TAH is happy to announce the upcoming launch of a new podcast, In Their Words, which will be a twice-monthly program consisting of interviews with teachers in the TAH network. In each episode we'll discuss the use of original documents and will offer ideas about how to use them with students. Jeremy Gypton and Ray Tyler, Teacher Program Managers, will conduct these interviews and each episode will include links to the documents mentioned. This podcast, formally launching on 14 October 2020,...

On 23 SEP 20 we looked at James Madison's Speech on the Amendments to the Constitution, from 8 June 1789, wherein the "Father of the Constitution" adds, some scholars would argue, "Father of the Bill of Rights" to his titles. Panelists: Dr. John Moser, Ashland University Dr. David Alvis, Wofford College Dr. Jeremy Bailey, University of Houston Register Here The post Documents in Detail: Madison’s Speech on the Amendments to the Constitution appeared first on Teaching American History.

TAH.org's last of a three-episode series on pivotal presidential elections, tonight's focus was Ronald Reagan and the Election of 1980. Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, discussed the election and its legacy with Dr. Chris Burkett, also of Ashland University. Suggested Readings: Acceptance Speech 1980 Democratic Convention, Jimmy Carter, 14 AUG 1980 Crisis of Confidence Speech, Jimmy Carter, 15 July 1979 A Time...

Why are both these documents essential to establishing and, hopefully, contributing to the maintenance of the American constitutional system of government? How do they work with one another, and why were they not created together? Explore these and other questions about two of the most foundational documents of the American republic, through the experience and vision of Dr. Gordon Lloyd, expert on the Constitutional Convention and the American Founding. This free webinar aired live on 12...

Our first Saturday Webinar for the 20-21 school year, and also the first in our Fall series, Enduring American Questions. In this 75-minute episode, we will explore the question of whether the American Revolution, or perhaps 'The War for American Independence," was a revolution. What were its roots and how do they compare to those of other revolutions of the era, and since? What did Americans of the time seek to accomplish, and why? This episode will delve into political and historical...

If you missed our partner webinar with the Missouri Humanities Council, on 11 August 2020, you can watch the archive here, and access the readings set aside for this program.P Subscribe to our podcast: At iTunes Via the RSS Feed Panelists: Dr. Jeff Sikkenga and Dr. Jason Stevens Republican Party Platform of 1860 Democratic Party Platform of 1860 South Carolina’s Declaration of the Causes of Secession, 24 DEC 1860 Farewell Speech, Abraham Lincoln, 11 FEB 1861 Speech at Independence Hall,...

Join us for the first Documents in Detail webinar of the 20-21 school year, and also the first in our last year of 'Selections from the 50 Core Documents' as a series focus. In this episode we will delve into the meaning, rhetoric, and legacy of Brutus II, one of the most important Anti-federalist writings from 1787-88. This episode aired live on Wednesday, 19 AUG 2020, at 7pm ET. Panelists: Dr. John Moser, Ashland University Dr. Jason Jividen, Saint Vincent College Dr. Adam Seagrave, Arizona...

The first in our three-episode series of webinars about Presidential Elections and Campaigns, this episode focused on the tumultuous election of 1800, wherein John Adams was eventually defeated by Thomas Jefferson, resulting in the first partisan exchange of power in America. Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, discussed the election and what we can learn from it with Dr. Cara Rogers, of Ashland University....

Ashbrook and TeachingAmericanHistory presented  another special webinar, this time about Operation OVERLORD, more widely known as D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, and the liberation of Europe that it led to. Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, discussed the invasion and its place in WW2 and history with Dr. John Moser of Ashland University. Suggested Readings: Fuhrer Directive 51, Adolf Hitler, 3 November 1943...

Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center interviewed Dr. Jennifer Keene of Chapman University on 20 May 2020, focusing on the lives, ideas, and contributions of Henry Ford and Madam CJ Walker, heroes of American Business. Suggested Readings: Henry Ford's Five-Day Week, The Library Digest, 29 April 1922 My Life and Work (Chapter 4, 5, and 8), Henry Ford, 1922 Henry Ford Sociology Department Collection of Primary...

Join Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center on 6 May 2020 at 1pm ET for this free webinar, focusing on, among others, Abigail Adams, a Hero of the American Founding. Dr. Sikkenga will be joined by Dr. Natalie Taylor of Skidmore College. All attendees will be provided with access to primary source readings before each episode airs, and will be emailed a printable certificate to account for continuing education....

Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center interviewed Dr. Eric Pullin of Carthage College on 27 May 2020, focusing on Clara Barton and Jonas Salk. Suggested Readings: "Angel of the Battlefield," Hartford Courant, 26 November 1862 "The Red Cross of the Geneva Convention: What It Is," Clara Barton, 1878 Notes on Antietam, Clara Barton, 1890 "The Women Who Went to the Field," Clara Barton, 1892 "Polio Cases and Death...

