Things you need to know going in, a short list:

1. There is a great deal of reading for this course, perhaps more than you’ve ever had in any class. Ever.
2. You will be expected to do that reading, which means taking notes and digesting the readings’ main points and key evidence.
3. You will share your thoughts on the reading in our discussion, guide that discussion as a discussion leader, and put your thoughts into writing.
4. This is a research seminar. You will be expected to produce an original piece of research based on primary source material.
5. Luckily for you,
   1. over the past few years we have witnessed an explosion of primary sources easily accessed online.
   2. Our library has access to much of this data.
   3. Even better, our library has one of the nation’s best collections of right-wing materials in the country.
6. You will be expected to improve your writing; it is still the primary form of communication of the historian.
7. There is plenty of room for creative expression of your research findings. You are welcome to submit proposals for alternatives to the research paper including documentary filmmaking or teaching plans.
8. This is a history class. We will be focusing most of our attention on the past.
9. If for no other reason, but to keep us focused – history is about process NOT coverage – we will be particularly interested in the promotion of conspiracy theories espoused by the John Birch Society in its first twenty years.
10. This class won’t be easy, not by a long shot, but you will learn valuable skills and be introduced to important intellectual processes.
11. You will be expected to know and abide by the basic policies that govern this course.