Postwar America, 1945-Present
Dr. Patrick D. Reagan

          
History 4060-001 (#02908)                                 Dr. Reagan
11:15-12:10 MWF                                           Fall 2006
HH 114                                                    HH 109

Instructor Information

Office: Henderson Hall 109

Office Hours: 10-11 a.m. MWF and by appointment
Telephone: 372-3342 (office), 372-3332 (message), 528-3998 (home)
E-mail: preagan@tntech.edu
Professional Experience of Instructor

Course Requirements

Class attendance and active participation in discussions
Book review, 2-4 page, double-spaced, typed--due September 22
Essay examination--October 9
Research paper portfolio due November 17 including:
a) Paper topic and 3-5 books/articles chosen in consultation with instructor by Friday, September 15.
b) Bibliography of 3/5 instructor-approved sources due first week in October.
c) Printed outline and bibliography of paper due October 25.
d) Entire portfolio with proofread, 10-12 page, double-spaced paper due November 17.
Final essay examination--December 14
Components of final grade:
- Class participation (50 points)
- Book review (50 points)
- Essay examination (100 points)
- Research Paper Portfolio: Book review, bibliography, outline, notes, final paper (100 points)
- Final Examination (100 points)

Final grade based on points earned by your work:
360-400=A
320-359=B
280-319=C
240-279=D
Below 240=F
To pass course, all requirements must be met on time.

Disability Accommodations

Students with a disability requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). An Accommodation Request (AR) should be completed as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the first week of classes. The ODS is located in the Roaden University Center, Room 112, telephone 372-6119.

Required Books

William Chafe. The Unfinished Journey: America ince World War II, fifth edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. (Referred to as Chafe below.)
William Chafe, Harvard Sitkoff, and Beth Bailey, eds. A History of Our Time: Readings on Postwar America, sixth edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. (Referred to as HOOT below.)
Godfrey Hodgson. More Equal Than Others: America From Nixon to the New Century. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004. (Referred to as Hodgson below.)

Study Tips for History Classes

Reading Assignments and
Lecture and Discussion Schedule

Readings should be completed the week they are assigned for.

Prologue: The Legacies of World War II

Assignment: Chafe, pp. ix-xii and HOOT, pp. xi-xii
Internet Resources:

August 28--Introduction
August 30--Course Syllabus and Students Responsibilities
September 1--Prologue: The Nature and Significance of Contemporary History

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 3-30
Internet Resources:

September 4--Labor Day holiday, No Class
September 6--World War II: The Military Struggle
September 8--The Home Front: Economic and Social Mobilization

Cold War, Abundance, and Anxiety, 1945-1960

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 31-75 and HOOT, pp. 1-27
Internet Resources:

September 11--The Legacies of World War II
September 13--Origins of the Cold War
September 15--The Postwar Revival of Conservatism

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 76-105 and HOOT, pp. 28-55
Internet Resources:

September 18--Anti-Communism at Home and Abroad
September 20--Discussion based on Chafe, pp. 28-55
September 22--Harry S. Truman and the Fair Deal
Book review due at class time.

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 106-138 and HOOT, pp. 57-77
Internet Resources:

September 25--Affluence and Anxiety
September 27--Eisenhower and Modern Republicanism
September 29--Prepare printed bibliography with instructor-approved sources

Assignment: HOOT, pp. 78-92; Chafe, pp. 140-173 and Begin study for Examination
Internet Resources:

October 2--Read and reviewe HOOT, pp. 78-92
October 4--The Other Side of the Fifties
October 6--Review and questions in class

Assignment: Study for examination; Chafe, pp. 174-215 and HOOT, pp. 93-96
Internet Resources:

October 9--Examination

The Time of Troubles: The Sixties

October 11--JFK: Bearing Any Burden?
October 13--Liberal Reform and the New Economics

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 216-240 and HOOT, pp. 97-116
Internet Resources:

October 16-17--Fall Break, No Classes
October 20--LBJ and a Vision of the Great Society
October 22--Discussion basxed on Chafe, pp. 216-240

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 140-173, 201-209, 223-226, 294-311 and HOOT, pp. 117-176
Internet Resources:

October 23--Film
October 25--The Civil Rights Movement
Printed outline and bibliography of paper due at class time. October 27--Discussion based on HOOT, pp. 117-176

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 241-293 and HOOT, pp. 247-294
Internet Resources:

October 30--America and Vietnam
November 1--Discussion based on HOOT, pp. 247-294
November 3--Film: "Seeds of the Sixties"

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 311-332; HOOT, pp. 295-337; and work on paper
Internet Resources:

November 6--Emergence of the Counterculture
November 8--The Rise and Fall of the New Left
November 10--Discussion based on HOOT, pp. 295-337

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 333-368 and HOOT, pp. 325-337
Internet Resources:

November 13--Film: "Chicago 1968"
November 15--1968: Year of Decision?
November 17--Discussion on significance of the Sixties

Research paper portfolio due at class time)

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 319-326 and HOOT, pp. 173-245
Internet Resources:

November 20--The Revival of Feminism
November 22--Discussion based on HOOT, pp. 173-245
November 23-24--Thanksgiving Holiday, no classes

Confusion Seeking Order, 1968-1992

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 369-480; HOOT, pp. 338-393; and Hodgson, pp. ix-xxiii
Internet Resources:

November 29--Richard M. Nixon and Postwar America
December 1--Economic Stagnation and Cultural Confusion: The Seventies
December 3--The Conservative Experiment

Our Times: The Retro Years

Assignment: Chafe, pp. 481-563; HOOT, pp. 394-470; and Hodgson, all
Internet Resources:

December 4--Discussion based on Chafe, pp. 443-470
December 6--Discussion based on Hodgson, pp. 1-202
December 8--Discussion based on Hodgson, pp. 203-304

Assignment: Study for Final Examination
Internet Resources: How to Prepare for and Take Essay Examinations
December 14--Thursday, Final Examination, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Department of History
Tennessee Technological University
Box 5064
Cookeville, TN 38505
(931) 372-3332
For comments or suggestions, contact preagan@tntech.edu

Go to TTU History Home Page

Postwar America, 1945-Present Dr. Patrick D. Reagan