Course Description

This is an Osher Online course, created and offered through the Osher National Resource Center.  These courses are different from our regular OLLI at Emory program.  These are six-week courses and live attendance required.  You must also have an active OLLI at Emory membership and to register. Currently all classes are limited with 13 seats.

This class is supported by the NRC and participation details can be found on our website.

The American Revolution Beyond the British Empire (Lecture)

This course reframes the American Revolution as a global event shaped by imperial rivalries and geopolitical forces. Each session focuses on a different group—Germans, French, Spaniards, South Asians, and others—revealing how their experiences intersected with the collapse of British rule in North America. By viewing the Revolution through a global lens, participants will uncover new perspectives on its causes, course, and consequences.

Your instructor: Rick Bell, PhD

Richard Bell, PhD, is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of Stolen, a finalist for the George Washington and Harriet Tubman Prizes. A National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar and Carnegie Fellow, he has held fellowships at Yale and Cambridge. His latest book, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, was published in 2025.

Class Dates and Time: Saturdays, January 17 through February 21

9am Alaska | 10am Pacific | 11am Mountain | 12pm Central | 1pm Eastern

Each session is 90 minutes. 

Class schedule: Live lectures will take place on Saturdays via ZOOM

Saturday, January 17

Saturday, January 24

Saturday, January 31

Saturday, February 7

Saturday, February 14

Saturday, February 21

Registration is required to attend, and limited space is available.