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Coming Up in April 2026
Celebrate America's 250th Birthday in Philadelphia!
Founders in Philadelphia: Franklin, Jefferson, and a New Nation
Welcome to Mind Inclined, a free platform for people who love to learn. Join author, professor, and college president Mark Canada, Ph.D., for podcasts, essays, and live lectures on literature, language, and history.
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October Highlights
Seeing America (Mark's new novel)
Behind Poe's "Masque of the Red Death"
Coming Up in 2026
Celebrate America's 250th Birthday in Philadelphia. Join us in France for "American Patriots in Paris"
What do you want to do?
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Participate
Mark speaks to academic and general audiences on a variety of topics in literature, history, and more. Lectures may be virtual or in-person and can be booked by emailing Mark.
Upcoming Lectures
Philadelphia trip celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
April, 2025
Philadelphia, PA
We have put together a three-day, four-night tour of the most historic parts of Philadelphia, led by Ben Franklin scholar Mark Canada and historian Chris Young.
A basic tour package includes overnight stays at a national chain hotel in downtown Philadelphia, daily breakfast, and walking tours of Philadelphia's iconic locations.
Upon your arrival on Wednesday, April 15, you will get to know the other travelers for evening nibbles and cocktails at the hotel.
Day One's sites and discussions cover the colonial period of American history, including retracing Franklin's steps as he arrived in Philadelphia at the age of 17. Visits to the Franklin Museum and colonial print shop and bindery round out the morning, followed by Philly cheesesteaks in the Old City and a walk down Elfreth's Alley, a neighborhood dating back to 1713. The afternoon includes a custom tour of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's colonial art and furnishings exhibits, followed by high tea in a private room at the British pub, The Dandelion.
Day Two's tours delve into the American Revolution, starting with a visit to the newish Museum of the American Revolution followed by Professor Chris Young's expert narration as we a stroll past the Liberty Bell and President's House and walk through Benjamin Rush's garden and the Thomas Paine Plaza. With lunch at the Royal Boucherie, we will celebrate France's contribution to the war effort, then take a guided tour of Independence Hall and Carpenter's Hall as well as a visit to the Graff House, where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. We will have dinner together in a private room at the very popular restaurant The Love.
Day Three's activities explore the Early Republic, with a morning visit to the Academy of Natural Sciences for an exclusive, private viewing of specimens gathered during the 1804-1806 Lewis & Clark expedition. We will turn you loose to enjoy lunch and shopping on your own at Reading Terminal Market, and then spend the afternoon pursuing your own interests. We will reconvene on our last night together for what Bon Appetit Magazine has called "The Best Pizza in America."
On the final morning, April 19, we say our goodbyes and depart Philadelphia for home.
American Patriots in Paris
In 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There undoubtedly will be plenty to see and do here in the U.S., but it’s worth remembering that three of our best-known founders were doing some of the most important work someplace else. Between 1776 and the signing of the peace treaty in 1783, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were conducting diplomatic work with the French. Franklin, in particular, played an instrumental role in securing French support for the Revolution, support that tipped the scales and helped the Americans defeat superior British forces. Join Chancellor Mark Canada, who is an expert in Franklin, and historian Chris Young, who specializes in the Early Republic, for this enriching and fascinating look at American Patriots in Paris.
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Mark's Greatest Hits
Do you like American history? Philosophy? Literature? Business? An amazing narrator?
I finished these lectures in two days. You won't be disappointed.
Tim
One of the best
Huge Poe fan and you could absolutely tell Mark has a passion for the subject matter. Plus he's a great narrator! Would highly recommend this for anyone interested in learning more about Poe in a short amount of time.
Erin
So good!
Well-written and thoughtful, the essays are scholarly but still accessible.
Anonymous
So good!
Who is Dr. Mark Canada?
Mark Canada, Ph.D.
elevating minds for over 25 years
As an award-winning professor, he has taught everything from the Book of Genesis to Toni Morrison's Beloved. Now the chancellor of Indiana University Kokomo, he collaborates with faculty and staff to elevate students' lives through experiential learning. For more than a decade, he has been extending his influence beyond the classroom to elevate minds and lives through lectures, articles, and books, including the Audible Original Ben Franklin's Lessons in Life.
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