1968: A Global History

Instructor: Ted Widmer
Thursdays, 10:00 AM – 12:40 PM
Macaulay Classroom 204
Modality: Hybrid synchronous
Course Code: MHC 368

This class will look at a single year, 1968, and its relevance to 2024. What was it about 1968 that was so memorable? There were seismic news events, including the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy, and the ongoing trauma of the Vietnam War. But there were also many ways in which younger Americans found their voices, in ways that we still can hear decades later. Indeed, many current political conversations, including our arguments, can be traced back to 1968. With eyes wide open, and respect for different perspectives, we will try to learn from the successes and failures of a pivotal year, one that in many ways has never ended.

Students will be encouraged to develop research interests early in the semester, with weekly reports back to the class. In addition to a small number of books, we will consult many primary documents, both online (for example, articles in the New York Times from 1968), and in local libraries (see end of syllabus). This will be a collaborative class in many ways, and it will be helpful to keep up with the reading and bring in weekly observations.

This is a ZTC (zero textbook cost) course.

In-Person Meeting Dates:
1/25, 2/8, 2/22, 3/7, 3/21, 4/4, 4/18, 5/2

Preliminary Syllabus

Photo By Angelo Cozzi (Mondadori Publishers) – This file has been extracted from another file, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40937149

Ted Widmer
Distinguished Lecturer

Macaulay Honors College
Edward.Widmer@mhc.cuny.edu
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