All twelve of the seminars listed here are taking place online. Other Summer 2023 professional development programs include in-person and hybrid opportunities.
Click here to see the seminars listed by date.
America’s First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction (week of July 24)
with Kate Masur, Professor of History and Board of Visitors Professor, Northwestern University
NEW for 2023
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 24, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and The American Civil War Museum Session: July 25, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 26, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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The American Civil War Museum Session and Final Open Discussion: July 27, 6:00–7:30 p.m. ET
Description
This seminar will explore the little-known movement for racial equality in free states from the nation’s founding to the Civil War and Reconstruction. It will emphasize
- African Americans’ leadership in this struggle
- the interpenetration of race, class, and gender oppression
- the complex history of citizenship
- the changing political landscape of the antebellum United States and the Constitution
Through both small-scale histories and large structural changes, we’ll examine Black political mobilization and the work of White allies who fought for racial justice. Participants will also emerge with an enhanced understanding of the US Constitution, American federalism, and the Reconstruction amendments.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by The American Civil War Museum, which explores, inspires, and promotes the public’s understanding of the Civil War—its causes, course, and consequences. The American Civil War Museum maintains three unique sites: The American Civil War Museum – Historic Tredegar and the White House of the Confederacy, both in Richmond, VA; and The American Civil War Museum–Appomattox, in Appomattox, VA. In the battle against the all-too-human instinct to wish the past were simple, the museum explores the unparalleled significance the Civil War holds to complexities we face today.
American Indian History since 1900 (week of July 10)
with Donald L. Fixico, Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History, Arizona State University
NEW for 2023
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 10, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and National WWI Museum Session: July 11, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 12, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
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National WWI Museum Session and Final Open Discussion: July 13, 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Description
This seminar is about Native peoples in modern America since the turn of the twentieth century, taking a social and cultural historical approach. It begins with the idea of the Vanishing Race, Geronimo’s final surrender, the Ghost Dance, and Wounded Knee in 1890. Among the early twentieth-century topics discussed, participants will analyze
- Indian children’s attendance at boarding schools
- the Dawes land allotment
- FDR’s Indian New Deal and the service of 45,000 Indians in World War II
Looking toward the latter half of the twentieth century, the seminar will explore the government’s trust termination and the relocation policies that led to two-thirds of Native peoples moving to cities. The accordant 1960s activism of civil rights also involved many Native men fighting in Vietnam and the rise of the American Indian Movement. Indian athletes participated in sports, including the Olympics, yet controversy surrounded Indian mascots. Nixon’s Indian self-determination policy oddly created modern tribal governments’ fight to protect sacred artifacts and spiritual places, while tribal sovereignty forged the Indian gaming industry that is changing the landscape across Indian Country. This seminar explores why and how all of this happened.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by the National WWI Museum and Memorial, America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting, and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial fulfills its mission by
- Maintaining the Liberty Memorial as a beacon of freedom and a symbol of the courage, patriotism, sacrifice, and honor of all who served in World War I
- Interpreting the history of World War I to encourage public involvement and informed decision-making
- Providing exhibitions and educational programs that engage diverse audiences
- Collecting and preserving historical materials with the highest professional standards
Black Women’s History (week of July 17)
with Kellie Carter Jackson, Michael and Denise Kellen ’68 Associate Professor of Africana Studies, Wellesley College
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 17, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A: July 18, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 19, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Final Open Discussion: July 20, 11:00–11:30 a.m. ET
Description
This seminar will focus on African American women’s history in the United States with certain aspects of Black women’s activism and leadership covered within the African Diaspora. We will examine ways in which these women engaged in local, national, and international freedom struggles while simultaneously defining their identities as wives, mothers, leaders, citizens, and workers.
We will pay special attention to the diversity of Black women’s experiences and to the dominant images of Black women from Mumbet (the first enslaved Black woman to sue for her freedom and win) to contemporary issues of race, sex, and class in the Age of (Michelle) Obama. Participants will explore such questions as: What is Black women’s history? How does Black women’s history add to our understanding of American history? Where should Black women’s history go from here?
Colonial North America (week of June 26)
with Alan Taylor, Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair, University of Virginia
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: June 26, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Hingham Historical Society session: June 27, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: June 28, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Hingham Historical Society session and Final Open Discussion: June 29, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET
Description
This seminar examines Spanish, French, Dutch, and British encounters with Native peoples of North America during the initial centuries of colonization: 1492–1800. It combines the “Atlantic” approach to early America with a “continental” approach that accords dynamism and agency to Native peoples and enslaved African peoples in their relations with colonizers. This seminar defines colonial America broadly, extending beyond the British colonies of the North American coast to include New France, New Spain, and the West Indies.
(Note: This seminar was previously offered as a Self-Paced Course entitled American Colonies.)
