LAKEWOOD RANCH HISTORY CLUB
Our meetings are at 7 PM at the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The club does not charge dues. Presentations usually run about 40 minutes and are followed by 20 minutes of discussion. Communications about the club can be addressed to RBTKLB@gmail.com
SCHEDULE FOR 2019-2020
Wednesday, December 11, We meet at 7 PM.
How Did We Get Here? The Barnumesque Origins of Today’s Politics.
Presenter: Brendan Goff
Brendan Goff, a university professor, will explore historical trends that have shaped today’s political rhetoric and practices. Unlike most commentaries on the polarization of today’s politics, which tend to begin in the late 20th century or more recently, Goff we will begin with P.T. Barnum and the nativists of the 19th century and then note the political evolution of American politics from the 20th century to the present. He will show that the polarization of today’s political climate has been long in the making.
Professor Goff of the New College of Florida, received a Ph.D from the University of Michigan, where he held fellowships and was a lecturer in the honors program. Previously he was an English teacher in Madrid, worked in a major bank in New York, and studied philosophy at the University of Glasgow. He is finishing a book manuscript on political history for Harvard University Press.
TENTATIVE 2020 SCHEDULE: SPECIFIC DATES AND DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
January, 2020: Professor of European History, Scott Perry, University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee
February, 2020: Bob Toplin recently taught at the University of Virginia. He was a professor of history at Denison University and the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
March, 2020: Frank Cassells, former university president and history professor who lectured to us recently on Bertha Honore Palmer, returns to talk about his new book, “Creating Sarasota County.”
LAKEWOOD
RANCH
HISTORY
CLUB
