The View from the East: The Federal Government and the American West

FAIN: EH-50358-13

George Mason University (Fairfax, VA 22030-4444)
Richard Stillson (Project Director: March 2013 to March 2015)

A five-week summer institute for twenty-five college and university faculty to study aspects of the federal government's influence in western United States history.

George Mason University proposes a five-week college teacher summer institute that brings twenty-five teachers and scholars of western history to the Washington area to study aspects of the federal government's influence in western U.S. history. Participants will work with and learn from Washington area and visiting scholars, will work with the latest digital tools and resources developed for historical research, and will have the opportunity to use both the digital and hard-copy resources of government institutions and agencies. The institute proposes to introduce participants to both well-known and lesser-known sources for western history available in the Washington area as well as digital tools for finding, organizing, and interpreting these materials. The institute will help participants extend their own research, enrich the courses that they teach, propose new courses, and in general, develop their ability to better guide students who wish to work in this area.