Remote Instructor   

There is probably no more iconic national memorial than the four faces carved into the rocky granite face of Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. Created by Danish American sculptor Gutzon Borglum between 1927 and 1941, the site hosts over two million visitors annually.

But many of those who gaze up at the huge stone faces are unaware of its surprising history. In fact, the original idea of the monument was to honor Lewis and Clark, Buffalo Bill, and the Indian Chief Red Cloud, not American Presidents. Nor are most visitors aware that they are viewing an unfinished monument- a project abandoned at the dawn of World War II. Learn these and other interesting facts about this monument to greatness. The instructor will be presenting remote.

What Americans eat has changed drastically in the past 100 years. Award-winning historian Allen Pietrobon will lead a visual journey through the culinary history of the United States during the past 100 years.

Explore watershed moments and crises, such as Prohibition, World War II and the urban riots of 1967-68, that radically changed how and what we eat. These moments had unintended consequences that flooded the American food landscape with cheaper, faster, and more highly-processed foods. The speaker will be presenting remote.

Native Americans are likely to be sidelined in the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States. In this talk, expert Colin Calloway will restore them to their central role in the coming and course of the Revolution, in the presidency of George Washington, and in the development of the new nation. He will be presenting remote.

At its outset in 2001, the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan had near-unanimous public support. The initial goals were straightforward and clear: defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off course and U.S. officials lost sight of their objectives.

Distracted by the war in Iraq, the U.S. military become mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict in a country it did not understand. But no president wanted to admit failure, especially in a war that began as a just cause. Instead, the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations sent more and more troops to Afghanistan and repeatedly said they were making progress, even though they knew there was no realistic prospect for an outright victory.

Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter for The Washington Post and the author of #1 New York Times bestselling book, The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War (Simon & Schuster: 2021).

For nearly a century, the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and the Crash of 1929 have stood as standards by which we measure all other financial manias and crises. And yet, the Jazz Age stock market was unique. Both the rate of increase in stock prices and the extent of public participation in the stock market were exceptional by historical standards. Ever since, commentators have reflected upon the 1920s stock market, contemplating questions of price, value, and valuation.

In this lecture presentation by Organization of American Historians Lecturer Dr. Julia Ott, Associate Professor of History at the New School in New York City, she explores these questions: Why do the prices of assets fluctuate? Where does financial value come from? Her re-examination of the Great Bull Market of the 1920s reveals how financial values emerge from – and remake – their political, institutional, and ideological context. Changes in popular saving practices and in beliefs about financial securities and markets spurred the stock market in the 1920s.

The federal government’s campaigns to sell war bonds to fund the First World War set these transformations in motion. Distributors of corporate stock echoed those war loan drives after Armistice as they issued newly-credible promises about the bright future that mass investment would secure: renewed citizenship, social mobility and stability, and the reconciliation of democracy and industrial corporate capitalism. As the decade wore on, stocks grew more desirable- and valuable- as utopian narratives about mass stock-ownership circulated and credit flowed. Dr. Ott will be presenting remotely.

A National Constitution Center museum educator will lead participants on a Live guided virtual tour of our newest exhibit that traces the triumphs and struggles that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

The tour will help individuals to better understand the long fight for women’s suffrage, and will also highlight some of the many women who transformed constitutional history—including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Ida B. Wells. Plus, viewers will get an up-close look at some of the one-of-a-kind artifacts on display, including a rare printing of the Declaration of Sentiments from the nation’s first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, a ballot box used to collect women’s votes in the late 1800s, Pennsylvania’s ratification copy of the 19th Amendment, as well as visually compelling “Votes for Women” ephemera. This is a remote presentation.

The Vietnam War left a lasting mark on the American psyche. It triggered budget deficits, ignited campus protests, and weakened U.S. influence abroad. Even decades after the final helicopter lifted off from Saigon, Americans remain divided over whether the war was justified or even winnable.

 Attend this remote presenter presentation to hear directly from the author as he explores the war’s complex legacy, enduring impact, and his use of recently declassified government archives in the US and UK to gain a fuller understanding of all aspects of the Vietnam War — political, military, economic, financial, and cultural.  Geoffrey Wawro is an eminent historian and author of seven books.  He is University Distinguished Research Professor and Founding Director of the Military History Center at the University of North Texas. He was previously Professor of Strategy & Policy and Professor of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island from 1996-2005. He has hosted multiple shows on History Channel, and appears regularly as an expert on History, Netflix, Discovery, and other outlets.

As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, take in panoramic views of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in this 60-minute interactive virtual tour led by 9/11 Memorial & Museum staff. Tours offer a deeper understanding of 9/11, the continuing significance of the attacks, and the stories and artifacts within this globally renowned institution. The tour will be offered via Zoom, with time for questions throughout.

Curious about how the son of Slovakian immigrants became a Pop Art superstar? Join an Artist Educator for an interactive virtual tour of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA. They will introduce Warhol’s life and career and explore highlights of the museum's permanent collection, including works of art, film, and archival objects. The Artist Educator will be presenting remote.
Credit: Photo by Abby Warhola.