This summer 72 educators from across the country will convene in Pittsburgh for a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop presented by Rivers of Steel and the Archives & Special Collections Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Entitled The Homestead Strike & the Growth of America as an Industrial Power, the workshop will be offered to two cohorts of 36 educators each during the weeks of July 10 – 16 and July 17 – 23, 2022.
The Battle of Homestead is considered the most famous event in American labor history. This workshop will provide educators with a comprehensive look at circumstances that led to the armed conflict and what its lasting impact has been in the United States. Participants will immerse themselves in the battle from both sides by examining primary sources related to Carnegie and Frick’s business practices, worker conditions, the direct aftermath of the battle, and what came in later years as U.S. business took stock of the relationship between management and labor.
The seven days of programming and research includes extensive discussions and lectures with visiting scholars, along with faculty and staff from the presenting organizations. Daily site visits to relevant historic landmarks and museums will help educators to explore the details and consequences of the Homestead Steel Strike, expanding their insight into these impactful events.
Notable visiting scholars include: Les Standiford, historian and author of Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America; Dr. Paul Kahan, author and a leading expert on the political, diplomatic, and economic history of the United States in the nineteenth century; Quentin Skrabec, author of Henry Clay Frick: The Life of the Perfect Capitalist and The Carnegie Boys: The Lieutenants of Andrew Carnegie That Changed America; along with notable locals Steffi Domike, Tammy Hepps, Barbara Jones, Ken Kobus, Charlie McCollester, Ted Muller, and Joel Woller. Visit the workshop website for more details on these distinguished scholars, along with descriptions of the presenting Rivers of Steel and University of Pittsburgh staff.
Teachers, librarians, museum educators, and the like are encouraged to apply here before March 1, 2022. Selected participants will receive a $1,300 stipend to assist with travel expenses. Successful applicants will be notified of their selection on March 25, 2022, and they will have until April 8, 2022 to accept or decline the offer.
For inquiries and application submissions, please contact:
Kathryn Miller Haines
Associate Director
Center for American Music
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA 15260
412.624.4100
kmill@pitt.edu
