As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded in Virginia that proved as decisive as the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill in uniting the colonies against Britain. Journalist and author Andrew Lawler offers a new perspective on the roots of the American Revolution as he describes the impact of the actions of Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia.

During India’s colonial period (1757–1947), the British imperial system sought out Indian resources for exploitation and had a dramatic impact on the traditional arts and crafts of the subcontinent. Art historian Robert DeCaroli traces the rising influence of European powers in South Asia. Topics include the late art of the Mughal Empire, Company painting, Orientalism, photography, traditional crafts for domestic and foreign markets, Indo-Saracenic architecture, and colonial museums. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

No art better exemplifies the Belle Époque than the lavish portraits of the rich, famous, and fashionable on both sides of the Atlantic created by John Singer Sargent. Art critic Judy Pomeranz presents an overview of Sargent’s range of work in the context of his time, as well as an examination of the stylistic and formal elements that set his paintings apart from those of his contemporaries and even successors. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

In September of 480 B.C.E., Greek warships faced an invading Persian armada at the narrow Salamis Straits in the most important naval battle of the ancient world. Overwhelmingly outnumbered, the Greeks triumphed through strategy and deception. The victory changed the course of Western history, halting the advance of the Persian Empire and setting the stage for the Golden Age of Athens. Historian and classicist Barry Strauss brings the battle to life.

Both built in the late 1940s, Phillip Johnson’s Glass House and the Edith Farnsworth House by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe have an intertwined history that reaches from their beginnings into the present. These glass pavilions became the most written about and photographed International Style homes in the United States, if not the world, and eventually were acquired by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The executive directors of each site, Scott Mehaffey (the Edith Farnsworth House) and Kirsten Reoch (The Glass House), discuss the fascinating connections that link these icons of Modernism. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

At its peak, the Roman empire extended from Britain to the Sahara Desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. Yet in 476, the last western Roman emperor was deposed. In a 4-part series, historian David Gwynn analyzes the dramatic events which shaped the decline and fall of the Roman empire in the west, exploring the transformation from the ancient to the medieval world that laid the foundations for modern Europe. This session focuses on the fourth-century Roman empire.

The psychology of nostalgia and similar forms of mental time travel is the focus of a lecture by Jeffrey Green, professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Green tackles questions such as what nostalgia is and whether it is a dysfunctional, maladaptive denial of the present or a healthy, adaptive emotion.

As soon as television began in the late 1940s, advertising was a vital part of the picture. Media historian Brian Rose examines how advertising evolved during television’s first two decades and the important role it played in convincing viewers that the key to happiness was to buy their way into the American dream.