"Franklin's 'Autobiography' and Jefferson's 'Notes on the State of Virginia' are exemplary expressions of the principles that inform the American way of life. The course aims to recover what such a claim means by paying careful attention to what the books say about nature, human desires, reason, education, religion, government, farming, commerce, and several other things. As time permits, we will consider related writings of Franklin and Jefferson."

"In the last decades of the 19th Century, the United States took decisive steps away from its rural, agrarian past toward its industrial future, assuming its place among world powers. This course examines that movement, covering such topics as business-labor relations, political corruption, immigration, imperialism, the New South, and segregation and racism."

This workshop will "combine scholarly presentations with on-site investigations of the canals, mills, worker housing, and exhibits of Lowell National Historical Park and of other sites in Lowell's historic district. Sessions draw on scholarly monographs, primary sources, and works of literature and historical fiction. It will intersperse lecture-discussions, hands-on activities, and field investigations. In addition to Lowell’s landmark resources, it will take full advantage of Old Sturbridge Village exhibits and scholars to explore pre-industrial rural life and draw on the expertise of scholars and presenters at Walden Pond and the Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, to explore how prominent authors addressed the question of industrialization’s effect on American life, values, and the environment." Specific topics will include "American Industrialization: Lowell, Massachusetts, in International Context," "Comparing Farm and Factory Life, and Cash and Market Economies," "Market Volatility, Competition, and Worker Responses to the New Industrial Order," "Industrialization and Nature: A Comparison of Lowell and Concord," and "Immigration and Industrialization: Poverty or Upward Mobility?."

This workshop will "combine scholarly presentations with on-site investigations of the canals, mills, worker housing, and exhibits of Lowell National Historical Park and of other sites in Lowell's historic district. Sessions draw on scholarly monographs, primary sources, and works of literature and historical fiction. It will intersperse lecture-discussions, hands-on activities, and field investigations. In addition to Lowell’s landmark resources, it will take full advantage of Old Sturbridge Village exhibits and scholars to explore pre-industrial rural life and draw on the expertise of scholars and presenters at Walden Pond and the Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, to explore how prominent authors addressed the question of industrialization’s effect on American life, values, and the environment." Specific topics will include "American Industrialization: Lowell, Massachusetss, in International Context," "Comparing Farm and Factory Life, and Cash and Market Economies," "Market Volatility, Competition, and Worker Responses to the New Industrial Order," "Industrialization and Nature: A Comparison of Lowell and Concord," and "Immigration and Industrialization: Poverty or Upward Mobility?."

"From Miami's Little Havana to the immigrant world of West Tampa, from Immokalee farm worker centers to the cigar cities of Key West and Ybor City, Latinos have helped to shape Florida's cultural fabric. Examine the complexities of race, culture, ethnicity, identity, and nationality through a Latin lens. Probe the implications of the New Latino political movements, debates about immigrant rights, and the politics of diversity in our attempt to build a definition of what it means to be 'Floridian' in the new century."