One Day University Lecture: The People Who Built America

The years between the Civil War and the Second World War marked the emergence of the United States as the wealthiest and strongest nation in the world. America’s extraordinary rise was unpredictable, difficult, and often close to disaster. A diverse group of citizens made key decisions to transform the country. This lecture will focus on the two most important presidents of this period, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. We will see how their leadership interacted with innovators in industry and society, especially John D. Rockefeller and Jane Addams.