American History   

Extremely timely, given the resurgence of the so-called "Great Replacement" theory of white Nationalism today. The 1790 Naturalization Act was biased in allowing any free white person to become a citizen of the new republic; all others need not apply. This presentation demonstrates the historical effort to keep America white. Despite this, the struggle also enjoined an America of diversity.  E Pluribus Unum can be interpreted two ways: homogeneity or heterogeneity. America has become a primer for other nations today who are struggling with issues of homogeneity and heterogeneity.  America has been a petri dish.

The COVID pandemic caused stunning and unprecedented changes in every aspect of our lives. School closings. Business shutdowns. Holiday gatherings prohibited or restricted in size. Nothing, and no one went unscathed. This includes our courts. Courthouses were closed. Hearings and trials were postponed. Looking backwards, we wonder how we survived it all. Attorney Jerry Colen will discuss the many ways that COVID put its stamp on our judicial system.

Currently, in some places as Florida, the teaching of slavery in schools, is under attack. Adults more than children should know its history, but most had little in-depth exposure. The Founding Fathers sanctioned slavery, a root cause of why we lack "domestic tranquility" today. Slavery was not unique to America but it developed a pernicious form. Unfortunately, slavery today as human trafficking throughout the world is second to drug trafficking.

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

Throughout America's History, there has always been Spying.  Enemies of America will never stop trying to bring the Country down.  As a Nation, we needed to employ people as spies to counter those actions in order to survive.  It is sad that a number of Americans chose, or were able to be recruited, to commit treason against their fellow Citizens. This is a compilation of American Spies, both good and bad, for you to judge their actions.

This course will trace the evolution of Rock N Roll from early Blues Styles to Elvis Presley. The instructor will be using audio and video clips to illustrate the changes in the US that led to the development of this new style in the early 1950s.

For the July class, each month will be a different topic:
July- Overview and Culture Influences
Aug.- Government, Politics, and Regulatory Influences
Sept.- Economic Influences
Oct.- Technology's Contribution
Nov.- Demographic Influences
Dec- Migratory Patterns.

 

For the Sept class, each week will be a different topic:
- Overview and Culture Influences
- Government, Politics, and Regulatory Influences
- Economic Influences
- Technology's Contribution
- Demographic Influences
- Migratory Patterns.

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

The industrial Revolution has come to America with giant conglomerates, railroads, and big business pushing the United States to be the world's greatest economic power. The war between the States has ended Grant and Lee have left their respective armies. (Imagine both in their mid-fifties). You are commissioned by your Board of Directors to hire one of these men to become the next CEO of your company. We will check their resumes and pick the "Best" Candidate!

Join a Ranger on a guided discussion through the history of Charleston, SC. Topics include the Revolutionary War Battle of Sullivan's Island, the opening shots of the Civil War against the US Army inside Fort Sumter, colonization of the Carolinas, and modern landmarks.

Christopher Reid is the Ranger and Park Guide for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. He will be presenting virtually from Fort Sumter.

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

Join a virtual presentation with the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Park Ranger, Tim Van Cleave, and explore the multifaceted narrative of the Underground Railroad and its profound influence on human freedom. This historical journey delves beyond the common portrayal of northern abolitionists versus southern slaveholders, revealing a dynamic tapestry woven by diverse groups. Through the lens of individuals like Harriet Tubman, Free Black communities, Quakers, and Abolitionists, discover the intricate web of connections that empowered Freedom Seekers toward Canada or even Mexico. Delve into the strategies of the Underground Railroad- zigzagging through intricate routes, pathways, and waterways- and uncover its role in igniting change across regions. Join us to unearth the captivating stories of resilience, collaboration, and liberation that shaped a pivotal era. Park Ranger Tim VanCleave will be presenting remote from the National Park.

Ever since the Warren Commission announced their solution about Oswald as a solitary shooter, there have been skeptics about its findings.  Evidence, death-bed confessions, jail-house interviews, eye-witness accounts analyzed, over 1000 books written about the murder, films analyzed and theories were evaluated. The truth is now revealed in this presentation about who did what to whom, when, where and why! 

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

Learn the history of the Florida peninsula before it joined the United States of America following the Seminole Wars of the early nineteenth century. Native tribes, conquistadors, frontier alligator hunters, cattlemen and pirates all have had a long and intriguing impact on the history of the peninsula. This course is designed for those with no previous knowledge of the subject, as well as for history enthusiasts.

During the last quarter of the 19th century, many European nations were seeking and acquiring colonial possessions. The United States, because of its long stance with the Monroe  Doctrine never engaged in this practice. This will change with the turn of the century. Cuba, the Spanish possession only 90 miles from Florida, begins a war of independence against their foe from across the sea. We try to stay out of it, but circumstances change and we ally ourselves with Cuba.

