Kenneth Jackson, Jacques Barzun Professor in History and the Social Sciences at Columbia University, describes the ways in which 19th-century cities evolved from disorganized, unregulated communities into modern cities focusing on order, safety, and public health. Professor Jackson looks at the motivations behind these developments as well as implementation strategies.

Richard Carwardine of the University of Oxford traces the development and shifts of Abraham Lincoln's religious views and their influence on and appearance in his decisions and public statements.

James Oakes of City University of New York examines Abraham Lincoln's views on race and slavery, including his reaction to the Dred Scott Decision. Oakes argues that Lincoln was a racial egalitarian.

Manisha Sinha of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, looks at the influence of black abolitionists on the policies and views of Abraham Lincoln, and the evolution of Lincoln's views on slavery and emancipation.

Sean Wilentz of Princeton University discusses Abraham Lincoln's party allegiances throughout his political career, focusing on his transition from Whig to Republican and his views of Jacksonian Democrats.

According to the Gilder Lehrman website, "Award-winning historian Jean Strouse discusses her research into the life of J.P. Morgan, America's most influential banker. She looks at the reasons for his success and delves into his inscrutable personal life. Strouse's extensive scholarship offers many insights into her subject, whose name is in the financial news headlines once again."

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1820. After her escape to the North in 1849, she returned to the South more than a dozen times to ferry other slaves along the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his Harper's Ferry raid; and during the Civil War, Tubman served as a Union spy. In this lecture, historian Catherine Clinton details not only Tubman's life but also the quest to uncover new information on Tubman.

Richard Carwardine is Rhodes Professor of American History at Oxford University, author of Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power, and winner of the 2004 Lincoln Book Prize. In this lecture, he discusses different aspects of Lincoln's life. Why is Lincoln a mythic figure? How early in his career did he develop his views against slavery? What role did religion play in his life? Professor Carwardine analyzes Lincoln's greatness as well as his humility.