James Madison Lecture Series - Madison
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𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
Featuring Michael Witgen Professor of History at Columbia University & Citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe
European empires established colonies in North America around the idea of “discovering” a so-called New World. In reality, these lands were already home to Native peoples with long histories, governments, and cultures. Witgen’s presentation will explore how the early American republic inherited many of the same ideas and goals as the European empires that came before it. Both treated North America as empty wilderness and framed colonization as a civilizing mission. From these colonial beginnings came the United States—a republic that saw itself as both a new nation and a settler power rooted in North America.
But taking land on that scale required more than military conquest. It depended on a colonial system built to dispossess Native peoples, plunder land and resources, and redefine them as the rightful inheritance of the new American nation. In this way, the expansion of the Republic beyond the original thirteen states could be presented as a peaceful conquest of nature, rather than what it was: an ambitious imperial project to seize a continent.
𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁
Free and open to the public
Reserve your spot: https://wihist.org/3TSDvlk
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Wisconsin Historical Society Headquarters
816 State Street
Madison, WI
𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗼
Seats are first-come, first-served. We recommend arriving early to enjoy refreshments and secure your spot.
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Visitor parking is not available onsite at the Headquarters building. The nearest UW-Madison garage to the Headquarters building is the Helen C. White Garage (600 N. Park St, Madison, WI 53706). For more information on this garage and additional UW-Madison garages, please visit the Transportation Services page on the UW-Madison website. There are also City of Madison public parking options. The nearest City of Madison parking garage is located at State Street Campus Garage – Frances Street (430 N Frances St, Madison, WI 53703).
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁
For more information, please contact [email protected]
To register by phone, please contact the Box Office at 608-264-4848 or [email protected].
Featuring Michael Witgen Professor of History at Columbia University & Citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe
European empires established colonies in North America around the idea of “discovering” a so-called New World. In reality, these lands were already home to Native peoples with long histories, governments, and cultures. Witgen’s presentation will explore how the early American republic inherited many of the same ideas and goals as the European empires that came before it. Both treated North America as empty wilderness and framed colonization as a civilizing mission. From these colonial beginnings came the United States—a republic that saw itself as both a new nation and a settler power rooted in North America.
But taking land on that scale required more than military conquest. It depended on a colonial system built to dispossess Native peoples, plunder land and resources, and redefine them as the rightful inheritance of the new American nation. In this way, the expansion of the Republic beyond the original thirteen states could be presented as a peaceful conquest of nature, rather than what it was: an ambitious imperial project to seize a continent.
𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁
Free and open to the public
Reserve your spot: https://wihist.org/3TSDvlk
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Wisconsin Historical Society Headquarters
816 State Street
Madison, WI
𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗼
Seats are first-come, first-served. We recommend arriving early to enjoy refreshments and secure your spot.
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Visitor parking is not available onsite at the Headquarters building. The nearest UW-Madison garage to the Headquarters building is the Helen C. White Garage (600 N. Park St, Madison, WI 53706). For more information on this garage and additional UW-Madison garages, please visit the Transportation Services page on the UW-Madison website. There are also City of Madison public parking options. The nearest City of Madison parking garage is located at State Street Campus Garage – Frances Street (430 N Frances St, Madison, WI 53703).
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁
For more information, please contact [email protected]
To register by phone, please contact the Box Office at 608-264-4848 or [email protected].
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Where is it happening?
Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State St, Madison, WI 53706-1417, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherWisconsin Historical Society
