US History II

In the last unit of the course, we will jump to the post-Cold War era (approx since 1989). There will be an online quiz opening on Tuesday, November 29th until Sunday, December 4th (on Chapter 30 and 31). Our in-class work will deal mainly with material in Chapter 32.

Mon 11/28: After the Cold War – read EH 32: 887-899. Handout: Foreign Policy, 1980s-1990s (a companion chart for your reading of Chapters 31 and 32). In-class viewing: ABC News, November 10, 1989

Wed 11/30: Globalization and the United States – read EH 32:900-917

Fri 12/2: All about 9/11/2001 – read EH 32:917-923. Skill Builder #6, the last one, is due in class

Mon 12/5: A workshop day, focusing on the “History Now” project. No assigned reading. If you revised your Primary Source paper, the revision is due in class (no electronic submissions).

Wed 12/7: Your FAQs Answered. Reading: 9/11 materials of your choice, see the list in the entry for Friday 12/2

Fri 12/9: History Today and Tomorrow. Reading: EH 32:923-929 and one additional short reading, TBA. Your “History Now” project is due in or before class. No electronic submissions, it must be turned in as a paper packet.

Last Exam: The 5th exam will be Wednesday 12/14 at 12:30 pm in our classroom. It is the regular exam for Unit 5, not a comprehensive final.

Our Unit 4 exam will be on Monday, Nov 21. I am out of town presenting at a conference (the AAR in San Francisco) but Dr. Lisa Boehm from Urban Studies will be there in my place to give out and collect the exam. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break and I’ll see you on the other side of the turkey and pie.

On Friday in class, I wrote a list on the board of 11 reasons former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (whose resignation is covered in your book) thought — in retrospect — that the United States had blundered in Vietnam. Here is the list, and for you snorkelers/divers, you can read excerpts on Google Books from the original if you like. Think about whether you agree with this list and what evidence you can think of to support or refute McNamara’s statements.

• We misjudged North Vietnamese and Viet Cong’s geopolitical intentions and exaggerated their dangers
• We viewed South Vietnam in terms of our own experience instead of theirs
• We underestimated the power of Vietnamese nationalism
• We didn’t have enough trained advisors for Asia in positions of responsibility in the military and the State Department, and had too few well-informed senior diplomats
• It was high-tech warfare v. low-tech people and failed to win their hearts and minds
• Didn’t involve Congress and public debate enough
• Didn’t retain popular support at home, were too secretive
• We have no “God-given right to shape every nation in our image”
• It was a unilateral action and all unilateral actions are doomed
• Although the US is powerful and rich, it can’t solve every problem in every nation
• It proved too hard to sustain a long-term effort and momentum over many different presidential administrations at the top levels of the military

My recommendations for studying: review Chapter 30 closely. Be able to identify, list or discuss events that happened during the Vietnam Era both in the US and in the region of Vietnam. Have a working understanding of how the conflict began, how it progressed, and how it ended. Be able to distinguish among anti-war organizations and talk about the rise & fall of a protest movement and some of its main events. Consider your notes from the M*A*S*H episode and what cultural productions like that program add to our historical understanding of the era. Re-read Theriault’s article and be prepared to discuss the contradictions and complexities of the Vietnam Memorial, and of the wall’s role in American public memory about the war.

Here are the slides from today’s lecture/discussion. Much of this same information is covered in greater depth in the reading assignment: EH Ch 28:794-804 and Ch 30:842-848, 865. Also, don’t forget to notice Veteran’s Day articles, events or commemorations that refer back to the Vietnam War – try to bring in something to share on Monday. Have a great holiday weekend!

Our unit on the 1960s will focus on the Vietnam War and the conflict that resulted–both in Southeast Asia and on the American homefront.

The unit’s online quiz will open Monday, Nov 7 at 9:00 am and close on Monday, Nov 14 at midnight. The online quiz concerns the movement for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s (Chapter 29 of your textbook).

In class, we will be dealing primarily with Chapter 30 in this unit.

Mon, Nov 7: An in-class workshop, working with sources for your first research-based paper (see “Projects” tab above for more info and guidelines for the paper), which is due on Monday, Nov 14th.

Wed, Nov 9: The Road to Quagmire. Before class, read EH, Ch 28:794-804 and Ch 30:842-848 and 865

Fri, Nov 11: No class, Veteran’s Day. How appropriate! Look for news coverage or local events that connect to the Vietnam conflict, and try to bring something to share in class on Monday.

Mon, Nov 14: Vietnam in Pop Culture. No reading; Primary Source Project paper is due.

Wed, Nov 16: Protest and Conflict at Home. Before class, read EH Ch 30:826-832 AND online, the testimony of William Crandell, giving his opening statement before the “Winter Soldier Investigation” Congressional Panel, January 31-Feb 2, 1971.

Fri, Nov 18: Remembering Vietnam. Reading: EH Ch 30: 868-871, and an article by Kim Servant Theriault, “Re-Membering Vietnam: War, Trauma, and ‘Scarring Over’ After ‘The Wall’” (PDF)

Mon, Nov 21: Unit 4 exam in class

Reminder: No class on Wed, Nov 23 – enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday

Photo credit: Allposters.com

Reading for class: Terry Tempest Williams, “The Clan of One-Breasted Women” (PDF)

Slides from Wed’s lecture/discussion:

Links for America’s love-hate relationship with atomic power:

Nuclear toys and Atomic Brand Names (Retronaut)

For more on the “radium girls,” see here.

“Atomic Energy as a Force for Good” (1955) Part I (13:09)
See also “Plowshare” (1961) Part I, a futuristic (fantasy) peaceful uses of atomic power 15:30

Nuclear Detonation Timeline, 1945-1998 (10:00)

Radiation Monsters of the Silver Screen
“Them” 1954 film trailer (3:00)
“Attack of the Crab Monsters” 1957 trailer (2:00)