Considers the contributions of John Bartram, a self-taught botanist and farmer in Colonial America. Bartram collected and classified hundreds of North American plant species, eventually enjoying international renown as a botanist. His 102-acre farm and garden in Pennsylvania have been restored and preserved. (MJP)

Surveys U.S. historiography dealing with Christopher Columbus from the eighteenth century to the present. Traces the changes in interpretation, treating Columbus as a hero, a victim, a visionary, a genius, and a mariner. Discusses past textbook treatments of Columbus and the portrayal of minorities in descriptions of his expeditions. (DK)

Profiles Alfred A. Knopf, his wife Blanche, and the publishing empire they created. Beginning in 1915, Knopf Inc. established a reputation for intellectual integrity, eventually including the works of 35 Pulitzer Prize winners and 18 Nobel laureates. Knopf often led the publishing industry in book design and literary tastes. (MJP)

In this interview social scientist and professor, Seymour Martin Lipset discusses those aspects of U.S. culture and character that make it unique. Considers a broad range of influences and phenomena, including divine providence, social stratification, the absence of radicalism, and shifting ideological positions. (MJP)

Profiles this year's winners of the Charles Frankel Prize, awarded to individuals who have stimulated and expanded public understanding of the humanities. The recipients are Rita Dove (poet), Doris Kearns Goodwin (historian/author), Daniel Kemmis (mayor/author), Arturo Madrid (professor), and Bill Moyers (television producer). (MJP)

History professor Lawrence W. Levine defends multicultural education and the concept of extending fields of study beyond the western canon. He notes that the very idea of western civilization is barely 50 years old. Includes a number of salient points concerning immigration, language, and culture. (MJP)

Presents an interview with Paul Fussell, author of "The Great War and Modern Memory." Fussell speaks about the destruction of that war and his own experiences as a combat officer in World War II. He also addresses his original field of study, 18th century literature, and some of the changes wrought by the 20th century. (MJP)