America, Vietnam and the 1960s

Course Description: (Last taught 2017/2018)

This semester-long course will examine, both at home and abroad, the turbulent and significant period of American History during the 1960s. Our analysis will begin after World War II with the Cold War and its impact on American society and foreign policy prior to our direct involvement in Vietnam. Our examination of such topics as the civil rights movement, the counterculture, and Vietnam will deepen our understanding of this time period and how it has influenced who we are as a people today. The current culture wars, the debate about the role of government at home, and the haunting legacy of Vietnam and its impact on foreign policy decisions today, will be a major focus of this class.