America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
2026-06-15 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Columbus, OH, Columbus, OH, United States
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. In this seminar, we will read three documents–the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the “I Have a Dream” Speech”– that demonstrate that an American is not just a citizen or an abstract concept, but a certain kind of human being, a person whose mind and heart have been profoundly shaped by the principles contained in the Declaration, especially the truth of the proposition that all men are created equal. That understanding of an American still resonates with teachers, students, and citizens today, 250 years after Thomas Jefferson first wrote the words that made America: “We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal.”
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

WWI: The American Experience
2026-06-15 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | West Branch, IA, 210 Parkside Drive, West Branch, IA, 52358, United States
This seminar examines the American experience of World War I. The readings will engage participants in conversation on the rhetoric of making “the world safe for democracy”. We will look at the realities of fighting the war and what influenced the female suffrage movement along with the African American civil rights movements, daily life, civil liberties, and foreign policy.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, with the Professor facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged a Nation
2026-06-22 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Belton, MO, Belton, MO, United States
What was the extraordinary partnership between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton? A wealthy Virginia planter and a brash immigrant from the Caribbean helped to win the Revolutionary War and establish a “new order for the ages.” Indeed, no other founding collaboration was as important to achieving victory and nationhood as Washington and Hamilton’s. Working together, they laid the groundwork for the institutions that govern the United States to this day and protected each other from bitter attacks from Jefferson and Madison, who considered their policies a betrayal of the “Spirit of 1776.”
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings with the Professor facilitating the conversation. Registrants, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions.

American Women Fight for Equality
2026-06-29 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Phoenix) | Spanish Fork, UT, Spanish Fork, UT, United States
There has been a complex and ongoing struggle for women’s equality in the United States. We will explore how women have challenged legal, social, and economic barriers across nearly four centuries, from the constraints of coverture laws in colonial America to more contemporary debates over reproductive rights and workplace equality.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Professor facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance.

Origins of the Cold War
2026-06-30 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Phoenix) | Spanish Fork, UT, Spanish Fork, UT, United States
How did the alliances of World War II break down, and so quickly after 1945? How close were these alliances in the first place, and what differences existed between the United States and the Soviet Union that acted as wedges between these two nations and their respective allies? This seminar focuses on the ideas, events, and people as expressed in key documents – of how the Cold War began and the years immediately after the end of World War II.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Professor facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore,
are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

French & Indian War to Revolution: 1754-1776
2026-08-01 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Frankfort, KY, Frankfort, KY, 40601, United States
The global Seven Years’ War (known in America as the French and Indian War) caused Britain, France, and their allies to clash from 1754 to 1763. Although important in its own right, perhaps it is even more significant in that it reordered the world in ways that would prove consequential beyond anyone’s expectations. In colonial America, especially, this great victory for Britain and the British American colonies had the unforeseen effect of unraveling the great empire that the 1763 Treaty of Paris codified.
This program will be conducted as a Socratic discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Modern Social Movements
2026-08-06 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Oregonia, OH, Oregonia, OH, 45054, United States
Beginning with the upheavals of the 1960s, the United States saw a diverse set of groups pushing for social change. These included African Americans, Native Americans, women, and gays and lesbians. This seminar will focus on the legacy of the 1960s, the intersection of personal behavior with political movements and battles won and lost by various groups. Please join us for a lively discussion of the primary sources that tell the story of these movements, the players and the key events.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Westward Expansion
2026-08-12 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Menominee, MI, Menominee, MI, United States
This seminar will focus on America’s westward expansion and its “Manifest Destiny” to expand from sea to shining sea. This seminar will consider the purposes for westward expansion, Jackson’s Indian Removal Policy and westward expansion’s impact on slavery.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Nationalism and Imperialism in the Gilded Age
2026-08-13 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Menominee, MI, Menominee, MI, United States
Great fortunes were made in the late 19th Century and with this growth of industrialism came a desire to expand markets. How did nationalism inform the pro-imperialist arguments of Theodore Roosevelt? Were these arguments consistent with American principles? What were the arguments against imperialism and protectionism? This seminar will analyze these questions and consider the policies of Theodore Roosevelt.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

The Constitution and Limited Government
2026-08-13 08:30 - 14:45 (America/New_York) | Buffalo, NY, NY, 14216, United States
This seminar will examine how the Constitution seeks to create a limited government, and how that government is supposed to function within defined restraints. The complexity of defining such constraints will be a special focus of the readings and discussions, with an emphasis on the ideas described in specific documents of the Founding, and how ideas put into action through the government those documents instituted.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. All attendees will receive a Letter of Attendance at the end of the seminar.

