We invite you to join us on Thursday as we continue our new American Innovation series with "The Age of Rail." Plus, tune in next week for a discussion of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and for a special webinar on the importance of diversity of thought on indigenous topics. 

More on our upcoming webinars:

Join NAS this Thursday, September 22, at 2 pm ET, for "American Innovation: The Age of Rail."

In the 1830s, railroads sprang up across America, opening a new world of possibilities for business and daily life. By 1840, nearly 3,000 miles of railroad were in operation across the country, and by 1850, that number had grown to 9,000—as much as the rest of the world combined.

How did the railroad transform American transportation? How were railroads and locomotives viewed in the popular imagination at the time of their creation? Who were key figures responsible for developing the rail lines and trains that came into widespread use? And what forces led to the creation of the transcontinental railroad?

This webinar will feature Thomas Cornillie, an independent scholar who focuses on railways and public transportation in the United States and around the world; Robert Gallamore, a nationally known expert in railroad economics and former director of the Transportation Center and professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; and Christian Wolmar, an award-winning writer and broadcaster specializing in transport and author of a series of books on railway history.

The discussion will be moderated by David Randall, Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS next Tuesday, September 27, at 2 pm ET, for a discussion of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

“I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.”

What makes The Catcher in the Rye a great American novel? How does Holden deal with feelings of isolation and alienation? Is he a static character, or does the ending mark a maturation of his outlook? Who influenced Salinger's writings, and who did his writings influence?

This webinar will feature Brent Cline, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale College; Sarah Graham, Associate Professor in American Literature at the University of Leicester; and Anne Phillips, Professor of English and Associate Head of the Graduate Faculty at Kansas State University.

The discussion will be moderated by David Randall, Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

Join NAS next Friday, September 30, at 3 pm ET, for "Combatting Cancel Culture: Why Diversity of Thought Still Matters on Indigenous Topics."

What are the most controversial topics in anthropology and archaeology today, and why are so many scholars afraid to discuss them? What are the consequences of expressing "forbidden perspectives" on indigenous topics in modern education, and what's at stake in these debates?

In this special webinar event, speakers will discuss issues such as land acknowledgements, residential Indian school reparations, the concept of sacred sites, and the loss of diversity in Native American narratives resulting from the decolonization movement.

The webinar will feature Frances Widdowson, a former professor at Mount Royal University who was egregiously fired for her refusal to bow down to progressive orthodoxy on topics such as residential Indian school graves; Stuart Reges, a professor at the University of Washington who is currently suing his university for demoting him due to his controversial perspectives on land acknowledgements; Matthew Garrett, a professor of history and ethnic studies at Bakersfield College who has written extensively about Native American religions and their changes; and Timothy Ives, an experienced contract archaeologist and author of Stones of Contention.

The discussion will be moderated by San Jose State University anthropology professor Elizabeth Weiss, co-author of Repatriation and Erasing the Past.

To learn more about the event, click here. 

If you can't attend the events live, you can still register to watch the recordings. All registrants will receive a follow-up email with a link to the recording shortly after each event.

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