24
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
1433—The Great Voyages of Admiral Zheng He
Explore the idea of modernity and define “turning point.” Then, consider why Chinese admiral Zheng He’s voyages promoting the power of China’s authority did not continue as part of a larger campaign of discovery—and what the consequences might have been had he reached the Americas.
1.
1433—The Great Voyages of Admiral Zheng He
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13.
1859—Darwin and the Origin of Species
Discover how a simple observation inspired Darwin’s theories of evolution and natural selection, and why his Origin of Species was eagerly accepted by much of Victorian society. Then, look at how the Nazis and others distorted Darwin’s ideas.
13.
1859—Darwin and the Origin of Species
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2.
1453—The Fall of Constantinople
Although many educated people think they know about the fall of the Roman Empire, Professor Liulevicius says the end actually happened 1,000 years later with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. Delve deeper into this event and learn the trauma the loss created for Europeans.
2.
1453—The Fall of Constantinople
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14.
1869—Binding Continents
In 1869, two events connected the world through modern technology, giving science vast significance as a source of authority. Learn how the building of the Transcontinental Railroad in the United States and the Suez Canal in Egypt revolutionized the way people perceived space and time.
14.
1869—Binding Continents
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3.
1455—Gutenberg’s Print Revolution
Trace how Johannes Gutenberg’s introduction of a press with movable type sparked a print revolution, becoming a key factor in the Protestant Reformation, the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the standardization of vernacular languages.
3.
1455—Gutenberg’s Print Revolution
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15.
1893—First Women Voters in New Zealand
Follow the fight for women’s suffrage in New Zealand and America, as two global trends—the demand for women’s political voice and the growth of settler societies—intersected.
15.
1893—First Women Voters in New Zealand
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4.
1492—The Columbian Exchange
Without intending to, Christopher Columbus’s search for Asia initiated an event that has been called the most important historical turning point of modern times. Investigate how Columbus’s encounter with the Americas brought distant peoples together politically, culturally, and environmentally in ways that were simultaneously productive and deeply destructive.
4.
1492—The Columbian Exchange
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16.
1896—The Invention of Motion Pictures
Motion pictures revolutionized people’s view of the world. Survey early movie culture, along with the contributions of Thomas Edison, Georges Méliès, and others, then see how the medium became “weaponized” by Bolsheviks in Russia and Nazis in Germany.
16.
1896—The Invention of Motion Pictures
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5.
1600—The British East India Company
The English and Dutch East India companies coexisted in the Spice Islands as they worked to outflank the Portuguese, but their rivalry soon escalated into war. Examine the founding and meteoric growth of the East India Company and the violence that ultimately led Britain to establish an empire on which the sun never set.
5.
1600—The British East India Company
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17.
1903—Kitty Hawk and Powered Flight
Witness the dawning of the air age and meet the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers, and others who brought humanity’s dream of flying to fruition. Then, explore how aviation shaped the experience of modernity, from the relative ease of travel to the stark reality of “total warfare.”
17.
1903—Kitty Hawk and Powered Flight
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6.
1648—The Treaty of Westphalia
The Thirty Years War involved some million soldiers and mass civilian casualties. Explore the significance of the Peace of Westphalia, the settlement that ended the war in 1648—a vital turning point that still shapes how international politics are handled.
6.
1648—The Treaty of Westphalia
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18.
1904—The Russo-Japanese War
To the world’s surprise, Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. Learn how this conflict fought with industrialized weapons reconfigured world politics by igniting the process of global decolonization, establishing Japan as a great power, and setting the stage for two world wars.
18.
1904—The Russo-Japanese War
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7.
1676—Van Leeuwenhoek’s Microscope
Trace how Anton van Leeuwenhoek’s striking discovery fit into the larger Scientific Revolution and shifted intellectual authority from classic texts to that which is observable and measurable.
7.
1676—Van Leeuwenhoek’s Microscope
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19.
1928—The Discovery of Penicillin
The advance of antibiotics occurred amid the larger context of the development of germ theory. Trace how scientists’ understanding of the mechanisms of infection and disease evolved during the 19th century—and see how Alexander Fleming stumbled upon his life-saving discovery.
19.
1928—The Discovery of Penicillin
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8.
1751—Diderot’s Enlightenment Encyclopedia
The Encyclopédie was the most ambitious reference work and publishing project of its time. Discover how the editors made knowledge accessible to a mass audience and championed the Enlightenment’s progressive, secular message, despite fierce opposition from the Catholic Church.
8.
1751—Diderot’s Enlightenment Encyclopedia
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20.
