Podcasts – Teaching American History

Professor Gordon Lloyd gave the attached address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as part of the commemoration of the 231st anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Professor Lloyd shared his vast knowledge of and keen insights on the American Founding, particularly the Constitutional Convention. In addition to using TAH.org's Constitutional Convention online exhibit, created by Prof. Lloyd, he also used the famous Howard Chandler Christy painting depicting the signing of the Constitution as a focus for his talk. Professor Lloyd also referred to the "Issues Debated" page within the Federalist-Antifederalist Debates exhibit, where the primary issues over which the two sides debated are compared and the most essential documents linked, and the origins of the Bill of Rights. Questions and answers begin at the 40-minute mark, and the primary program, therefore, ends at that point. The Q&A portion did include some very interesting questions, with some making connections between history and contemporary politics. You can watch the video of the presentation, with additional opening remarks , as well.   The post Constitution Day Lecture: “The Least Dangerous Branch” appeared first on Teaching American History.

Today's episode of Documents in Detail focused on excerpts from James Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 - the Constitutional Convention. James Madison was the only delegate to attend every day of the convention, and to take notes of all the proceedings, to include summaries of speeches and vote tallies throughout the proceedings. The Debates, published after his death, provide scholars, students, and those interested in American constitutional government an insider's view of the process by which the Constitution was considered, debated, and eventually signed, and then released to the states for ratification. An authoritative, contemporary edition of the Debates, edited and prefaced by Professor Gordon Lloyd, is available electronically and in print from Amazon. Access the full program archive here. iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS The post Documents in Detail: Madison’s Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 appeared first on Teaching American History.

"Reconstruction is one of these times in American History where you can learn the limits of what law can accomplish." TAH.org's latest Core American Documents volume, on Reconstruction, is now available. Composed of 31 documents, study questions, an introduction to the topic by Professor Scott Yenor, a thematic table of contents, and a list of suggested additional readings, this volume will greatly expand your understanding of this watershed moment in American History. Yenor's collection looks at the beginning, middle, and end of Reconstruction, going back to policies and plans implemented by the Lincoln administration during the early years of the war, and concluding with a speech by Frederick Douglass, the great abolitionist, as he looked back, decades later, on what had - and hadn't - been accomplished. The volume is available for free in PDF or iTunes eBook formats, or for $.99 on your Amazon Kindle, or $10 for paperback on Amazon. The post Core American Documents: Reconstruction appeared first on Teaching American History.

"...to bigotry no sanction..."  After receiving congratulations from people and groups from across America upon becoming the first president, George Washington took the time to respond to many of them, personally. In this letter to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport, RI, Washington not only expresses his personal thanks for the group's letter, but then goes on to present his thoughts on the centrality of freedom of conscience and religion in America, and why those liberties are so essential to a free people working within a republican-style government. This concise document presents a powerful defense of the American core value, that of the freedom of religion. https://s3.amazonaws.com/document-readings/GW+letter+podcast.mp3 The post Washington’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport: Full Reading appeared first on Teaching American History.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/tah-podcasts/18-18+podcasts/2018+09+08+Federalists+vs+Antifederalists.mp3 | Open Player in New Window Why read Federalist writings, and perhaps of even more interest, why read Antifederalist writings? The second of TAH.org’s Great American Debates webinar series took place on Saturday, 8 September. Our episode focused on the Federalist-Antifederalist Debates that took place most obviously from late 1787 through 1788, when the Constitution was being considered for ratification throughout the 13 states. Our program took a serious look at the ideas of both sides, considering them as ideas expressed and debated at the time, and looking at how some of these issues have been alive as points of contention throughout American history. For more information about the “out of doors” debates over the Constitution, take a look at our Ratification of the Constitution exhibit. See the full archive page here. iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS

James Madison authored a powerful defense of religious liberty while serving in the Virginia state government, arguing that there should be no tax collected to support any established - that is, state-supported - church or other religious group. Seen as one of the seminal discussions of the topic in American political thought and discourse, Madison's multi-point argument expressed both the belief that the mind is free, and that no man's conscience can be dictated by the state. Register for more Documents in Detail webinars. Access the full archive here. iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS And thanks to the U.S. Army Blues Band for providing their excellent music online for free use. The post Documents in Detail: James Madison’s Memorial and Remonstrance appeared first on Teaching American History.

TAH.org is doing a trial run of making recorded readings of essential original documents available online. These documents, selected from our library and various documents collections, are read verbatim from our collection, meaning that students can follow along, word-for-word. Each document will be preceded by a short introduction identifying the author, and providing some background information to help contextualize the piece. This first recording is of the Declaration of Independence, among the most important documents of the American Founding, but also of American political principles. Be sure to read Thomas Jefferson's original draft, from which several sections were deleted before it was accepted, most notable of which were Jefferson's comments on African slavery. Feel free to use this audio in any way you see fit, and let us know what you think by taking a moment to answer three survey questions. https://s3.amazonaws.com/document-readings/Declaration+of+Independence+Podcast.mp3 The post The Declaration of Independence: Full Reading appeared first on Teaching American History.

