Histories of the West: Native American and Borderlands Histories
The first theme will review the scholarship on Native American histories and the emerging field of Borderlands history and will take as its local base the Newark Earthworks State Memorial, home to the largest geometric earthen structures in the world.
The Country and the City: Nature and Neighborhood as Themes in American Life
The second theme focuses on agrarian life and urbanization. This theme also includes environmental history and provides a framework in which to explore how to use the built environment to engage students in history. The local historical site associated with this theme is Malabar Farm, the Mansfield-area home of mid-twentieth century author and social critic Louis Bromfield.
Of Campaigns and Conventions: American Political History
The third theme encompasses the broad swath of political history in the United States, from presidential history to the history of reform movements to political protest. It will include high politics as well as efforts of marginalized groups to stake a claim in the political system. The Warren G. Harding Home in Marion will provide the local history setting for this theme.
The Cold War: America's Long Race for Security and Predominance
The fourth theme examines the domestic and foreign policy causes and consequences of the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union in the last half of the twentieth century. A particular focus will be on the space race as an expression of American Cold War culture. The local historical site will be the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum near Lima.
