Making of Modern America Day
About
Learn about the decades surrounding the year 1900 when America was transformed into the nation we know today with special demonstrations and programming throughout the day. Visitors will discover how the emergence of populist politicians in recent years, debates over immigration and the environment, the fight for equality, US foreign policy, and much more are rooted in these pivotal and tumultuous decades.
At 1 pm, a free special program featuring Dr. Daniel Immerwahr, associate professor of history at Northwestern University, will be offered in the visitor center auditorium. He will discuss his latest book How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States, a critical examination of how the United States exercised power on the world stage. While American influence of the late-19th and early 20th century relied on military power (some coming from Fort Snelling troops), post-1945 influence was centered on wielding economic power in new ways. His talk will help visitors understand the story of modern American power around the globe.
Dr. Immerwahr's book has been hailed as:
"Full of lively characters, dollops of humor, and surprising facts" that "succeeds in its core goal: to recast American history as a history of the 'Greater United States.'" -New Republic Review
"Wry, readable and often astonishing. Immerwahr knows that the material he presents is serious, laden with exploitation and violence, but he also knows how to tell a story, highlighting the often absurd space that opened up between expansionist ambitions and ingenuous self-regard." -New York Times
This program is generously supported by the Alonzo Huntington Pickle Endowment. The Pickle Endowment honors the service of Alonzo H. Pickle, a Canadian immigrant who was awarded the US Medal of Honor for his valor in the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment during the Civil War. The Pickle Endowment provides funding for events, lectures, and programs at Historic Fort Snelling each year.
Author talk free. Site admission required for programming within the historic fort.
Visit the MNHS website for site tickets.