Professor Mackubin T. Owens traces the flow of antebellum history, up to the Civil War, examining the many changes and pushes for more change that characterized this period.

Archaeologist Ellen Berkland discusses the significance of archaeological finds at the African Meeting House on Nantucket.

This iCue Mini-Documentary describes the viewpoints and reform activities of women in the years immediately prior to the Civil War. While many women in the North were advocating the abolition of slavery, Southern women were still defending their way of life.

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This iCue Mini-Documentary introduces the Puritan Roger Williams, a Separatist, and his establishment of the state of Rhode Island after leaving Massachusetts. Other Separatists also formed new settlements throughout New England.

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Professor Monica Fitzgerald examines popular memory and understanding of the Salem witchcraft trials and the actual historical facts concerning the trials. She looks particularly at the social and religious context within which the trials took place.

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Karl Haglund, senior planner for the Metropolitan District Commission, and Renata von Tscharner, president of the Charles River Conservancy, cover the history of human management of the Charles River, beginning in colonial times and continuing to the present. They emphasize how the river has determined development and settlement patterns in the area. Their presentation includes slides.

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Author, architect, and Holocaust survivor Benjamin Hirsch talks about his and his siblings' escape from Nazi Germany and their efforts to adapt to life in the American South during the 1940s, in the face of continued antisemitism.

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Expert on African-American textiles Gladys-Marie Fry looks at the symbolism found in quilts made by African-American men in slavery. She examines two quilts in particular, one a wedding present for an owner, containing African religious and mythological symbols, and the second a quilt depicting medicinal herbs.

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Just like today, self-help manuals were extremely popular in the early 19th century. Josh Brown of the American Social History Project examines one of these guides, The Skillful Housewife's Book.

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This iCue Mini-Documentary introduces Danish immigrant Jacob Riis, who recorded the underbelly of urban life in his photography.

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