Three Dead Guys Walk into a Bar: Franklin, Twain, Rogers and the Heritage of American Political Humor
2026-08-28 17:00 - 2026-08-30 13:00 (America/New_York) | Hartford, CT
This seminar explores how three iconic figures in American history—Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers—utilized wit, satire, and humor to navigate and critique pivotal eras of political and social change. Participants will examine Franklin’s pioneering political cartoons and essays targeting tyranny and corruption in the Revolutionary era, Twain’s incisive commentary on Frontier life and the growth of America’s industrial economy, and Rogers’s folksy humorous take on Congress, presidents, and economic policies during the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression. Through a survey of American political humor across a number of historical periods, the seminar will examine how satire and wit served as powerful tools for political expression, civic engagement, and social critique, shaping American attitudes toward power, democracy, and public life.

Historic Site: Mark Twain House & Museum
Hotel: Hartford Marriott Downtown

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. Multi-Day 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 Teachers will prepare ahead of time for seminars by reading selected historical documents in the provided course packet.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.
