Boston National Historical Park [MA]

Description

The Boston National Historical Park interprets the pre- and early Revolutionary War history of the Boston area, as well as U.S. Navy history. Many of the sites at which rangers conduct programs are located along the Freedom Trail, which possesses a separate entry in this directory. Collections include more than 70,000 photographs and negatives, 13,000 architectural drawings, and shipyard records.

Between mid-April and November, the park offers 90-minute tours of the downtown portion of Boston's Freedom Trail. Lectures are offered at Faneuil Hall and the Bunker Hill Monument. Tours are offered of the World War II and Cold War destroyer, the USS Cassin Young. The park also offers a Freedom Trail slide show, exhibits, a 10 minute Naval Yard introductory video, Junior Ranger activities, 13 educational programs for students with pre-visit materials, and teacher workshops. The website offers a virtual tour of the USS Cassin Young, videos of Navy Yard structures which are not publicly accessible, suggested reading lists for students and teachers, and Web Ranger activities. The USS Cassin Young is not wheelchair accessible.

Presidency of LBJ

Description

Lyndon B. Johnson biographer Robert Caro introduces a panel discussion on the presidency and legacy of LBJ, with the panel including writers; historians; and former adviser to President Johnson, Jack Valenti.

Audio, video, and text options are available. The video can be viewed with or without captions.

Companion Stars: Einstein and Godel at Princeton Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

Professor John W. Dawson explores the relationship between Albert Einstein and Kurt Godel during their years at Princeton University (1940-1955). He focuses on the contrasting personalities, revolutionary results, consonant worldviews, and confluent interests in the nature of time that underlay their bond of friendship.

Edmund Wilson: A Life in Literature

Description

Professor Lewis Dabney traces the life of Edmund Wilson (1895-1972), major literary critic of the 20th century. Dabney discusses Wilson's three classics of literary and intellectual history—Axel's Castle, To the Finland Station, and Patriotic Gore—and the many women with whom Wilson had rocky relationships.

Audio and video options are available.

When Affirmative Action Was White

Description

Professor Ira Katznelson argues that U.S. government policies, beginning in the 1930s, favored white citizens over black citizens in practice, even if the policies' wordings were race-neutral. He discusses this in relation to affirmative-action policies favoring minorities today.

Audio and captioned video options are available.

Boston's Made Land

Description

Scholar Nancy Seasholes looks at the history of land creation in Boston over its 375-year history. She focuses on the Central Waterfront area. Her presentation includes slides.

An mp3 of the lecture audio can be downloaded.