American Studies About Town
Our students select great events around town and online.
May Events
Many Americans were shocked when supporters of Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election on January 7, 2021. But this post-election violence is not a unique occurrence in American history. The 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election was arguably the most contentious in American history, with both parties claiming corruption and neither candidate conceding, ultimately leading to racial violence across the state and the deaths of at least 150 Black men in the Colfax Massacre. Dana Bash, CNN anchor and chief political correspondent, and David Fisher, co-authors of America’s Deadliest Election, join David M. Rubenstein to discuss the little-known history of this violent moment in America’s history.
Tickets here!
05/01/2025 (Thursday): 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Online & In-Person: The Robert H. Smith Auditorium at The New York Historical
170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Take a short stroll with the Urban Park Rangers as we learn about Native American contributions to our modern-day society.
05/03/2025 (Sunday): 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Udalls Park Preserve
Northern Boulevard and 245th Street
You’ve watched “Law & Order,” but how much do you really know about NYC’s legal system? It's time to walk the streets with one of New York's most prominent courthouse experts to get the truth about New York's civic history, and nothing but the truth.
Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the civic sites and institutions that shaped law and public policy in New York City, and the nation, throughout the past 400 years.
05/03/2025 (Tuesday): 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
WeWork Building
85 Broad Street New York, NY 10004
Get your tickets here.
The Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse, erected in 1880 and moved to its current site in 1921, has become widely known as the children's literary landmark "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge." Rediscover the history of this unique landmark. Open access between 1:00pm and 2:45pm. Participants may need to queue for access due capacity limits inside of the structure. Enter park via overpass closest to Plaza Lafayette. (West 181st Street) and Riverside Drive.
04/15/2025 (Sunday: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM)
Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington
Fort Washington Park, Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY 10032
The hundredth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, 1963, was a year of political tumult and unrest in America, rife with racial violence and marked by the high-profile assassinations of Medgar Evers and JFK. Despite, or perhaps because of, such social and political troubles, it was also a year of enormous transformation for our country and the Civil Rights Movement. Author Peniel E. Joseph joins Douglas Brinkley to detail the gripping events of that year, from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to the March on Washington and beyond.
RSVP here
04/15/2025 (Tuesday: 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
Online & In-Person: The Robert H. Smith Auditorium at The New York Historical
170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
On Armed Forces Day , take a tour of this hidden gem that was a military base for over 100 years. Learn about the important role Fort Totten played in New York City’s defense history, from the Civil War to today.
05/17/2025 (Saturday): 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Fort Totten Park Visitors Center in Fort Totten Park
212th Street and Bell Boulevard