Join Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center on 13 May 2020 at 1pm ET for this free webinar, focusing on Ulysses S. Grant and Robert Gould Shaw. He will be joined by Dr. Dan Monroe of Millikin University. Suggested Readings: Proclamation on Enforcement of the 14th Amendment, U.S. Grant, 3 May 1871 Letter to D.H. Chamberlain, U.S. Grant, 26 July 1876 Recollections of the War, U.S. Grant, 1885 A Speech at the...

Examine the role of religion and religious activity during times of crisis through a series of historical case studies. Join Dr. Jeff Sikkenga of Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center as he discusses these topics with Professor Melissa M. Matthes of the United States Coast Guard Academy. This special program, the last in our "Insights from History" series, aired at 1pm ET on Wednesday, 29 April. Suggested readings: The Babylonian Exile and the Love of God, Pastor...

The fifth episode in our "Insights from History" webinar series, hosted by Dr. Jeff Sikkenga of Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, will feature Dr. Lauren Hall of the Rochester Institute of Technology. They discussed how the American family has reacted to and been shaped by times of national crisis. This special webinar took place at 1pm on Wednesday, 22 April. Suggested readings: Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 July 1777 The Influence of Democracy...

The story is one of the most familiar in American history. Though shrouded in myth, the details are well-known. In the overnight hours of April 18-19, 1775, British regulars staggered from their bunks, donned their red wool uniforms, were rowed across the Charles River, and marched through the Massachusetts countryside. Their goal was the destruction of military supplies believed hidden in Concord by the colonial militia. With a little luck, the British also hoped to arrest two of the nascent...

As the current Coronavirus situation has continued, we are now faced with growing questions about our civil liberties. We are thinking again about the actions the government can legitimately take in restricting the freedom of American citizens in a time of crisis. For example, when and how much can the government restrict your freedom of movement, speech, religion, or carrying on a business? Can the government even force you to be vaccinated? To gain some historical insight on these and many...

Herbert Hoover's Speech on the New Deal (1932) was the focus of the 13 May 2020 Documents in Detail webinar. Panelists John Moser, Ashland University Joseph Postell, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs Abbylin Sellers, Azusa Pacific University iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS The post Documents in Detail: Herbert Hoover’s Speech on the New Deal appeared first on Teaching American History.

Join Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, and Dr. Steven Hayward as they discuss the economic aspects of national crisis, especially the effect of government responses to economic emergencies. Suggested Readings: National Industrial Recovery Act (excerpts), 1933 Executive Order 11615, Richard Nixon, 15 AUG 1971 Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Address, 20 JAN 1981 This program will take place on 8 April, at 1pm...

Live show aired at 11am, Saturday, 2 May 2020, exploring the life, letters, and legacy of the great Ralph Ellison. Readings In a Strange Country, Ralph Ellison, 1944 Prologue to Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, 1952 "What America Would Be Like Without Blacks," Ralph Ellison, 1970 Panelists Chris Burkett, Ashland University Lucas Morel, Washington and Lee University Kathleen Pfeiffer, Oakland University   iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS The post Saturday Webinar: Ralph Ellison appeared first...

History can give us real insight into the problems that face America. In this webinar, we explored several good and bad examples of presidents in times of crisis, hoping to see the qualities and actions that distinguish presidential leadership at its best. Speakers for this program were Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, of Ashland University, and Dr. Stephen Knott, of the United States Naval War College. This special webinar took place on Wednesday, 1 April 2020, at 1pm Eastern Time. All attendees were...

Julia Fuette, 2012 graduate of our MAHG program, took some time to talk with Jeremy Gypton, Teacher Programs Manager, about her experience with and perspectives on teaching online. Formerly a traditional classroom social studies teacher, Julia now teaches fully online, in both synchronous and asynchronous formats. This 33-minute interview has some excellent advice in it, from how to conduct direction instruction to managing and fostering deep discussions, what you can get out of various...

TAH provided a special week-day webinar on a timely topic for teachers of history and government: the 1918 Flu Pandemic. Beginning during the last months of World War 1, a new strain of the H1N1 virus  infected over 500 million people worldwide and led to at least 50 million deaths. It spread as far as remote Pacific Islands and even the Arctic, leaving deep scars on societies and individuals. Teaching American History felt that learning about this pandemic of a century ago may give us a...

Calvin Coolidge's Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was the focus of the 22 APR 2020 Documents in Detail webinar. Panelists John Moser, Ashland University Greg Schneider, Emporia University Rob McDonald, United States Military Academy iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS The post Documents in Detail: Calvin Coolidge’s Speech on the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence appeared first on Teaching American History.