Noncredit Schedule of Classes

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal has fascinating stories to be told. Along the 14 miles of the nearly 200-year-old waterway, every town and village, every lock and bridge, and every camp spot used by Union soldiers during the Civil War contributed to the engaging narrative. Discover the role that mule-drawn barges, locks, steamboats, and changing methods of transportation played in the evolving history of the Canal and the region. First session meets virtually using TEAMS. Session two meets at C and D Canal Museum, 815 Bethel Road, Chesapeake City. Session 3 meets at Batter Park, Delaware City, 30 Clinton Street, Delaware City, DE. Transportation is the responsibility of the student.

Old canals have fascinating stories waiting to be discovered, every village, town, lock, and bridge along the way contributing to the engaging narrative. In this program, you will discover the role of people, mule drawn barges, locks, steamboats, and changing methods of transportation as we examine the history of these waterways in the region. A tour of local canals may included, is safe to do so.

With the arrival of modern, high-speed highways, many of northeastern Maryland's scenic routes and the small hamlets and villages clustered around those corridors are overlooked. This program explores the character, ambiance, and history of some of these lesser-traveled roads. These historic roadways are so much more than just a line on the map so come along for an enjoyable trip as we hear intriguing stories about waterfront towns, agricultural communities, and country hamlets and villages, where discovery awaits you.

The Greco-Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Persian Achaemenid Empire and Greek city-states. These conflicts began in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC. Examine the military of both, discuss the strategies used in battle, and discuss the outcomes of the conflicts. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waivers apply.

Learn about the vice presidents of the United States, the second highest public office created by the United States Constitution and the president of the United States Senate. Examine their early lives, political careers, political viewpoints, and their administrative terms. In addition, this course will provide historical analysis into this government office and an area of U.S. history that is rarely discussed and evaluated. Each semester will highlight various vice-presidents. Senior adult and disabled retiree course fee waivers apply.

The year 2020 marked the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims arrival in North America. Thirteen year earlier, James Fort was established in Virginia. This course compares and contrasts the two pioneering English colonies from their beginnings in 1607 and 1620 and shows who these different establishments were a critical part of creating “America the Beautiful.” Senior adult and disabled retiree course fee waivers apply.

Review and analyze the lives and public careers of the candidates that ran in US presidential elections and lost throughout US history. We will examine the early years, public and private careers, decisions on running for the presidency, campaigns for president, accomplishments and failures outside of losing the presidency, and more. The course will resurrect the lives of these candidates that had their 15 minutes of fame during a presidential campaign and were lost to history because they lost the elections. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waivers apply.

Born as the result of a bitter territorial dispute over royal land grants, the Mason-Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 to settle the boundaries for Pennsylvania and Maryland. After 1820, when the Missouri Compromise created political conditions which made the line important to the history of slavery, it became associated with the division between the free and slave states. Today the line is still seen by many as a symbolic dividing line for regional attitudes and customs. This program explores the story of the line, which runs through our land and our history, along with the perceptions that have developed about the boundary.

In the era when railroads were the dominant form of transportation, murder, mayhem and other calamities frequently disrupted the tranquility of railroad excursions. These shocking occurrences often dominated and grabbed the headlines of local newspapers, and alarmed the traveling public. By 1907, railroads were the largest cause of violent death in the nation. In this course we explore the un-examined stories of murder and mayhem on the rails, including cold blooded killings, Jesse James-like local train robberies, and serious accidents.

Look at historical attempts to regulate the consumption of alcohol over the centuries. While most people are aware of prohibition in the 1920s, during the so called Nobile Experiment, attempts to regulate the behavior extends even farther back into the past. Hear colorful stories of rum runners, moonshiners, bathtub gin, intriguing personalities, complicated politics, organized crime, outgunned lawmen, and the temperance movement.

Study the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and organizations like the SA and SS. Senior adult and disabled retiree course fee waivers apply.

The Star-Spangled Banner, a source of pride in good times and comfort in bad, remains controversial, not only for what it stands for, but for how it was composed and by whom. Explore the anthem, the war, and the battle that generated it, as well as the author and the music that accompanies it. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waivers apply.

This presentation traces the evolution of graveyards in the state, explores some fascinating tales tombstones whisper, considers interesting epitaphs, and discusses changing practices and customs. The program concludes with suggestions for using a visit to an old burial ground to understand and trace local and family history.

Examine the history of Maryland during the Civil War of 1861-1865. Maryland, a slave state with strong ties to the South, remained in the Union. Ask and answer the question just how close Maryland came to casting her lot with the South during the Civil War by examining the strength of Confederate and Unionist sympathies in the state. Examine the military activities in Maryland during the Antietam, Gettysburg and Monocacy Campaigns. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waiver applies.

In 2020, the nation will observe the passage of 100 years since women gained the right to vote. For this anniversary, examine the long struggle to extend voting rights to women. The national, state and local perspective are considered.

We call it the “Declaration of Independence,” but what does it declare? What are the self- evident “truths,” who decided what they are, and why were they necessary? Through the use of both primary and secondary sources, this class will venture back in time to examine the Declaration of Independence from the stand point of its reasons for being, where some of the words and ideas originated, who selected them, and the debates over them. We’ll also take a look at the early drafts of the Declaration and the other declarations that preceded it. Finally the class will review the impact the Declaration has had on freedom movements through the centuries. Senior adult and disabled retiree course fee waivers apply.