history

04 23, 2022

Revisit the Origins of the US Constitution

By |2022-04-21T10:10:21-04:00April 23, 2022|

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster will explore the origins of the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights during a series of lectures this year. He begins by discussing how ideas from the English Civil War (1642-1649) influenced America more than a century later. See how the thoughts of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Levelers like Richard Rumbold affected our Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and more!

The next lecture in his series will be Thursday, June 9, at our Main Branch. The subject will be the Convention of 1787.

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War IIthe Cold Warthe American Revolution, The Vietnam Wars, and US Presidents of the 20th Century at the library.

11 7, 2021

Vietnam 1963 – 1968: America’s War

By |2021-11-07T16:19:41-05:00November 7, 2021|

All this year, our resident historian Dr. John Foster has traced the tragic history of the wars in Vietnam in a series of lectures. His fourth talk in the series revisits the period from 1963 to 1968, beginning with the assassinations of Ngo Dinh Diem and John F. Kennedy and ending with the Tet Offensive and Khe Sanh.

All three of the previous lectures in Foster’s series can be viewed online:

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War IIthe Cold Warthe American Revolution and US Presidents of the 20th Century at the library.

09 28, 2021

Revisit the Vietnam Wars with Lecture Series from MPL

By |2021-09-28T12:00:49-04:00September 28, 2021|

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster discussed the continued fighting in Vietnam from 1954 to 1963 during a special program last week. We recorded it for anyone who could not attend.

He discussed the leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem, the frustration of John Paul Vann, and the catastrophic Battle of Ấp Bắc.

This is the third lecture in Foster’s year-long series on The Vietnam Wars. Both of the previous lectures in Foster’s series can be viewed in their entirety on our website:

As part of his talk, Foster recommended several books on this era in Vietnam, including:

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War IIthe Cold Warthe American Revolution and US Presidents of the 20th Century at the library.

06 23, 2021

Meet Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the East Side Joan of Arc

By |2021-06-23T19:00:37-04:00June 23, 2021|

While still a teenager, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn teamed with the Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies) to fight for free speech and improved conditions for workers in the culinary, mining, and garment industries.

Explore the life of this remarkable woman with Dr. Lara Vapnek. Vapnek literally wrote the book on Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: Modern American Revolutionary. Stick around until the end of her talks for a very special guest.

This program is part of Lake County Reads – a countywide, summerlong series of book talks and online programs that concludes with a special evening with bestselling and celebrated author Jess Walter on Aug. 5.

Throughout the summer, the public and academic libraries in Lake County will host book-club discussions where all are invited to talk about Walter’s literary smash The Cold Millions. They’re also offering free online programs that take a deeper dive into the themes and historical context of Walter’s story. For example, you can learn about the suffragettes’ fight for women’s rights, discover some of the lesser-known but key figures in the early Labor Movement, or even enjoy a ragtime concert with The Ragged Blade Band.

The libraries have also teamed with Literary Cleveland for a series of writing workshops and author talks that explore the idea of writing about the working class. It crescendos with an author talk from Walter himself.

All of these programs and book-club discussions are free to attend. They will be hosted via Zoom, and registration is required to get the link. Get more information and sign up for any of these programs at www.leagueoflibraries.org.

05 28, 2021

Explore the Urban Legends of Ohio

By |2021-05-28T16:00:17-04:00May 28, 2021|

Ohio is stuffed with frightening folktales and chilling legends. Have you heard of Cry Baby Bridge? Helltown? The Melon Heads that were rumored to live in Kirtland?

Our own Ms. Mollie introduces you to the stories behind the legends of Mothman, the Monster of Minerva, the Lake Erie Monster, and more. She’ll also tell you about the state’s many Bigfoot sighting and the only known Witch Trial to occur in Ohio.

If you can’t get enough of local lore, our YouTube channel has authors sharing some of their favorite stories that they’ve researched:

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