President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22nd, 1862. It ordered the emancipation of all slaves in any Confederate state that did not return to the Union by January 1st, 1863. No Confederate states returned, and Lincoln signed and issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Professor George Forgie discusses the evolution of Lincoln’s thinking on slavery, and the political and legal factors Lincoln considered when issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. This class is from the University of Texas at Austin.

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John Dewey (1859-1952) was a leader in the Progressive Era reform movement in education, and his writings on education are still considered influential to this day. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor Wilfred McClay examines the life and writings of John Dewey, with a focus on Dewey’s work in education.

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Professor Robert Johnston and his class examine the 1890s American Populist movement. The discussion centers on Charles Postel’s book, “The Populist Vision,” which follows the Populist movement from the rise of the Farmer’s Alliance to its transformation into the People’s Party. This class took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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In 19th century America, east coast port cities such as Boston, New York and Baltimore matured and grew in population and industry. With the building of railroads and the creation of canals that linked up waterways, westward expansion took hold, establishing new cities like St. Louis and Chicago. In this program, Professor Alan Lessoff looks at the growth of U.S. cities in the 19th century. The class took place at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.

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In 1772, George Washington purchased a house in Fredericksburg, Virginia, for his mother -- Mary Washington -- who spent the final 17 years of her life there. Professor Michael Spencer discusses the historic preservation efforts that the Mary Washington House has undergone in the past century. He also explains ways to detect the age of a structure, as well as how to dissect the progression of work done over time. This class took place at the University of Mary Washington.
 

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Professor Robert Rydell of Montana State University examines the history of eugenics in early 20th century America. Eugenics is a science that advocates improving the hereditary qualities of a race through controlled mating. Professor Rydell talks about some of the eugenics studies and experiments that took place in the U.S., as well as eugenics-based forced sterilization laws passed by several states that targeted the "feebleminded."

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Professor Robert Watson of Lynn University discusses the 1824 and 1828 elections, which resulted in victories for John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson - respectively the sixth and seventh Presidents of the United States. According to Professor Watson, these two elections were among the most important - and scandalous - in American history.

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Professor Douglas Bradburn of Binghamton University in New York looks at the development of American politics in the 18th century. Professor Bradburn examines why Colonial America was unsuccessful in duplicating the British political system, and instead devised its own style of politics. Binghamton University is part of the State University of New York system.

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Professor Howard Brick of the University of Michigan examines the Black Power Movement in the 1960s. While the Civil Rights Movement led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sought equality through non-violent civil disobedience, an emerging Black Power Movement in the mid-1960s -- guided variously by Malcolm X, Stokley Carmichael and the leaders of the Black Panther Party -- sought change through black nationalism and separatism. Professor Brick explores the roots and causes for this transformation in the struggle for African American equality.
 

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History professor Matthew O’Brien looks at the causes, major battles and repercussions of World War II. Professor O’Brien examines Hitler’s advance through Europe and Winston Churchill’s strategy to fight the Nazis. Also discussed are the failing of the Soviet Union’s non-aggression pact with Germany, and the eventual full participation of the United States in the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This class took place at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.

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