The plays of Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Clifford Odets, and Arthur Miller defined American theater. In a lecture and discussion-based seminar the works of these playwrights will be examined, concentrating on theme, structure, and social impact. The plays will give insight into the issues confronting what it meant to be an American during the first half of the 20th century, as well as understanding what makes American theater so powerful.

This seminar will explore how 10 United States presidents, ranging from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, shaped national life during the 20th century. Reading profiles of these presidents by historians and other scholars, participants will look at why some presidents have succeeded and others failed. They will ask how each president addressed two overarching issues: What is the proper role of government in the United States? What role should America play in the larger world?

The rhetoric and practice of supporting democracy around the world has been a part of American diplomacy for more than a century. Alongside episodes of hypocrisy and horrible failure, one can also observe moments of sincerity and spectacular success. This course will consider both, with a particular emphasis on American policy and Latin America during the 20th century.

If you know why (or would like to know why) "I'm thinking it over" is the funniest thing Jack Benny ever said, this class is for you. Participants will travel through the hilarious shows from the golden age of radio: Charlie McCarthy to Jack Benny, A Date with Judy to The Great Gildersleeve. See why the humor has never been equaled in these sidesplitting chapters from a bygone era.

Although big bands, solo vocalists, and jazz soloists dominated the swing era (1920s–1950s), there existed a simultaneous stream of music from small ensembles, vocal and instrumental. Participants will listen to singing groups such as the Andrews Sisters, Ink Spots, and Modernaires. We will hear instrumental combos such as the Benny Goodman Sextet, Modern Jazz Quartet, and the George Shearing Quintet. Finally, participants will sample the folksong revival of the 1950s. No musical training is necessary.

Bob Dylan created some of the most significant music of the late 20th century and influenced generations of listeners. Yet Dylan found much of his inspiration not in contemporary music but in the music and folk customs of the past. This course will explore the links between Dylan and the ballad tradition. It will examine his influences, listen to his music, and offer close readings of his expansive songbook.

ChicagoAncestors.org is a free website where visitors can find and share historical information about Chicago. Are you researching the history of a neighborhood? Looking for the church where your great-grandparents got married? Interested in mapping the places where your ancestors lived? This workshop can help. Participants will learn how to use the tools available on this popular interactive website and find out how they can contribute to the growing amount of historical data available online to Chicago researchers.

Much has been written about the history of Chicago and the land of the living. This course will provide material about Chicago's Necropoli, the land of the dead. Through lecture and slide presentations, participants will discuss the role of cemeteries in early Chicago history, ethnic cemeteries, and mourning practices. The final session will take place at the home of the instructor for an overview of the paraphernalia of funeral homes and cemeteries.

The United States is often described as a "melting pot" of ethnic groups or as a "nation of immigrants." Though most of us could easily find references to this melting pot in popular culture today, few realize that the concept has a long and contested history. In this two-day seminar, participants will explore primary sources from the past two centuries that describe the nation as a melting pot or as a "crucible" where the fusion of different national cultures will occur. Through close readings, they will consider how the meaning of the melting pot has changed over time and how it has informed debates about what it means to be an American. Even as they take a long view of the melting pot in American history, they will pay particular attention to the early 20th century and to debates about restricting the flow of immigrants to the United States.

Constructed around an online "toolbox" of texts and documents collected at the National Humanities Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, participants in this seminar will discuss four themes that are central to the Gilded Age: City and Country, focusing on Arcadian mythology, urban realism, and nostalgia; Citizens and Others, especially immigrants, African Americans, and children; Work and Leisure, especially craft, industrialization, and consumerism; and Politics and the State, including party culture, populism, and progressivism. Within each thematic unit, participants will be searching for characteristic sensibilities of the age, as manifest in public life, literature, and/or the arts. Across the discussions, they will try to identify those documents, questions, and exercises that might best enliven their own classrooms.