961) (National
Archives and Record Administration)
Pollard, Robert A., “The Cuban Missile Crisis: Legacies and Lessons,” The Wilson
Quarterly, autumn 1982
Selected US Government documents on Anti-Cuban operations in 1962 from the
National Archives and Record Administration
Blight, James G., The Shattered Crystal Ball: Fear and Learning in the Cuban Missile
Crisis (Lanham MD: Littlefield Adams, 1992)
Required Video Materials
CBS Reports “Vietnam Deception: The Uncounted Enemy.” This is a special 60Minutes program. University of Maryland nonprint media #DS 558.2.U63. (This video
is will be shown in class.)
“Eyes on the Prize,” selected segments; these are located at Hornbake Library, non-print
media (4th floor). You must choose at least two of thirteen.
Schedule of Readings and Assignments
1/25—Orientation and Overview
2/1 Reading: 1. Branch, Parting the Waters, Chapter 5 (Montgomery Bus Boycott); pp.
451-465 (Summer of Freedom Rides); pp. 656-670 (Fall of Ole Miss); and pp. 726-802
(Greenwood and Birmingham Jail). 2. Branch, Pillar of Fire, Chapter 40 (Saigon,
Audubon and Selma).
Preparation for 2/1 seminar: Go to Hornbake Library, non-print media and choose one
segment of “Eyes on the Prize.” During and after viewing the video, prepare notes on
the content and what you thought was most significant and interesting about it. Be
prepared to discuss your reactions during class.
2/8 Reading: 1. Hampton and Fayer, Voices of Freedom, Chapter 5 (Freedom Rides); and
Chapter 19 (King and Vietnam). 2. Selected CIA documents on Martin Luther King from
the National Archives and Records Administration.
Special Audiotape presentation: rare MLK speeches on the Vietnam War
Discussion topic: The Civil Rights Movement of the 60s
2
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
Further preparation for 2/8 seminar: Go to Hornbake Library, non-print media and choose
another segment of “Eyes on the Prize.” Again, during and after viewing the video,
prepare notes on the content and what you thought was most significant and interesting
about it. Be prepared to discuss your reactions during class.
2/15 Reading: 1. House Select Committee on Assassinations, Alleged Assassination
Plots; 2. Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation, pp. 3-33 (History of the
Project); pp. 143-150 (Conclusions and Recommendations). Be prepared to discuss the
anti-Castro plots in class.
2/22 Seminar topic: Music in the 1960s Preparation for the 10/5 seminar: pick five
songs from the 60s and analyze and prepare notes on the content. Be prepared to discuss
them in class.
3/1 Reading: 1. JFK and Vietnam, first half. 2. Thornton, “Soviet Strategy and the
Vietnam War.” Slide Presentation: JFK and Vietnam, I. Discussion Topic: JFK and
Vietnam, 1961-1962
3/8 Reading: 1. JFK and Vietnam, second half. 2. McNamara, In Retrospect, Preface;
Chapter 2 (The Early Years); Chapter 3 (The Fateful Fall of 63); Chapter 11 (Lessons of
Vietnam); McNamara's War in Retrospect by James Galbraith.
Slide Presentation: JFK and Vietnam, II
Discussion Topic: JFK and the Withdrawal from Vietnam, 1963
3/22 Reading: 1. Brewin and Shaw, Vietnam on Trial, Introduction, chapters 1-3. 2.
Thornton, The Nixon-Kissinger Years, Introduction.
Special Documentary Presentation: CBS Reports: The Uncounted Enemy -- A Vietnam
Deception
Discussion topic: LBJ and escalation in Vietnam
3/29 Seminar: the 60s as reflected in film and documentaries. Assignment due: Turn in
survey paper: film and documentaries
4/5 Preparation for 4/5 Seminar: Log on to CSPAN home page and open video library tab
and enter “John Newman.” Click on 1/4/2010 interview comparing JFK & Vietnam to
Obama and Afghanistan. Prepare notes on similarities and differences and be prepared to
discuss in class.
4/12 Reading: Unger, The Movement; Introduction; and Chapter 5 (The Movement, 6768). Discussion topic: Protest, the “New Left,” and the counterculture. Be prepared
to discuss your term paper topic and possible thesis. Assignment due: Analytic paper
on the Vietnam War.
4/19 Video Presentation: Best Evidence
4/26 Special presentation: the Kennedy Assassination
3
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
Note: there is limited seating for parents, family members and friends if you let me know
ahead of time. Tape recorders are permitted; video cameras are not.
