Details
Explore the history of America through the view of key historic objects, inventions, and exhibits in the Smithsonian collections.
*This course will start on April 15, 2015.
About this course
*This course will start on April 15, 2015.
About this course
This course, produced with The Great Courses, will look at four key themes in the History of America as presented by Dr. Richard Kurin, Undersecretary for History, Art and Culture at the Smithsonian.
- American Icons – from the Star Spangled Banner to the Statue of Liberty – how have these become iconic symbols for Americans? What do these icons represent in a global context?
- Rights and Liberties – from the Declaration of Independence to the Greensboro Lunch Counter, how have Americans defined, and continue to define, their rights and governance?
- America the Beautiful – From evidence of the continent’s first inhabitants to the conservation efforts of the Smithsonian’s scientists, how have the American people – both native and settler – envisioned, explored, worked and protected the land and its resources?
- Spirit of Invention – from the Model T to the space program, how have America’s pioneering inventions changed the world?
In this course you will gain a unique perspective on American history and culture by learning the stories behind objects that were, and continue to be, an essential part of U.S. history. Most importantly, you will reflect on what objects have personal meaning to you, and the role that symbolic objects play in your own histories.
This course is adapted from the video lecture series produced by Smithsonian and The Great Courses, Experiencing America: A Smithsonian Tour Through History.
Outline
What you'll learn
- You will learn why specific objects, from our nation’s distant past to its near present, are essential parts of U.S. History and critical elements of the Smithsonian's collection
- You will discover the unusual and surprising stories behind these objects
- You will identify themes in American history that unite these objects across time up to the present day
- You will create your own original exhibit that applies the core themes of the course, from Rights and Liberties to the Spirit of Innovation, to the objects of today’s world
Speaker/s
Dr. Richard Kurin
Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, Smithsonian Institute
Dr. Richard Kurin is responsible for the oversight of most of the Smithsonian’s national museums including, among others the American History, American Indian, American Art, and African American History and Culture museums, the National Portrait Gallery, Freer and Sackler Galleries, the Hirshhorn and the Cooper Hewitt design museum. He also oversees various Smithsonian cultural programs, museum collections and scholarly support functions, efforts to save endangered heritage around the world, and program content for the Smithsonian cable television channel. Trained as a cultural anthropologist specializing in South Asia, he is a former Fulbright fellow who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. For two decades he directed the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, which produces the Smithsonian Folklife Festival—an annual living cultural exposition on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., other major national celebration events, and programs for the Olympics. The Center also produces Smithsonian Folkways recordings and media products that have earned Academy, Emmy and Grammy awards. He is the author of several books, including Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem, Reflections of A Culture Broker: A View from the Smithsonian, Saving Haiti’s Heritage, Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Culture Of, By, and For the People. His latest book is The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects, also the subject of a video lecture series with The Great Courses and the basis for this course.
Kurin’s scholarship and museological work have been recognized by the International Council of Museums, UNESCO, Harvard’s Peabody Museum, and the American Anthropological Association. Awarded the Smithsonian Secretary’s Gold Medal for Exceptional Service, he serves as the Smithsonian’s liaison to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the White House Historical Association and numerous other boards.
Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, Smithsonian Institute
Dr. Richard Kurin is responsible for the oversight of most of the Smithsonian’s national museums including, among others the American History, American Indian, American Art, and African American History and Culture museums, the National Portrait Gallery, Freer and Sackler Galleries, the Hirshhorn and the Cooper Hewitt design museum. He also oversees various Smithsonian cultural programs, museum collections and scholarly support functions, efforts to save endangered heritage around the world, and program content for the Smithsonian cable television channel. Trained as a cultural anthropologist specializing in South Asia, he is a former Fulbright fellow who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. For two decades he directed the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, which produces the Smithsonian Folklife Festival—an annual living cultural exposition on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., other major national celebration events, and programs for the Olympics. The Center also produces Smithsonian Folkways recordings and media products that have earned Academy, Emmy and Grammy awards. He is the author of several books, including Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem, Reflections of A Culture Broker: A View from the Smithsonian, Saving Haiti’s Heritage, Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Culture Of, By, and For the People. His latest book is The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects, also the subject of a video lecture series with The Great Courses and the basis for this course.
Kurin’s scholarship and museological work have been recognized by the International Council of Museums, UNESCO, Harvard’s Peabody Museum, and the American Anthropological Association. Awarded the Smithsonian Secretary’s Gold Medal for Exceptional Service, he serves as the Smithsonian’s liaison to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the White House Historical Association and numerous other boards.
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