Syllabus
Week 1: Introductions and The Philosophy of Freedom
Week 2: The American Revolution
Week 3: The War Between the States
Week 4: Populism, Progressivism, and a War to End All Wars
Week 5: The New Deal and the Second World War
Week 6: The Cold War Years
Week 7: Reflections on modern economic policy
Week 8: Reflections on modern criminal justice policy
Week 9: Reflections on modern foreign policy
Week 10: 9/11 and Beyond
Attendance
Attendance is crucial. Missing more than three days will result in a failing grade, unless there are verifiably extenuating circumstances. For each missed class, we will ask for a brief response to the reading from that week in writing. Aside from this, the grade is weighed as follows:
Project
There will be one flexible project due at the end of the semester, or earlier if the class participant wishes. It can be a written reflection on readings or ideas from class, a presentation to the class on a particular subject during a discussion period, a written research paper or essay, or something else of particular interest to the class participant. A class coordinator should be consulted for approval of any unusual project idea before its acceptance for credit.
Participation
We expect all members of the class to participate in class discussions.
Grading Policy
Attendance 30%
Project 50%
Participation 20%
Recommended Reading
Throughout the course, we will suggest many books and sources regarding the subject matter we are discussing. Below is a list of some of the books we will suggest, but none of this will be necessary to participate in and keep up with the class. There will also be some suggested articles online we do not mention here.
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
by Bernard Bailyn
Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution
A.J. Langguth
The Hologram of Liberty
by Kenneth W. Royce
Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men
by Eric Foner
Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men
by Jeffrey Rogers Hummel
The Real Lincoln
by Thomas DiLorenzo
The Search for Order
by Robert Wiebe
Crisis and Leviathan
by Robert Higgs
America’s Great Depression
by Murray Rothbard
The Roosevelt Myth
by John Flynn
Day of Deceit
by Robert Stinnet
The New Dealer’s War
by Thomas Fleming
Rise to Globalism
by Stephen Ambroise
Your Money or Your Life
by Sheldon Richman
Beyond Politics
by William Mitchell and Randy Simmons
Crime and Punishment in American History
by Lawrence Friedman
Discipline and Punish
by Michel Foucault
Drug Crazy
by Mike Gray
Feeling Your Pain
by James Bovard
The State vs. The People
by Claire Wolfe and Aaron Zelman
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace
by Gore Vidal
Healing our World in an Age of Aggression
by Mary Ruwart