Instructor: Charles Mabee
Course Time: TBA
General Education: Western Civilization & U.S.Diversity
Term: Winter 2014

DESCRIPTION:

The key idea of the course is an examination of “alternative histories” of the United States. Although the standard alternative history, Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, will be discussed and examined, the key text for this course is Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick’s recent 600-page book, The Untold History of the United States. This book is something of a companion volume to the Showtime 10-part series with the same name. The idea of the class is to watch the 10 episodes of the series (one-hour each), assign relevant chapters from the book for each class period, and foster dialogue and debate in class around key issues that the Stone and Kuznick text generate. This will include reference to Zinn’s history when relevant, as well as other resources such as Robert Kagan, Dangerous Nation. So-called “alternative views” of American history especially focused on the post-WWII world is controversial among historians and public spokespeople: endorsed by some (such as Daniel Ellsberg, Mikhail Gorbachev, and others), and critiqued by others (e.g., Sean Wilentz in the New York Review of Books). The intention of the class is not to “take sides” in this question of an “alternative American history,” but to raise key issues and to guide the students to resources to facilitate independent opinion and critical judgment of what to accept and not accept as “authentic” American history.

Texts:

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick, The Untold History of the United States (required)

Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (recommended)

*Other materials distributed in class