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by the Hingham Historical Society. The Hingham Historical Society offers year-round educational programs, exhibits, and activities out of three historic buildings in downtown Hingham, Massachusetts—a coastal town equidistant between Boston and Plymouth. The Hingham Heritage Museum is located in the 1818 Derby Academy, one of the nation’s oldest co-educational schools, while its house museums—the Old Ordinary, a seventeenth-century tavern, and the National Historic Landmark, the seventeenth-century Major General Benjamin Lincoln house—are just two blocks away. The Society’s Collections of close to 20,000 items span all three locations and categories include fine and decorative arts, costumes and textiles, diaries, documents, and photographs chronicling Hingham’s deep and remarkable history.
The Global Cold War (week of July 31)
with Daniel Sargent, Associate Professor of History and Public Policy and Co-Director of the Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and featuring pre-recorded lectures by Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 31, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and USS Midway Museum Session: August 1, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: August 2, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
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USS Midway Museum Session and Final Open Discussion: August 3, 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Description
For a half-century, the Cold War shaped the world. From its obvious consequences in Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam, to its more subtle impact on American culture and daily life, the Cold War was the dominant reality of everyday life. This seminar will examine the origins, strategy, and consequences of the Cold War from a global perspective. We will look closely at the conflict’s impact not only in the United States and Russia but also in sometimes unexpected nations across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Participants will read eye-opening primary source documents that illustrate the Cold War’s many complexities, twists, and turns and consider the latest scholarship interpreting what we now know—a generation after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by the USS Midway Museum. The USS Midway’s Institute for Teachers emphasizes professional development through seminars about the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and related conflicts. Thanks to the USS Midway’s support, teachers in this seminar will have the opportunity to participate in two additional live sessions.
The History of American Protest (week of June 26)
with John Stauffer, Sumner R. and Marshall S. Kates Professor of English and of African American Studies, Harvard University
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: June 26, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and National Civil Rights Museum Session: June 27, 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: June 28, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. ET
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National Civil Rights Museum Session and Final Open Discussion: June 29, 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. ET
Description
This interdisciplinary seminar examines the rich tradition of progressive protest literature in the United States from the American Revolution to the rise of globalization, hip-hop, and modern-day slavery. Using a broad definition of “protest literature,” we focus on the production and consumption of dissent as a site of social critique, using a wide variety of print, visual, and oral forms. We examine the historical links between forms of protest, social change, and meanings of literature and explore how various expressions of dissent function as political, ideological, rhetorical, aesthetic, and performative texts within specific cultural contexts.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by the National Civil Rights Museum. Noted as one of the nation’s premier heritage and cultural museums, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is steadfast in its mission to share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and explore how this significant era continues to shape equality and freedom globally.
Established in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Through interactive exhibits, historic collections, dynamic speakers, and special events, the museum offers visitors a chance to walk through history and learn more about a tumultuous and inspiring period of change.
History of Chinese in the United States (week of July 24)
with Madeline Y. Hsu, Professor of History, Mary Helen Thompson Centennial Professorship in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin
NEW for 2023
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 24, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and AIISF Session: July 25, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 26, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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AIISF Session and Final Open Discussion: July 27, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
Description
This seminar will offer an overview of the history of Chinese in America with an emphasis on Chinese American identity and community formations under the shadow of the Yellow Peril. Chinese as a race were the first targets of enforced immigration restrictions. As such, they have played key roles in the history of race and immigration policy. Participants will examine structures of work, family, immigration law, racism, class, and gender in order to understand the changing roles and perceptions of Chinese Americans in the United States from 1847 to the present.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF), which raises awareness of the experience of immigration into America through the Pacific. AIISF collects and preserves the rich stories and personal journeys of thousands of immigrants and shares them with visitors and everyone living in America through education initiatives and public programs. The Angel Island Immigration Station reminds us of the complicated history of immigration in America. It serves as a symbol of our willingness to learn from our past to ensure that our nation keeps its promise of liberty and freedom.
The History of Latina and Latino People in the US (week of July 24)
with Geraldo L. Cadava, Professor of History, Wender-Lewis Teaching and Research Professor, Northwestern University
NEW for 2023
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 24, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A: July 25, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 26, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET
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Final Open Discussion: July 27, 11:00–11:30 a.m. ET
Description
The growth of the Latino population has transformed the United States. leading to heightened debates about political power, cultural influence, citizenship, civil rights, and ethnic and racial categorization. The increased attention may feel new, but Latino communities have played a pivotal role in US history for centuries. In this seminar, we will explore the 500-year history of Latinos in the United States—and across the Americas—from the sixteenth century through the early twenty-first century.
This seminar will offer a reinterpretation of United States history focusing on race, migration, labor, and empire and the history of community—or several communities. These include Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominican Americans, Central Americans, and Cuban Americans.
This seminar also will examine the movement of Latino peoples within and between the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Finally, it will cover these peoples’ long struggles for equality and belonging. Ultimately, participants will gain a deeper sense of the issues and histories that bring Latinas and Latinos together, and those that continue to divide them.
