History
The Ottoman Empire at Total War, 1914–1916
In this full lecture by Ken Harl, Ph.D., examine the Ottoman Empire and its enthusiasm as it entered the First World War. Was it ready for total war? […]
History
European History
The Black Death: Is The Plague Still A Threat?
The infamous Black Death would appear and disappear over the span of about three centuries. So what are the chances that the plague will come back now? […]
European History
The Black Death: Symptoms and Diagnosis of The Plague
In the late 1800’s, multiple outbreaks of the plague popped up in China and India. What resulted was not just the horrors of disease, but also a modern understanding of what the plague is, and how it spreads. […]
European History
Europe on the Brink of the Black Death: The Plague Begins
The plague that raged through Europe in the 14th century changed just about every single thing about medieval society, and indeed, in large measure, the Black Death produced the modern world we live in today. […]
History
Biological Anthropology—Unpacking Race and Biology
What does it mean to be human? Where did we come from? And what unites us in our diversity today? As the world population continues to explode, these big questions about humanity become increasingly important, and biological anthropology is the field of study that tackles them. […]
American History
The Conestoga Wagon: The Road Westward
Conestoga wagons originated in the mid-1700s, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania and the Conestoga River. They were used to carry people and goods westward and ultimately paved the way for modern highways like U.S. Route 40. […]
American History
The Star-Spangled Banner: Stitch by Stitch
The star-spangled banner tells the story of how our fledgling country was in peril in 1814; how the defense of a small fort in Baltimore gave heart to a people; and how we have defined, loved, and almost destroyed, and saved a national treasure. […]
American History
Project Mercury, a Chimp, and the Moon: The Cold War in Space
On October 4, 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik I putting pressure on the United States space program as the cold war played out in space. The Mercury Seven was a group of test pilots recruited as the first American astronauts. Before launching a human into space, NASA successfully sent Ham, a chimpanzee, into orbit and assured his safe return. NASA and the United States were now ready to grow their space program to the moon and beyond. […]
American History
Alexander Hamilton: His Ideal Republic
Alexander Hamilton believed the most natural form of government was a republic in which everyone would have the freedom to exercise their natural rights, but his childhood in the West Indies taught him that some may be excluded. […]
American History
American Bison: A Story of Near Extinction and Conservation
With the American bison nearing extinction, William Temple Hornaday, a Smithsonian taxidermist, took it upon himself to lead a conservation effort to save the buffalo. His pioneering efforts led to the founding of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. […]