HIST 33502 - American History Through Music

This course uses developments within the American music industry to trace the larger development in United States history during the twentieth century. Turn-of-the-century ragtime becomes a lens through which to understand the cultural impact of the modern industrial economy. Surf music is a microcosm of post-war suburbanization. Motown reveals tensions between the business and civil rights communities. Led Zeppelin is treated as part of the fantastic escapism of the malaise of the 1970s. This is not a music history class per se, but rather a class that uses music to study history.

Cr. 3.