Module manager: Professor Simon Hall
Email: S.D.Hall@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Few decades in American history have been as dramatic, divisive, and consequential as the 1960s. As civil rights activists faced down segregationists, and millions took to the streets to protest against the war in Vietnam, a burgeoning counterculture augured a new era of personal freedom and sexual liberation. Meanwhile, conservatives - stung by a series of bruising electoral defeats - launched a fierce counter-attack, determined to vanquish the liberal ascendancy that had held sway since the New Deal. In addition to exploring some of the key historical developments, and iconic moments, of the period, this module will encourage you to reflect critically on the historiography of the Sixties, and to consider why this era remains so controversial in contemporary America. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The objectives of this module are to explore and understand the major social, political and cultural developments that took place in America during the 1960s and to introduce you to some of the key historical writings on the period. Seminar discussion classes, which will include both exploration of historiographical debates, and close analysis of original primary source documents, will encourage you to express your ideas and arguments effectively in small-group discussions, and in written work.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Evaluate the complexity of American politics and society during the 1960s.
2. Assess the main ways in which historians have sought to understand 'the Sixties'.
3. Critically interpret the contemporary resonance of the 1960s for American politics and culture.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Critically assess original primary source materials from the period and draw out their wider significance.
5. Discuss the historiographical complexity of the American Sixties through effective written communication.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Private study hours | 179.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
You will have the opportunity to discuss with the module tutor your ideas and plans for both of the assessments; the primary sources will be discussed in class – which will give you a steer regarding the themes of the source commentary – there will also be a workshop on this assessment with the opportunity for you to ask questions. Written feedback on the first assessment (source commentary) will prove helpful when writing the second assessment.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Source commentary | 40 |
| Coursework | Essay | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Resits will be in the same format as the original submission.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 20/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team