There it begins, and soon the United States is involved in a war very close to home and one 8,000 mile away. we will follow the threads that will lead to the United States becoming if not the major world power, certainly the most industrial economic titan of the world. A very interesting time with provocative people and events. There's a lot  of history here that almost everybody regrets in some way.

The raid on March 10, 1865 was the only Civil War military action in Marion County. Misrepresented and inaccurately portrayed, this risky raid came only weeks before the war's end. A unit of mostly Black combatants traveled 100 miles behind enemy lines to conduct the raid, and then had to walk 80 miles to safety while knowing that a crack Confederate cavalry unit would be hot on their trail. A gripping adventure awaits.

Bruce Seaman is a retired Presbyterian Church USA minister. After over 25 years in Marion County, Bruce is known as a social justice activist who has led community groups like Community of Gratitude, YouthReach, Marion County Democratic Party, Awake Marion, and Bridges Project as well as serving with many others. He is a graduate of Adelphi University (B.A.) and the Divinity School at Harvard University (M.Div.). He is the author of a book about the Marshall Plantation raid "To Succeed Where Others Failed: The Untold Story of the Marshall Plantation Raid."

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

Florida had been a refuge for enslaved persons escaping from slave states and were welcomed by the native population. Florida eventually entered the Union as a slave state. It became part of the "Cotton Kingdom" from 1845 until the Civil War.  Currently, descendants of slave holders and enslaved sharing the same surname are residents.

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

If it wasn't enough to take on the greatest Army in the World with an untrained, poorly paid, if paid at all, group of green recruits, Washington had to contend with betrayal within his own ranks.  Not once, but four times, he was betrayed during those critical years of our struggle for not just for independence, but for our very survival! Divine Intervention, determination, skill and luck saved the day and created a Country.

Why do springs matter? What’s the different between a spring and boil, lake, or vents? How many springs does Florida have? Travel writer Cathy Salustri takes you on a virtual tour to her favorite springs and explains how springs function, why we have so many in Florida, and why they're vital to our state.

 

In an homage to the Disney family history- Walt's parents were among the first people married in Lake County - Walt Disney World built Disney springs, intended to evoke the spirit of small-town Florida. They do a great job in some respects, but nothing beats true small-town Florida. This talk will take you to five Florida small towns that out-Disney Disney World at showcasing old Florida. 

This series of lectures is designed to present happenings in the history of the United States.  Although it is information around a Junior College depth, many of the topics will help springboard your interest to go deeper into parts of the material covered.  Many of the topics covered will be parts of history you have forgotten about over time.  Come for all of them or pick the time periods that you are most interested in.  The series continues in Fall. 

Extremely timely, given the resurgence of the so-called "Great Replacement" theory of white Nationalism today. The 1790 Naturalization Act was biased in allowing any free white person to become a citizen of the new republic; all others need not apply. This presentation demonstrates the historical effort to keep America white. Despite this, the struggle also enjoined an America of diversity.  E Pluribus Unum can be interpreted two ways: homogeneity or heterogeneity. America has become a primer for other nations today who are struggling with issues of homogeneity and heterogeneity.  America has been a petri dish.

William Bartram called it the Great Alachua Savanna. We know it as Paynes Prairie. On this chapter of our "Bartram's Florida" series, we'll take a 3 mile stroll onto the wetland savanna made famous by the young explorer in 1774. The talk will include a brief overview of the prairie's rich history from Lars Andersen, author of "Paynes Prairie: A History and Guide."

Note: Meeting time at park is 9 AM; There is a $5 Park Fee payable at the entrance day of trip. The trip duration is 1.5 - 2 hours long. Difficulty: Easy, two mile stroll on easy (mostly flat) terrain. Since this is an out-and-back hike, participants who can't do the entire hike are welcome to turn back at any time.
Skill level: Good for beginners.

The "Lost Cause" and neo-Confederates advocates disparage Reconstruction as a failure. Yet, historians today call it "The Second American Revolution," as it made the idea of equality more than an aspirational notion, spelling out in law implications of equality in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. In today's Congressional climate, they would probably never pass.  Reconstruction made equality more of a reality, bringing us closer to "A more perfect Union."

On July 4, 1776, The American Declaration of Independence was signed thus setting in motion the establishment of the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson's immortal words shine brightly, speaking to us that "All Men Are Created Equal." Yet, a mere 85 years later, the country was torn apart by an immense Civil War, that in the words of Abraham Lincoln, tested whether that country or any country so created could long endure. Considering the powerful words of Jefferson, how could the American Civil War have happened? What caused it? Could it have been prevented? Jerry Colen will speak to participants about the people, the inventions and the causes of what can only be described as America's great national tragedy.

To know an Historically Black College or University is to know homecomings, marching bands, step shows, and more importantly, their culture. This Juneteenth documentary will take a look at the history of Black education, and at how it all got started, which for some, could be a hard story to digest. According to the video, Black Americans were held back from freedom during slavery and education, and to this day, this community is still feeling the ramifications. Come learn how communities today are working to rectify this educational decline.