American Protest Movements, Past and Present

(History 260P is an undergraduate course offered for 5 units; History 360P is a graduate course offered for 4-5 units.) Societal change comes only when individuals and groups speak out, perseverantly, against prevailing norms. This course examines the overlapping histories of three nineteenth-century protest movements: antislavery, womens rights, and temperance. It focuses on the arguments and tactics used by these movements to persuade Americans to oppose the status quo, and it examines the points of agreement and disagreement that arose within and among these movements. Ultimately, the course connects these past protest movements to more recent analogs, such as Black Lives Matter, ERA ratification, and marijuana legalization. Throughout the course, race, gender, and class serve as central analytical themes.