CSAC regularly organizes professional development seminars for teachers that explore various themes and issues of the Founding era. These seminars are typically multi-day events that feature historical and pedagogical experts.
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Upcoming Opportunities
CSAC Saturday Seminars for February, 2021
These events are limited to 70 attendees. Applicants will be considered on a first come, first served basis.
Applications are due by 6 February 2021.
“A System to Last for Ages”: The Constitutional Convention of 1787
with Stuart Leibiger (LaSalle University)
To be held virtually via Zoom
Saturday, 13 February 2021 (10:00am-12:00pm)
The 55 men who gathered at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia during the spring and summer of 1787 hoped, as James Madison put it, to design “a system” of government “to last for ages.” Leibiger will discuss his latest book, The Constitutional Convention of 1787, which provides a brief, chronological narrative account of the Constitutional Convention that captures the complexity, messiness, and unfolding daily drama of the Convention, as well as the role of contingency behind it. The sessions will also address the myths and realities of the Convention, leading personalities (especially James Madison), key compromises, and little-known facts. Additionally, participants will have opportunities to discuss primary source materials related to Leibiger’s presentations.
Click here to register for one or both events
The Idea of a Second Constitutional Convention
with John P. Kaminski (UW-Madison)
To be held virtually via Zoom
Saturday, 27 February 2021 (10:00am-12:00pm)
The idea for a second convention began late in the proceedings at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. Although the delegates at Philadelphia rejected the idea, this debate continued into the Confederation Congress as they debated the transmittal of the Constitution to the states. It also persisted throughout the ratification debates, as Antifederalists often associated it with the issue of adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Many shared Richard Henry Lee’s assessment that a second convention would produce “great safety and much good to be the probable result.” Join John P. Kaminski in an exploration of the ideas, personalities, and resistance to the proposal. Additionally, participants will have opportunities to engage in the discussions as well as discuss primary source materials related to Kaminski’s presentations.
Materials From Most Recent Seminars
SLAVERY AND THE EARLY AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Held virtually via Zoom on Saturday, 12 December 2020 (10:00 am-12:00 pm)
Readings from session 1: Emancipation Documents from the Revolutionary Era
Readings from session 2: The Founders and Slavery
- YouTube links to recordings of the seminar are posted below. You can turn on “CC” and opt for “English (auto-generated)” under “Subtitles/Closed captions” settings on YouTube to see captions.
- Session 1: Slavery in Colonial and Revolutionary Eras
- Session 2: Slavery in the Early Republic
- Extra topics covered by Tim and John that were not included in the main seminar sessions due to time limitations. Follow the same procedure listed above to see auto-generated English captions.
ABIGAIL ADAMS: A PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN HEROINE
Held virtually via Zoom on Saturday, 14 November 2020 (11:00 am-12:00 pm)