September 16, 2011: The Clio Society: “Aristocratic Values in Republican Rome”
Nathan Rosenstein
Professor of History
Many people have evoked—but have not always fully understood-- the Republican values of ancient Rome, the Founding Fathers of our own republic among them. Professor Nathan Rosenstein will discuss these republican values as seen by the Romans themselves, and will consider the long-term strengths and weaknesses of those values.
May 20, 2011: “The Democracy That Broke: The Continuing Relevance of the Civil War”
Mark Grimsley
Associate Professor of History
Extremism in American political life led to the extreme actions that caused the Civil War. The Civil War challenged the idea that America was an “unbreakable union,” as that union was torn asunder. Could the extremism that seems to characterize our politics today similarly tear our union asunder? During this, the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Professor Mark Grimsley reflects upon the War’s continuing significance in American political life.