Eighth grade American history educator Eric Langhorst discusses two books—The Political Cartoons of the Whispering Gallery by the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and The Lines are Drawn: Political Cartoons of the Civil War, edited by Kristen M. Smith—that he uses to give students an understanding that Abraham Lincoln was viewed in many different lights during his own time.
Christy Keeler of Clark County School District, NV, discusses the creation and use of digital stories in history classrooms. She presents an example of digital storytelling, "At Lincoln's Hand"; and looks at how students can use primary sources and research combined with emotive narration, music, and sound effects to craft effective digital stories.
Author Danny Cassidy describes the origins of the word "dude," which he claims first came into use in late 19th-century New York among the Irish immigrant community.
Don Vitale of Archiving Early America narrates an overview of Benjamin Franklin's early life and his scientific, social, and inventive accomplishments prior to the Revolutionary War.
Captioned and uncaptioned versions of the film are available.
Associate editor and professor of history at Indiana University, John Nieto-Phillips speaks with Professor James Meriwether about his article, "'Worth a Lot of Negro Votes': Black Voters, Africa, and the 1960 Presidential Campaign." When John F. Kennedy telephoned Coretta Scott King to express sympathy for her jailed husband, he had little idea that his two-minute call would move to center stage in the 1960 presidential election. That call, James H. Meriwether argues, has obscured Kennedy's broader efforts to secure the support of black voters while not alienating white voters in the no longer "solid South." Kennedy drew on the growing transnational relationship black Americans had with an ancestral continent undergoing its own freedom struggles, revealing that he was more interested in Africa than in civil rights. Africa, the newest frontier for Kennedy, became a place where he could show his Cold War credentials, find common ground with black American voters, and strengthen his chances to win the presidency.
Michael Willrich of Brandeis University investigates the birth of the modern welfare state, exploring a time when so many ideas we now regard as "common sense" found their origins. Willrich pays special attention to two court cases: Lochner v. New York (1905) and Muller v. Oregon (1908).
Audio and video options are available.
Michael Willrich of Brandeis University investigates the birth of the modern welfare state, exploring a time when so many ideas we now regard as "common sense" found their origins. Willrich pays special attention to two court cases: Lochner v. New York (1905) and Muller v. Oregon (1908).
Audio and video options are available.
Paul Englesberg of Western Washington University unveils the work of the Asian American Curriculum and Research Project, detailing outrages afflicting immigrants in Washington State.
Audio and video options are available. To listen to this lecture, scroll to "Paul Englesberg's Presentation Audio" or "Paul Englesberg's Presentation Video"; and select either, according to your needs.
Eric Arnesen, Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Chicago addresses the interplay between the African-American experience between Reconstruction and the Great Migration, the U.S. Constitution, and shifting democratic ideals.
Video and audio options are available.
According to Constitutional Connections, "Athan Theoharis, Professor Emeritus of History at Marquette University, draws from his expertise in FBI history to paint the story of federal surveillance policy during the Cold War. He guides listeners through a reading of case study documents that reveal central threads of the story but also speak to the challenges of studying history. Speaking of the Patriot Act, Theoharis discusses ways in which the Cold War story has contemporary resonance."
To listen to this lecture, select the second link under either "Presentation Audio" or "Presentation Video."