Supreme Court Cases that Changed America
2026-09-01 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Charlestown, IN, Charlestown, IN, United States
While many Supreme Court cases have shaped American policies and history, this seminar explores cases that focus on the Constitution and Federalism, the Constitution and the Commerce Clause and Civil Rights Cases.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Civil Rights in America
2026-09-18 08:30 - 14:30 (America/Chicago) | Jefferson City, MO, Jefferson City, MO, 65101, United States
The Civil Rights Movement in America has endured a difficult and tumultuous path. The Emancipation Proclamation ended the Institution of slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment should have guaranteed freedoms, equality and civil rights for all men; however, it would take many generations of hardships and court cases for that reality to be achieved. This seminar addresses the complicated road endured by African Americans.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with Professor Krugler facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

The First Three Presidents
2026-09-19 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Frankfort, KY, Frankfort, KY, 40601, United States
The presidencies of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson established precedents and dealt with issues of executive power. This seminar will examine documents from the Washington, Adams and Jefferson administrations including topics like the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Louisiana Purchase.
This program will be conducted as a Socratic discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

The Cold War in the 1950s
2026-09-30 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Wheaton, IL, Wheaton, IL, United States
The rise of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union is a story that has often been told. This seminar will focus on Truman and Eisenhower’s policies on postwar anti-communism, containment, nuclear buildup, The Korean War, issues in Vietnam, and the Soviet Union. Join us at the table for an intriguing conversation.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Black Wall Street: African American Entrepreneurship
2026-10-03 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | San Anselmo, CA, San Anselmo, CA, United States
Following the Civil War, African American businessmen and women began to invest, build, and thrive despite white controlled financial and commercial networks. But what happened in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma? Why will it become a target of racial massacre in 1921? Using primary documents we will read the stories of these entrepreneurs.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Supreme Court Cases that Changed America
2026-10-09 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Canton, OH, Canton, OH, United States
While many Supreme Court cases have shaped American policies and history, this seminar explores cases that focus on the Constitution and Federalism, the Constitution and the Commerce Clause and Civil Rights Cases.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. All attendees will receive a Letter of Attendance at the end of the seminar.

Mr. Madison’s War - 1812
2026-10-10 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Frankfort, KY, Frankfort, KY, 40601, United States
The War of 1812 represented the first instance that the young republic declared war on another nation. This seminar will explore the causes and events that led to the war, President James Madison’s policies and the aftermath of this Second American Revolution.
This program will be conducted as a Socratic discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Westward Expansion
2026-10-29 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Charlotte, MI, 1790 Packard Highway, Charlotte, MI, United States
This seminar will focus on America’s westward expansion and its “Manifest Destiny” to expand from sea to shining sea. This seminar will consider the purposes for westward expansion, Jackson’s Indian Removal Policy and westward expansion’s impact on slavery.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. All attendees will receive a Letter of Attendance at the end of the seminar.

African Americans: Culture, Art, and Politics
2026-10-29 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Charlotte, MI, 1790 Packard Highway, Charlotte, MI, United States
This seminar explores major themes in the African American tradition by considering speeches, essays, and literature at several key inflection points across history. Participants will reflect upon different forms of literary and political expression in order to learn how African Americans navigated the challenges posed by slavery, emancipation, modernity and civil rights. Throughout, the readings will consider the role that gender plays in the evolution of African American identity.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. All attendees will receive a Letter of Attendance at the end of the seminar.

America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
2026-11-07 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Kokomo, IN, 2501 S. Berkely Rd, Kokomo, IN, 46902, United States

The Constitutional Convention
2026-11-13 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Enid, OK, Enid, OK, United States
This seminar offers an overview of the debates at the Constitutional Convention. We will examine the purposes of the American political order, the defects of the Articles of Confederation, the debates over the reform of the Confederation government and squaring the institution of slavery. In our study, we will attempt to understand the interests and principles that divided the members of the Convention and how they arrived at a compromise that defined the Constitution of 1787.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with Professor Estes facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

African American Women: Gender & Equality
2027-02-06 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Vancouver) | San Anselmo, CA, San Anselmo, CA, United States
This seminar will examine the lives of African American women from Reconstruction through the latter twentieth century. Using primary source materials from leading African American female intellectuals, activists, and organizations, we will concentrate on African American women’s experiences in politics, the workplace, race and social movements, and on historical debates about men and women’s private and public roles in society. We will explore the diverse ways that African American women have engaged with questions on human and gender equality, equity, and “rights” broadly defined. Some topics covered may include Reconstruction and Jim Crow, Suffrage, Domestic labor movements, religion and civic organizing, the civil rights movement, and the U.S. Women’s Movement.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Lincoln and Shakespeare
2027-02-19 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Enid, OK, Enid, OK, United States
From a young age Abraham Lincoln was a voracious reader, especially of the writings of William Shakespeare. He was known to carry a worn-out pocket-sized copy of Macbeth while law circuit riding and later campaigning. Why was Lincoln so interested in Macbeth, a play about tyranny? Join us as we consider Shakespeare passages, writings of Lincoln, and other documents to see what they can teach us about the threat tyranny poses to selfgovernment.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with Professor Tucker facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

Women in American History
2027-03-04 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Charlestown, IN, Charlestown, IN, United States
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 documents as the only readings, and with the Discussion Leader facilitating the conversation, instead of lecturing or presenting. Registrants, therefore, are highly encouraged to read all the documents in advance and come ready with questions. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.
