Please consider joining us next Wednesday, November 17th at 3 pm MT, for our second in-person event of the year at the University of Colorado Boulder.

We'll also be hosting the next webinar in our American History series on Tuesday, November 23rd at 6 pm ET. You can find all of our upcoming events in this series here.

More details on these two events:

Join NAS on Wednesday, November 17th at 3 pm MT as we discuss "Liberalism and the Role of Virtue."

Americans of all stripes agree that civic education is an essential component of a well-functioning republic. Despite this, there is widespread disagreement about what that civic education should entail. Some believe it should focus on training students in the history of liberalism and of Western civilization, to provide them with the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary to be responsible members of our shared political life. Others believe the focus should be more forward-leaning, encouraging students to engage in democratic protests and to actively involve themselves in the political process.

To help us better understand the current debate on civic education in America, the National Association of Scholars and the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization have joined together to sponsor this event. Attendees will engage with us on questions such as:

• What does the history of liberalism tell us about how to properly orient our civics education?
• What role ought the study of Western civilization play in civics instruction?
• How ought we think about the form and content of the civics education our students receive? 

This event will feature Tim Fuller, Professor of Political Science and Former Dean of Faculty and Chair of the Political Science Department at Colorado College; Wilfred McClay, Professor of History at Hillsdale College and author of the widely used history textbook, Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story; Cary J. Nederman, Professor of Political Science at the Texas A&M University; and Lynn Uzzell, Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University and Lecturer of American Politics and rhetoric at the University of Virginia.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS on Tuesday, November 23rd at 6 pm ET, as we discuss "1898: The Spanish American War."

In the late 1880s, the United States supported revolts in Cuba against Spanish colonial rule. Reports of concentration camps in Cuba inflamed American public opinion in the wake of tense war scares. Tensions were at an all-time high when an explosion rocked the USS Maine in Havana's harbor. Shortly after, the U.S. demanded a Spanish withdrawal from Cuba. Spain severed diplomatic relations in response. A blockade of Cuba and declarations of war from both nations quickly followed.

Was the Spanish-American War necessary? Could it have been avoided? What were general attitudes towards the war in the United States? What was the national mood in response to the acquisition of territories abroad, such as the Philippines, at the conclusion of the war?

This webinar will feature Paul McCartney, Professor of Political Science at Towson University and author of Power and Progress: American National Identity, the War of 1898, and the Rise of American Imperialism; and Louis Pérez, J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of History and Director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

If you can't attend, but would like to receive a recording of any of these events, I encourage you to register anyway. All registrants will receive a follow-up email with a link to the event recording.

If you have missed any of our past events or webinars, you may find all of our recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/user/NAScholars/videos.

I look forward to seeing you in the virtual audience!
 

Best,
Chance Layton
Director of Communications
National Association of Scholars
 

P.S.: In addition to the events listed above, NAS Board of Directors member Bruce Gilley is hosting a webinar to discuss his most recent book The Last Imperialist. Click here for more details.