
FDR, WWII, and the Holocaust
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, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Reading Packet
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 discussion, utilizing primary source documents […]
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 discussion, utilizing primary source documents […]

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 […]

The decade that preceded Abraham Lincoln’s presidential election and the onset of secession and civil war saw an America increasingly divided over the future of slavery in the United States. This seminar will explore the events and turmoil that ultimately led to the greatest conflict this nation endured. The readings that follow present a diversity […]

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: […]

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 […]