5/3 Review
Assignment due: turn in term paper
5/10 Final Exam
Writing and Editing Your Written Assignments
In order to receive a high grade for any written assignment, it must be well organized and
written and must cover all assigned topics and questions. It is also important that you
carefully proofread each assignment for grammar and spelling. One or two minor errors
will not affect your grade. However, papers that have several errors will be downgraded
one letter grade, and papers that are full of errors may be downgraded by two or more
letter grades depending on the severity of the errors. If you know you have trouble with
grammar and spelling, please use the university writing center for help. If your paper is
late your grade will be affected. DO NOT email your paper. All late papers must be
turned in at the information desk in Ann Arundel Hall.
Your Film Survey Paper
Unlike the term paper, the film survey paper gives you flexibility to adopt a
structure of your choice. This survey must be about three to five films and/or
documentaries from or about the 60s. Your survey must briefly identify the subject or
plot of the documentary or film, and must clearly state how it does or does not address
the main political, social and cultural issues of the 60s. We will discuss this paper further
in class. There are fewer format requirements for this survey than the term paper.
However, it must be typewritten, double-spaced, 5 pages minimum in length, and you
must cite your source materials using the endnote format.
Your Paper on Vietnam
The required sources for this paper are the readings JFK and Vietnam, Vietnam on Trial,
and Thornton’s Soviet Strategy and the Vietnam War, and the video presentation on
Westmoreland V. CBS, and the class lectures. The minimum length is 7 pages, doubled
spaced. No introduction or conclusion is necessary. It must be structured in five parts,
with each part subtitled: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967 and 1962 compared, and How does
Thornton explain Soviet Strategy and the Vietnam War and the Fall of Khrushchev? For
four sections you must identify and explain two things: what was really happening on the
battlefield in Vietnam and what US military intelligence was reporting on the battlefield
situation. For the three periods, 1961, 1962, and 1963, you must also identify and explain
the key NSAMs that directed US policy in the Vietnam War. You must cite your sources
using the endnote format (see the term paper guidelines below for more on this).
4
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
Your Term Paper: Requirements and Helpful Hints
Term papers that do not follow the introduction and conclusion format described
below will be returned for rewrite and reduced by one letter grade. Papers which do not
use the required number of major secondary works (i.e. real books, not articles,
encyclopedias, or internet matter) will be two letter grades.
When picking your topic, begin with a broad area, but narrow it down before you
do much writing. The more you refine your topic the easier it is to research and write the
paper. You must use the required readings where they apply to your topic, and you
must use at least four outside secondary sources. This means books, not reference
works or Internet material. The more books the better. You may also use article length
source material and interviews, but these may not be substituted for the required major
secondary studies. Each component of your paper should reflect appropriate and varied
use of source materials. We will discuss in class the issue of how internet material may
be used.
Your term must be a minimum of 10 pages in length, double-spaced and must
contain the following structural parts: an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Use
the sub titles, “Introduction” and “Conclusion.” Your introduction is crucial. Most
important, it must have a thesis statement succinctly stated in the first sentence. If
you do not comply with this requirement, your grade will be lowered one letter
grade. The introduction should not exceed one page, and needs to briefly lay out the
principal parts or ideas which buttress the thesis or focus of the paper. Your introduction
must include an explicit scope statement (this means you must use the word “scope”)
and an explicit methodological statement (this means you must use the word “method”
or “methodology”). If you do not comply with this requirement, your grade will be
reduced one letter grade. There are several methodologies you may employ, such as
compare and contrast, chronological or topical; the reason for this requirement is to
ensure that you know which approach you are using and stick to it. We will discuss
scope and method in detail in class. You must include a brief sentence characterizing
your source materials at the end of your introduction.
Your main body should run for about 8 pages. You may subdivide it into two or
three subsections if this adds clarity. Make sure you use paragraphs to break up your
ideas into compact compartments, and pay attention to their order once you have an
initial draft of the entire paper. Check to see if your paragraph structure/order is
consistent with your methodological statement in the introduction. Do not use direct
quotations which are too long; it is a simple matter to reduce them by paraphrasing.
Directly quoted material should not exceed 15% of the material in the body of your
paper.
5
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
Your conclusion needs to restate your thesis or main idea in the very first
sentence. Then the conclusion must revisit the main points made in the paper, one by
one, showing how they support and establish your main idea or thesis. Finally, if there
are interesting implications or thought questions the conclusion is the place to put them.
