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 to another in both his private and public life. He was a man of great determination, who was devoted to friends and family and was […]
Thomas Jefferson remains one of the most enigmatic figures from the American Founding. From his stance on slavery to his opinions on the Constitution and the separation of church and […]
Rochester and its nearby communities were home to many reform movements in the nineteenth century, including temperance, abolition, and women’s rights movements. Susan B. Anthony was at the center of […]
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 […]
In this seminar, we will explore the views of several African American thinkers on fundamental political questions such as: what is freedom? How can freedom be achieved and preserved? What […]
This seminar examines American frontier humor as a literary tradition that both reflected and shaped the nation's political culture, social values, and identity. Organized around five thematic units and four […]
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 […]
This seminar examines Franklin D. Roosevelt’s initial efforts to maintain American neutrality in World War II and his subsequent, aggressive prosecution of the conflict. We will explore how his wartime […]
Few moments in American history have captured the collective imagination as powerfully as the Salem Witch Trials. How did accusations of witchcraft escalate into a crisis in 1692? This seminar […]
