Lectures in History

N.C. State professor Chris Laws taught a class about North Carolina native Worth Bagley, who was the first U.S. soldier to die during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Bagley was celebrated as a national hero and his death was seen as a key moment in reconciliation in the decades after the Civil War. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Fawn-Amber Montoya talked about the Ludlow coal miners' strike and massacre that took place in the early 20th century in Colorado. She follows the story of a few mining families, many of whom died when the Colorado National Guard burned the tent city where the strikers and their families were living. She also described the modern memorial and how the event has been remembered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Stephen Berry talked about coroners in the 19th century South. He discussed the role of a coroner as an agent of the state and talked about the records created from coroner inquests. He argued that coroners can shed light on the emerging patterns of death within a society and spot potential threats to public health such as diseases or a lack of industrial safety.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Maria Cristina Garcia talks about the United States' refugee policy since World War II. She speaks about qualifications to be a refugee and how those have changed as well as legislation governing quotas and procedures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, you'll meet Ilyon Woo, author of a new bestseller-- "Master Slave, Husband Wife." She recounts the harrowing journey of self-emancipation made by two enslaved Georgians--William and Ellen Craft -- in 1848. Disguised as a wealthy disabled white man traveling with his enslaved servant, the Crafts left Georgia via public conveyances, avoiding slave traders, law enforcement, and curious fellow passengers in their successful effort to gain freedom. Becoming popular speakers on the lecture circuit, they found themselves hunted by slavecatchers after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brigham Young University Professor Jay Buckley taught a class about Lewis and Clark’s expedition across the American West after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, he described their goal to map a route to the Pacific coast as well as to gather information on the people, flora and fauna in the new territory. This class was taught online due to the coronavirus pandemic and Brigham Young University provided the video. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tulane University professor John “Ray” Proctor taught a class about playwright August Wilson, his contribution to African American theatre and his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this speech from 1945, Robert Oppenheimer speaks about the development and use of the atomic bomb. He also talks about atomic weapons as “evil things” and the ethical application of science and scientific discovery. He also expressed his hope that the atomic bomb would never be used again, the peaceful use of nuclear technologies, and nuclear deterrence.The physicist known as “the father of the atomic bomb” served as the first director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory beginning in 1943. The first atomic bomb test in New Mexico was on July 16, 1945, and on August 6, 1945, Little Boy was detonated above Hiroshima. After WWII, he became chief adviser to the newly-created Atomic Energy Commission.The speech was delivered at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It is presented courtesy of the American Philosophical Society Library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Dayton Professors John Heitmann and Todd Uhlman taught a class about 1970s American car culture and films of the era. Using examples like Easy Rider, American Graffiti, and Badlands, they argued these films reflected many Americans' disillusionment and glorified the open road as a way to take back control in the face of societal changes. They also talked about the impact of oil shortages, the rise of coast-to-coast races called “Cannonball Runs,” and the popularity of trucker movies and music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

White House Historical Association historian and American University lecturer Matthew Costello taught a class on White House myths. He talked about the realities and legends behind often repeated stories such as the tunnel system, a gift alligator, how decorating traditions began, and Dolley Madison rescuing George Washington’s portrait. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices