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Instructor: Christina Smith
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Biography: Christina Lea Smith holds a master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also completed her master's degree in history from Illinois State University in 2015. Her thesis, titled "Joseph Addison Turner: The Countryman and Confederate Nationalism," won the 2015 James C. Bonner Award for the best master's thesis. Christina has published an article titled "Elizabeth Parsons Wade Packard's Challenge of True Womanhood" in the peer-reviewed Journal of Illinois History. Christina has been teaching for over twenty years at various colleges in Illinois. Her areas of focus include nineteenth-century American history and Civil War seminars. She is also a volunteer instructor for Bradley University's Osher for Lifelong Learning Institute. Christina often speaks at historical societies, women's groups, and other associations. |
Courses by this instructor
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg and the Famous Address
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is his most famous speech. But little is discussed about his trip to Gettysburg and the events that unfolded while he was in the town. This class examines the hours Lincoln spent in Gettysburg and details the activities around Lincoln and his speech.
Friday, September 19, 2025, WDC*D123
Advanced Microsoft Excel
Beginning Microsoft Excel
Beginning Microsoft Word
Christmas in American Culture
Christmas holds a unique and powerful place in American culture, more significant than any other seasonal celebration. This course explores the history of the holiday, from the origins of December 25th to the rise of Santa, carols, cards, and commercialization, tracing how these traditions came to define the American Christmas.
Friday, December 5, 2025, WDC*D123
Civil War Congresses
After Southern secession in 1860, the 37th and 38th U.S. Congresses operated without opposition from pro-slavery legislators, passing landmark legislation that shaped the nation's future. At the same time, the Confederate Congresses struggled to govern a nation at war. This course examines how both governments used legislation to support their war efforts-and the limits of their success.
Friday, October 17, 2025, WDC*D123
History of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
Today the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is part of our American culture and Thanksgiving traditions. While not the longest running Thanksgiving parade, it is certainly the most popular. This class explores the reasons for the initial parade; the origins as a Christmas pageant beginning in 1924; the creative minds behind the floats and balloons; and the evolution of the parade through the decades embracing cultural icons along the way.
Friday, November 14, 2025, WDC*D123
Intermediate Microsoft Excel
Intermediate Microsoft Word
Introduction to PowerPoint
Microsoft Excel PivotTables & PivotCharts
Mustering Troops Out of Service after the Civil War
Lee's surrender marked the beginning of a massive demobilization. This course explores how Union and Confederate armies, prisoners, and the wounded were rapidly returned home after years of war.
Friday, October 31, 2025, WDC*D123
Pivotal Events Leading Up to the Civil War
When did the American Civil War begin? The war began in 1861 and lasted until 1865; yet the decades leading up to the 1860s are pivotal in understanding why the war began. This class examines the culmination of events from the 1830s to the 1860s, which sparked secession and four long years of war.
Friday, September 5, 2025, WDC*D123
The Civil War in the Western Frontier
While fought between North and South, the Civil War was about the West-specifically the expansion of slavery. This course explores the Western Frontier as a crucial but overlooked theater of war involving Union, Confederate, and Native forces, and examines how warfare there differed from traditional battles.
Friday, October 3, 2025, WDC*D123
