Teaching American History

The Declaration of Independence in Crisis: Origins of the Civil War
2026-08-22 10:45 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The Declaration of Independence in Crisis: Origins of the Civil War is a live, interactive webinar series for secondary social studies teachers that centers the Declaration of Independence in the antebellum era. Through discussion of primary sources, participants will explore how its ideals fueled the debates and divisions that led to civil war and stood at the heart of the nation’s most profound test.
This opening session examines the tension between the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the reality of American slavery at the nation’s founding. Through primary sources, participants will explore how leading founders grappled with slavery in a republic built on liberty and equality.
Our live teacher webinars provide content-rich and interactive professional development through conversation. We’ll share a reading packet with registrants several weeks before the event and provide space for early discussion between participants. The documents, pre-seminar conversation, and questions asked in the discussion board are vital to shaping the direction of the panelists’ conversation. Audience members ask questions during the event, comment in the lively chat, and share resources and ideas.
Our online seminars meet monthly on select Saturday mornings from 10.45 am–12 pm ET. Those who remain digitally present for the duration of the conversation will receive an attendance letter from Teaching American History for 1.25 hours of professional development.

The American Founding
2026-08-21 17:00 - 2026-08-23 13:00 (America/New_York) | Valley Forge, PA, PA, United States
This seminar offers an overview of the principles of the American Founding and the documents that embody them, especially the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. These principles will be illuminated through a close study of the events of the American Revolution and the struggle over ratification of the Constitution.

Historic Site: Valley Forge National Historic Park
Hotel: The Alloy King of Prussia-a Doubletree by Hilton

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.

Applications for this event have closed. Please apply to one of our Fall offerings by June 12!

Reagan & Gorbachev: The Edge of War
2026-08-15 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Cayce, SC, Cayce, SC, United States
As detente between the United States and the Soviet Union collapsed in the late 1970s, the prospect of superpower confrontation and nuclear war became a disturbing possibility for the entire world. Entering office vowing to confront the Soviet Union, Ronald Reagan struggled to reconcile his determination to confront Soviet power with his efforts to improve U.S.-Soviet relations and step back from the brink of annihilation. When Mikhail Gorbachev ascended to the leadership of the Soviet Union, for the first time Reagan found a Soviet leader with whom he could work. The dramatic diplomatic revolution that followed fundamentally altered the status quo, even as both men, and their governments, remained suspicious of one another and unsure where their work would take them, and take the world.
This program will be conducted as a conversation, 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.

West Coast Immigration
2026-08-05 17:00 - 2026-08-07 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Angel Island, CA, CA, United States
This seminar will focus on immigration to the West Coast of the United States from the mid-to-late 1800s to the present day. Using a mixture of primary source documents, memoirs, and short fiction, we will study topics such as Chinese immigration and exclusion, Japanese immigration and internment during World War II, refugees from Southeast Asia in the 1970s and 1980s, and Mexican-American immigration throughout the 20th century.

Historic Site: Angel Island Immigration Station
Hotel: The Lodge at Tiburon
This seminar is part of our CA Initiative!

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.

633: The American Presidency II, Andrew Johnson to the Present
2026-08-03 18:15 - 2026-08-13 21:30 (America/Halifax) | Online
HIST 633 O7B / POLSC 633 O7B: The American Presidency II, Andrew Johnson to the Present (2)
This course is an examination of the political and constitutional development of the office of president from Reconstruction to the present. It focuses on how changing conceptions of the presidency have shaped American political life in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially as America has become a global power.
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 6:15-9:30 p.m. ET
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

The American Revolution
2026-08-03 17:00 - 2026-08-05 13:00 (America/New_York) | Niagara Falls, NY, NY, United States
One of the enduring puzzles of the American Revolution is how American colonists, once loyal to the king and enthusiastically attached to their status as British subjects, could by 1776 stand willing to declare their independence and wage a war to secure it. This five-session seminar uses primary sources to examine the principles and philosophies that formed the basis of American colonists’ loyalty to Britain as well as their protests against measures instituted by Parliament in the aftermath of the 1754-63 French and Indian War. It examines the escalation of the imperial crisis, the efficacy of Britain’s responses to colonial resistance, and the difficulties armed conflict posed for both the British Army and troops fighting for the self-declared independent United States, which seemingly surmounted great odds to defeat (or at least outlast) the most powerful military in the world.

Historic Site: Old Fort Niagara
Hotel: Sheraton Niagara Falls

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.

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.

