Remind you, a lot goes into this kind of an event and many people have worked very, very hard, harder than ive worked, to put all of this together. One of the people who could not be here was frank cogliano, because he got stuck in newark. Hell be here later this evening. His cochair is here and shes going to say a few words. Thank you. [applause] welcome. Im sorry that frank isnt here to join me for this further welcome. Just to say how wonderful it is to see everyone here and to work with such an Amazing Group of people. I especially want to thank annette and frank, my cochair, robin, without whom we would sees to function, and also to the Wonderful Program committee, one of whose members is sitting there many are in the audience tonight and they generously of time an talent to put this program together to go through the many proposals that we had. Weir looking forward to what is an exciting, interesting, varied diverse sheer with a lot of different panels and topics. Its a pleasure
On his undergraduate course on the topic of ordinary lives in the American Revolution. And his book, stolen five free boys kidnapped into slavery and their journey home, which tells the true story of five boys kidnapped in the north and sold into slavery in the deep south and that during attempt to escape and bring their captors to justice, is being published by Simon Schuster in october. Thank you once again for joining us this evening, and without any further ado, please join me in welcoming dr. Rick bell. [applause] dr. Bell thanks to heather, thanks to cspan for covering this. Those of you who might have been to the Smithsonian Associates before and heard me give other programs wont be surprised to hear my strange accent, which is not exactly a maryland natives accent. I was raised in england yet find myself teaching about the American Revolution as part of my job, which let me tell you is a blessing and a curse, an undergraduate classroom to teach with an accent like this. Im very
Sarah polk was very up on diplomacy. Her strong suit happened to be intelligent political discussion. She made no bones about the fact that she took no interest in politics and she was her husbands partner. She grew up in a political household in tennessee. Her father was a local politician so she grew up loving politics. She married james after he won a seat in the legislature. She would not have married him had he been content to be a clerk. Unfortunately for james k. Polk, he died just three months after leaving the white house and sarah began a 42year widowhood. It became a shrine to her husband. She would invite anybody who wanted to to come for a visit to see the objects they had accrued over there long and illustrious career. She lived there for many years on her own and during the civil war, generals on both sides would visit her to pay their respects. It was very interesting commentary on what a beloved status she still held. She was earnest about her husbands work. She went t
Patriots such as fanning joining me to discuss the nature of patriotism is danny surgeon a former army major who did combat tours in iraq and afghanistan and is the author of the book patriotic descent so you break. Patriotism down into 3 different forms but you lay those out for us yeah absolutely you know i like to litter a sion but they all start with p. And the 1st one the one that you just described that that you know rory fanning moment is the pageantry patriotism and the vast majority of americans especially on but not exclusively on the right if youre to this thats you know thank you for your service its percenters its maybe pick up your tab at t. G. I. Fridays the airport on your way to the next appointment it does not really deal with the reality of the experience of war or why were fighting them and what theyre actually like then the 2nd type i call you know passive principle patriotism but really could just be called passive resistance this is the polite imperial stuff this
The rally down fanning one of the demonstrators pulled out a flag that read vets against racism war and empire immediately someone threw a drink on me he told me i got hit from behind in the head 3 or 4 times it was quite a switch quite pivotal on me questioning the narrative questioning Donald Trumps narrative and i was suddenly out of their good graces nationalists who claim to be patriots do not really venerate veterans they only venerate veterans who read from the approved patriotic script americas the greatest the most powerful country on earth those we fight are to prayed to barbarians our enemies deserve death god is on our side victory is assured our soldiers and marines are heroes. Deviate from this cant no matter how many milli military tours you have served in you become despicable the vaunted patriotism of the right is about self adulation it is a raw lust for racism and violence it is blind subservience to the power of the state and it works to censor the reality of war an