Dates: Aug 6, 8 & 10, 8-5pm PLUS 5-8pm September 10, October 8 & November 12, 2007

Additional hours for grad credit - see syllabus

Location: Vermont History Center, Barre

Cost: Free! $500 Stipend for participation

$294 for optional 3 graduate credits from Union Institute

Registration: See below (max 20)

Appropriate for middle/high school teachers - Teams of History/English teachers especially welcome!

Course Description

In October of 1899, a crowd of 40,000 people gathered to welcome Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Spanish-American War, back to his hometown of Montpelier, Vermont. The gathering illustrated one of the critical forces pulling at America and Vermont in the Gilded Age: the American identity. The era began in the aftermath of the Civil War which had challenged our identity on many levels. The rise of industry, the lure of the west, the end of slavery, the infl ux of immigrants, the growth of power and corruption in government all challenged prevailing attitudes toward the state and the nation. How did Vermont and America change during the Gilded Age? What were the core values of Vermont and America? What constituted progress? What characterized an American or a Vermonter? What was the responsibility of government to its citizens?

This course is a humanities seminar on the Gilded Age with brief refl ection on teaching practices. Course is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and is available at no cost, books included, and participants will receive a stipend of $500. Participants may take the course for Recertifi cation Credits based on 33 contact hours, or they may complete additional assignments and earn 3 graduate credits from Union Institute.

Study will focus on the Gilded Age, 1865-1910 and the many tensions felt by society during this transitional period. Reading selections chosen by the scholars focus on the Gilded Age in America in general and Vermont in particular, and are supplemented by readings and documents on the period in America. Scholars will lead teachers in an exploration of the changing identities of Americans and Vermonters as they faced tremendous economic, demographic, and cultural changes.

Three days in August will allow participants to read text and to process it both with colleagues and with specialists. The workshop will also provide for a tour of historic sites in central Vermont relevant to the Gilded Age. The Vermont Historical Society will introduce teachers to the VHS collection and direct them in the creation of a webbased lesson using one of those artifacts. Three evening sessions in the fall of 2007 will feature lectures from area scholars, discussion, and presentations from participants. Partners include the Vermont Historical Society, Spaulding High School, Lyndon State College, the National Humanities Center and LAPDA.

To Apply:

Please provide contact information and a short narrative in which you describe: Your teaching assignment and any other relevant professional responsibilities Your interest in the subject matter Benefi ts you anticipate from the workshop Mail or email application by May 25, 2007 to: Jerry Desmarais, Spaulding High School, 155 Ayers St. Barre, VT 05641 ~ 802-476-4811 x188 ~ gdesmshs@yahoo.com