American Experience Week

American Experience 2026 – Prof. H.W. Brands: July 6 – 10, 2026

Brands has written thirty books, coauthored or edited five others, and published dozens of articles and scores of reviews. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the International Herald Tribune, the Boston Globe, the Atlantic Monthly, the Smithsonian, the National Interest, the American Historical Review, the Journal of American History, the Political Science Quarterly, American History, and many other newspapers, magazines and journals. His writings have received critical and popular acclaim. The First American and Traitor to His Class were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and the Los Angeles Times Prize. Several of his books have been bestsellers. https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/history/faculty/brandshw

Monday Lecture – SPLENDID ISOLATION: GEORGE WASHINGTON TO FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
Exploring George Washington’s foundational guidance to avoid permanent alliances, establishing a long-standing tradition of non-involvement in European conflicts.

Tuesday Lecture – THE FIGHT FOR INTERVENTION: ROOSEVELT VS. LINDBERGH
Tracing the clash between Franklin Roosevelt’s push to intervene against Nazi Germany, and Charles Lindbergh’s advocacy for American neutrality and Hemispheric defense.

Wednesday Lecture – THE DEVIL WE KNEW: THE COLD WAR
Analyzing the Cold War as an expression of American perceptions and self-interests that shaped a prolonged conflict.

Thursday Lecture – LAST SUPERPOWER STANDING: AFTER THE COLD WAR
Exploring the conduct of U.S. foreign policy in the post-Cold War era and the emergence of today’s great power rivalries.

Friday Lecture – THE IRON LAW OF FOREIGN POWER: SOONER OR LATER…
Reflecting on the current national debate about America’s role as a global power, and implications for the future conduct of foreign policy.