There have been thousands of books and articles written about the Declaration of Independence, and its ringing words make an appearance in every American History textbook. Given all of this commentary and interpretation, is it still possible to understand the Declaration as its authors understood it? In this seminar, we will discuss the primary sources […]
This seminar will focus on the roots of Jim Crow in the late 19th century. What was the catalyst for Jim Crow legislation? How did the laws and customs of Jim Crow get firmly established? How was it defended by its supporters? How was it attacked by civil rights advocates and how did African Americans […]
In the aftermath of WWI African Americans embraced the philosophy of resistance to white supremacy. When racial strife erupted in the streets of cities across the nation, black veterans and their supporters organized armed resistance and defended their homes, businesses, and lives. They fought back against efforts to impose second class citizenship on them after […]
This seminar will consider Jackson’s ascendancy to President, its historical context as well as many of his controversial policies such as the Bank War, Nullification Crisis and the Indian Removal Act. This program will be conducted as a Socratic discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the […]
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. both argued that the proper foundation for civic education is the belief that America has a moral essence derived from the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and that America’s history and purpose—its past, present, and future—is the story of our struggle to live up to those principles. […]
Native Americans occupy an anomalous position in the United States. Federally recognized tribes each are separate sovereigns within the federal system. States hold no authority over them except what Congress may give them. Their enrolled members are dual citizens – of the United States and of their tribal nation. By virtue of the Constitution and […]
In creating what James Madison referred to as a “compound republic,” the framers of the U.S. Constitution established a political system that was bound to generate collisions between state and federal governments. This seminar will analyze disputes about the extent of federal and state authority throughout American History, beginning with the Federalists and anti-Federalists ratification […]
Women’s political, social, and economic status has undergone several transformations in American history. This seminar will explore readings and documents in those stages: Women of Reform and Revolution, Women in the Progressive Era and Voting Booths and Is Suffrage Enough – the Lasting Impact. This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source […]
Our conversation will ponder the political developments in North America and the British empire surrounding the arguments for and against independence. This will include the Declaration of Independence, how the Revolutionary War as a military, social, and cultural event contributed to the development of the American nation and state, and the what the new country […]
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. both argued that the proper foundation for civic education is the belief that America has a moral essence derived from the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and that America’s history and purpose—its past, present, and future—is the story of our struggle to live up to those principles. […]
