This seminar explores the history of the American antislavery movement, from its institutional and ideological origins in the post-Revolutionary era to the eve of the Civil War. A particular focus of the course will be the historical reality and mythology of the Underground Railroad, understood through the lives, strategies, writings, and fate of black abolitionists.

The Gilder Lehrman Summer Seminars are designed to strengthen participants' commitment to high quality history teaching. Public, parochial, independent school teachers, and National Park Service rangers are eligible. These week-long seminars provide intellectual stimulation and a collaborative context for developing practical resources and strategies to take back to the classroom.

From the beginning to the expert teacher, using technology as part of social studies instruction in the 21st century is essential. K–12 students use cell phones, the internet, video games, and many other forms of technology. To maintain relevance in the lives of those students, classroom instruction needs to include not only social studies content but 21st-century tools and skills. This workshop will showcase content-specific websites and technology examples that educators can use right away.

The use of primary sources as an instructional tool in the social studies classroom engages students, encourages high levels of learning, and raises test scores. But with so much to do and so little time, how can teachers know what strategies and resources work best? In this workshop, teachers will join other social studies teachers to find the answer to that question. Participants will be introduced to both online and print materials and provided specific examples of how to use those resources with their students.

DC Public and Public Charter School Teachers are invited to participate in a five-day learning adventure that will immerse participants in the Civil War history of Washington and the country. By preparing and performing historical speeches, interpreting letters, and "reading" artifacts, images, and places, they will develop teaching techniques that strengthen reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Over the course of five mornings, participants will travel to three historic sites in some of Washington's most historic neighborhoods. In the afternoons, they will participate in interpretations of important speeches and letters, and learn tools that lead to rigorous visual and experiential learning. Teachers who attend the seminar also receive free school-year field trips for their students.

Participants who complete the program are eligible to receive free in-class visits from a teaching artist to support implementation of their Civil War Washington learning; a free performance of a History Play at Ford's Theatre; the opportunity to bring students to a History on Foot experience for free; special teacher preview tickets to Ford's Theatre performances and early opportunities to book seats for their students; and special teacher preparation for the Frederick Douglass Oratorical Competition.

This workshop is designed to prepare high school United States history teachers to teach this course in their high schools, to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history, and to develop the skills necessary for arriving at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and the skills for presenting reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. The teachers will also be introduced to the latest College Board changes to the test and scoring strategies.

Participants in this course will explore American Indian history in North Carolina from the earliest evidence of human habitation in the state through first contact with Europeans, the Trail of Tears, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the present day.

Students often hold incorrect ideas about Native Americans and, in particular, know very little about the history and culture of American Indians right here in North Carolina. Archaeological finds, creation stories, the writings of early European explorers, government documents and treaties, stories handed down through oral tradition, indigenous crafts, newspaper articles, and more will enrich exploration of key issues in Native American history in North Carolina.

Moreover, thoughtful articles and lively discussions will allow participants to address modern issues such as the needs of American Indian students in North Carolina classrooms and present-day controversies such as the use of Indian-themed mascots in school athletic programs.

The Declaration of Independence of 1776 announced the entry of the United States onto the world stage and inaugurated a new genre of document that would be used by various groups in the following centuries to herald their arrival among "the Powers of the Earth." This seminar views the American Declaration from three global perspectives: first, by placing 1776 into the context of contemporary international and global connections; second, by examining the legacy of the Declaration in the century after 1776; and third, by analyzing other declarations of independence since 1776 for their debts to—and divergences from—the American model. The result should be an enriched understanding of the importance of the Declaration in world history, as well as a novel account of what was truly revolutionary about the American Revolution.

The purpose of this one-week summer seminar is to explore a pivotal period in American history. After the uneven prosperity of the 1920s, the Great Depression of the 1930s was a human catastrophe. But the economic crisis also led to dramatic social and cultural change as Americans reacted to hardship and adversity. Above all, the rise of the New Deal under Franklin Roosevelt reshaped the modern state in ways that remain controversial and at the historical core of political debates today.