Inside the Vault on July 6: 1796 Civics Textbook and Education in Early Republic

A Plain Political Catechism Intended for the Use of Schools, in the United States of America, 1796 (Gilder Lehrman Institute)Inside the Vault: Highlights from the Gilder Lehrman Collection is an online program focusing on unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. From iconic historical treasures, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation, to personal letters that reveal the contributions of ordinary American citizens, each session investigates primary sources and discusses their background, impact, and potential use in the classroom.

Join us on July 6, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT), when our curators will discuss the document A Plain Political Catechism Intended for the Use of Schools, in the United States of America with Dr. Adam Laats, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership, Binghamton University. Published in 1796, A Plain Political Catechism is an eighteenth-century “civics textbook,” written in the call-and-response style of a catechism. Through the lens of this unusual document, the program will explore the history of education in the early republic.

Submit your questions for Dr. Laats here.

Register Here