Hillsdale College Has Launched New Online Course on “The Great American Story”

Hillsdale, Michigan, July 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hillsdale College has launched a new free online course, “The Great American Story: A Land of Hope.” The course is taught by award-winning author and historian Wilfred McClay. The 25-lecture course presents a full, unbiased account of America’s past from its discovery to the present day.

“History is a story. It’s a collection of stories,” said McClay in his introduction to the course. “Stories help us understand where we came from and what it means to be a citizen that is fully a member of this society… to be participants in a full and conscious way in this astonishing and amazing country.”

The online course is based on McClay’s recent book, Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story. Each lecture focuses on a particular time in American history, starting with the early settlements of America and ending in the present day. Lecture topics include “The Culture of Democracy and Its Shadow,” “Becoming a World Power,” “A Time of Turbulence,” and more.

“By learning the great stories of our nation’s past, we can preserve our cherished national memories and gain the knowledge necessary for free government,” said Kyle Murnen, Director of Online Courses at Hillsdale College. “Dr. McClay does an excellent job telling this story in a way that is fun, thought-provoking, and easy to understand.” 

Wilfred McClay is a distinguished teaching fellow at Hillsdale College and serves as the G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma. He is the author of several books, including Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story, Why Place Matters: Geography, Identity, and Civic Life in Modern America, A Student’s Guide to U.S. History, and The Masterless: Self and Society in Modern America. McClay earned his B.A. from St. John’s College and his Ph.D. in history from Johns Hopkins University.

To sign up for the free course, visit hillsdale.edu/the-great-american-story.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 5.4 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu. 

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Emily Stack Davis
Hillsdale College
517-803-3745
[email protected]