Summer Institute
Antebellum Reform Movements and the Coming of the Civil War

Funded by a Teaching American History grant and open only to educators in Burlington, Bedford, Woburn, Lexington, and Somerville.

Institute Dates: August 9 - 13, 2010
Location: TBA
PDPs/Credits: 67.5 PDPs; 3 graduate credits for the course
Fee: This course is offered free of charge with support from a Teaching American History grant for educators in Burlington, Bedford, Woburn, Lexington, and Somerville.

In the antebellum period, American reformers embodied idealism and dreamt of social change. Their ideas not only united men and women of diverse backgrounds, but also divided families, communities, and even the nation itself. This course will first examine causes championed by these 19th century reformers, including abolition, temperance, women's rights, and education. It will then explore the competing ideologies and dramatic events that led to the Civil War. Participants will visit Boston's Museum of African American History and Beacon Hill's Black Heritage Trail.

Topics will include: the transatlantic reform tradition, religious reform, abolitionism, the women's movement, and the Civil War.

Suitable especially for educators in grades 8 – 11.

Selected Faculty:
John Stauffer, Harvard University
Manisha Sinha, University of Massachusetts Amherst