Library – Chesapeake Forum

20,000 Years of History from One Oyster Reef in the Choptank River

A sonar mapped oyster reef reveals geologic history of the Chesapeake Bay from 20,000 years ago.

2021 Distinguished Scholar Event: Frederick Douglass: In His Time and In Ours

Professor David W. Blight’s virtual live lecture will draw past and present together by focusing on Frederick Douglass’ key legacies. You are welcome to join a live Q&A following the lecture.

230 Years of Presidential Elections: Washington to Trump, 1788-2018

A virtual magic carpet ride through the past 230 years to see the facts, foibles, and fallacies of U.S. Presidential Elections.

500 Years of Fake News: From False Facts and Fictitious Fallacies to Forgotten Foibles

Tour the past 500 years to see for yourself if “fake news” is a new phenomenon or just “business as usual.”

A Family History of Unionville

A Journey through the Developing World

A humorous and not so humorous “one man’s trek” through the most difficult places on the globe.

A Journey Through the Developing World

A Tale of Five Towns: Community Evolution of Talbot County

A Woman’s Province? Pensioning Two Eastern Shore Heroines

Anna Ella Carroll and Harriet Tubman are asking for government pensions. You will decide.

Airship 103

Each session is a separate video production accessible to registered participants. Climb aboard Airship 103 and enjoy the flights, the views, and technical and operational aspects unique to blimps.

An Hour with a Holocaust Survivor with the U.S. Holocaust Museum

Art across Cultures

From Tokyo to Istanbul, the Freer Gallery program will transport you across its many rich holdings.

Buckets of Warm Spit I: Vice Presidents of the United States

Decoding the Personal Letters of Union and Confederate Soldiers

Examine Civil War soldiers’ letters home and decode historical memorabilia. Within the "casual" comments, what was really being said?

Doc, I Need a Drink

A Philatelist (stamp collector) looks at National Prohibition and the stamps that paid the tax.

Exploring the Long History of Epidemics in Maryland

FIGHTING WORDS: How Newspapers Reported the American Civil War from the Polarized Perspectives of North vs South

Using a "magic carpet" of old newspapers, view the Civil War from very different perspectives.

From a Flight by Balloon to Men on the Moon

(Course Recording Now Available) A History of Aviation as reported in the newspaper press over four centuries from 1783 through 2021.

Fun Flight in a P-51 Mustang

Watch the video of “Crazy Horse” P51 from a Skyship 600 Airship and then jump into the Mustang.

Great Decisions 2021 Discussion, Part I

Discuss four of the eight important global topics in the 2021 Great Decisions Briefing Book (included). Look for Part II in the Fall 2021 semester offerings.

Great Decisions 2021 Discussion, Part II

Part 2 of this popular geo-political discussion group will continue with four more important global topics from the 2021 Great Decisions Briefing Book (available for an additional $10).

Happy Hour Forum: Tapping into Chesapeake History With Bob Random

You may be wondering about this fellow and why he had it in for the Eastern Shore. You will receive clues to consider one week before the great reveal. Sharpen your wits, grab a beverage, and join us for a most entertaining happy hour class.

How Does History Inform Current Events?

It is said that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Are we ignoring obvious parallels from the past? Discussions will focus on present United States attitudes towards ‘political enemies.’

John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty”

We will examine “On Liberty,” the seminal work by John Stuart Mills (described as the one piece of political thought most relevant to us today) by analyzing the relative and often competing rights of individuals with the rights of the community.

Mother Earth: The Ultimate in Recycling

The Earth is 4.6 billion years old and change is happening continuously. In this presentation, we will explore the impact of change on the earth’s ocean crust when considering such things as our global communications capabilities.

My Dearest Friend: The Letters of Abigail and John Adams

We will explore what their intimate letters reveal about this extraordinary marriage.

Poplar Island: An International Model of Innovative Re-Use

Prehistoric Human Migration

This is the story of prehistoric human populations, languages, and cultures over 8,000 years.

Ruining Your Day at the Beach

(Recording Now Available!) Join Doug’s class and learn why beaches erode and how rip currents work. You will examine globally collected sand samples, or your own, and learn how to analyze their differences.

Sea Turtles and Chesapeake Fishing: Lessons in Sustainability

COURSE IS NOW OVER. RECORDING IS AVAILABLE. Learn what ended the worldwide Caribbean turtle fishery of a century ago and why this is a cautionary note for the sustainability of fishing the Chesapeake.

Smart Growth and the Resilient City

(Recording Now Available!) Learn how Smart Growth can create a Resilient City, ready to survive crises and face future shocks and stresses from climate change, growing populations, and depleted energy sources.

That Peculiar Institution” on the Eastern Shore of Maryland: Slavery in 19th Century Life & Literature

Trace the lives and journey of Eastern Shore slaves in the time of Frederick Douglass.

The Civil War Era in Talbot County

The Civil War in Maryland, Part I

The Civil War in Maryland, Part II

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Senator George L. Radcliffe

The Many Faces of Fascism Part II

An overview of Neo-fascism in six European countries will bring us to the XXI century.

The Many Faces of Fascism” – Part I

This course will identify the many faces of fascism in different countries while exploring the roots and origins of fascism and its relationship to religion and economics.

The Political Rise of George Washington

Learn how George Washington's successes were hard-won through effort, discipline, and lifelong learning.

This Great American Order: The KKK on Delmarva in the 1920s

COURSE IS NOW OVER, BUT THE RECORDING IS STILL AVAILABLE. The Ku Klux Klan made its appearance across Delmarva in the early 1920s. Join us to examine who introduced the Klan to Delmarva, who joined the "Invisible Empire," and who contributed to its decline.

Touring the Library of Congress – A World of Knowledge

Writing about Harriet Tubman’s Native Land – Is it Unchanged?

COURSE IS NOW OVER, BUT THE RECORDING IS STILL AVAILABLE! The Maryland Parks Service describes the landscape of Harriet Tubman’s early years as “virtually unaltered.” Join Phil, co-author of “The Old Home Is Not There,” on a sweep through Dorchester as he looks for continuity and change.

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