Few American cities are as deeply entwined with the birth of the nation as Boston. From village greens where militias first mustered to crowded wharves and meetinghouses alive with revolutionary debate, trace the dramatic opening chapters of the American Revolution. Guided by historian Fred Zilian on this 4-day tour, explore the landscapes, landmarks, and ideas that transformed a cluster of colonial towns into the epicenter of a struggle for independence.
The 50th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features musical masterpieces from the first decade of the 17th century to the early 21st, played on some of the world’s most highly prized musical instruments in an 7-concert series. This concert features music of John Dowland with the Smithsonian Consort of Viols.
In the heart of Siena, the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena preserves an extensive collection of paintings from the Sienese school, spanning the 13th to the 17th centuries. The museum traces the evolution of Sienese painting from the luminous gold-ground panels of its medieval origins, through the achievements of the Renaissance and Mannerist periods, and into the artistic developments of the 17th century. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero examines the significance of this collection and the enduring legacy of Siena’s artistic tradition. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Celebrate memorable music from the stage and screen as conductor Melodia Mae Rinaldi leads the ensemble in arrangements of the hits you know and love. No audition is required, and the song list includes The Wiz, Rent, Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, and more classics from Vaudeville and Broadway. Rehearsals culminate in a free performance for invited guests.
Allied success on D-Day is well known, but the strategy behind Operation Overlord is less familiar. Military historian Kevin Weddle examines how the Allies developed their plan for invading Europe, highlighting the intense debates and uneasy compromises between American and British leaders. Despite clashing views and strained cooperation, they ultimately forged a unified strategy that enabled the massive June 6, 1944 cross-channel invasion—the largest and most complex amphibious operation in history.
Once the largest urban center north of Mexico, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, Illinois, stands as one of the most significant archaeological landscapes in North America. At its peak, ca. 950–1350, Cahokia was a thriving city of tens of thousands, defined by monumental earthworks, sophisticated planning, and far-reaching influence. Today it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Site interpreter Angela Cooper places Cahokia within the broader story of Indigenous North America, outlining its deep historical roots and the shared traditions of the Mississippian world.
Sammy Davis Jr. was a prodigy in vaudeville, trailblazer in desegregating Las Vegas, and global superstar who shone in Hollywood and on Broadway. Performer and educator Aaron Reeder examines how Davis’s artistry intersected with questions of race, religion, and identity in 20th-century America and the contradictions of fame that defined his career. Reeder explores Davis’ life and legacy through rare recordings, archival images, and performance excerpts.
Loyalists, Americans from all social backgrounds who opposed independence and supported Britain, lost nearly everything after the Revolution. Historian Richard Bell reexamines their experiences, challenging stereotypes that cast them as wealthy, cowardly elites. Using their experiences as examples, Bell examines why these men and women chose to remain loyal to Britain, what their experience of the Revolution was like, and how their lives changed once the patriots won the war.
Jazz crosses lines of race, class, geography, politics, religion, and genre. In this three-part lecture series, explore the origins and proliferation of jazz, from its beginnings in New Orleans, Chicago, New York, and Kansas City to its most recent appearances in Europe and Asia. Musicology professor Anna Harwell Celenza shares recordings of blues, Dixieland, swing, bebop, cool jazz, and fusion to reveal what makes jazz vital to America’s multifaceted identity as she demonstrates how jazz has never stopped changing.
Georgia O’Keeffe, a pioneering American modernist, became renowned for her bold paintings of flowers, bones, New York skyscrapers, and the New Mexico desert. Her partnership with photographer Alfred Stieglitz helped shape her artistic identity and public recognition. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar follows her path from early training to her breakthrough at Gallery 291, her Lake George period, travels to Palo Duro Canyon and Hawaii, and her final move to New Mexico, offering a critical study of her major works and legacy. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
