The eighteenth century saw the rise of many exciting new political, religious, and scientific theories about human happiness, perfectibility, and progress that today we call “the Enlightenment.” Most people associate the Enlightenment with Europe, but in this course we will explore the many ways in which the specific conditions of North America—such as slavery, the presence of large numbers of Indigenous peoples, a colonial political context, and even local animals, rocks, and plants—also shaped the major questions and conversations of the Enlightenment.

Sign up for the Gilder Lehrman teacher symposium here