Course Description
History 351: American Radicalism
Winter 2017

Note: I haven’t completed the syllabus for this winter’s Hist 351. I’ll posted when it’s finished, probably sometime in December 2016.

Class meets 2:00-3:20 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, 101 Knight Library


History 351 deals with topics in American radicalism since about 1900. There are no prerequisites for the course, and I don’t assume any prior college-level coursework in American history.  (Another course, Hist 350, covers topics in American radicalism from the American Revolution through about 1900. It’s not offered in 2016-17.)

 Discussion of the topics we cover this term is an important part of the course. The political, social and ethical implications of the material will, I hope, be of personal as well as intellectual interest to you. Because the class is likely to be large, I'll be lecturing a good deal of the time, but I encourage you to ask questions and make comments. Discussion will be most fruitful for all if people keep up with the reading assignments as much as possible.

There are four main topics in the course: 1) Socialism and anarchism in the early twentieth century; 2) The radical left in hard times—The Great Depression of the 1930s; 3) The movement for racial justice in the post-World War II era; 4) The Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 and its impact.

Course Requirements
1. Midterm examination worth about 25% of the course grade.

2. A short paper (4 to 7 pages typed double-spaced). The paper is worth about 25% of course grade.

3. Final exam: worth about 50% the course grade.

4. Optional assignment: Four times during the term I’ll post discussion questions on the discussion section of Canvas. Responding to three of these prompts gives you the possibility of earning a small amount of extra credit.

Books: I’ve ordered the following at the UO Bookstore. These are all required reading. You may be able to find used copies on line or at local used bookstores:

                Emma Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays (Note: this book also is available online at http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/goldman/GoldmanCW.html.)

                John Steinbeck, In Dubious Battle

                Danielle L. McGuire, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance- a New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power

                Todd Gitlin, Occupy Nation

History 351
Winter 2017