Lives of the Enslaved (week of June 26)
with Daina Ramey Berry, Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, University of California, Santa Barbara
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: June 26, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: June 27, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A: June 28, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET
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Final Open Discussion: June 29, 3:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Description
This seminar is a study of enslaved people and the ways in which human beings coped with captivity. It also listens to their voices through audio files, diaries, letters, actions, and silences. Centering on the people of slavery rather than viewing them as objects shifts the focus to their commentary on slavery. In addition to listening to enslaved people, participants will have the opportunity to engage cutting-edge scholarship on the subject.
Although the early literature objectified enslaved people and hardly paid attention to their experiences, work published since the Civil Rights Movement and into the twenty-first century offers rich accounts of enslaved life. By approaching the institution of slavery in the United States from the enslaved perspective through firsthand accounts of their experiences, students will have the opportunity to learn from a variety of sources. Some specific themes include gender, sexuality, region, labor, resistance, pleasure, love, family, and community among the enslaved.
Making Modern America: Business & Politics in the Twentieth Century (week of July 31)
with Margaret O’Mara, Scott and Dorothy Bullitt Chair of American History, University of Washington (photo credit: Jim Garner/jgarner photo)
NEW for 2023
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 31, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and American Jewish Historical Society Session: August 1, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: August 2, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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American Jewish Historical Society Session and Final Open Discussion: August 3, 6:00–7:30 p.m. ET
Description
How has the past century of American history shaped the political and economic landscape of the early twenty-first century? What is the broader context and historical backstory of contemporary political and social movements, business practices, and global flows of people, capital, and ideas? How can we use historical knowledge and the tools of historical analysis to better understand and address present-day challenges? With these questions in mind, this seminar explores key moments and people in the history of the United States from the end of World War I to the present.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS), the oldest ethnic, cultural archive in the United States. AJHS provides access to more than 30 million documents and 50,000 books, photographs, art, and artifacts that reflect the history of the Jewish presence in the United States from 1654 to the present.
Established in 1892, the mission of AJHS is to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish heritage and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation, and dissemination of materials relating to American Jewish history. At our home on West 16th Street in downtown Manhattan, AJHS illuminates American Jewish history through our many archival treasures, scholarship, exhibitions, and public programs. Among the treasures of this heritage are the handwritten original of Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus,” which graces the Statue of Liberty; records of the nation’s leading Jewish communal organizations, and important collections in the fields of education, philanthropy, science, sports, business, and the arts.
For more information on our collaboration with AJHS, please read this Q&A on our News page with AJHS Executive Director Gemma Birnbaum.
Presidential Leadership at Historic Crossroads (week of July 10)
with Barbara A. Perry, Gerald L. Baliles Professor and Director of Presidential Studies, University of Virginia
NEW for 2023
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 10, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and The Sixth Floor Museum Session: July 11, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 12, 6:00–8:00 p.m. ET
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The Sixth Floor Museum Session and Final Open Discussion: July 13, 6:00–7:30 p.m. ET
Description
Starting with its inception in the eighteenth century, the American presidency has faced numerous inflection points that have reshaped the office. From its constitutional roots to Washington’s precedents, Jacksonian democracy, Lincoln’s Civil War power assertions, TR’s and Woodrow Wilson’s creation of the “rhetorical presidency,” FDR’s Great Depression and World War II presidency, the Cold War’s impact, Nixon and Watergate, the Global War on Terror, and Trump’s unprecedented tenure, the chief executive’s influence has waxed and waned depending on circumstances and presidential leadership. Using classic and new scholarship as well as primary sources, this seminar will examine the challenges and responses of presidents when they have faced and sometimes constructed historic crossroads.
Sponsor
This seminar is sponsored by The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Located inside the former Texas School Book Depository Building in downtown Dallas, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey attracts visitors from all over the United States and across the world. In 1989, the main exhibit, John F. Kennedy and the Memory of a Nation, opened to the public on the sixth floor where critical evidence was found linked to President Kennedy’s Assassination on November 22, 1963. The exhibit is divided into key historical sections with contextual overlays following the path of John F. Kennedy’s life, death and legacy. The Museum encourages visitors to examine the evolution of today’s global society through Kennedy’s presidential legacy.
World War II (week of July 17)
with Michael S. Neiberg, Chair of War Studies, US Army War College
Live Sessions
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 17, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A: July 18, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET
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Scholar Q&A and Pedagogy Session: July 19, 3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
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Final Open Discussion: July 20, 3:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Description
This seminar will aim to add context and nuance into the traditional American views of the Second World War. Although keeping the American experience at the center, it will always view that experience through a global lens. We will challenge some of the myths and half-truths that Hollywood has bequeathed to Americans about the war while introducing participants to some arguments that have emerged from the latest scholarship on themes like the home front, the actual fighting of the war, and the processes of peacemaking. This is not the seminar to learn more about George Patton and his tanks; it is intended to be a serious, scholarly, and objective analysis of the interplay between American, world, and military history during the most destructive war ever.