With the old power structure crumbling, French thinkers sought to reconstruct it based on reason. How should we think about what it is to be human? What can we know and what is the best way to learn it? Are you going to finish those snails?

Before the Revolution, most American colonists had tended to think of themselves as British and were often deeply enamored with the culture and fashions of their cousins' London. That shifted after 1783 as many new citizens tried to kickstart a distinctively American culture; to give America a national character different and distinctive from the national character of Britain. Following a general survey of the many different ways that these artists and intellectuals tried to declare their cultural independence, we’ll zero in on Noah Webster, the Connecticut schoolmaster who spent his life trying to persuade ordinary Americans to rethink their relationship to the British empire’s mother tongue: the English language.

There are many female spies that have helped America win wars, from the Civil War to WWI to WWII. They were fearless, brave, and risked their lives to gather intelligence. Some survived, others either died in concentration camps or were shot to death. Tragically, they are not known and have become merely footnotes in our American history. You will meet several of these women and hear their stories. They came from all walks of life, and some were as young as 17. One was considered Lincoln's favorite spy. One young woman during WWI shot herself rather than divulge any secrets that would help the enemy. One had only one leg, and her other was a prosthetic, yet she was a spy in Germany during WWII. Amazingly enough, she was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. One young socialite used her body to gather intelligence. her method was called the "honey pot" method. A third was an international tennis star. Learn about their fascinating lives as spies and what followed.

This presentation examines the work of the Olmsted firm in and around Washington, D.C. and explores the city and region as a system of designed and managed landscapes — places where natural landforms and civic spaces are integrated through planning and design. The examples include the Capitol Grounds, the National Zoo, Rock Creek Park, subdivisions and roads, and regional plans for parks and parkways, that, when considered in context, convey an aesthetic of urban planning unique in both history and location.