Crisis and Continuity in Twentieth-Century US Social Movements

Undergraduate

This course invites students to study the history of twentieth-century social movements through close primary source analysis and historiographic debate. We’ll identify the precipitating events or crises that cultivate particular social movements, but we’ll also examine their quieter dimensions, including their aftermaths, “half-lives,” and influence on subsequent movements. Coursework will immerse students in historiographic debates and extend those conversations through assignments in which students identify and present primary sources to the class. We’ll continue our collective preparation for primary source analysis through visits to Rauner Archive and Special Collections. The course will culminate with a 20-25 page research paper on a social movement of your choosing.