Explore the "Unexpected West" at the Colorado History Museum
This Colorado Historical Society lecture series tests assumptions about the history of the American West
DENVER -- Tickets for the 2006-2007 lecture series at the Colorado History Museum are now available. This year's series,
The Unexpected West, touches on a variety of provocative topics--from mountain climbing parties to peace pipe ceremonies--and is sure to challenge your assumptions about the history of the American West. Lectures are held at 1 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. at the Colorado History Museum, 1300 Broadway, Denver. Price for the eight-part series is $60 ($45 for Colorado Historical Society members). Single tickets can be purchased for $8.50 ($7 for members). A reception follows each lecture. A sign language interpreter is available with advance notification.
To RSVP or for more information, please call (303) 866-4686 or visit www.coloradohistory.org.
"THE UNEXPECTED WEST" 2006-2007 LECTURESSeptember 19: Highly regarded historian Anne Butler kicks off the series on September 19 with
Cloisters Connecting: Catholic Nuns and Women Prisoners in the American West. The West was an unlikely stage for these two groups, both of which populated society's margins. Yet, female criminals and Roman Catholic nuns played significant roles in the region's dynamic history and often crossed paths.
October 17: Early western mountaineering typified by mass ascents expressed a culture of climbing that differed radically from the individualistic sport that followed World War II. Historian Joseph Taylor explores how climbing history has changed over the years with
Pilgrims of the Vertical: Climbing and Nature in the Western Mountains.
November 21: In
Unplugging the New Deal: Why the West Liked Ike, 1946-1960, historian Karl Brooks examines how the New Deal dominated Western politics until it fell in on itself in the 1940s and how its breakdown impacted the environment and twentieth-century politics.
January 16: In the late 19 th century, the U.S. government attempted to assimilate Indian children into American culture by removing them from their families and sending them to distant off-reservation boarding schools. Historian Margaret Jacobs explores what motivated American reformers and officials in
Kidnapped for Education: Indian Children in Boarding Schools. Case studies of the Utes, Navajos, and Hopis show how the policy affected American Indian families and communities.
February 20: Historian Brett Rushforth discusses the calumet, or peace pipe, and its changing role in native diplomacy in the West, especially after Spanish and French traders introduced new goods, animals, and diseases starting in the 1700s. In
Peace Pipe: The Calumet in Native Diplomacy before Lewis and Clark, Rushforth will examine the calumet ceremony's meaning from its origins among the Pawnee to its place in native cultural relations in the era of European exploration and colonization.
March 20: Historian Mark Fiege discusses how innocent curiosity--not a narrow-minded desire to manipulate nature for destructive ends--motivated World War II atomic research. In
Atomic Sublime: Scientists and Nature at Los Alamos, Fiege shows how a love of nature enabled scientists to produce the esoteric knowledge necessary to build the bomb.
April 17: In 1927 progressive feminist Josephine Roche became the biggest stockholder of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company, working tirelessly to improve conditions for miners. During the Depression she donated her salary as vice president to help keep the company open. Join historian Maria Montoya for
Josephine Roche: A Woman of Conscience, as she explores the impact made by this important Colorado figure.
May 15: Every year, more than two million visitors make a pilgrimage to Mount Rushmore. In
The Landscapes of Mount Rushmore, popular historian Philip Deloria examines the different pathways and landscapes--Interstate 90, winding Iron Mountain Road, and Black Elk Wilderness trails--that lead visitors to this improbable monument. Each route creates different meanings and evokes distinct emotional experiences.
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Background
The Colorado Historical Society is a statewide organization with 12 museums and historic sites across the state
. Founded in 1879 as the designated steward of Colorado history, the Colorado Historical Society aspires to engage people in our State's heritage through collecting, preserving, and discovering the past in order to educate and provide perspectives for the future. This educational institution is headquartered in the Colorado History Museum and also contains the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, as well as the Stephen H. Hart Research Library, and administers the State Historical Fund, a preservation-based grants program funded by limited-stakes gaming tax revenues. For more information call (303) 866-3682 or visit www.coloradohistory.org.