All upcoming American History programs

Despite prevailing isolationist public opinion and an obstructionist government, an informal American humanitarian network of citizen activists delivered aid to and rescued many victims of Nazi oppression before and during World War II. History professor Andrew Falk tells the story of this group of citizens who organized to provide emergency relief, establish programs overseas, and resettle thousands of persecuted people in safe havens stretching from Latin America to East Asia.

Disneyland’s 1955 debut revealed the hidden world of automation by turning postwar industrial and military technologies into imaginative attractions. Historian Roland Betancourt examines how Disney engineers adapted tools like missile-testing magnetic tape and programmable logic controllers to animate experiences from the Enchanted Tiki Room to Space Mountain. He argues these innovations eased public anxieties about automation while reflecting broader technological shifts—from factory systems to emerging AI—tracing how Disneyland reshaped cultural understanding of machines and modernity.

Explore and enjoy glorious songs from the great American Songbook with stories about their long, often-unexpected lives. Three-time Emmy Award–winning writer and documentary filmmaker Sara Lukinson’s abundant sampling of clips—and lively storytelling—make for two joyful and moving evenings to spend with Irving Berlin and George and Ira Gershwin, along with the artists who keep their songs alive. This session focuses on George and Ira Gershwin

Step into that turbulent city during the 18th century with Tim Dolan of Broadway Up Close and explore the places, people, and events that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking work Hamilton: An American Musical. The virtual tour traces Alexander Hamilton’s life and legacy through the streets that shaped him, examining how New York City functioned as a crucible for revolution, finance, politics, and ideas in the 1700s. Along the way, Dolan links memorable moments from the long-running musical to their historical foundations and reveals how Revolutionary-era history was transformed into a modern cultural phenomenon.

The American War of Independence freed the 13 British colonies in North America from Crown rule and set the stage for the United States’ bold experiment in self-government. Drawing on primary sources, historian Christopher Hamner traces the war from its roots in the crises of the 1770s through the opening campaigns of the conflict, culminating in the American victories at Trenton and Princeton and an examination of British strategy in a springtime series. This session focuses on the British strategy during the American Revolution.

Robert Watson, Distinguished Professor of American History at Lynn University, reveals the lesser-known stories, surprising twists, and forgotten voices behind the most iconic document in U.S. history. Drawing from a wealth of primary sources—including letters, diaries, newspapers, and diplomatic communiqués—he reconstructs the debates, drafts, and drama that surrounded the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Focusing on the influence of women, enslaved individuals, and Indigenous peoples, Watson brings to light the varied cast of often-forgotten characters and perspectives that shaped the American experiment in his book, Declaration: The Story of American Independence.

It's easy to think of fairy tales as something distinctly European or antiquated. But fairy tales can be found all over the world, including in the United States, where they're still being created and told today. Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman discuss fairy-tale traditions and stories in the United States, including the Jack Tales of Appalachia, Black folk and fairy tales from the South, and the rise of the Disney fairy-tale empire.

Long before modern art found its home in museums, it thrived in salons, collections, and networks cultivated by women. From gatherings in Europe to avant-garde circles in early 20th-century New York, these women nurtured artists, championed emerging talent, and shaped the tastes that defined modern culture. In a 3-session series, art historian Jennie Hirsh highlights the salonnières and patrons who forged spaces where innovation flourished. This session focuses on Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss, and Peggy Guggenheim. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The 2001 publication of the authoritative 13-volume edition of The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition offered an opportunity to take a fresh look at one of the most remarkable adventures in American history. Clay Jenkinson, a Lewis and Clark and Jefferson scholar, examines the dynamics of the journals. His analysis of what the expedition’s six journal keepers included in their entries—and what they did not—offers a deeper understanding of the greatest land exploration in North America.

In the 2004 film National Treasure, fictional historian and cryptographer Benjamin Franklin Gates leads a search for lost treasure guided by a secret map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Historian Denver Brunsman, a scholar of the American Revolution, separates fact from Hollywood fiction as he shares the true stories behind the Declaration, Freemasons, and the film’s other historical references.