1942—The Dawn of the Atom
When German physicists split the atom, Albert Einstein warned President Roosevelt of the potential for “extremely powerful bombs of a new type.” Chart the course of the nuclear bomb from this letter through the first nuclear chain reaction led by physicist Enrico Fermi, the Manhattan Project, and devastation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
20.
1942—The Dawn of the Atom
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9.
1787—The American Experiment
Learn how America’s founders established a model of a republic through debate, compromise, separation of powers, and a flexible Constitution.
9.
1787—The American Experiment
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21.
1969—Walking on the Moon
The moon landing expanded humanity’s sense of the possible. Learn how the space program grew out of advances in rocketry during World War II and advanced rapidly due to cold war paranoia exacerbated by the launch of Sputnik.
21.
1969—Walking on the Moon
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10.
1789—The French Revolution
How did France’s fight for liberation from royal authority lead to Napoleon’s rise and even greater despotism? Contrast events in America with those in France to see how attempts at creating modern republics radically diverged.
10.
1789—The French Revolution
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22.
1972—China Enters the World Balance
Nixon’s meeting with Mao shifted the cold war’s balance and returned China to the world stage. Learn the reasons for Nixon’s trip, the consequences of which still reverberate, and plot the rise of Mao and communism in China. Then, see how Deng Xiaoping’s promotion of private enterprise began a trajectory of growth that continues.
22.
1972—China Enters the World Balance
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11.
1838—The British Slavery Abolition Act
Confront the harsh realities of the African slave trade and consider the role social mobilization played in eradicating the institution across the British Empire.
11.
1838—The British Slavery Abolition Act
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23.
1989—The Fall of the Berlin Wall
How did a bureaucratic blunder by a Politburo member lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall? Find out as you examine the surprisingly peaceful collapse of the Soviet Union and Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe.
23.
1989—The Fall of the Berlin Wall
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12.
1839—The Opium War in China
Delve into the causes, conflicts, and consequences of the Opium Wars, in which China was psychologically devastated and subjugated by British imperialism.
12.
1839—The Opium War in China
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24.
2004—The Rise of Social Media
Are the Web and social media making us more globally connected or locking us into niche societies and creating an epidemic of loneliness? Probe both the power and the perils of the Internet—from aiding popular uprisings to rewiring our brains.
24.
2004—The Rise of Social Media
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24
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Religious Toleration in Colonial America?
Learn the key elements of a broadened approach to the study of history with this fast-moving examination of the origins of religious and racial tolerance in America. Grasp how the assumptions you’ve long held can differ dramatically from historical reality.
1.
Religious Toleration in Colonial America?
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13.
Myths about American Isolation and Empire
Was the United States ever as isolationist and opposed to imperialism as is commonly believed? Explore the myth and reality surrounding our historical self-image and learn how America’s expansionist history might appear from the perspectives of other nations.
13.
Myths about American Isolation and Empire
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2.
Neither American nor Revolutionary?
Continue this new approach to understanding history with a look at efforts of the colonists to defend their “rights as Englishmen” and the ironic role played by European tyrannies in helping establish the nation that would forever change the definition of liberty.
2.
Neither American nor Revolutionary?
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14.
Early Progressives Were Not Liberals
Many liberals see the roots of their philosophy in progressivism, but this is misleading. Learn how progressivism also included many ideas—such as eugenics, limits on free speech, and restrictions on immigration—that would have outraged modern liberals.
14.
Early Progressives Were Not Liberals
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3.
The Constitution Did Not Create a Democracy
Gain a nuanced understanding of what the Founders’ “original intent” really was and how so many of the questions they grappled with divided them for their entire lives—ultimately being bequeathed to their successors and persisting even to this day.
3.
The Constitution Did Not Create a Democracy
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15.
Woodrow Wilson and the Rating of Presidents
How, exactly, should past presidents be judged? A provocative examination of Woodrow Wilson’s presidency—judged a great success by some and a profound failure by others—provides an opportunity to explore the broader issues of presidential ratings in general.
15.
Woodrow Wilson and the Rating of Presidents
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4.
Washington—Failures and Real Accomplishments
Set aside the hagiography that helped shape George Washington’s image and undertake a balanced examination that measures his military and presidential failings against his numerous successes. See how some of the least known of those successes may have been his most important contributions to American history.
4.
Washington—Failures and Real Accomplishments
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16.
The Roaring Twenties Reconsidered
Were the 1920s really a return to isolationism and the values of the late 19th century? Uncover a decade far more complex than is generally believed, as you learn how much of the change begun during the progressive era continued—in many ways setting the stage for contemporary America.
16.
The Roaring Twenties Reconsidered
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5.
