This course is the second in a series of four examining some of the key speeches in American history. This time we will focus on the half-century from the Civil War through the Progressive Era, considering (1) different meanings drawn out of the Civil War, (2) different proposals for dealing with the harsh racial regime of Jim Crow, (3) different ideas of women’s roles in an industrial society, and (4) different evaluations of the huge class inequalities of the Gilded Age. Besides comparing the speeches, we will ask how they were shaped by the occasion on which they were delivered, how they helped influence future events, and why they can serve as landmarks in the development of U.S. history. The texts of the speeches will be delivered to class participants by email attachment.

Subject: history

James Bratt is an emeritus professor of history at Calvin University and a frequent leader of CALL courses. His area of specialty is American religious and cultural history, and his avocation is international travel, including a year teaching at Xiamen University in China, two terms teaching on the Semester at Sea, and two Fulbright Grants for research in the Netherlands.