The era of Reconstruction is among the most consequential—but also misunderstood—periods of all American history. This seminar introduces participants to the purpose and implications of Reconstruction. It devotes particular attention to the ways in which Americans restored formally rebellious states into a federal republic; the definition and scope of liberty in the wake of emancipation; […]
The results of the Civil War clarified many fundamental issues regarding the nature of the American government and the enlightenment ideals that rooted its founding. Many new theories of government—some native, some imported from Europe—promised progress beyond political equality, individual liberty, and representative government. The United States did not escape the influence of these ideas. […]
This seminar considers some of the causes and consequences of the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. Among the topics it covers are the rise of militant Islam, […]
This workshop will examine primary documents to consider how American participation in World War I transformed American society. We will analyze debates over entering the war and expanding the postwar […]
With the death of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman inherited one of the most challenging national security environments to ever greet an incoming president, as he was forced to both […]
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy vowed to land an American on the moon by the decade’s end, the biggest challenge yet in the Space Race between the United States […]
The era of Andrew Jackson was a time of great change, both socially and politically. Jackson’s life was turbulent and violent in which he seemed to go from one crisis […]
