Past Institutes
The Making of Modern America, 1877–Present
In June 2012, Humanities Texas held institutes on the campuses of Southern Methodist University (Dallas) and the University of Houston examining significant events and themes in U.S. history since Reconstruction.
Faculty and Curriculum
Each institute curriculum aligned with the TEKS for eleventh-grade U.S. history. Topics addressed included the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, World War I, the literature and culture of the 1920s, the New Deal, World War II, American foreign policy following WWII, the legislative and political battles of the 1960s, African American and Mexican American civil rights, and Reagan and the Cold War. As in past years, institutes emphasized close interaction with scholars, the examination of primary sources, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.
The Dallas institute included lectures and workshops led by Pulitzer Prize-winning historians David M. Kennedy (Stanford University) and David Oshinsky (UT Austin), H. W. Brands, (UT Austin), Albert S. Broussard (Texas A&M University), Erika Bsumek (UT Austin), Robert M. Citino (UNT), Crista Deluzio (SMU), Neil Foley (SMU), Ignacio García (BYU), Michael L. Gillette (Humanities Texas), Allen Matusow (Rice University), Heather Nice (George W. Bush Presidential Library), Heather Cox Richardson (Boston College), and Nicole Waligora-Davis (Rice University).
The Houston institute faculty featured H. W. Brands, Michael Les Benedict (The Ohio State University), Shana Bernstein (Southwestern University), Robert Dallek (Boston University), Charles Flanagan, Brian Linn (Texas A&M University), Allen Matusow, Martin Melosi (University of Houston), Monica Perales (University of Houston), Linda Reed (University of Houston), Rebecca Sharpless (TCU), Nicole Waligora-Davis, and Nancy Beck Young (University of Houston).
Dallas Resources
- H. W. Brands, “How the Rich Got Rich: The Gilded Age in America” and “The Progressive Era”
- Albert S. Broussard, “African Americans and Civil Rights”
- Erika M. Bsumek, “Populism, the Railroads, and the West”
- Robert M. Citino, “World War I and the Aftermath”
- Crista DeLuzio, “Women’s Rights”
- Neil Foley, “Immigration”
- Ignacio García, “Mexican Americans and Civil Rights”
- Michael L. Gillette, “The Great Society”
- David M. Kennedy, “The 1930s” and “American Participation in World War II”
- Allen Matusow, “Ronald Reagan and the Cold War,” Part 1
- Allen Matusow, “Ronald Reagan and the Cold War,” Part 2
- David M. Oshinsky, “The 1950s” and “Delayed Justice: Tracking the Infamous Civil Rights Murders in the ‘Mississippi Burning’ Case”
- Heather Cox Richardson, “American Imperialism”
- Nicole Waligora-Davis, “American Literature in the 1920s,” Part 1
- Nicole Waligora-Davis, “American Literature in the 1920s,” Part 2
- Nicole Waligora-Davis, “American Literature in the 1920s,” Part 3
Houston Resources
- Michael Les Benedict, “Constitutional Issues in Post-Civil War America”
- Shana Bernstein, “Immigration”
- H. W. Brands, “”How the Rich Got Rich: The Gilded Age in America” and “The Progressive Era”
- Robert Dallek, “Politics and Legislative Battles of the 1960s”
- Charles Flanagan, “Using Digital Resources of the National Archives”
- Brian Linn, “World War II”
- Allen Matusow, “Ronald Reagan and the Cold War,” Part 1
- Allen Matusow, “Ronald Reagan and the Cold War,” Part 2
- Martin Melosi, “Technology, the Environment, and Modern America”
- Monica Perales, “Mexican Americans and Civil Rights”
- Linda Reed, “African Americans and Civil Rights”
- Rebecca Sharpless, “Women’s Political Activism”
- Nicole Waligora-Davis, “American Literature in the 1920s,” Part 1
- Nicole Waligora-Davis, “American Literature in the 1920s,” Part 2
- Nicole Waligora-Davis, “American Literature in the 1920s,” Part 3
- Nancy Beck Young, “The New Deal”
Final Report
The final report, to be published later in 2012, will include a full account of the institute and lengthy excerpts from faculty presentations, as well as participant biographies, a summary of participant evaluations, and photographs.
Sponsors
These institutes were made possible with support from the state of Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support was provided by the Sid W. Richardson Foundation and the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation.
Questions about Teacher Institutes
Call 512.440.1991 or email institutes@humanitiestexas.org.
Six O’Clock Winter by John Sloan, 1912. The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC.
H. W. Brands, Dickson, Allen, Anderson Centennial Professor of History at The University of Texas at Austin, discusses the Gilded Age with teachers in Houston.
David M. Oshinsky, Jack S. Blanton Chair in History at The University of Texas at Austin and a Pulitzer Prize winner, shares insights with teachers in Dallas.