History   

Do you wonder how the world became so enamored with the automobile? Also, evidently, the world is completely dependent on its existence. Using PowerPoint presentations, films, lecture and discussion, this course will explore how it all happened up until 1940, including all the successes and some failures. Initial focus will be on the science and engineering of the automobile but told in layman’s terms and with good understandable drawings, sketches, and photographs. Early inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs will be explored, starting in 1850, talking about the people who actually made it all happen, including a bit about their personalities. We will wrap it all up by talking about the artists and designers who pushed the limits on styling in the late 20s and 30s. Henry Ford obviously was a major player but discussion will focus on his innovations, rather than the Ford Motor Company. Additional reading materials will be suggested.

The course will focus on various facets of Southern Oregon’s history that were significant in forming the environmental, social, and political character of the region. Among the topics presented will be: a brief review of the area’s natural environment; the history of Native peoples (and the subsequent events that transpired after the arrival of the first Euro-American explorers and settlers); history and significance of early mining; rise and decline of logging and the wood-products industry; the 160-year development of the region’s unique social/political character (including the 1920s KKK and the 1930s “Jackson County Rebellion”); and the actual, as opposed to “imagined,” history of the State of Jefferson secession movement. There will be question/answer time and discussion. A syllabus will include a lengthy bibliography for optional reading.

 

The American culture that emerged in the 1920s is one that would be easily recognized today, a time of expanding corporate capitalism driven by fast technological change. It was a youthful culture, trying to forget the horrors of war and the virus that had just killed up to 50 million people worldwide. Those who came of age in the Twenties were the first generation steeped in advertising and consumerism, and the first to accept the germ theory of disease. They saw immigrants demonized by nativists in armed militias. Just 100 years ago, it was the first decade that could truly be called modern. Using lecture, videos, group discussion and Q and A, a series of case stories will be explored, from the KKK to Betty Boop, to gain new insights into a time that shaped the way we live today. No previous experience or study is required. There will be an optional reading and media list, but no specific required readings.

What style is that old house? What does that distinctive appearance say about the people that lived in it? The Rogue Valley contains residential, commercial, industrial, and public buildings that represent changing tastes and technologies. This topic will be explored through informal lecture, discussion, and numerous PowerPoint images. A major focus will be on identifying and explaining the various architectural styles that have been popular here over the years: Classic Revival, Queen Anne, Craftsman, Streamlined/Moderne, International, and more. The course will employ numerous photographs, along with the instructor’s description/discussion to tell the story of our valley’s architectural history. In addition to a strong local focus, the course will provide broad context by tracing various architectural-historical traits, extending in time from Europe’s “Classic Age” on through the Enlightenment and on to America’s colonial and national architectural history of the past 200 years.

 

NOTE: This course will include at least one daytime (weekday or weekend) field trip, in/near Ashland, to see examples of our architectural history “in the flesh.” (Field trip dates/times to be decided by class vote and instructor’s schedule.) A liability waiver will be required.

Most Americans learned in school about the first shot heard around the world in Lexington, MA, as the start of the war; the frozen winter camp of Valley Forge, the Christmas surprise at Trenton, and the set-piece siege of Yorktown. No doubt, they were consequential events in the American Revolutionary War. However, they have been placed in such high esteem in American history courses that there’s been little space left for other important campaigns and battles. There are many more that are worthy of consideration: the wild battles of Saratoga, the disaster at Flatbush, the defense of Harlem Heights, British defeats at Sullivan’s Island, the Cowpens, Kings Mountain, Ninety-six, and the Race to the Dan. This class will introduce many of these places and clashes in a chronological and geographic fashion. This Part 1 of the course covers the foundation and start of the war through the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1778. Part 2 starts with the last battles in the northern colonies.

Using the documentary “US and the Holocaust” by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein as a starting point, the course will use video clips and a discussion guide to consider the United States and its response to the Holocaust. Lesson topics cover the impacts of Nazi ideology, US immigration law in the period of 1924-1941, US media coverage of the Holocaust and its role in shaping what America knew, the varying symbolism of the Statue of Liberty, an examination of how people make choices during times of crisis, and an inquiry inviting students to consider if US public opinion influenced US response to the Holocaust. Seven lessons will be covered, each taking approximately one class. No prior knowledge is required. Watching the entire documentary in advance of the class is recommended, but not required.

WARNING: This film and the course contain material that may be sensitive for some students.

Humankind has imagined fire as a god, a means to communicate with gods, a root force in the universe, and a key to the great mysteries. The universal metaphor, fire can symbolize creation and destruction, comfort and cruelty, the eternal and the ephemeral, the power of intense emotion and the illusory nature of all experience, the light of Heaven and the torments of Hell. How can a single phenomenon represent so many contradictory concepts? This course investigates the remarkable ubiquity of fire in human culture—in myth, religion, folklore, philosophy, and science. Through illustrated lectures and discussion, it will foster deeper appreciation of the enigmatic force that shaped our species and gave us control of the world. Practical aspects of fire will not be addressed (wildfire, prevention, fire ecology, or use in agriculture/industry). We will instead follow the torch of fire as a spiritual concept across continents, cultures, and centuries. No prior knowledge or skills required.

This course is an excursion into the civilization of ancient Rome. We will begin by posing questions whose answers may inform us about the Roman people. How did the Romans, among all of the tribes that inhabited the Italian peninsula in ancient times, become the dominant players both in Italy and the larger Mediterranean world? What was daily life like in Rome? What was the place of women in Roman society? Why did the Roman Republic descend into anarchy and then autocracy? How and why were the Romans the great builders of the ancient world? Why and how did Persians, Jews, Germans, and slaves struggle against Rome, and with what results? What was life like in the provinces of Rome such as North Africa, Britain, and Sicily? We conclude by considering one of the key questions in all of history: Why did Rome fall? And did it have to happen? We will proceed in nine sessions, lavishly illustrated with maps, photos, and renderings of buildings, archaeological sites, and artifacts.