A panel of prominent Massachusetts politicians reads from the letters of John and Abigail Adams.

Author Philip Dray looks at Benjamin Franklin's work as a scientist, particularly his work with lightning and electricity. Dray examines opposition and detraction that Franklin faced based on religious grounds—objections that he was interfering with the weapons of God—and compares Franklin's struggles with these detractors to the American struggle to define itself after the Revolutionary War. His presentation includes slides.

Audio and video options are available.

Producer Elizabeth Deane presents a "sneak preview" of her documentary American Experience: John and Abigail Adams, detailing the development of the relationship between the two, as revealed in their correspondence. The preview is followed by a panel discussion.

Audio and video options are available. The video is captioned, and a transcript is also provided.

Scholar Douglas L. Wilson examines Thomas Jefferson's life and his love of books. Wilson discusses Jefferson's personal library, which eventually became the foundation of the Library of Congress.

Pulitzer-Prize-winning author David McCullough talks about his book 1776, which covers the year 1776 in American history, and the corresponding Revolutionary War events. He particularly focuses on his research while writing the book.

Professor Colin G. Calloway looks at Native American participation in the French and Indian War, focusing on the motivations and experiences of these individuals.

Professor Wayne Franklin discusses the life and work of James Fenimore Cooper, his inspiration for and work on the French and Indian War novel The Last of the Mohicans, and the influence of his depiction of this war on U.S. popular novels, works on the war, literature and on the colonial-era history of the U.S. Franklin also covers, in relation, the history of fiction-writing and novels in the U.S.

Spencer Crew, CEO of the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and other presenters outline the lives of David Walker and Maria Stewart, African American Boston activists in the 1800s, as well as the lives and efforts of abolitionists generally and the history of the Underground Railroad.

Audio and video options are available.

Massachusetts Historical Society director William F. Fowler, Jr., follows the course of the French and Indian War and details its impact on North American history.

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.