Rediscovering the American Republic, 1492–1877 (US History)

  • Duration: 15 Weekly 60-min. Discussions
  • Schedule: Fall 2026
  • Price: $400
Objective

To understand America’s colonial heritage, republican principles, and democratic asperations, while recognizing that attempted compromises over slavery failed to hold the nation together.

Outline

Part 1: From Pre-Columbian to British North America, 1492–1763

  1. Colonial Roots
  2. England’s Glorious Revolution
  3. Slavery in Colonial America

Part 2: The Creation of the American Republic, 1763–1789

  1. From the Stamp Act to the Boston Tea Party
  2. Declaring Independence and Fighting for Freedom
  3. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights

Part 3: The Power of Political Parties, 1789–1836

  1. Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists
  2. Thomas Jefferson and the Republicans
  3. Andrew Jackson and the Democrats

Part 4: Liberty, Slavery, and American Destiny, 1836–1860

  1. American Individualism
  2. Manifest Destiny
  3. The Sectional Crisis

Part 5: The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860–1877

  1. The Civil War
  2. Reconstruction
  3. The Continuing Quest for Ordered Liberty
Related Course(s)
Instructor

Dr. Ryan MacPherson holds a PhD in history and philosophy of science from the University of Notre Dame. After serving for twenty years as a professor at Bethany Lutheran College, he was appointed academic dean of Luther Classical College in 2023. He is author of Rediscovering the American Republic, a two-volume anthology of primary sources in American history, as well as several other books on topics ranging from theology to politics to bioethics. Dr. MacPherson has testified in court in defense of a homeschool father and for the protection of traditional American civics curricula, contributed to legal briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of marriage and the rule of law, appeared regularly on a variety of radio shows, and taught seminars for pastors and educators in Canada, Denmark, and Ecuador.

Our Unique Approach

  • Supporting families in lifelong learning
  • Offering interactive live sessions through small-audience videoconferencing
  • Teaching according to the classical pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty
  • Cultivating the values of Western civilization: natural law, cardinal and theological virtues, Socratic questioning, syllogistic reasoning
  • Promoting the ideals of America’s founding: representative government and the rule of law for protecting people’s God-given rights to life, liberty, and property
  • Standing on the foundation of the historic Christian faith as taught in Holy Scripture and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Augsburg Confession

Registration Opens May 1

Registration for  Fall 2026 opens on May 1.

For our Natural Childbirth Class, registration is available now by clicking here.

For all other courses, please browse our catalog of offerings and contact us if you wish to be updated when registration opens.

Testimonials

One would be hard pressed to find someone who understands classical Christian education better than Dr. Ryan MacPherson and his wife Marie. He is a highly respected scholar and they are both firmly grounded in a biblical worldview. I highly recommend their Lifelong Lyceum courses.

—Rev. David Thompson, director of the Center for Apologetics and Worldviews

Marie MacPherson is an exceptional educator whose passion makes the material engaging, and her calm, kind demeanor has encouraged my son to enjoy and actively participate in class. Most importantly, her instruction is firmly rooted in Scripture and our Lutheran faith. We are blessed to have found Marie and could not have asked for a better experience.

—Natalie, Georgia