American History Programs

Before the CIA there was the Office of Strategic Services, whose operations spawned some of the World War II’s boldest and most daring covert missions—as well as some of its unlikeliest agents. Career CIA officer Randy Burkett traces the fascinating history of the OSS, its strategies and players, and its postwar transition into the Central Intelligence Agency.

In the years after the Civil War, captains of industry and robber barons were the Gilded Age’s masters of the universe. Art historian Bonita Billman examines the influence of their wealth on the period’s extravagant art, architecture, and interior design, and also explores the dramatic chasm that opened between the haves and the have-nots. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Dorothy Cochrane, a curator at the Air and Space Museum, separates fact from fiction as she examines the pioneering aviator’s accomplishments and her shortcomings, and why Earhart still challenges and inspires in the 21st century.

The CIA and FBI are often portrayed as strained institutional colleagues, but what is it really like to work in these highly secretive agencies tasked with protecting our country? In a fascinating series, veterans of the CIA and FBI discuss their professional roles and how these closely guarded organizations operate.

Colonial historian Mary Beth Norton examines the critical “long year” that encompassed the Boston Tea Party, the first Continental Congress, and two significant early battles in the War of Independence.

Have we gotten the principles of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution all wrong? Constitutional law professor Kermit Roosevelt challenges the conventional view that these hallowed documents established our core values and tell us who we are.

Benjamin Franklin’s many accomplishments as a statesman, scientist, writer, and more are well known. Historian Richard Bell addresses the man’s many other faces and capacity for complexity—which rendered him both ordinary and extraordinary.

Sold as prefabricated kits during the first half of the 20th century, affordable dwellings from Sears Roebuck and Company defined the character of countless American communities. Join historian Dakota Springston on a bus tour through historic Virginia neighborhoods to view the distinctive exteriors of Sears homes.

Thousands of disparate women were connected by their experiences amid the horrors of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. Author Chuck Raasch retells their often-overlooked stories of bravery and life-changing actions at the sites on which they unfolded at Gettysburg National Military Park.

If the new Ken Burns documentary Country Music has sparked your appetite to learn more about the form’s roots and influences, this special 5-day tour led by arts journalist Richard Selden offers the perfect way to do it. Packed with performances and music history—as well as art and architecture and terrific regional cuisine—this Southern journey to Music City USA is sure to be a top-of-the-charts experience.

Author David Taylor looks at some of the artists and writers for whom the Federal Writers’ Project and the Federal Arts Project gave them a new purpose: recording American life. Their works—some of which remain controversial—provide a vivid portrait a nation struggling for recovery and identity during the Great Depression.

Women have been making strides in their fields that have often being overlooked, uncredited, or forgotten by time. Celebrate Women’s History Month by spending a fascinating day with four experts who bring to light an array of remarkable women who have lived in the shadows of history far too long.

Sold as prefabricated kits during the first half of the 20th century, affordable dwellings from Sears Roebuck and Company defined the character of countless American communities. Join historian Dakota Springston on a bus tour through historic Virginia neighborhoods to view the distinctive exteriors of Sears homes.

Leaders from Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump dealt with their defining moments in a variety of ways that forever changed our perceptions of them. As he surveys these responses, journalist Ken Walsh identifies what we have learned about presidential attributes and skills that matter most in trying times, and also takes a fresh look at President Trump through the prism of his crisis-filled administration.