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Friends, Rivals and Patriots: The Presidencies of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
- Dates: Mondays, Oct. 6, 13, 20 & 27
- Time: 10:30-Noon ET
- This set of 4 lectures examines the lives and presidencies of John Adams (1797-1801) and Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) with special attention to their extraordinary contributions to the revolutionary cause and the starkly different strengths and weaknesses they each brought to the White House as president. They each helped shape the executive branch in important ways even as nascent political parties emerged to both challenge and support their policies. These times were critical chapters in the creation of our constitutional system.
Frederick the Great and the Rise of Prussia
- Dates: Fridays, Oct 3, 10, 24 & 31
- Time: 10:30-Noon ET
- This set of 4 lectures examines the origins of the Hohenzollern dynasty as they turned the duchy of Brandenburg-Prussia, a Baltic backwater in 1600, into one of the great powers of Europe by the middle of the 18th century. We will study the extraordinary vision of Frederick Wilhem “The Great Elector” (1620-1688) as he broke with the Holy Roman Empire and built a fully independent state as well as the rule of one of Europe’s most dynamic kings, Frederick the Great (1712 - 1786).
From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra: Egypt, Greece and the Rule of the Ptolemies
From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra: Egypt, Greece and the Rule of the Ptolemies
- Dates: Thursdays, Oct. 2, 9, 16 & 23
- Time: 1:00-2:30 PM ET
- This set of four lectures explores the last great ages of an independent Egypt in ancient times, a period marked by astonishing changes but remarkable continuities as well. With the Late Period and Alexander the Great’s invasion of Egypt in 332 BC, the Egyptian ruling class was replaced by the Greek general Ptolemy, his heirs and Greek elites. What followed was a unique mixture of Greek and Egyptian cultures, one that led to a dynamic cultural efflorescence only to collapse in Egypt’s ultimate clash with Caesar and the Romans in the time of Cleopatra.