301 The Building Blocks of American Thought: A Four-Hundred-Year-Adventure
History | Available (Membership Required)
This class is an invitation to explore the development of the American mind, a unique set of ideas and thought processes that have created a cultural dynamic distinct among the World’s peoples. Whether engaged in mundane tasks or driven to causes “liberal” or “conservative,” all Americans are the heirs of common values generated by “a great cloud of witnesses” dating back four centuries. Part 1’s lessons highlight the foundational grounding established by the Puritans and their thought-descendants:
- Genesis: American Puritanism Faith and Practice (1630 and beyond)
- Exodus: The Puritan Faith Tried and Troubled
- II Chronicles: The Ebbing of Puritan Thought
- Mr. McGuffey’s Readers: Puritanism Revived
Fred Bailey
Fred Bailey brings to the ORICL program more than 40 years of experience as an American history professor and has traveled extensively across the United States, Europe and Asia researching and delivering professional papers. His primary academic interest is the history of American thought, and among his hobbies is exploring the different epochs of British history.