JFK’s flexible response to the Cold War did not start strong. He inherited a plan from Ike that was supposed to take care of the problem in Cuba by having arming Cuban refugees and sending them back to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. JFK was told the Cuban people hated Castro and would … Continue reading Class Notes →

Today we tend to think of the Republicans as the more militant party, but in many ways during the Cold War it was the Democrats. It was under Truman’s administration that the Democrats lost China which led to many claiming that Democrats were soft on communism. No one questioned Ike’s stance against communism, or his … Continue reading Class Notes →

When comparing Mormonism with Alexander Campbell, Jan Shipps writes, “On the surface, the restoration claims advanced by Joseph Smith and the Latter-day Saints were not unlike those advanced, for example, by Alexander Campbell and the Disciples of Christ…The members of both groups believe  that theirs was the true church, organized according to what they took … Continue reading Class Notes →

During the Eisenhower Administration there was a slight thaw in the Cold War as Nikita Khrushchev took over control of Russia after Stalin’s death. While Khrushchev was a ruthless, cold warrior, so was Ike and Khrushchev knew he was not someone to push too hard. Ike also would not take nuclear weapons off the table … Continue reading Class Notes →

Part of Jan Shipps argument about Mormonism is that it parallels Christianity as a new movement that grew out of an old one. Christianity out of Judaism and Mormonism out of Christianity. Shipps writes, “the past is a matter of fundamental importance to new religious movements. The assertions on which they rest inevitably alter the … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1949 Elia Kazan, a director and member of the Communists Party was brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He saved himself by naming other communists he knew in Hollywood. While most are familiar with Arthur Miller’s The Crucible as an allegory of McCarthyism, Kazan also directed an allegory of McCarthyism called On the … Continue reading Class Notes →

Jan Shipps writes, “when Mormon history begins with the First Vision, the result tends to be an account of a religious movement which, even as it differs dramatically on basic theological and doctrinal issues from other sects and churches, is analytically yet one more sub-division of Christianity inaugurated through the efforts of a charismatic leader. … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1950, Truman as part of his policy of Containment sent troops to South Korea to assist the South Korean army in defeating the North Korean Army. The goal was to push the Northern army back to the 38th Parallel. General MacArthur was able to get troops behind the North Koreans with an amphibious assault … Continue reading Class Notes →

Jan Shipps believes it’s important to not only focus on Joseph Smith, but his entire family, all of whom embraced their 14-year-old son and brother as a new prophet. Part of their acceptance, according to Shipps, was that living on the frontier they already had a belief in magic. In fact, Joseph was known to … Continue reading Class Notes →

This semester I am teaching a class called Civil War in Memory. The point of the class is to look at how history changes over time. While facts often do not change the interpretation often does. I chose to focus on the Civil War because few subjects have had the kind of change over time … Continue reading Class Notes →