Past Institutes

Critical Events in U.S. History, 1776–1836

In October 2013, Humanities Texas held four one-day teacher workshops for two hundred teachers throughout the state focusing on critical events in U.S. history between 1776 and 1836.

Curriculum

Topics addressed included the Revolutionary War, debates over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the Second Great Awakening, and Jacksonian Democracy.  The workshops emphasized close interaction with scholars, the examination of primary sources, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities. Teachers received books and other instructional materials and were trained in the examination and interpretation of primary sources. 

Faculty

Workshop faculty included Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Jack N. Rakove (Stanford University) and Daniel Walker Howe (University of California at Los Angeles); Daniel Feller (University of Tennessee); and Thomas N. Pangle and Robert Olwell (The University of Texas at Austin).

Program Resources

Our November 2013 newsletter included a slideshow of images from the workshops.

Locations and Schedules

The workshop overviews detail each program’s schedule and participants.

Sponsors

These workshops were made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Humanities Texas thanks ESC 5, the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, and the Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens for hosting the programs.