Lectures in History

University of Alabama professor Lesley Gordon taught a class about the Reconstruction Era South and the "Lost Cause" myth. She discussed how "states' rights" were commonly cited as a cause for the Civil War as well as the legacy of Confederate statues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State University professor Margaret Newell teaches a class about state sovereignty during the early republic and examines three examples of state constitutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black Hills State University professor Thomas Weyant teaches a class about Native American treaties and interactions with the federal government during the 19th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aquinas College professor John Pinheiro, teaches a class about the Mexican-American War during the late 1840s. Professor Pinheiro is the author of "Manifest Ambition: James K. Polk and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexican War." Aquinas College is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notre Dame University professor Laurel Daen teaches a class about how disability was defined after the American Revolution and how federal laws impacted disabled people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Mason University professor John Nye teaches a class about the economic history of the Industrial Revolution in the United States and Great Britain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saint Vincent College professor Timothy Kelly teaches a class about the New Deal Community of Norvelt in Pennsylvania. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor University professor Benjamin Wetzel teaches a class on Theodore Roosevelt's life and political career. He looks at Roosevelt's rise in New York politics, his presidency, and his international explorations post-presidency.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evergreen State College professor Bradley Proctor teaches a class about how the end of the Cold War impacted American youth culture in the 1990s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas Christian University professor Steven Woodworth teaches a class about Civil War life on the home front and battles fought in Virginia in the critical year of 1864. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Carl Abrams talked about American culture during the Great Depression era. He described changes to family life, the role of religion, and the rise of Hollywood films. He also spoke about the creation and legacy of New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and Social Security.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Ladies from Lady Bird Johnson to Melania Trump talked about the role of the First Lady, their time in the White House, and the issues important to them. This week, check out C-SPAN's latest podcast, First Ladies: In Their Own Words. To find future episodes, find it wherever you listen to podcasts. And follow so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

Professor Karen Rader talked about mid-20th century educational films used to teach students about nuclear warfare and science. During the Cold War, policymakers feared the U.S. population was falling behind the Soviet Union in science education. The class included a look at animated programs created by noted Hollywood director Frank Capra in the 1950s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

University of Minnesota Professor Saje Mathieu taught a class about “neutrality” and what that concept meant in World War I America. She explained how neutrality did not mean inactivity, as the U.S. sold materials to both the Allied and Central Powers, helping both sides continue the fight. She also talked about how the U.S. viewed itself as the defender of democracy and sought to police certain n...

Emory University professor Carol Anderson taught a class about efforts in the early 1960s to register African American voters in Mississippi. She described some of the leaders of the movement, their tactics, and the opposition they faced from segregationists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American University professor Joseph Campbell teaches a class about the 1972 Watergate scandal and, what he calls, “the myth of heroic journalism.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Charleston, South Carolina Mayor Joseph Riley and professor Kerry Taylor co-teach a course at The Citadel military college looking at why a new African American history museum is being built in the city. They're joined by former South Carolina representative Bakari Sellers who talks about African American history in the state and his own political career. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Suffolk University professor Kathryn Lasdow taught a class on politics and culture in the United States from 1800 through the 1830s. She described how the country changed during the period between the presidency of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Penn State professor Rachel Shelden teaches a class on how the Civil War tested the limits of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Messiah College professor John Fea teaches a class on the 18th-century enlightenment movement, which included natural rights, reason, and self-improvement principles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

St. Joseph’s University professor Katherine Sibley teaches a class about African American women who were writers and artists during the early Civil Rights era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Natalia Mehlman Petrzela of the New School taught a class about the 1980s fitness industry and culture in the United States. She talked about new business models for group classes like Jazzercise, as well as about career opportunities for people who otherwise might only have had the option of being physical education teachers. This class was taught online due to the coronavirus pandemic...

Iowa State University Professor Pamela Riney-Kehrberg taught a class on food during the Great Depression. She described the ways families tried to stretch their money and food supply, often by gardening, buying cheap ingredients, and eating the same thing over and over.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Southern Utah University professor Laura June Davis teaches a class about Civil War naval warfare. She highlights instances of guerrilla attacks on U.S waterways and describes pro-Confederate sympathizers who sabotaged Union vessels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Charleston, South Carolina Mayor Joseph Riley and professor Kerry Taylor co-taught a course at The Citadel military college looking at why a new African American history museum is being built in the city. They were joined by Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) who talks about his role as the Steering Committee Chairman for the museum. Rep. Clyburn also described his time as a social studies teacher i...