History   

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S., we will hear stories from the American Revolution that you may not have been taught in school nor seen in movies or on TV! Many events happened in Western North Carolina. Come find out why the American Revolution was more than a list of important dates to remember.

By summer 1940, Nazi Germany had overtaken most of Western Europe and planned to invade Great Britain. The Luftwaffe simply needed to first gain air superiority over the outnumbered, underequipped and less experienced Royal Air Force Fighter Command in what would be called the Battle of Britain. We will cover events before and during the conflict with instructors that participated in the Smithsonian’s Battle of Britain tour.

Ever since the first democracy in Athens, there have been demagogues: political leaders who appeal to the emotions and fears of “common people” against the elite. We will examine the rise and impact of some of these populist leaders including the Populist Party, Huey Long (1893-1935), Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979) and Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957). To accompany our historical examination, we will read All the King's Men, a novel about a fictional populist governor inspired by Long. Notes: Participants should be willing to engage in historical and literary discussions. There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes. Required textbook: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (1996), ISBN: 978-0156004800.

Ever since the first democracy in Athens, there have been demagogues: political leaders who appeal to the emotions and fears of “common people” against the elite. We will examine the rise and impact of some of these populist leaders including the Populist Party, Huey Long (1893-1935), Father Charles Coughlin (1891-1979) and Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957). To accompany our historical examination, we will read All the King's Men, a novel about a fictional populist governor inspired by Long. Notes: Participants should be willing to engage in historical and literary discussions. There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes. Required textbook: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (1996), ISBN: 978-0156004800.

The Main Street of America, the Mother Road… immortalized by song, TV series, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and even in the animated feature Cars. Since its creation in 1926, U.S. Highway 66 has symbolized all things American. As the route celebrates its centennial, we will learn some of the history, personalities, unique and unusual sites as well as cultural references to this iconic highway.

Most people have heard of Michael Jordan, Lebron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but what about William Chase, Leroy Edwards, Maude Sherman and Lucy Harris? They all made history playing basketball, the game invented by James Naismith in the late 19th century. We will learn about players and other key figures, and the evolution of equipment, rules and organizations as we review the game from its peach-basket beginnings to the present day.

We will explore the military, social, political and economic evolution of Japan from 1937 through 1955. We will cover the 2nd Sino-Japanese War, the rise of Japanese expansion in East Asia and the Pacific, the decline of Japanese power, the post-World War II occupation of Japan and the nascent rebirth of Japanese economic power. Notes: Participants do not need to have taken other courses in the series to enjoy this one. Participants may choose to attend each week either in-person or online.

Dynamic economic growth—fueled by an expanding land base, developing infrastructure and modernizing technology—pushed the fledgling U.S. toward the world stage in the 19th century. However, the period from 1815 to 1860 is sometimes ignored in history presentations; it should not be, since this tumultuous time leading to the Civil War redefined the country. We will explore the good and the bad of this important era of development. Note: There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes.

Dynamic economic growth—fueled by an expanding land base, developing infrastructure and modernizing technology—pushed the fledgling U.S. toward the world stage in the 19th century. However, the period from 1815 to 1860 is sometimes ignored in history presentations; it should not be, since this tumultuous time leading to the Civil War redefined the country. We will explore the good and the bad of this important era of development. Note: There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes.

We will learn about the Mong, Hmong and Lao people who immigrated to the U.S. as political refugees from Laos. We will discuss their history, cultures, traditions, religions, languages and education along with their involvement in the Secret War (1959-1975), which was a major component of the Vietnam conflict. Note: Participants may choose to attend each week either in-person or online.

We will meet all of the key dynastic players in 12th-century Western Europe, from kings to popes, including King Arthur, Richard Lionheart and King John. We will learn about the First, Second and Third Crusades, and see how religion, land, beauty, courage, brutality and sheer luck drove the medieval world.

Each week we will review a different aspect of U.S. culture from the 1940s to the present—including history, music, food, fashion, science, technology, film and television, art and social change—to consider what makes us the people we are. After class, we will write poems inspired by that day’s topic to share the following week in class. Prompts will be suggested, or participants may choose their own. Note: Participants should be willing to share their work and provide gentle commentary on others’.

Through lecture, discussion and film screenings, we will examine the rise of authoritarianism in the U.S. from the 1920s to today. Films include The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman, 1978); The Front (Martin Ritt, 1976); Good Night, and Good Luck (George Clooney, 2005); and 1984 (Michael Radford, 1984).

We will explore more than 60 historically true tales about fascinating people, places and events in WNC including Abraham Lincoln's real birthplace; underground Asheville; Zeb Vance revealed; Davy Crocket in Fairview; the disease that made Asheville famous; Buncombe and bunkum; slavery in WNC; Babe Ruth died here; con men; railroads; chain gangs; booms and busts; legal prostitution; crime and punishment; the book that embarrassed Asheville; WNC's Bonnie and Clyde; a one-room school teacher remembers; and many more. Note: There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes.

We will explore more than 60 historically true tales about fascinating people, places and events in WNC including Abraham Lincoln's real birthplace; underground Asheville; Zeb Vance revealed; Davy Crocket in Fairview; the disease that made Asheville famous; Buncombe and bunkum; slavery in WNC; Babe Ruth died here; con men; railroads; chain gangs; booms and busts; legal prostitution; crime and punishment; the book that embarrassed Asheville; WNC's Bonnie and Clyde; a one-room school teacher remembers; and many more. Note: There are both an in-person and an online option for this course. Participants must choose only one option to attend; please ensure that you are registering for the option you prefer, as we may not be able to accommodate changes.

We will cover the lives of six wives of Henry VIII (1491-1547) as well as his mother and grandmother. We will also discuss Tudor life in general, with an emphasis on the lives of women.