The 2018-19 season of TAH.org's Saturday Webinars got off to a great start on 18 August with our first episode, Patriots vs. Loyalists, in which our scholars dug deeply into the political, social, and economic rifts that grew between neighbors and even within families during the American War for Independence. Access the full program archive page here, and check out our podcast options below. Also, be sure to download the free PDF copies of our Documents and Debates volumes, which form the foundation of this year's Saturday Webinars. Documents and Debates Volume 1: 1493-1865 iTunes, Kindle, and PDF. Documents and Debates Volume 2: 1865-2009 iTunes, Kindle, and PDF. iTunes Podcast Stitcher Podcast RSS And thanks to the U.S. Army Blues Band for making their excellent music available for free online. The post Saturday Webinar: Patriots vs. Loyalists appeared first on Teaching American History.

"You can't understand American History without understanding the role of religion in our history and politics..." TAH.org's Core American Documents collection on Religion in American History and Politics is now available on Kindle, iTunes eBook, PDF, and print on demand. This volume, the companion to TAH.org's Religion in America site, includes 25 documents with summaries and annotations, an introduction to the theme of religion as a part of American history and politics, appendices with additional information, study questions for each document, and suggested further readings. Sign up for early access to each upcoming volume! As in the other volumes, each Core Documents volume will contain the following: Key documents on the period, theme, or institution, selected by an expert and reviewed by an editorial board An introduction highlighting key documents and themes A thematic table of contents, showing the connections between various documents Study questions for each document, as well as questions that refer to other documents in the collection Notes on each document to identify people, events, movements, or ideas to improve understanding of the document’s historical context. When complete, the series will be comprehensive and authoritative, and will present America’s story in the words of those who wrote it – all united in their commitment to equality and liberty, yet so often divided by their different understandings of these most fundamental American ideas. In sum, our intent is that the documents and their supporting material provide unique access to the richness of the American story. We hope that you will find this resource to be intriguing and helpful for your classroom. Please contact Daniel Mitchell if you have any questions or would like more information about using the Core Documents Curriculum in your classroom. Thank you for all that you do! The post Core Documents Collection: Religion in American History and Politics appeared first on Teaching American History.

[podcast] Today's podcast includes an interview with Dr. Jennifer Keene, of Chapman University and president of the Society for Military History. Dr. Keene is the volume editor for our new World War 2 Core American Documents volume, and has some interesting things to say about how she went about selecting documents, trying to keep the number and length manageable, while trying to do such an enormous event as WW2, from multiple perspectives, the justice it deserves. This volume of our Core American Documents Collections – World War 2 – is now available! Get your copy on iTunes, Kindle, and PDF. Hard copies are also available for $10 each – email dmitchell@tah.org if you would like a copy. You can also buy it on Amazon! As in the other volumes, each Core Documents volume will contain the following: Key documents on the period, theme, or institution, selected by an expert and reviewed by an editorial board An introduction highlighting key documents and themes A thematic table of contents, showing the connections between various documents Study questions for each document, as well as questions that refer to other documents in the collection Notes on each document to identify people, events, movements, or ideas to improve understanding of the document’s historical context. When complete, the series will be comprehensive and authoritative, and will present America’s story in the words of those who wrote it – all united in their commitment to equality and liberty, yet so often divided by their different understandings of these most fundamental American ideas. In sum, our intent is that the documents and their supporting material provide unique access to the richness of the American story. We hope that you will find this resource to be intriguing and helpful for your classroom. Please contact Daniel Mitchell if you have any questions or would like more information about using the Core Documents Curriculum in your classroom. Thank you for all that you do! The post Core American Documents: World War 2 appeared first on Teaching American History.

