Since its publication in 2010, the bestselling A Renegade History of the United States has changed the conversation about the meaning of America. Rather than the old stories about politicians, military leaders, inventors, explorers, and other “great men,” we now know that many of the freedoms Americans enjoy were pioneered by “bad” people—drunks, slaves, whores, criminals, juvenile delinquents, and brazen homosexuals—the “renegades” of our nation’s past.

In this first live presentation and discussion of the book, author Thaddeus Russell will take participants in the course through this new story of American history while pointing to the renegades of today who are creating new pleasures and expanding our freedoms.

This 4-part live interactive webinar will follow this schedule:

Session 1 (April 10): Making Renegades Into Americans

• Drunkards, whores, pirates and the American Revolution

• The freedom of slavery

• The slavery of Reconstruction

• Prostitutes and the origins of women’s liberation

Session 2 (April 17): How White People Lost Their Rhythm

• A rhythmless nation

• From white chimps to Yankee Doodles: The Irish

• The Jew was a Negro

• Italian Americans: Out of Africa

Session 3 (April 24): Fighting For Bad Freedom

• Shopping: the real American revolution

• How gangsters made America a better place

• “Behold a Dictator”: fascism and the New Deal

• Just how popular was World War II?

Session 4 (May 1): Which Side Are You On?

• How juvenile delinquents won the Cold War

• “A process of self-purification”: the Civil Rights Movement’s attack on African Americans

• Gay liberation, American liberation

• Almost free: the promise and tragedy of rednecks and hippies

To join this course, you may purchase it individually for $195 or join Unregistered Academy.