FYSM 193 - The American Experience in Vietnam

Institution:

Trinity College

Subject:

Description:

America's protracted war to preserve the independence of South Vietnam has been variously described as a "quagmire," a "crime," an "imperialist" adventure, and a "noble cause." However one characterizes the war, it was nothing if not an ordeal for countless men and women - both Vietnamese and American - who felt its unrelenting fury over the course of years. It was an ordeal as well for the American nation, and for the government that waged the war in the name of our inviolable commitment to "the self-determination of nations" and the containment of Communist "aggression" in the wider world. Using historical accounts, memoirs, novels, and selected films, our seminar will explore the history of the Vietnam War and the meaning it held - and holds - for those who experienced it. Students must be prepared to enter a historical past which offers no easy "lessons" and which confounds efforts to provide simple and categorical answers to difficult questions. Each class meeting will be devoted to a focused but otherwise unfettered discussion of the assigned reading. Plentiful writing assignments will encourage students to master the rudiments of expository prose. Jack Chatfield is an Associate Professor of History who has taught a variety of courses on topics ranging from the Colonial period to the America of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Partly as a result of his own experiences in the 1960's, he has a deep interest in contemporary American politics and in the ongoing debates over the character and destiny of the United States. 1.00 units, Seminar

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.Trincoll.edu

Phone Number:

(860) 297-2000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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