Washington Irving was America's first great writer of short stories, while James Fenimore Cooper was America's first great novelist. As we survey their works, we'll answer the following questions:

1. What role does nature play in Washington Irving's stories?
2. How is Cooper's treatment of different cultures deeply influenced by the Romantic era?
3. Why does Cooper critique progress in The Last of the Mohicans?

Recommended Reading: Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle. 1819.
Cooper, James Fenimore. The Last of the Mohicans. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, 2004.

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The Jacksonian era would mark a turning point in American politics, particularly regarding the power of the presidency. As we move forward in history, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions:

1. Why did the Democratic-Republican party split during Andrew Jackson's presidency?
2. What was the primary goal of the newly formed Whig party?
3. How did the railroad help shift the American economy away from subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture?

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The beginning of the nineteenth century would continue to test the American experiment. As we explore some of those tests, we'll seek answers to the following questions:

1. In what way did Jefferson break with traditional Federalists in his attitude towards tradition?
2. What was the crux of the disagreement between Jefferson and Chief Justice John Marshall?
3. Why were Federalists discredited in national politics following the Hartford Convention?

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