What did it mean for citizens to pursue the American way of life in the 1950s? During this weekend seminar, we will consider the promises, anxieties, tensions and contradictions of postwar America, from the social consequences of the crusade against communism to the expanding prosperity and alienation related to rising suburban affluence. Through government documents, contemporary commentary, public speeches, and private correspondence, we will examine the fight against racial segregation, the rising role of religious faith, the fears of nuclear proliferation and “enemies within,” and rising tensions that challenged the era’s purported social consensus. Meeting at the rural retreat frequented by Dwight D. Eisenhower during his presidency in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, these questions will be explored in a setting connected to the president who led the nation amid the decade’s aspirations and anxieties.

• Historic Site: Eisenhower National Historic Site

Gather with a small group of teachers from around the country for three days immersed in discussion and exploration of a single topic in American history. Weekend Seminars are a free opportunity for teachers hosted near an important historical site. Teachers will prepare ahead of time for seminars by reading selected historical documents in the provided course packet. Once the seminar begins, the discussion leader guides a peer-to-peer, text-based conversation among all participants. Meals, materials, single-occupancy rooms, and historical site visits are 100% covered by Teaching American History. At the end of each course, every teacher receives a letter of participation for fifteen contact hours of continuing education and a stipend of $600 to help defray travel costs.