Lectures and Webinars

We invite you to enjoy our ongoing series of public history webinars. These online events bring history to life through stories from renowned scholars and best-selling authors. Our webinars cover exciting topics, including the workings of the U.S. Capitol, untold tales of historical figures, and pivotal moments that have defined the American experience.

Keep an eye on our website, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on social media for the latest event updates and webinar schedules. We have recordings of each webinar readily available on our YouTube Channel.

Past Presentations:

March 7, 2024

The CIA, FBI, Mafia, and the Kennedys: Senator Frank Church's fight to save democracy

Watch our interview with journalist Thomas Risen and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Risen, co-authors of “The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys―and One Senator’s Fight to Save Democracy.” Together, we explored Senator Frank Church’s courageous stand against abuses of power by the CIA, FBI, Mafia, and the Kennedys. For decades now, America’s national security state has grown ever bigger, ever more secretive and powerful, and ever more abusive. Only once did someone manage to put a stop to any of it.

February 29, 2024

Behind the Scenes of January 6th with NBC's Ryan Reilly | Sedition Hunters

Watch our webinar featuring author and NBC reporter Ryan Reilly where we discussed his latest book, “Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System,” a compelling exploration into the unprecedented events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021. Reilly provided insights into the complex dynamics at play in the aftermath of that day and the ongoing challenges to the American justice system. The attack on the Capitol building following the 2020 presidential election was an extraordinarily large and brazen crime. Conspiracies formed on social media in full public view, and the individuals involved paraded on national television with undisguised faces while influential figures openly cheered them on. The event exposed vulnerabilities in our justice system, which was overwhelmed by the sheer number of participants and the widespread perception that their actions were justified.

February 8, 2024

The Evolution of Income Tax: Understanding the 16th Amendment with Legal Historian Dr. James Ely

Watch the most recent installment in our Amendment Series featuring Dr. James Ely, a renowned legal historian and property rights expert. Dr. Ely’s award-winning scholarship has examined American legal culture and Supreme Court history, including his 2023 article “One of the Safeguards of the Constitution: The Direct Tax Clauses Revisited.” Together, we explored the historical context of the 16th Amendment and learned its significance at the time of its ratification in 1913 and its impact on the American economy and society. Ratified in 1913, the 16th Amendment granted Congress the authority to issue an income tax without determining it based on population. This Amendment fundamentally changed how the federal government is funded, moving from domestic and international tariffs to an income tax system. Following the Civil War, Congress struggled to bridge the growing economic gap between southern and western farmers and eastern industrial growth. Several income taxes were passed but repealed until 1909 when conservatives proposed a constitutional amendment that was eventually ratified in 1913.

February 1, 2024

Mansfield and Dirksen: Bipartisan Giants of the Senate

We invite you to watch our recent webinar featuring historian and author Marc C. Johnson where we discussed his latest book, Mansfield and Dirksen: Bipartisan Giants of the Senate. The U.S. Senate is so sharply polarized along partisan and ideological lines today that it’s easy to believe it was always this way. But in the turbulent 1960s, even as battles over civil rights and the war in Vietnam dominated American politics, bipartisanship often prevailed. One key reason: two remarkable leaders who remain giants of the Senate—Republican leader Everett Dirksen of Illinois and Democratic leader Mike Mansfield of Montana, the longest-serving majority leader in Senate history.

January 25, 2024

Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day: Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Daughter of a Holocaust Survivor

Watch a special webinar to recognize Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27th). We were honored to have Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, as she shared her inspiring story. Her father, Congressman Tom Lantos, was the only Holocaust survivor elected to the U.S. Congress and the former chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

January 2024

Extending the Right to Vote: The 15th Amendment's Enduring Impact on Voting Rights

Discover an insightful episode featuring Dr. Terry Anne Scott, an award-winning historian, author, and influential speaker. We continued our series on the U.S. Constitution to explore the profound impact and enduring legacy of the 15th Amendment. Ratified in 1870 as the last of the Reconstruction Amendments, the 15th Amendment prohibits the denial of a citizen’s right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Despite its ratification, state laws, literacy tests, poll taxes, the “grandfather clause,” and voter intimidation continued to prevent African Americans from exercising their voting rights. Dr. Scott explains why this amendment was crucial in the fight for equality and how it addressed but did not fully resolve the barriers to voting in the aftermath of the Civil War. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn why the 15th Amendment was necessary to solidify voting rights for all and how it remains relevant in today’s fight for a fair and inclusive democracy.