Postwar America, 1945-1976

History 389, section 17. George Mason University. Spring 2007

Tuesdays, 4:30 – 7:15 pm. Robinson A 243

Course website: http://postwaramerica.pbwiki.com

Course discussion board: http://schrag.s4.bizhat.com

General advice: http://www.schrag.info/teaching

Syllabus: (PDF)

NEW: Revised schedule: hist389_revised_schedule.pdf

This schedule reflects the cancellation due to weather on February 13.

Professor Zachary M. Schrag

E-mail: zschrag@gmu.edu (please include “389” in subject header).

Office: Robinson B 375C. Tel. 703/993-1257. www.schrag.info

Office Hours: Thursdays, 3-5 pm, and by appointment.

This course will explore the United States from the end of World War II to the Bicentennial of 1976. These three decades were a period of extraordinary economic growth and rising expectations, but also wrenching social change and political conflict. Main themes will be the emergence of the civil rights movement and feminism; the domestic and international events of the Cold War, especially the Vietnam War; and the rise and fall of the presidency's prestige in the years of the Great Society and Watergate. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which Americans debated the significance of these events, leading to political and cultural polarization.

Primary Sources

The easiest way to find primary sources for the lecture responses is to use ProQuest Historical Newspapers: http://mutex.gmu.edu:2048/login?URL=http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=REJTPTFhY2QrMWFjYysyNjhhJklOVD0wJlZFUj0y&clientId=31810

To get maximum coverage, you'll need to select databases manually.

You may also want to consult the library's list of history databases.