History and Economics   

This class will survey the history of immigration to the United States. Beginning in the late 16th century, explorers sought out the North American continent and by the 17th century immigration, some voluntary, some forced, had begun. Over the next two centuries, immigration continued unabated, creating a much-needed workforce but also introducing questions about what kind of country we were going to be and what it meant to be an American. Questions of race, religion, and ethnicity, encouraged by the nativism and scientific racism of the early 20th century, continue to the present day. The book we will use, Roger Daniels, Coming to America (2nd edition) will tell this story. It was published in 2002 so for the past two plus decades of recent immigration we will use other readings.

This class is designed to be an entertaining and updated history of the 50 individual US states with particular focus on regional developments during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries of early America. It is hoped that each class member will receive a refresher in US history and perhaps learn some new information that was not retained (or offered) in individual elementary school experiences perhaps decades ago.

There will be a focus on anecdotes and personalities from each of the 50 American states. The course will provide a fresh, new insight into the unique characteristics of the states, as seen from a regional perspective. Each class will focus on one of seven regions of the US. Summaries will be sent out for each region prior to the weekly class. The eighth session will be dedicated to regional commonalities and differences as well as a general wrap-up.

Highlights will include key state challenges and successes, conflicts within the region, slavery and Native American resettlement issues, transitions in exploration, regional agricultural, economic, and mining changes, political and demographic trends and key infrastructure decisions. There will also be personal descriptions of the key leaders and personalities in the history of each state.

This course explores the potential and limitations of AI technology, examining its promises, challenges, and potential for enormous societal impact.

We'll start with a layperson's explanation of neural networks and how companies have leveraged them into commercial AI applications. With that understanding, we'll consider AI optimistically, discussing its enormous capabilities and promises for uplifting humanity. We’ll also evaluate AI pessimistically, reflecting upon the track records of internet-powered corporations and the history of dangerous social fads to assess how AI will soon amplify their power.

This balanced background will allow us to ask a crucial question: how should civilization manage AI to serve the common good, not just its creators?

Moreover, AI is emerging amid vehement competing notions of justice and fairness in America. Can this technology help us clarify viewpoints, reveal common ground, and reveal a path to peace between our warring factions?

At 0900 on 28 APRIL 1986, unusually high radiation levels were detected at the nuclear power plant at Forsmark, Sweden. Tests showed these radioactive particles could only have come from a Soviet nuclear reactor and the wind patterns pointed to Chernobyl. That evening, in a 23-word statement, TASS, the Soviet News Agency, reported an accident had happened to one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine SSR. This was the first the world knew about it. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the opening of archives in Russia and Ukraine we have a good idea what happened. This class will use the HBO series Chernobyl as a visual guide to the accident and draw on numerous books and other videos to fill in the details the HBO series left out.

“Churchill” the name sparks multiple images: Boer War correspondent, prisoner of war, Gallipoli, Minister of Parliament, The 1930s Wilderness Years, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Wartime Prime Minister. We will cover his World War II leadership from the dark days of The Gathering Storm, Dunkirk, Their Finest Hour, the Grand Alliance, Hinge of Fate, Alone No More, Closing the Ring, Turning the Tide, D-Day, to Triumph and Tragedy. Churchill was a controversial figure. We will discuss his political and military decisions and their ramifications. Our source material is the ABC Emmy Award-winning 1961 TV series “The Valiant Years,” the accompanying book “Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years,” Churchill’s sixth volume “The Second World War”, plus other books. Join us as we listen to Richard Burton speaking Churchill’s own words, Gary Merrill narrating, and war-time leaders providing their experiences.

“Churchill” the name sparks multiple images: Boer War correspondent, prisoner of war, Gallipoli, Minister of Parliament, The 1930s Wilderness Years, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Wartime Prime Minister. We will cover his World War II leadership from the dark days of The Gathering Storm, Dunkirk, Their Finest Hour, the Grand Alliance, Hinge of Fate, Alone No More, Closing the Ring, Turning the Tide, D-Day, to Triumph and Tragedy. Churchill was a controversial figure. We will discuss his political and military decisions and their ramifications. Our source material is the ABC Emmy Award-winning 1961 TV series “The Valiant Years,” the accompanying book “Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years,” Churchill’s sixth volume “The Second World War”, plus other books. Join us as we listen to Richard Burton speaking Churchill’s own words, Gary Merrill narrating, and war-time leaders providing their experiences.

The United States has held 59 presidential elections. A few of these contests concluded in extreme controversy. This course will examine 8 such elections, concluding with the 2024 election which will be held the day before the final class session.