Patriots, Loyalists, and Revolution in NYC
2026-07-31 17:00 - 2026-08-02 13:00 (America/New_York) | New York, NY
Seminar participants will play the role-immersion game, Patriots, Loyalists, and Revolution in New York City, 1775-1776. They will enter into the political and social chaos of a revolutionary New York City, where patriot and loyalist forces argued and fought for advantage among a divided populace. In order to play, participants take on historical roles and engage with the ideological foundations of revolution and government through close readings of Locke, Paine, and other contemporary arguments.

Historic Site: Fraunces Tavern
Hotel: Summer Housing at Barnard College

(Private bedroom with shared bathroom)

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.

510: Great American Texts – The Federalist
2026-07-20 20:15 - 2026-07-30 23:30 UTC | Online
HIST 510 O6B / POLSC 510 O6B: Great American Texts – The Federalist
The Federalist is a complex political work comprised of arguments about war, economics, national unity, and liberty (among other things) based on appeals to human nature, history, reason, and prudence. In this course we will examine and discuss The Federalist as fully and as deeply we can, aiming to understand how (or whether) its parts fit together in a coherent whole and its enduring contribution to our understanding of politics.​​​​​​​
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 8:15-11:30 p.m. ET
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

602: The American Founding
2026-07-20 18:15 - 2026-07-30 21:30 (America/Halifax) | Online
HIST 502 O6B / POLSC 502 O6B: The American Founding
This course is an intensive study of the constitutional convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of Federalist and Antifederalist writings.
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 6:15-9:30 p.m. ET
Materials: Syllabus

501: The American Revolution
2026-07-12 - 2026-07-17 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 501 4A / POLSC 501 4A: The American Revolution
This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation.
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

505: The Progressive Era
2026-07-12 - 2026-07-17 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 505 4A / POLSC 505 4A: The Progressive Era
The transition to an industrial economy posed many problems for the United States. This course examines those problems and the responses to them that came to be known as progressivism. The course includes the study of World War I as a manifestation of progressive principles. The course emphasizes the political thought of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and their political expression of progressive principles.
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

614: Contemporary America, 1974 to present
2026-07-12 - 2026-07-17 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 614 4A / POLSC 614 4A: Contemporary America, 1974 to present
Examines the United States from the end of Watergate to the present, with emphasis on the rise of the new conservatism, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the search for a new foreign policy. The social, economic, political, and diplomatic development of the country is stressed with a thematic emphasis.​​​​​​​
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

631: American Political Rhetoric
2026-07-12 - 2026-07-17 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 631 4A / POLSC 631 4A: American Political Rhetoric
This course examines the principles and practice of American political rhetoric through the careful reading of the speeches of its leading statesmen.​​​​​​​
Instructor: Elizabeth L’Arrivee (Rosary College)

633: The American Presidency II – Andrew Johnson to the present
2026-07-12 - 2026-07-17 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 633 4A / POLSC 633 4A: The American Presidency II – Andrew Johnson to the present
This course is an examination of the political and constitutional development of the office of president from Reconstruction to the present. It focuses on how changing conceptions of the presidency have shaped American political life in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially as America has become a global power.​​​​​​​
Instructor: Joseph Griffith (Ashland University)​​​​​​​
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

608: Civil War and Reconstruction
2026-07-06 20:15 - 2026-07-17 23:30 (America/Halifax) | Online
HIST 608 O5B / POLSC 608 O5B: Civil War and Reconstruction
This course will examine military aspects of the war, as well as political developments during it, including the political history of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural. The course also examines the post-war Amendments and the Reconstruction era.
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 8:15-11:30 p.m. ET
Materials: Syllabus

641: The Supreme Court
2026-07-06 18:15 - 2026-07-16 21:30 (America/Halifax) | Online
HIST 641 O5B / POLSC 641 O5B: The Supreme Court
The course is an intensive study of the highest court in the federal judiciary, focusing on the place of the Supreme Court in the American constitutional order. Areas of study may include the relationship between the Court and the other branches of the federal government as well as the states; the Court’s power of judicial review; and judicial politics and statesmanship. We will examine these kinds of issues by investigating how the Court has interpreted the Constitution in some of its most historic decisions.​​​​​​​
Instructor: Stephanie R. Davis
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 6:15-9:30 p.m. ET
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

502: The American Founding
2026-07-05 - 2026-07-10 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 502 3A / POLSC 502 3A: The American Founding
This course is an intensive study of the constitutional convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of the Federalist Papers and the antifederalist papers.

