The first lecture of our series America 250: Society, History, Politics. With Dr. Frank Usbeck.

This lecture explores Indigenous America before, at, and after the founding of the United States and examines the evolving relationships between Native Americans and the U.S. government from 1776 to the present. The lecture offers a historical perspective to better understand the United States and its complex relationship with Indigenous Americans today.

Dr. Frank Usbeck is a historian and Curator for the Americas at the State Art Collections Dresden / Ethnographic Collections Saxony (SKD/SES). He earned his PhD in 2010 with a dissertation on Native American imagery in German periodicals and Nazi propaganda, later published as Fellow Tribesmen (Berghahn, 2015). His research focuses on Indigenous history, ethnic relations in North America, and the representation of Indigenous cultures in (post-)colonial societies.

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America 250: Society, History, Politics. This public lecture series explores the history of the United States from the precolonial age and early settlement through American Independence and the Civil War. Against the backdrop of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the series takes a historical perspective to better understand where the country stands today.

By examining key historical turning points, debates, and conflicts that shaped American society, politics, and identity, the lectures offer valuable insights into contemporary developments in the United States. Understanding America’s present through its past allows for a deeper and more nuanced view of current political, social, and cultural dynamics.

The lecture series is open to students and the general public and invites all interested audiences to engage in discussion and critical reflection on the history and present of the United States.

A cooperation between the Institute for American Studies Leipzig and the German-American Institute Saxony.