Each week, we’ll scrutinize one election. We’ll first look at the 1800 election where it took 36 votes in the House to declare Jefferson the winner. We’ll then review the 1824 election where Andrew Jackson received 15 more electoral votes and a third more popular votes than John Quincy Adams, but Adams became president. Then, in turn, we’ll examine the 1860 election of Lincoln; the 1876 selection of Rutherford Hayes that ended Reconstruction; the 1912 contest where Wilson defeated both an incumbent and an ex-president; the “hanging chads” election of 2000; and the 2020 election where, for the first time, the losing candidate refused to concede defeat.

The course will not use a text. Before each class, the facilitator will distribute a short reading describing the election and why it resulted in such controversy.

When Colorado’s capitol building was built in the 1890’s, sixteen citizens and pioneers were memorialized with stained glass windows set high in the capitol’s rotunda. These Hall of Fame individuals were chosen as being influential in settling early Colorado.

This class will use these honorees as a jumping-off point for looking at 19th-century Colorado. They offer what was a contemporaneous perspective on the founding of our state. But we will then continue to delve deeper into our state’s history, covering up to the year 1900. Topics will include:

• the early years prior to the discovery of gold
• the Spanish settlement of the San Luis Valley
• the transition from frontier to statehood
• our uncomfortable history with the Native Americans
• transportation across the plains and into the mountains
• life in the mountains and in Denver
• ranching and farming in the “Great American Desert”

The lessons of history help us understand the entangled nature of current world events. This class will spotlight major events of the Italian and European Renaissance to reveal how profound changes beginning in the early 16th century are linked to present day.

The era straddling the dawn of the sixteenth century saw an amazing plethora of new ideas, exploration and the inevitable disruption that comes with change. The Italian renaissance ended with humanism firmly embraced by the Church and aristocracy. Wars were inevitable, and a new world order led to the founding of this country, the creation of the industrial age and the dominance of the West in all global affairs.

The course will cover the intellectual, technological, economic, scientific, and creative innovations that occurred around 1500 CE. We will explore the impact of human creativity and its effect on culture and commerce. Art and architecture, published works and science were the outward signs of a cultural churning that exploded with the enlightenment and the industrial age.

Most of us remember the first presidents up to Andrew Jackson, then draw a blank up to Abraham Lincoln, and later know most of the 20th century presidents. But what about those in between? They were characters to be sure, and their terms produced some very significant events for which often they don’t get credit. Let’s revisit them and perhaps gain a new appreciation for some.

This course will provide an overview of the important role in the world that Greece has played through history and currently. Its outsized influence on philosophy, architecture and art will be reviewed. Its major role in history, despite its relatively small population, will be covered. And a primary emphasis will be placed on Greece`s current role in Mediterranean area affairs and economies. Presentations will be mostly lectures with significant use of visuals and handouts. No books or other prior preparation will be required of class participants.

This course will walk through the history of Denver, exploring the successive waves of immigrants who have made their home in the Mile High City. This journey will include the stories of immigrants from Mexico, New Mexico, Ireland, China, Germany, Russia, Japan, Italy, Greece, Poland, Vietnam, Central America, and South America. Particular attention will be paid to the labor that these communities performed, how they struggled for fair wages and conditions in their workspaces, and how they contributed to the larger culture that has come to define Colorado.

Anti-Asian violence: A modern-day occurrence? Not at all. Fear, hatred, and racism toward the Chinese and Japanese began in the mid 1800’s culminating with the incarceration of over 125,000 Japanese at the beginning of WWII, two thirds of whom were US citizens. From the perspective of a third generation Japanese American (Sansei), we will discuss the how, when and why racism landed Americans in what is more accurately described as prison camps, and what we can do to countermand the effect of anti-Asian violence and racism in America today. With the continuing immigration and border crisis, we will see how the incarceration of the Japanese in WWII can repeat itself today and why we should be ever vigilant that this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.

This course will explore several social movements from the 1960s, including the Civil Rights movement, Chicano and American Indian Movements, feminist movement, Gay Liberation, Anti-War, and Economic Justice. For each of these movements, we will examine the history behind the movement, and relate it to current events and social change in the 21st century. Students are encouraged to share their own experiences and memories of this era and to use this course to reflect deeply on the questions that define us today.

Political division is not unique to the current time period. In fact, the biggest political division culminated in the secession of a total of 11 states from the United States in 1860-1861. This secession directly led to the Civil War that continued until 1865.

This course will cover the issue of slavery, which was first introduced in 1619. By the time the US Constitution was written and adopted, slavery was a divisive issue in the new country. As time went on, the United States developed differently in the northern and southern states. By the 1850’s (only 62 years after adopting the constitution), slavery was the dominant political issue in the United States.

This course will cover how slavery affected US politics in the various time periods from 1619 to 1860 and how the issue of slavery gradually became more and more divisive.

