Although she was relatively unknown and unappreciated in her time, Jane Austen has since rightfully taken her place as a beloved author. As we survey her life and works, we'll answer the following questions:

1. What did Sir Walter Scott find so compelling about Austen's writings?
2. Why are Austen's books—and, in particular, their lack of grand adventure—so important to the development of Western literature?
3. What did Austen contribute in her novels to the development of the romantic relationship?

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The great Romantic author Sir Walter Scott is today considered the father of the historical novel. As we learn more about him, we'll unpack the following questions:

1. How was Scott's Scottish background particularly influential in his development as a writer?
2. What distinguished Scott's criticism of the past from that of his Enlightenment contemporaries?
3. How is Ivanhoe an example of Scott's masterful blending of Enlightenment and Romantic ideals?

Recommended Reading: Scott, Walter. "The Lady of the Lake." 1810.

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The second generation of Romantics would move beyond their predecessors, emphasizing the emotional longings of the human soul. As we learn more about these writers, we'll take a look at the following questions:

1. What was Byron trying to accomplish by his travels that differs from the type of tourism we engage in today?
2. How did Percy Shelley attempt to reinvent the poet's role, breaking away from the classical notion of the poet?
3. Why was beauty so important for Keats?

Recommended Reading: Poetry of Lord Byron Keats, John. Ode on a Grecian Urn. 1819.

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Reactions to the Enlightenment emphasis on cold, hard reason would result in the Romantic era, which emphasized the emotional dimension of the human person. On today's episode, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions:

1. How did the French Revolution, which was steeped in Enlightenment thought, also end up giving rise to Romanticism?
2. What role did Wordsworth's upbringing in the Lake District play in his development as a Romantic poet?
3. In what sense does Coleridge's poetry, with its emphasis on the interconnectedness of nature, lead to the notion that God is not a loving, covenantal God?

Recommended Reading: Poetry of William Wordsworth Poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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While Friedrich Schiller was a paragon of optimism, E.T.A. Hoffmann saw a darker side of human nature. To help us explore these two writers, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

1. Why does tyranny feature so prominently in Schiller's early writings?
2. Why was Schiller concerned with the general rejection of mythology and imagination that he perceived in society?
3. In what way did Hoffmann lay the groundwork for the detective novels that would become popular in the nineteenth century?

Recommended Reading: Schiller, Friedrich. "Ode to Joy." Schiller. "The Power of Song." Schiller. "The Gods of Greece."

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The viability of the newly formed United States would be tested in its early years. As we go back to those first few years of the republic, we'll answer the following questions:

1. Why did slavery become such a divisive issue in the early years of the United States?
2. What was unusual about the ministers whom Washington selected?
3. What was so controversial about Hamilton's proposed national bank?

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The United States Constitution remains a brilliant legal document as significant today as it was in 1789. To help us understand why, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions:

1. Why did the Founding Fathers prefer the term republic over democracy when framing the Constitution?
2. Why did the Framers insist on a clause that forbids Congressmen from adopting titles of nobility?
3. What did James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton accomplish with the Federalist Papers?

Recommended Reading: The United States Constitution

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The Declaration of Independence was far from unanimous, yet it became the backbone of the Revolutionary War. As we dive into the Declaration and its ripple effects, we'll address the following questions:

1. Aside from declaring independence, what were the founders looking to accomplish with the Declaration of Independence?
2. If the English Parliament was largely responsible for the injustices against the colonies, why was the king blamed in the Declaration of Independence?
3. What finally convinced France to join the American colonists in their stand against the British?

Recommended Reading: The Declaration of Independence

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Tensions in the colonies will reach a boiling point in the months leading up to the Revolutionary War. On today's episode, we'll take a look at the following questions:

1. How did the repeal of the Stamp Act create a situation in which Britain and the colonies each thought they alone were victorious?
2. How did the Wilkes Crisis in England deepen colonial suspicion of the British parliament?
3. Why did John Adams, who would later become a prominent revolutionary, defend British soldiers in their trial after the Boston Massacre?

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Economic opportunity and religious freedom would continue to shape the American colonies in the early eighteenth century. In addressing that topic, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions:

1. How did religious sects play a role in shaping the different regions of the colonies?
2. What role did Enlightenment philosophy play in establishing the general character of the colonies?
3. How did the English country tradition influence what would eventually become the American spirit?

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