Confusions about Jefferson and Hamilton
Jefferson and Hamilton held sharply differing views on policy and constitutional interpretation. Learn how their conflict—often thought of in terms of our contemporary understanding of liberalism and conservatism—is actually relevant to us in very different ways from those we imagine.
5.
Confusions about Jefferson and Hamilton
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17.
Hoover and the Great Depression Revisited
Herbert Hoover came to the White House regarded as both a skilled manager and great humanitarian, yet left the presidency perceived as just the opposite. Gain an understanding of how this could happen through a detailed examination of both his forgotten accomplishments and his often misunderstood failures.
17.
Hoover and the Great Depression Revisited
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6.
Andrew Jackson—An Odd Symbol of Democracy
Andrew Jackson’s election ushered in an era marked by much democratic reform. Ironically, as you’ll learn, the man who would be seen as the symbol of such reform actually opposed much of it and championed many policies that few today would call democratic.
6.
Andrew Jackson—An Odd Symbol of Democracy
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18.
What Did Roosevelt’s New Deal Really Do?
FDR was simultaneously one of the most beloved and most hated of U.S. presidents. Explore what the New Deal attempted and accomplished—as well as its intended and unintended consequences—as you grasp its role in creating the economic and political systems of today’s America.
18.
What Did Roosevelt’s New Deal Really Do?
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7.
The Second Great Awakening—Enduring Impacts
Grasp how the links between religion and politics that today inspire such powerful positive and negative emotions are nothing new. See how issues born out of the 19th-century’s evangelical upheaval—from prison reform to women’s suffrage—still engage us today.
7.
The Second Great Awakening—Enduring Impacts
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19.
World War II Misconceptions and Myths
Is our understanding of “the Good War” correct? Grasp how our reliance on a national mythology makes for not only inaccurate history but a misconceived future because of the long-term effects that myths about the war have had on American policy since 1945.
19.
World War II Misconceptions and Myths
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8.
Did Slavery Really Cause the Civil War?
By analyzing this question and the different answers posed by generations of historians, you begin to understand “historiography”—the study of the writing of history—and take a key step in your understanding of history itself.
8.
Did Slavery Really Cause the Civil War?
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20.
Was the Cold War Inevitable?
Professor Stoler holds that the cold war was not necessarily destined to happen. In this lecture, he leads you in an analysis of why it took place and lasted so long, with examination along the way of several additional myths regarding this long and dangerous Soviet-American conflict.
20.
Was the Cold War Inevitable?
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9.
The Civil War’s Actual Turning Points
Discover how perceptions of Gettysburg as the Civil War’s “turning point” are inaccurate. Here, examine three battles that were arguably more important and gain new insights into what determines—in any war—how meaningful a battle really was.
9.
The Civil War’s Actual Turning Points
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21.
The Real Blunders of the Vietnam War
Why did America fail in Vietnam? Was it flawed military strategy? Political micromanagement? America’s domestic antiwar movement? You not only learn the answer to this fundamental question, but you also gain a more nuanced understanding of why the debate has raged to this day.
21.
The Real Blunders of the Vietnam War
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10.
The Myth of Laissez-Faire
The great age of post–Civil War industrialization and the enormous levels of national and personal wealth it generated (for some) have often been attributed to a governmental attitude of “hands-off” toward business. Discover that such an attitude did not exist in the United States and that, in fact, it never had.
10.
The Myth of Laissez-Faire
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22.
Myths about American Wars
Vietnam is far from America’s only misunderstood war. This lecture delves into the common myths and misunderstandings shared by many Americans about why the nation’s wars have been fought and how the results have been judged.
22.
Myths about American Wars
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11.
Misconceptions about the Original Populists
Is a reference to someone as a “populist” praise or criticism? Does it have any reference to where a person stands on the political spectrum? This lecture analyzes the nation’s original populist movement and what links—if any—it has to contemporary namesakes.
11.
Misconceptions about the Original Populists
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23.
Who Matters in American History?
Who in history do we choose to remember, and why? Take in the extraordinary accomplishments of several Americans—including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and George C. Marshall—whose achievements and influence may well have exceeded those of many of the great figures more vividly remembered.
23.
Who Matters in American History?
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12.
Labor in America—A Strange History
Although often seen as a dramatic reversal of historical government support for labor, today’s efforts to scale back collective bargaining rights are actually a reassertion of policy with a long precedent. Learn that the pro-union policies of the New Deal represent the real break with the past.
12.
Labor in America—A Strange History
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24.
History Did Not Begin with Us
Conclude the course with an appreciation that history did not begin with the events of our own lifetime. Explore the antecedents of the civil rights, antiwar, and women’s rights movements and the tendency to pronounce any era’s major technological advances as the most important in history
24.
History Did Not Begin with Us
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