The course will cover the history of the British East India Company from its founding in the 1600’s to its turnover to the British government in the 1800’s. Discussion will focus on how a private company could end up ruling an entire sub-continent. There will be guest appearances from “incompetent local rulers, harems, rubies and war elephants.”

This class will include presentations, discussions and videos.

The Focus

• We will focus on the history and evolution of the economic, legal, theological, and philosophical systems embedded in our country’s laws and systems. We will follow the four roots as they become ever more intertwined and grow ever more deeply each decade to produce the racial disparities that we experience today.
• While there are many stories of minorities that could and need to be told, given eight weeks, these conversations will focus on those systems and structures that have resulted in wealth disparities, mass incarceration, and the unchecked killing of Black people.

Why Participate

• “Whites created slavery, segregation, and racial discrimination. Whites have most of the political and social power to change racial discrimination and inequality now. We cannot have a truly free and democratic society until we do that.” MLK
• Our desire to be good can prevent us from doing good if we do not see the historical systems and structures we created. If we don’t see them, we cannot act to change them.

Severe income inequality. Powerful corporations that reject regulations or taxes but expect government support for infrastructure. Immigrants and people of color filling low-wage jobs. Think these are recent issues? Let’s look at the Gilded Age.

The “Gilded Age” refers to the boom in U.S. industrialization and prosperity between 1870 and 1900. It witnessed the rise of self-made men, powerful corporations, unimaginable wealth, and a sizable middle class.

This phenomenon was characterized by innovation, get-rich schemes and laissez-faire attitudes and policies that enriched the few. But did the country as a whole benefit?

Wages increased. But rapid urbanization and industrialization caused new social problems ignored by the powerful. These detrimental effects of the economic boom led to reform movements to lessen inequality.

We will consider the belief that the Gilded Age birthed modern America, with ideas and ideals that are debated today. We will be guided by an excellent Great Courses curriculum, handouts and class discussion.

Join Anne and Bill as they look behind the curtain of our modern food supply system. Questions to be explored:

• How do supermarkets seem to always be filled with tasty looking food?
• Why is the arrangement of food similar in different locations?
• Why buy what we do?
• How far does food travel to reach us?
• What is lifelike for an 18-wheel long-haul truck driver carrying your groceries?
• Is our food supply safe?
• Why does the seafood department shut down for such a long time?
• What happens to supermarket food during a power outage?
• What percent of our food is wasted?
• What is a food desert?
• What is monoculture and organic farming?
• How much of our food is local?
• What happened to all the small farms?
• What is community supported agriculture?
• How does a food co-op work?
• What effect will climate change have?
• Is our food system sustainable?
• ow much of our food is ultra-processed?
• What do food additives do?
• Are they safe?

Economics is boring…unless it’s your money. “Thinking Like an Economist” will teach you to make rational choices in personal, work, and political decisions. You’ll learn why incentives matter, how to evaluate risk in purchasing, the myth of true value, predicting future values, and the economics of ignorance. Your newfound grasp of these and other economic principles will give you more confidence in managing your money and understanding how our economy works. We will discuss these fundamental economic principles plus current economic news that affects our daily lives.

This class will use the Great Course video series “Thinking Like and Economist”.

So what created this mess? William Faulkner wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” This class will dive deeply into Palestine’s past and how it has contributed to, and ultimately shaped, the current-day tragedy in the Holy Land.

We will begin with 3000 BCE:

• Who were the Canaanites and where did they come from?
• How did the Israelites end up in Palestine?
• How did the series of conquerors and rulers shape the country? '
• How did the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam influence Palestine?

We will explore the last 150 years:

• Where did the Zionist movement begin and why was it so successful?
• Why did Great Britain support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine?
• Why did the newly formed United Nations advocate a two-nation solution in 1948?
• Why did the Jews win the wars of 1948 and 1967 so decisively?

And finally, what is the situation today?

This is an eight-week course that will include lecture, videos, and a lot of discussion. The class will be offered both in person at OLLI South and on-line. Each class will be limited to 35.

So, what created this mess? William Faulkner wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” This class will dive deeply into Palestine’s past and how it has contributed to, and ultimately shaped, the current-day tragedy in the Holy Land.

We will begin with 3000 BCE:

• Who were the Canaanites and where did they come from?
• How did the Israelites end up in Palestine?
• How did the series of conquerors and rulers shape the country?
• How did the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam influence Palestine?

We will explore the last 150 years:

• Where did the Zionist movement begin and why was it so successful?
• Why did Great Britain support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine?
• Why did the newly formed United Nations advocate a two-nation solution in 1948?
• Why did the Jews win the wars of 1948 and 1967 so decisively?

And finally, what is the situation today?

This is an eight-week course that will include lectures, videos, and a lot of discussion. The class will be offered both in person at OLLI South and on-line. Each class will be limited to 35.