Cottage Meetings for Teens
The LIVE Series Starts January 28th!
12-week series starting Tuesday, January 28, 2025
11amPT / 12pmMT / 1pmCT / 2pmET
The Cottage Meetings for Teens:
From Revolution to Republic
Moms for America’s classic Cottage Meetings is now available for TEENS! Based on Kimberly Fletcher’s original, foundational program, The Cottage Meeting for Teens is an interdisciplinary course that, using American history and classic literature, will explore the overarching theme of freedom and liberty and why principles of representative government, individual rights, and religious freedom, the foundational values of the United States expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, are worthy of protection and propagation. When completed in its entirety (including the Making of America component), this course can be submitted, where applicable, for high school credits in American history and civics and can be used at home or in the classroom. Presented by veteran Cottage Meeting Hostess Tami Hirsch, this is one series that you and your family won’t want to miss!
INTRODUCTION TO THE
Cottage Meeting for Teens Curriculum Course
The Cottage Meeting for Teens is an interdisciplinary course that will explore the overarching theme of freedom and liberty through the examination of American History and through various literary pieces such as The Giver and Animal Farm. Ever since Adam and Eve were thrown out of Paradise, The Garden of Eden, the search, and re-creation for Paradise Lost has been a driving force in human history, inspiring individuals, and groups to pursue better ways of organizing society and improving the human condition.
Coined by Sir Tomas More in his 1516 book “Utopia”, the concept of Utopia refers to an imagined perfect society and is often characterized by social, political, and economics with the result of harmony, equality, justice, and happiness among its members.
The Pilgrims, who arrived in America aboard the Mayflower in 1620, were deeply influenced by the quest for a type of Utopia. The Pilgrims were a group of English Separatists who sought religious freedom and a society based on their interpretation of Christianity. Fleeing religious persecution in England, they sought refuge in the New World where they could establish a community based on biblical principles.
Their vision of Utopia was rooted in their desire to create a society that would adhere to Christian biblical principles and would provide a haven for fellow Christians, a place where they could worship freely and live according to the Gospel.
Although their early years in Plymouth Colony were marked by hardship and struggle, the Pilgrims persevered. They were guided by their vision of a society that reflected their ideals of faith, community, and equality -what they believed would be their Utopia. They soon found through their experiences, however, that their idea of a Utopia could only be achieved through a citizenry that was united on basic principles of freedom and virtue. This became their discovery of freedom and the principles needed to establish and maintain a free society.
Throughout the Colonial Period, various Christian and philosophical movements emerged, each with its own vision of a perfect society. These movements contributed to the development of democratic principles, individual rights, and religious freedom which became the foundational values of the United States expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
The quest for the perfect society also played a significant role in shaping the American Dream which is the idea that anyone can achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination.
While the realization of Utopia may remain elusive, the pursuit of a better society continues to inspire individuals and shape the course of our American history.
THE MAKING OF AMERICA Seminar
The concepts and objectives in “The Making of America” lecture are:
- Tell of the miraculous effect of the “28 great ideas” upon the United States, as described by President George Washington.
- Give two specific warnings from the Founders to prevent the government from moving to the political left toward tyranny.
- Name several concepts in our American system of government that have their basis in natural law.
- What was the counsel of James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin concerning the need for future generations to maintain virtue and morality?
- Describe the founders’ efforts to prevent public offices from becoming monetary attractions.
- Ideally, how should minorities cross the “culture gap” and become accepted into society?
- What are the natural results of a government assuming the authority to take from the “haves” and give to the “have nots”?
- What is an unalienable right? What is a vested right?
- How do unalienable duties relate to unalienable rights in both public and private arenas? Give some examples.
- At what point are the people justified in altering or abolishing their government?
- What is a democracy? Why does democracy always end in tyranny?
- Why will the Constitution never be obsolete or old-fashioned?
- Why is an attack on private property rights actually an attack on life itself?
- Identify four areas where, according to the founders and Adam Smith, government can legitimately intervene in the economy.
- How did James Madison describe the distribution of powers between the national and state governments?
- What did Washington say about the advisability of classifying foreign nations as friends or enemies?
- What is the responsibility of children to their parents? Does it have roots in natural law?
- What fundamental principles have U.S. political leaders violated in the process of accumulating today’s massive national debt?
- Can you provide evidence that the founders regarded themselves and their countrymen as master servants rather than a master race?
- Tell of the miraculous effect of the “28 great ideas” upon the United States, as described by President George Washington.
- Give two specific warnings from the Founders to prevent the government from moving to the political left toward tyranny.
- Name several concepts in our American system of government that have their basis in natural law.
- What was the counsel of James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin concerning the need for future generations to maintain virtue and morality?
- Describe the founders’ efforts to prevent public offices from becoming monetary attractions.
- Ideally, how should minorities cross the “culture gap” and become accepted into society?
- What are the natural results of a government assuming the authority to take from the “haves” and give to the “have nots”?
- What is an unalienable right? What is a vested right?
- How do unalienable duties relate to unalienable rights in both public and private arenas? Give some examples.
- At what point are the people justified in altering or abolishing their government?
- What is a democracy? Why does democracy always end in tyranny?
- Why will the Constitution never be obsolete or old-fashioned?
- Why is an attack on private property rights actually an attack on life itself?
- Identify four areas where, according to the founders and Adam Smith, government can legitimately intervene in the economy.
- How did James Madison describe the distribution of powers between the national and state governments?
- What did Washington say about the advisability of classifying foreign nations as friends or enemies?
- What is the responsibility of children to their parents? Does it have roots in natural law?
- What fundamental principles have U.S. political leaders violated in the process of accumulating today’s massive national debt?
- Can you provide evidence that the founders regarded themselves and their countrymen as master servants rather than a master race?