The sixth and final day of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on colonial America is in the books. What a week! We had an amazing group of inspiring teachers in the seminar this year. I am so privileged to be able to know them, teach them, share meals with them, and learn … Continue reading 2019 Princeton Seminar: Day 6
Day 5 of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on colonial America is in the books. It was a long day, but a very good one. In the morning I lectured on the Middle Colonies, South Carolina, and the Enlightenment in America. In the afternoon we walked to the Firestone Library at Princeton … Continue reading 2019 Princeton Seminar: Day 5
Day 4 of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on colonial America is in the books. We spent the entire day in colonial Philadelphia with George Boudreau, author of Independence: A Guide to Historical Philadelphia. George took us on a very informative tour of the site of William Penn’s house, Front Street (the site … Continue reading 2019 Princeton Seminar: Day 4
Day 3 of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on colonial America is in the books. It was a busy day that was full of content. We had three lectures yesterday: Colonial Virginia (from Jamestown to Bacon’s Rebellion), Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the role of women in colonial New England. The … Continue reading 2019 Princeton Seminar: Day 3
Day 2 of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on colonial America is in the books. This morning I challenged the teachers to think about the colonial period on its own terms. What kind of stories would we tell about colonial America if the American Revolution never happened? Whose voices would count? How … Continue reading Princeton Seminar: Day 2
Day 1 of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on colonial America is in the books. Today about thirty teachers braved the heat wave and arrived safely at Princeton University. All of us are glad that things will be slightly cooler over the course of the next five days. This year’s seminar includes … Continue reading Princeton Seminar: Day 1
We are entering Year 6 of the seminar. Join us in Princeton this summer! Read posts from the last six years here. Here are details from the Gilder-Lehrman website: DIRECTORS John Fea, Professor of History, Messiah College OVERVIEW Rather than thinking about colonial America as a necessary forerunner to the American Revolution or the birth of … Continue reading The Gilder-Lehrman “Princeton Seminar” on the Colonial Era is Back! Apply Now!
And that’s a wrap. Yesterday was the final day of the 2018 Gilder-Lehrman seminar on colonial America at Princeton University. It was another great week with 34 teachers from around the country. The last day of the seminar is my favorite. We talked about Philip Vickers Fithian, the “rural Enlightenment,” the First Great Awakening, and the … Continue reading 2018 Princeton Seminar: Day 6
Read all of our Princeton Seminar 2018 posts here. It was another busy day yesterday at the Gilder-Lehrman Summer Seminar for teachers on the “colonial era.” The teachers heard lectures on women and dissent in Puritan New England, slave culture in 18th-century South Carolina, and the Enlightenment in America. (My voice is recovering after 4-hours … Continue reading Princeton Seminar: Day 5
Today the 2018 Princeton Seminar hit the road. We spent the day in Philadelphia with George Boudreau, author of Independence: A Guide to Historic Philadelphia. George is fixture of the Philadelphia public history world and probably knows more about colonial Philadelphia than anyone else alive. The teachers got a real treat today!
Day 3 is in the books! (For posts on Day 1 and 2 click here). We covered a lot of content today. I spent the morning lecturing on the seventeenth-century Chesapeake. After lunch, we started on the Puritans and Massachusetts Bay. Nate continues to spend the afternoons working with teachers on their colonial-era lesson plans. … Continue reading Day 3 of the 2018 Princeton Seminar
See previous posts on the 2018 Gilder-Lehrman Princeton Seminar here. Today we dove into some content. After introductions and the showing of the classic colonial America historiography scene from Good Will Hunting, I introduced the teachers to Whig history and suggested why this is an awful way of understanding colonial America. We talked a lot about … Continue reading Day 2 of the 2018 Princeton Seminar is in the Books
Over 30 teachers from all over the country are in Princeton this week for the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History summer seminar on the “Colonial Era.” Stay tuned for updates throughout the week. Kudos to Nate McAlister, the 2010 National History of the Year, for helping with travel schedules and getting everyone set-up in their … Continue reading Day 1 of the Princeton Seminar is in the Books
The 2017 Princeton Seminar on the “Colonial Era” wrapped-up yesterday. The day began with lectures on the “Enlightenment in America” and the “First Great Awakening.” The Enlightenment lecture focused largely on the lives of Philip Vickers Fithian and Benjamin Franklin. The teachers read my The Way of Improvement Leads Home: Philip Vickers Fithian and the Rural Enlightenment … Continue reading 2017 Princeton Seminar: Day 6
It was another busy day at the Gilder-Lehrman Institute‘s “Colonial Era” teacher seminar at Princeton University. We covered a lot of ground yesterday and traveled through three different regions of British colonial America: We started the day discussing women and dissent in colonial New England. We talked about Anne Hutchinson and the “Good Wives” made … Continue reading 2017 Princeton Seminar: Day 5
Yesterday the 2017 Princeton Seminar spent the day in Philadelphia. Our host for the day was the legendary George Boudreau, the man who I consider to be the greatest Philadelphia history tour guide of all time!! George gave us a phenomenal introduction to the colonial city. We made several stops along the way: Welcome … Continue reading 2017 Princeton Seminar: Day 4
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History “Colonial Era” teachers seminar (aka the “Princeton Seminar“) is rolling along. This morning in the lecture hall we finished our discussion of colonial Virginia. I made the connection between mercantilism and tobacco culture and challenged the teachers to consider the social and cultural influence of tobacco on race, … Continue reading Princeton Seminar 2017: Day 3
Monday was a long and busy day at the Princeton Seminar. We began with a morning of lecture and discussion about how we should think about “colonial America.” I tried to get the teachers to think historically about the colonies and try to rid themselves of a Whig-centered interpretation of the period. In the process … Continue reading 2017 Princeton Seminar: Day 2
The Gilder-Lehrman 2017 Princeton Seminar on colonial America is underway! Last night we held our opening dinner with the teachers. A few teachers had some difficulties with flights, but everyone is now here and settled into their rooms on the Princeton University campus. This year we have 35 history teachers representing 20 states: Arkansas, California, … Continue reading 2017 Princeton Seminar: Day 1
Next week I will be at Princeton University to lead a Gilder-Lehrman Institute seminar of the “Colonial Era” for history teachers. This is the fourth year that I have joined my partner in crime, 2010 National Teacher of the Year Nate McAlister, in leading this seminar. The Princeton Seminar (as we call it) has become … Continue reading Princeton Seminar Is About To Kick-Off Its Fourth Year
