History and Politics   

Appalachia has long been described in terms of location and cultural aspects. This course will seek to address the people who have contributed to the identity of those who have lived in and developed the unique characteristics of the region and its various cultures.

Included will be presentations about the people who settled, worked to build, and worshiped while planting the value system of an honor society in the vast regions of the new country of America. Places of importance and events which marked the growth of Appalachia will be examined. The culture of Appalachia will be enjoyed through the music, arts, crafts and legendary storytelling from the region. Participants are encouraged to interact and share their stories of Appalachia as they will.

The discovery and translation of cuneiform tablets (Sumer, Mesopotamia, Assyria), hieroglyphic inscriptions (Egpyt), and other media have advanced in the past decades to the point that we can study social, political, military, and "religious" activities that were common to various socio-economic levels in ancient societies. We will look at their activities and compare and contrast to the stuff of daily life in our times. We will use various translations of ancient texts and inscriptions.

Throughout human history the vast preponderance of the population lived in abject poverty with a lifespan of less than 40 years. The past two and a half centuries have witnessed a doubling of life expectancy and an enormous increase of material comfort. This course will study how economists endeavor to account for this enormous change. Students will discuss through the term, How the World Became Rich by Koyama, Mark and Rubin, Jared. (Polity 2022).

On May 24, 1941, the battle cry of the Royal Navy was "Sink the BISMARCK!" The reason for this demand was that the H.M.S. HOOD, the pride of the Royal Navy, had just been sunk after four salvoes from the BISMARCK. PM Winston Churchill immediately called the Admiralty and demanded that whatever warships needed in this search and destroy mission should be used to bring about the destruction of this enemy warship. Students will conduct this mission on a 12'x6' board with 1/1800 size warships.