What would you do if you were commemorating the 250th anniversary of America’s birth?  EverScholar accepted the challenge, and to meet it, we will travel to the very site of America’s birth – Independence Mall in Philadelphia- and bring the greatest living scholars of the founding and its founding documents for a deep dive into the words themselves in deep conversation with the historical forces that brought them into being.  Was it America itself that wrote the Declaration of Independence, that brought 13 state constitutions into being, that eventually placed above them the federal Constitution we know today as “THE Constitution?”  What were these forces that brought them forth, in this place and time?  What did subsequent generations do with this birthright, and what remains of it?

The imperative of addressing these questions has brought forth the very best scholars America has to offer.  This is your chance to study in close conversation with Professors Gordon Wood, Akhil Reed Amar, and Kermit (Kim) Roosevelt III.  Wow!  Imagine going over the Declaration word by word with the very experts who have written definitive works on those very words!  And when the seminars for the day are done, we will visit the Museums and Monuments – “the rooms where it happened” – and again, with our professors along for insight as well as elite guides and curators. 
This special EverScholar program will fill immediately, we are certain so be sure to join the email list above and watch for the registration window of opportunity.  Join us!

EverScholar invites you to join us for an immersive and collegial long-weekend experience in the opulent palaces of New York City as we explore the “Gilded Age.” This period from the end of the Civil War to the early 20th century was a time of explosive growth, innovation, artistic ambition, and deep societal change that defined America’s emergence as a modern economic and cultural power. But in true EverScholar fashion, in the era’s epicenter where this history still lives, and led by our world-renowned faculty, we will go far beyond the popular, even clichéd, understanding of the era, delving into the art, architecture, literature, philosophy, and of course the history of this transformative era.

Together we will convene, reside, study, dine, and socialize in NYC’s most impressive examples of Gilded Age architecture and history: brilliant and exclusive private clubs designed by the era’s most prestigious firm of McKim, Mead & White. In these storied settings—once frequented by the very elites we’ll be studying—you’ll engage in nine highly-participatory seminar-style sessions led by world-class faculty from Yale, Princeton, and CUNY. And more of the city’s Gilded Age gems will extend our ambit on our daily afternoon field trips to special places and collections available only to true scholars.

Our study topics will include Henry James’ visionary and nostalgic literature, his brother, William’s, spawning of American psychology; the rise of international financial and cultural networks (and, significantly, the emergent role of women in the latter); the creation of public spaces, philanthropic cultural institutions, and national identity; and the more socially troubling aspects around “conspicuous consumption,” immigration, race, and labor division. But this barely scratches the surface.

As always with EverScholar, you’ll join your intellectually curious peers in an intimate, discussion-based setting. This is a rare opportunity (I should mention that each experience is bespoke and typically one-time-only) to study history where it happened, with direct access to exclusive private spaces, rare artifacts, and the estimable scholars who bring them to life. Whether you’re drawn to art, architecture, politics, literature, philosophy, or maybe even gardening ;-), this course is for you. Noting that the roller coaster was invented in this era, and that spaces are extremely limited, get ready to studiously hop on board for our own intellectual wild ride together this November.