510: Great American Texts – Democracy in America
2026-07-05 - 2026-07-10 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 510 3A / POLSC 510 3A: Great American Texts – Democracy in America
Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is the best book on democracy and the best book on America. He recognized the justice of democratic equality but also was concerned how the passion for equality could degrade human dignity, undermine liberty, and sap public spiritedness. As a friendly critic of democracy, Tocqueville looked for principles, practices, and institutions that are both compatible with democracy but also support excellence, freedom, and the civic virtues. This course will examine as much of the book as we can and will focus on Tocqueville’s reflections on the Puritans, political institutions, civil associations, slavery, Native Americans, women and the family, public opinion, happiness, and religion.
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

605: The Age of Enterprise
2026-07-05 - 2026-07-10 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 605 3A / POLSC 605 3A: The Age of Enterprise
In the last decades of the 19th century, the United States took decisive steps away from its rural, agrarian past toward its industrial future, assuming its place among world powers. This course examines that movement, covering such topics as business-labor relations, political corruption, immigration, imperialism, the New South, and segregation and racism.​​​​​​​
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

608: Civil War and Reconstruction
2026-07-05 - 2026-07-10 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 608 3A / POLSC 608 3A: Civil War and Reconstruction
This course will examine military aspects of the war, as well as political developments during it, including the political history of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural. The course also examines the post-war Amendments and the Reconstruction era.​​​​​​​
Instructor: Robert Colby (University of Mississippi)

610: American Foreign Policy
2026-07-05 - 2026-07-10 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 610 3A / POLSC 610 3A: American Foreign Policy
Students examine events and issues in the foreign policy of the American republic. Topics include the major schools of thought and approaches, the connection between domestic and foreign politics, and the connection between the principles of the American regime and its foreign policy.​​​​​​​
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

503: Sectionalism and Civil War
2026-06-28 - 2026-07-03 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 503 2A / POLSC 503 2A: Sectionalism and Civil War
A study of the sectional conflict beginning with the nullification crisis. The course will not only examine the political, social and economic developments in the period leading to the civil war, but will emphasize the political thought of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and John C. Calhoun.
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

506: The Rise of Modern America, 1914-1945
2026-06-28 - 2026-07-03 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 506 2A / POLSC 506 2A: The Rise of Modern America, 1914-1945
With the exception of the Civil War era, it is difficult to find another thirty-year period in U.S. history during which the nation underwent such dramatic change. In 1914 the United States was no more than a regional power, with a primarily rural demography and a relatively unobtrusive federal government. Thanks to the experience of two world wars, a major cultural conflict (the 1920s), and a disastrous economic crisis the country was transformed into the global economic and military power that it remains to this day. This course will examine the cultural, economic, military, and diplomatic events and trends of the period 1914-1945.
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

632: The American Presidency I – Washington to Lincoln
2026-06-28 - 2026-07-03 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 632 2A / POLSC 632 2A: The American Presidency I – Washington to Lincoln
This course is an examination of the political and development of the office of president from the Founding era through the Civil War. It focuses on how the presidency shaped American political life as the country grew and struggled with rising sectional tensions.​​​​​​​
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

642: Political Parties
2026-06-28 - 2026-07-03 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 642 2A / POLSC 642 2A: Political Parties
This course examines the development of American political parties, focusing on the meaning of parties and historic moments in the rise and fall of political parties from the Founding era to the present. Topics may include re-aligning elections, changing coalitions within American parties, and the contemporary Democratic and Republican parties.​​​​​​​
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

643: Administrative Power and Law
2026-06-28 - 2026-07-03 | Ashland, OH, 340 Samaritan Ave, Ashland, OH, 44805, United States
HIST 643 2B / POLSC 643 2B: Administrative Power and Law
This class will examine the constitutional and legal questions surrounding the emergence of the administrative state, which is the primary way that public policy is made in contemporary America. We will examine how Congress grants authority to agencies, who oversees those agencies, how those agencies make and implement rules, and how federal courts review the rules and policies that agencies make. Specifically, we will examine legal controversies surrounding the nondelegation doctrine, appointment and removal of agency heads, and how the Administrative Procedure Act governs the administrative state.
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

613: Postwar America, 1945-1973
2026-06-22 20:15 - 2026-07-02 23:30 UTC | Online
HIST 613 O4A / POLSC 613 O4A: Postwar America, 1945-1973 (2)
An examination of the United States during the three decades following the Second World War. The social, economic, political, and diplomatic development of the country is stressed with a thematic emphasis.
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 8:15-11:30 p.m. ET
Materials: Syllabus Course Pack

642: Political Parties
2026-06-22 18:15 - 2026-07-02 21:30 UTC | Online
HIST 642 O4B / POLSC 642 O4B: Political Parties (2)
This course examines the development of American political parties, focusing on the meaning of parties and historic moments in the rise and fall of political parties from the Founding era to the present. Topics may include re-aligning elections, changing coalitions within American parties, and the contemporary Democratic and Republican parties.
Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 6:15-9:30 p.m. ET
Course Materials: Syllabus Course Pack
