When you have a litÂtle time, you can drop in on a free course that revisÂits a semÂiÂnal moment in U.S. history–the AmerÂiÂcan RevÂoÂluÂtion. Taught by Yale hisÂtoÂriÂan Joanne FreeÂman, the course explores how the RevÂoÂluÂtion brought about “some remarkÂable transformations–converting British colonists into AmerÂiÂcan revÂoÂluÂtionÂarÂies, and a clusÂter of colonies into a conÂfedÂerÂaÂtion of states with a comÂmon cause.” You can access the 25 lecÂtures above, or on YouTube and iTunes. Also find a sylÂlabus for the course on this Yale web site.
“The AmerÂiÂcan RevÂoÂluÂtion” will be added to our list of Free HisÂtoÂry CoursÂes, a subÂset of our largÂer colÂlecÂtion, 1,700 Free Online CoursÂes from Top UniÂverÂsiÂties.
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RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The HisÂtoÂry of the World in 46 LecÂtures From ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty
14,000 Free Images from the French RevÂoÂluÂtion Now AvailÂable Online
Every AmerÂiÂcan should take thi course. One aspect that should be enlarged is the influÂence of Native AmerÂiÂcan sociÂety, culÂture and govÂernÂment on the transÂforÂmaÂtion of EngÂlish setÂtlers and their descenÂdants. As Roger Williams and Ben Franklin pointÂed out, the freeÂdom eviÂdenced among the origÂiÂnal inhabÂiÂtants of AmerÂiÂca has changed EuroÂpeans who come here from being ruled to being free:
SurÂprise, is the main reacÂtion one is left with after going through these lecÂtures-up to the 11th!
AnyÂone getÂting introÂduced to AmerÂiÂcan hisÂtoÂry through ProÂfesÂsor Freeman’s lecÂtures, can be forÂgivÂen if she or he comes to the conÂcluÂsion that the whole affair was just the result of misÂunÂderÂstandÂing between some foolÂish men!
The visÂcerÂal disÂtaste for the founders, demonÂstratÂed by conÂstant gigÂgling and mockÂery is too palÂpaÂble and too disÂtractÂing to sufÂfer through! And, thereÂin lies the surÂprise-why teach a subÂject for which you have so much disÂdain!