Education

We The Teachers

We The Teachers is a bi-weekly podcast featuring Teaching American History scholars discussing American history with a focus on primary documents.

The Ashbrook Center and TeachingAmericanHistory.org seek to provide high-quality content-focused programs, resources, and courses for teachers of American History, Government, Civics, and related subjects. Students, citizens, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the American experience can also benefit from our resources, which include podcasts, a vast documents library, monthly webinars, and in-person seminars.

Latest Episodes:

Saturday Webinar: Why Are the Constitution and Bill of Rights Both Essential? Sep 12, 2020

Show notes

Why are both these documents essential to establishing and, hopefully, contributing to the maintenance of the American constitutional system of government? How do they work with one another, and why were they not created together? Explore these and other questions about two of the most foundational documents of the American republic, through the experience and vision of Dr. Gordon Lloyd, expert on the Constitutional Convention and the American Founding.

Learn more at tah.org

Saturday Webinar: Was the American Revolution Really a Revolution? Aug 22, 2020

Show notes

Our first Saturday Webinar for the 20-21 school year, and also the first in our Fall series, Enduring American Questions. In this 75-minute episode, we will explore the question of whether the American Revolution, or perhaps ‘The War for American Independence,” was a revolution. What were its roots and how do they compare to those of other revolutions of the era, and since? What did Americans of the time seek to accomplish, and why? This episode will delve into political and historical topics, making it relevant for American History, World History, and American Government/Civics teachers, as well as Comparative Government teachers.

Suggested Readings:

Draft of the Declaration of Independence, 2 July 1776
“Liberty Further Extended: Or Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-keeping,” Lemuel Haynes, 1776
Letter to Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, 24 AUG 1815
Letter to Roger Weightman, Thomas Jefferson, 24 June 1826

Panelists:

Dr. Chris Burkett, Ashland University
Dr. Todd Estes, Oakland University
Dr. Rob McDonald, United States Military Academy at West Point

Special Webinar: What Can We Learn From the Election of 1980? Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

TAH.org's last of a three-episode series on pivotal presidential elections, tonight's focus was Ronald Reagan and the Election of 1980. Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, discussed the election and its legacy with Dr. Chris Burkett, also of Ashland University.

Suggested Readings:

Acceptance Speech 1980 Democratic Convention, Jimmy Carter, 14 AUG 1980
Crisis of Confidence Speech, Jimmy Carter, 15 July 1979
A Time for Choosing, Ronald Reagan, 27 OCT 1964
Acceptance Speech at 1980 Republican Convention, Ronald Reagan, 17 July 1980
Transcript: Presidential Debate in Cleveland, OH, 28 OCT 1980

The post Special Webinar: What Can We Learn From the Election of 1980? appeared first on Teaching American History.

Special Webinar: What Can We Learn from the Election of 1860? Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

If you missed our partner webinar with the Missouri Humanities Council, on 11 August 2020, you can watch the archive here, and access the readings set aside for this program.P

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Panelists: Dr. Jeff Sikkenga and Dr. Jason Stevens

Republican Party Platform of 1860
Democratic Party Platform of 1860
South Carolina’s Declaration of the Causes of Secession, 24 DEC 1860
Farewell Speech, Abraham Lincoln, 11 FEB 1861
Speech at Independence Hall, Abraham Lincoln, 22 FEB 1861
First Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln, 4 MAR 1861

The post Special Webinar: What Can We Learn from the Election of 1860? appeared first on Teaching American History.

Documents in Detail: Brutus II Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

Join us for the first Documents in Detail webinar of the 20-21 school year, and also the first in our last year of 'Selections from the 50 Core Documents' as a series focus. In this episode we will delve into the meaning, rhetoric, and legacy of Brutus II, one of the most important Anti-federalist writings from 1787-88.

This episode aired live on Wednesday, 19 AUG 2020, at 7pm ET.

Panelists:

Dr. John Moser, Ashland University
Dr. Jason Jividen, Saint Vincent College
Dr. Adam Seagrave, Arizona State University

The post Documents in Detail: Brutus II appeared first on Teaching American History.

Special Webinar: What Can We Learn from the Election of 1800? Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

The first in our three-episode series of webinars about Presidential Elections and Campaigns, this episode focused on the tumultuous election of 1800, wherein John Adams was eventually defeated by Thomas Jefferson, resulting in the first partisan exchange of power in America.

Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, discussed the election and what we can learn from it with Dr. Cara Rogers, of Ashland University.

Suggested Readings:

Alien and Sedition Acts, 13 NOV 1797
Letter to John Taylor, Thomas Jefferson, 4 June 1798
The Duty of Americans, at the Present Crisis, Timothy Dwight, 4 July 1798
Letter to Elbridge Gerry, Thomas Jefferson, 26 JAN 1799
Hideous Hermaphroditical Character - Spurious Quotation about John Adams
Letter to Harrison Gray Otis, Alexander Hamilton, 23 DEC 1800
Letter to Thomas Mann Rudolph, Thomas Jefferson, 19 FEB 1801
First Inaugural Address, Thomas Jefferson, 4 MAR 1801

The post Special Webinar: What Can We Learn from the Election of 1800? appeared first on Teaching American History.

Special Webinar: D-Day+76 Years and the Liberation of Europe May 29, 2020

Show notes

Ashbrook and TeachingAmericanHistory presented another special webinar, this time about Operation OVERLORD, more widely known as D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, and the liberation of Europe that it led to. Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, discussed the invasion and its place in WW2 and history with Dr. John Moser of Ashland University.

Suggested Readings:

Fuhrer Directive 51, Adolf Hitler, 3 November 1943
Combined Chiefs of Staff Directive for Operation Overlord, 12 February 1944
D-Day Statements, General Dwight Eisenhower, 6 June 1944
Robert Edlin's Account of D-Day
Memo to Gen. George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, 6 June 1944

All participants will be sent a printable certificate for continuing education time.

The post Special Webinar: D-Day+76 Years and the Liberation of Europe appeared first on Teaching American History.

Special Webinar: Heroes of American Business Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center interviewed Dr. Jennifer Keene of Chapman University on 20 May 2020, focusing on the lives, ideas, and contributions of Henry Ford and Madam CJ Walker, heroes of American Business.

Suggested Readings:

Henry Ford's Five-Day Week, The Library Digest, 29 April 1922
My Life and Work (Chapter 4, 5, and 8), Henry Ford, 1922
Henry Ford Sociology Department
Collection of Primary Sources for Mdm. CJ Walker

The post Special Webinar: Heroes of American Business appeared first on Teaching American History.

Special Webinar: Heroes of the American Founding Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

Join Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center on 6 May 2020 at 1pm ET for this free webinar, focusing on, among others, Abigail Adams, a Hero of the American Founding. Dr. Sikkenga will be joined by Dr. Natalie Taylor of Skidmore College.

All attendees will be provided with access to primary source readings before each episode airs, and will be emailed a printable certificate to account for continuing education.

Suggested Readings:

Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March 1776
John Adams to Abigail Adams, 14 April 1776
From John Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 8 January 1776
Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 10 June 1778
Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 19 January 1780
Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 10 August 1796

The post Special Webinar: Heroes of the American Founding appeared first on Teaching American History.

Special Webinar: Heroes of American Medicine Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jeff Sikkenga, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center interviewed Dr. Eric Pullin of Carthage College on 27 May 2020, focusing on Clara Barton and Jonas Salk.

Suggested Readings: