The 1860 presidential election, pivotal in U.S. history, catapulted Abraham Lincoln to power, intensified national divisions over slavery, and led directly to the Civil War.

Roberta Senechal de la Roche, a retired historian and sociologist from Washington and Lee University, specialized in studying collective violence. Her first major publication, originally titled The Sociogenesis of a Race Riot, was later...

The Great Lakes are a tremendous resource for the United States. In an age of climate change where water is becoming more scarce, the states and surround the Great Lakes are in an enviable position for the future. Despite this, however,...

2050 is getting closer. While at one point that year felt like a far off future year, we're actually getting close enough to it that we can make some pretty realistic predictions of what might happen. And because I do so much research...

What do you get when you combine mass surveillance with A.I.? It’s a dystopia that’s already a reality in places across the world. Fashion designers are pushing back, crafting clothing and accessories that trick facial recognition...

Follow Abe as he grows up in a log cabin, first showing his passion for reading and learning, up until he leaves home to become a circuit lawyer.

This video explores the life and achievements of Hiram Revels, the first Black person to serve in the U.S. Congress. Learn about his journey from a free-born pastor to a Civil War chaplain and political leader in Mississippi, and his...

Dr. Forrester explores several cities and towns in the United States and attractions that make those cities famous.

Elizebeth Friedman revolutionized American cryptology and played a crucial role in bringing down mobsters and spy rings in the 20th century.

Dr. Forrester describes the circumstances surrounding the Treaties of Chicago in 1821 and 1833. She then tells the sad tale of the Battle at Wounded Knee.

Dr. Forrester introduces the Midwest Region of the United States. She describes the topography, the history, and the series of waterways that has made this area a vital and growing part of our country.

One of the worst miscarriages of justice in U.S. history, the Haymarket Affair, a labor action in support of an eight-hour working day, led to the unlawful executions of four Chicago residents.

Awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, recognizing a lifetime of influential literary works, Ray Bradbury wrote from a desire to “live forever”. Through sci fi, fantasy, horror and mystery to themes of death, loneliness and the dark...

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney's unjust majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford shockingly declared Black individuals weren't citizens, solidifying slavery's grip and pushing the nation closer to Civil War.

The Presidential Election of 1860 proved the most divisive in U.S. history, with the election of Abraham Lincoln triggering the secession of Southern states. But how did it play out at the polls?

In episode 11 of Supreme Court Briefs, a slave fights for his family's freedom after they live in free states for a while.

Every 4 years we Americans elect the President. Today I will explain who is allowed to vote, which requirements a candidate must fulfill, how you become a candidate and how we elect the President.

Nobel Laureate Antony Leggett, University of Illinois, describes how the field of foundations of quantum theory changed from being a "fringe activity" to one squarely within the academic mainstream thanks to the work of a few "mavericks".

Nicole Zumpano has over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher and instructional technology coach. Currently, she serves as a Director of Instructional Technology Coaching for the Learning Technology Center of Illinois. A National...

Alice Knapp is the CEO of the Ferguson Library in Stamford CT. Alice graduated Cum Laude with a degree in...

The Chicago Cubs are putting Wrigley Field to use as a food distribution hub to help support COVID-19 relief efforts.

When we talk about the 2nd amendment today, we talk almost exclusively about the "right to bear arms" and individual gun ownership. But whatever happened to a "well-regulated militia?" In today's episode we dive deep into the Supreme...

From treetops to rivers to the bedrock below, there is constant activity going on in what we can think of as the “skin” of our planet. It’s called the critical zone, the active layer of the Earth where life-forms, from microbes to...

Rosa Gallagher is interviewed at the Dank Haus (Chicago, Illinois). Rosa gives a tour of the Stein Museum giving a historical background of the German stein.