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- Dates: Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19 & 26
- Time: 10:30 - Noon ET
- This four-lecture series explores the turbulent and often unsettling history of American elections — not just how we vote, but how power has shaped, distorted, and repeatedly redefined the vote itself. From the founding in 1789, political leaders have fought to mold the electorate, manipulate election laws, and bend the machinery of democracy to their advantage. The 19th century witnessed a raw and brazen era of ballot stuffing, party bosses, machine politics, and widespread disenfranchisement — a “golden age” of election manipulation that tested the very meaning of republican government. The 20th century brought reform, regulation, and hard-won expansions of the franchise, especially for ethnic and racial minorities. Yet the story did not end in triumph. In the 21st century, new technologies, new legal battles, and renewed partisan warfare have once again placed the fundamentals of American voting under strain. Join us for a sweeping examination of how Americans have fought over who counts, who decides, and what democracy truly means.
- Dates: Mondays, March 2, 9, 16 & 23
- Time: 10:30 - Noon ET
- This set of four lectures explores the complex, controversial, and long-underestimated presidency of James K. Polk (1845–1849). Long relegated to the back row of the presidential pantheon, he has recently emerged as one of the most consequential chief executives of the 19th century. Entering office in 1845, he was committed to acquiring Oregon, California, and Texas—and to doing it in a single term. Yet his intense drive and calculated manipulation of even his allies made him many enemies and deeply shaped the defining event of his presidency: the Mexican-American War, which we will examine from U.S., Mexican, and Native American perspectives. Ultimately, Polk added more territory to the United States than came with the Louisiana Purchase, but his legacy faded from memory. Explore his path from triumph in 1848 to history’s dustbin — and back.
- Dates: Mondays, March 2, 9, 16 & 23
- Time: 1:00 - 2:00PM ET
- With the arrival of sound, movies became a dazzling showcase for singers and dancers, launching a golden age of Hollywood musicals. This four-lecture series explores the remarkable wave of talent that emerged in the 1930s and 1940s. We will highlight legendary vocal stars such as Bing Crosby, Jeanette MacDonald, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Doris Day, alongside extraordinary dancers including Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell, and Ann Miller. Together, their artistry blended music, movement, and storytelling in unforgettable ways. This series invites you to rediscover how these performers shaped Hollywood’s musical legacy and created movie magic that continues to enchant audiences today.
- Dates: Fridays, March 6, 13, 20 & 27
- Time: 10:30-Noon ET
- Between 1750 and 1900, Europe experienced a transformation that reshaped everyday life and laid the foundations of the modern world. Societies long rooted in agriculture were upended by machines, factories, and fast-growing cities. Driven by changes in land use, global trade, colonial wealth, and new systems of finance, the Industrial Revolution altered how people worked, lived, and understood their place in society. This course traces that change from the English countryside to the industrial cities of Britain and beyond, propelling change in work, family life, gender roles, politics, and technology. A new world emerged, one that brought new opportunities for some, but profound hardship, inequality, social upheaval, and war for many others.