America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
2026-09-14 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Phoenix) | Sterling, CO, Sterling, CO, 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. America’s history and purpose—it’s past, present, and future—is the story of our struggle to live up to those principles. Our conversation with center around three documents 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. These words still resonate 250 years later for teachers, students, and citizens: “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 with the Professor facilitating the conversation. Teachers will receive a Letter of Attendance at the conclusion of the seminar.

America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
2026-09-15 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Vandalia, IL, Vandalia, IL, 62471, 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.

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.

Harlem Renaissance
2026-09-24 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Phoenix) | Phoenix, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, United States
Harlem became the hub of African American culture in the 1920’s and 30’s and the extraordinary writing that developed during this time continues to influence American literature and culture. This seminar will explore the literature of the Harlem Renaissance in relation to its history as well as its social and cultural context. We will also examine the competing theories about race and racial identity that defined the Harlem Renaissance’s intellectual culture.
This program will be conducted as a discussion, utilizing primary source documents as the only readings, and with Professor Threat facilitating the conversation. 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.

American Massacre: What Mob Violence Can Teach Us About American History
2026-09-25 18:00 - 2026-09-27 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Tulsa, OK, OK, United States
This seminar explores what several incidents of mob violence can teach us about American history. Our focus will be on incidents that have occurred in the last 150 years, with particular attention paid to incidents of anti-Black violence. We will consider primary and some secondary sources in sessions on the Colfax Massacre, the New Orleans Riot of 1900, the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, the Tulsa Massacre, and the Battle at Ole Miss. We will seek to determine if we can identify common patterns of thought and behavior that led to these acts of violence and we will consider what might be done to prevent them in the future.

Discussion Leader: Nicholas Buccola
Historic Site: Greenwood Rising
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Tulsa

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. Weekend 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.

Westward Expansion to Civil War
2026-09-26 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Marietta, OH, Marietta, OH, United States
This elementary teacher focused seminar will explore documents on the expansion of the United States after the founding, including the impact of the Northwest Ordinance. Teachers will be asked to look at how westward expansion furthered tensions with Native Americans and the issue on slavery as the nation moved toward the Civil War.
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 Declaration of Independence in Crisis: Enslavers vs Abolitionists
2026-09-26 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 webinar examines the struggle over slavery through the lens of the Declaration of Independence and its promises of liberty and equality. Through primary sources, participants will analyze how enslavers and abolitionists intensified divisions over the meaning of the nation’s founding ideals.
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 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.

Supreme Court Cases that Changed America
2026-10-01 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.

America at 250! - The Legacy of The Declaration of Independence
2026-10-01 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Corning, IA, Corning, IA, 50841, United States
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 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 that best illuminate the Declaration’s meaning and imbue its words with living significance.
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.

Japanese Internment and the American Experience
2026-10-02 18:00 - 2026-10-04 12:00 (America/Denver) | Cody, Wyoming, WY, United States
Japanese internment is often considered the darkest aspect of America’s involvement in World War II. The study of what happened to the Japanese people living in the United States allows us to explore the most fundamental parts of the American experience. Law, pluralism, immigration, citizenship, war, racism, and the history of the western United States all intersected in Cody, Wyoming.

Historic Site: Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American Confinement Site
Hotel: Holiday Inn Cody-At Buffalo Bill Village

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.

The Federalists: Washington, Hamilton, and Adams
2026-10-02 18:00 - 2026-10-04 12:00 (America/New_York) | Quincy, MA
The Federalists dominated American politics and government from 1789 to 1801. This critical period saw these three statesmen breathe life into the Constitution and set the new republic on the path to becoming an economic and military power. Perhaps most importantly, these statesmen created a sense of American identity that forged the citizens of thirteen disparate states into one union.

Historic Site: Adams National Historical Park
Hotel: Marriott Boston Quincy

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. Weekend 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.

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.

America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
2026-10-06 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Eden, NY, Eden, NY, 14057, United States
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 that best illuminate the Declaration’s meaning and imbue its words with living significance.
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.

America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
2026-10-06 08:30 - 14:15 (America/New_York) | Greenville, OH, 5279 Education Dr., Greenville, OH, 45331, 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 self-evident, 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. All attendees will receive a Letter of Attendance at the end 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.

Collisions Between State and Federal Authority in the American Federal System
2026-10-09 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sherwood, OR, Sherwood, OR, United States
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 debates, concluding with an exploration of leading episodes of state officials challenges to federal authority in the early American Republic, and analyzing various conflicts regarding the balance of state and federal power in the contemporary era.
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.
This program is a partnership with The Oregon Council for the Social Studies.

Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
2026-10-09 18:00 - 2026-10-11 12:00 (America/New_York) | Philadelphia, PA, PA, United States
Jefferson identified his three greatest accomplishments as the Declaration of Independence, The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and Founding the University of Virginia. In the seminar we will discuss his main writings on these three topics.

Discussion Leader: Micheal Zuckert
Historic Site: National Constitution Center & Independence Hall National Historic Park
Hotel: Penn’s View Hotel

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. Weekend 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.

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.

FDR, WWII, and the Holocaust
2026-10-15 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Red Bud, IL, Red Bud, IL, United States
The Holocaust was the greatest horror of World War II, and the Allies obtained evidence of Nazi Germany’s genocide of Europe’s Jewish population during the war. How did Allied leaders, especially President Franklin Roosevelt, respond to the Holocaust? Did the Allies attempt to disrupt the death camps’ operations in order to halt the mass murder? Could the Allies have done more? How much coverage did the genocide receive in the United States and how did the public respond? Using a selection of primary and secondary readings, we will address these questions during our seminar.
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.

Women and the New Industrial Order
2026-10-16 18:00 - 2026-10-18 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Pacific Grove, CA, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
This seminar will explore the progressive politics of some notable late nineteenth and early twentieth century American women. We will consider the distinct perspective that these women brought to the problems wrought by the nation’s rapid industrialization and urban expansion. Readings and discussion will focus on:

women’s growing quest for higher education and careers to put their education to work;
the work of female journalists and sociologists in documenting, clarifying, and publicizing the problems growing out of industrialization;
the reforms that grew out of such “settlement house” experiments as Hull House in Chicago;
the arguments made by women who fought for voting rights; and
the challenges some women posed to America’s imperial ambitions and assertions of military power.

We’ll ask how and to what extent these women shifted the direction of America’s evolving civic life. The seminar, which will take place on the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California, will include a historical tour of the conference center, which was built in response to concerns about the hazards of urban life for young working women. A project of the YWCA, it was originally intended as a seaside retreat for single women working in San Francisco. Pioneering female architect Julia Morgan, working collaboratively with Phoebe Hearst and other women philanthropists, designed and constructed the core of the facility.

Historic Site: Asilomar Origins Tour
Hotel: Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds
This seminar is part of our CA Initiative! Our selection committee will give preference to teachers from California when reviewing applications.

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. Weekend 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.

Hamilton v. Jefferson
2026-10-16 18:00 - 2026-10-18 12:00 (America/New_York) | Alexandria, VA, 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310, United States
The Founders famously created a “Constitution against parties” and yet political parties emerged and organized during George Washington’s administration. At the center of this partisan contest was Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. This seminar will examine their arguments and their competing visions for the United States.

Historic Site: George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Hotel: Hilton Alexandria Old Town

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. Weekend 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.

The Declaration of Independence in Crisis: Dred Scott & Slavery
2026-10-24 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 session examines Dred Scott v. Sandford and its challenge to the Declaration of Independence and its claim that liberty and equality are universal principles. Through primary sources, participants will analyze how the ruling and its dissent intensified conflict over the nation’s founding ideals.
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.

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.

Abraham Lincoln, Race, and the New Birth of Freedom
2026-11-06 18:00 - 2026-11-08 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Springfield, IL, IL, United States
This seminar will examine Lincoln’s speeches and letters, as well as those of select contemporaries, on emancipation, civil war, and reconstruction. We will focus on Lincoln’s consistencies and inconsistencies on race, his changing war goals, and his vision for a postwar reconstructed nation rededicated to the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

Historic Site: Lincoln Home and Presidential Museum
Hotel: President Abraham Lincoln Springfield – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

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.

A New South: Industrialism and Race in the Postbellum South
2026-11-06 18:00 - 2026-11-08 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Birmingham, AL, Birmingham, AL, United States
In the wake of the Confederacy’s defeat, some white leaders of the South sought to modernize the region by promoting 1) sectional reconciliation, 2) a resolution to the region’s race problem, and 3) the creation of a new economic order based on industry, commerce, and a diversified agricultural system. In short, these leaders advocated for the creation of a New South. But was the New South really different from the Old South? This seminar will seek to answer this question by examining the motives and results of the New South movement.

Historic Site: Sloss Furnace National Historic Landmark
Hotel: Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB

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. Weekend 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.

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

Jim Crow and Its Impact on African Americans
2026-11-12 08:30 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Ada, OK, Ada, OK, United States
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 respond to the systematic discrimination of Jim Crow? Join us for a deep dive into documents that describe what C. Vann Woodward called, “The Strange Career of Jim Crow.”
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.