They will not clutter your main body and your thesis does not rest on them, and thus they
will not distract the reader when presented as an afterthought. The unfettered
development of your argument is the mark of an excellent paper.
The only notation I will accept for this paper is the endnote system. Do not
place notes at the bottom of the page or in parentheses inside the text (MLA). The
citations in your paper must be numbered one up (do not repeat numbers) and correspond
to the list of numbers in the section of the paper entitled “Endnotes.” I will check this; if
you do not comply with this requirement, your grade will be reduced one letter
grade. You must cite the appropriate required works and all outside sources often and
where they are relevant to the thesis and main points of your paper. I will check this.
A few citations will not satisfy the requirement for properly referencing your work, and
neither will one citation for a book.
Preparing for and Participating in Class; Turning in Assignments on Time
Preparing for class is an individual responsibility. Please prepare for each class.
We only meet once a week and therefore it is incumbent upon you to keep abreast of the
reading. This class will include lectures and seminars. You must prepare for and
participate in the seminars and class discussions. Late assignments will be downgraded
one letter grade for each class they are late. Only a verified medical emergency
constitutes a valid excuse for being late. Excuse or not, if personal problems reach the
extent that you fall behind on two consecutive assignments, you must—as a matter of
policy—schedule a meeting with myself and the Honors Advisor. During this meeting
we will evaluate your situation and draw up a formal schedule for completion of the
course requirements.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism
Academic dishonesty and plagiarism could be fatal to your career. Academic dishonesty
and plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. The simplest way of explaining these
terms is that they boil down to this: it is to take something that you did not create and to
present it as if it were your own. It is your responsibility to understand what these terms
mean. We will discuss them during the first class. If you feel you still do not understand
what these terms mean, ask for a copy of the university guidelines on academic
dishonesty and plagiarism at the Honors information desk. Remember that academic
dishonesty and plagiarism standards apply not just to the term paper but also to the
quizzes. While it is fine to study together and help one another, when you answer quiz
questions, the answers must be yours and yours alone. Do not copy someone else’s
answers to quiz questions.
6
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
Contacting and meeting with the instructor
I prefer to communicate by phone. You may call me at 540-746-3196. My e-mail
address is jmn1950@comcast.net. Use email only when necessary—we will discuss this
further in class. I will not accept any assignments via e-mail or fax. If you want to talk
you could use the e-mail to signal your upcoming schedule and I could pick a time to call
you or meet with you. There are times I can meet with you on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Generally I will wait around after class to see if there are questions. I can also meet you
before class.
University Guidelines
• Academic Accommodations: If you have a documented disability, you should
contact Disability Support Services 0126 Shoemaker Hall. Each semester students
with documented disabilities should apply to DSS for accommodation request forms
which you can provide to your professors as proof of your eligibility for
accommodations. The rules for eligibility and the types of accommodations a student
may request can be reviewed on the DSS web site at
http://www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS/receiving_serv.html.
• Religious Observances: The University System of Maryland policy provides that
students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs,
students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a
reasonable time any academic assignment that is missed due to individual
participation in religious observances. It is the responsibility of the student to inform
the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in advance. Notice
should be provided as soon as possible but no later than the end of the schedule
adjustment period. Faculty should further remind students that prior notification is
especially important in connection with final exams, since failure to reschedule a final
exam before the conclusion of the final examination period may result in loss of
credits during the semester. The problem is especially likely to arise when final
exams are scheduled on Saturdays.
• Academic integrity: The University of Maryland has a nationally recognized
Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code
sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate
students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this
course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating,
fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of
Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html
7
University of Maryland, College Park, Honors Program HONR 248W
The University of Maryland is one of a small number of universities with a studentadministered Honors Code and an Honors Pledge, available on the web at
http://www.jpo.umd.edu/aca/honorpledge.html. The code prohibits
students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for
credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent
documents, and forging signatures. The University Senate encourages instructors to
ask students to write the following signed statement on each examination or
assignment: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any
unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment).”
CORE Distributive Studies: You may have chosen this course as part of your CORE
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies Program, the general education portion of your degree
program. CORE Distributive Studies courses are designed to ensure that you will take a
look at several different academic disciplines and the way they create and analyze
knowledge about the world. A faculty and student committee approved this CORE
Distributive Studies course because it will introduce you to ideas and issues that are
central to a major intellectual discipline and because it promises to involve you actively
in the learning process. Please take advantage of the opportunities this course offers you.
8