Professor Lucas E. Morel examines the interrelationship of political decisions and pressures, westward expansion, and the issue of slavery in the antebellum U.S. and how these forces combined to lead to the Civil War. This lecture continues from the lecture "Slavery, Antebellum Politics, and Westward Expansion, Part One."

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session five, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.

Professor Lucas E. Morel examines the interrelationship of political decisions and pressures, westward expansion, and the issue of slavery in the antebellum U.S. and how these forces combined to lead to the Civil War.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session four, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.

Professor David Tucker examines the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, its perception throughout history, and its impact on the course of American history. Tucker particularly looks at the Emancipation Proclamation and what it reveals about Lincoln and his intentions as president.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session seven, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.

Professor John Moser compares and contrasts the presidencies of Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, looking at how they are perceived today and why they are perceived in this way.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session four, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.

Professor John Moser looks at the presidencies of William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson. Moser begins with a general discussion of the "character" of presidents and what qualities presidents have been perceived as possessing or lacking.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session two, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.

This lecture chronicles Samuel Clemens's travels to Nevada and California from his home state of Mississippi, beginning in 1861. At this time, Clemens was an out-of-work river pilot; the lecture follows his development into the famous writer he would become and includes readings from fragments of his writing recovered from Civil-War-era journals and newspapers.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to "Heaven on the Half-Shell: Mark Twain in California," and select "Listen to Broadcast."