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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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Atlanta History Center

Atlanta History Center, founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Historical Society, includes permanent and traveling exhibitions in the Atlanta History Museum, two historic houses (Tullie Smith Farm and Swan House mansion), archives/special libraries, and 33 acres of beautiful gardens and wooded trails. The Atlanta History Center offers historical experiences for all ages, integrating history, education and life enrichment programs.

http://www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com

  • Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800

    Sun, Nov 11, 2007
    Edward J. Larson discusses his book, *A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign*, which tells the fascinating story behind the fierce election battle between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the first true campaign for the presidency and one that almost broke the back of our democracy. The election of 1800 ushered in the party system, drawing the lines of partisan battle that would reshape our politics, while also preserving the institution of democracy. Edward J. Larson holds the Darling chair in law at Pepperdine University and is the Russell professor of American history at the University of Georgia. He is the recipient of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in history for his book *Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion*.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Atlanta History Center

  • The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

    Tue, Sep 9, 2008
    Jonathan Mahler describes his new book, *The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power*. It is the authorized account of a landmark court case on presidential power and the rule of law in the history of the Supreme Court. After confessing to being Osama bin Laden's driver, Salim Hamdan was transferred to Guantánamo Bay and he was designated by President Bush for trial before a special military tribunal. Mahler explores the stories of Hamdan's attorney Lt. Commander Charles Swift and his assistant Neal Katyal, a young constitutional law professor at Georgetown University. Mahler is a writer for *The New York Times Magazine* and the author of *Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning*.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Atlanta History Center

  • The Irregulars: Baker Street Spies in Wartime Washington

    Thu, Sep 11, 2008
    Jennet Conant discusses her new book, *The Irregulars: The Baker Street Spies in Wartime Washington*. It is an account of deceit, double dealing, and moral ambiguity; all in the name of victory. Conant's narrative is based on never-before-seen wartime letters, diaries, and interviews. **Jennet Conant** is the author of the 2002 *New York Times* bestseller *Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon* and *The Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II*. A former journalist, she has written for *Vanity Fair*, *Esquire*, *GQ*, and *Newsweek*. She lives in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Atlanta History Center

  • Einstein: His Life and Universe

    Wed, Apr 18, 2007
    Walter Isaacson, author of the mega-selling, acclaimed biography of Benjamin Franklin, discusses his latest work focused on the most influential scientist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein. This is the first full biography written about this great icon since all of his papers became available. Isaacson looks at his science, personal life, and politics, and attempts to explain how his mind worked, who the real Einstein was, and the mysteries of the universe that he discovered.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Atlanta History Center

  • History of the CIA

    Wed, May 28, 2008
    Tim Weiner discusses his new book, *Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA*. The agency's failures have handed us, in the words of President Eisenhower “a legacy of ashes.” *Legacy of Ashes* is based on more than 50,000 documents, primarily from the archives of the CIA itself, and hundreds of interviews with CIA veterans, including 10 Directors of Central Intelligence. Tim Weiner is a reporter for *The New York Times*. He has written on American intelligence for 20 years, and won the Pulitzer Prize for his work on secret national security programs. He has traveled to Afghanistan and other nations to investigate CIA covert operations firsthand. This is his third book.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Atlanta History Center

  • Clinging to Mammy: Our Relationship with Slavery

    Sun, Oct 21, 2007
    Micki McElya, professor of American studies at the University of Alabama examines why we cling to the notion of "mammy." She argues that the figure of the loyal slave has played a powerful role in modern American politics and culture. Stories of faithful slaves expose the power and reach of the myth, not only in popular advertising, films, and literature about the South, but also in national monument proposals, child custody cases, New Negro activism, anti-lynching campaigns, and the civil rights movement. If we are to reckon with the continuing legacy of slavery in the United States, McElya argues, we must confront the depths of our desire for mammy and recognize its full racial implications.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Atlanta History Center