The best way to study the advantages and disadvantages of compromise is to study the Constitutional Convention - through documents. The third volume of the American History and Government Core Documents Collections – the Constitutional Convention – is available on Kindle, iTunes and PDF. Hard copies are also available for $10 each - email dmitchell@tah.org if you would like a copy. You can also buy it on Amazon! Sign up for early access to each volume! This collection of documents on the Constitutional Convention is part of our extended series of document collections covering major periods, themes, and institutions in American history and government. This is the second of four volumes that will cover the Founding of the United States. The American Founding, already published, is the capstone of the four. The others – this collection, and volumes on the ratification of the constitution and the Bill of Rights, which will follow it – tell aspects of the founding story in more detail. The documents in this collection explain why the constitutional convention was held and illustrate the ideas of government and politics that the delegates carried with them to Philadelphia, ideas wrung from their reading and, more important, from the extensive experience of self-government the colonists had enjoyed. Its pages recount the Convention’s critical debates over the purpose and powers of government, the nature of representation, and the relation between the states and the central government. They recount as well the way that slavery and the interests of the various states shaped those debates. Together, the four volumes on the Founding provide the essentials for understanding the Founding as the Founders understood it. See a list of all titles in TAH.org's Core Documents series, and access our online exhibit on the Constitutional Convention, mentioned by Professor Lloyd. The post Core American Documents: The Constitutional Convention appeared first on Teaching American History.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/tah-podcasts/CDC+Podcasts/CDC+Constitutional+Convention.mp3 | Open Player in New Window The best way to study the advantages and disadvantages of compromise is to study the Constitutional Convention – through documents. The third volume of the American History and Government Core Documents Collections – the Constitutional Convention – is available on Kindle, iTunes and PDF. Hard copies are also available for $10 each – email dmitchell@tah.org if you would like a copy. You can also buy it on Amazon! Sign up for early access to each volume! This collection of documents on the Constitutional Convention is part of our extended series of document collections covering major periods, themes, and institutions in American history and government. This is the second of four volumes that will cover the Founding of the United States. The American Founding, already published, is the capstone of the four. The others – this collection, and volumes on the ratification of the constitution and the Bill of Rights, which will follow it – tell aspects of the founding story in more detail. The documents in this collection explain why the constitutional convention was held and illustrate the ideas of government and politics that the delegates carried with them to Philadelphia, ideas wrung from their reading and, more important, from the extensive experience of self-government the colonists had enjoyed. Its pages recount the Convention’s critical debates over the purpose and powers of government, the nature of representation, and the relation between the states and the central government. They recount as well the way that slavery and the interests of the various states shaped those debates. Together, the four volumes on the Founding provide the essentials for understanding the Founding as the Founders understood it. See a list of all titles in TAH.org’s Core Documents series, and access our online exhibit on the Constitutional Convention, mentioned by Professor Lloyd.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/tah-podcasts/CDC+Podcasts/CDC+American+Founding+Lloyd.mp3 | Open Player in New Window The American Founding, which took place from 1776-1791, is book-ended by the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. The first volume of the American History and Government Core Documents Collection – the American Founding – is now available on iTunes, Kindle, and PDF. Hard copies are also available for $10 each – email dmitchell@tah.org if you would like a copy. You can also buy it on Amazon! Each Core American Documents volume will contain the following: Key documents on the period, theme, or institution, selected by an expert and reviewed by an editorial board An introduction highlighting key documents and themes A thematic table of contents, showing the connections between various documents Study questions for each document, as well as questions that refer to other documents in the collection Notes on each document to identify people, events, movements, or ideas to improve understanding of the document’s historical context. When complete, the series will be comprehensive and authoritative, and will present America’s story in the words of those who wrote it – America’s presidents, labor leaders, farmers, philosophers, industrialists, politicians, workers, explorers, religious leaders, judges, soldiers; its slaveholders and abolitionists; its expansionists and isolationists; its reformers and stand-patters; its strict and broad constructionists; its hard-eyed realists and visionary utopians – all united in their commitment to equality and liberty, yet so often divided by their different understandings of these most fundamental American ideas. The documents are all about this – the still unfinished American experiment with self-government. There is no better place to begin to understand that experiment than with these documents from the American founding.

The Great Depression and New Deal can be more easily understood by thinking of it as a story in six parts. Today's interview is with Dr. John Moser, Professor of History at Ashland University and editor of the Core Documents volume on the Great Depression and New Deal. A complex and multi-faceted event that played out over a more than a decade, it can be understood by thinking of it as having taken place in six parts, chronologically: Hoover and the Great Depression Hoover vs. Roosevelt: The Election of 1932 Roosevelt First New Deal, 1932-1934 Criticism of the New Deal Roosevelt's Second New Deal, 1934-1936 The New Deal in Decline, 1936-1938 John talks about how he went about selecting documents to fit this model, how the documents fit together, and how using these documents can greatly improve the quality and interest level in a unit on the Great Depression and New Deal. The second volume of the American History and Government Core Document Collections – the Great Depression and the New Deal – is available on iTunes, Kindle, and PDF. Hard copies are also available for $10 each, which can be accessed through our Facebook store. Email dmitchell@tah.org for more information. The post Core American Documents: Great Depression and New Deal appeared first on Teaching American History.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/tah-podcasts/CDC+Podcasts/CDC+Great+Depression+and+New+Deal+Moser.mp3 | Open Player in New Window The Great Depression and New Deal can be more easily understood by thinking of it as a story in six parts. Today’s interview is with Dr. John Moser, Professor of History at Ashland University and editor of the Core Documents volume on the Great Depression and New Deal. A complex and multi-faceted event that played out over a more than a decade, it can be understood by thinking of it as having taken place in six parts, chronologically: Hoover and the Great Depression Hoover vs. Roosevelt: The Election of 1932 Roosevelt First New Deal, 1932-1934 Criticism of the New Deal Roosevelt’s Second New Deal, 1934-1936 The New Deal in Decline, 1936-1938 John talks about how he went about selecting documents to fit this model, how the documents fit together, and how using these documents can greatly improve the quality and interest level in a unit on the Great Depression and New Deal. The second volume of the American History and Government Core Document Collections – the Great Depression and the New Deal – is available on iTunes, Kindle, and PDF. Hard copies are also available for $10 each, which can be accessed through our Facebook store. Email dmitchell@tah.org for more information.