Thank you for being with us organizing todays event in my Live Audience here in San Francisco you can always visit us at www. Commonwealth club. Org and with the upcoming schedule. With cohost of morning edition of npr with jesse and john fremont thank you for coming. [applause] thank you everyone im delighted you could come this afternoon one of the most beautiful cities in the world San Francisco and to talk about jesse and john fremont to had some issue with the creation of california as we know it is so much to do with the creation of San Francisco as we know it. And then on the july a delayed flight from los angeles and then to be picked up by a car and driven by a car the thing about live radio but with San Francisco traffic but really you will not make your exact time. [laughter] but 8 00 a. M. Pacific time and still on the road creeping up the freeway seven or 9 miles an hour but looking out the right side San Francisco bay is out there and the Southern Suburbs with the hills i
Starts here. That tradition that military tradition, and its usually important. So one thing i do, when i do military history, as i theres a modern phrase, im not a fan of the phrase, because it gets misconstrued. It is too impersonal, it makes you forget that there are real men real women, who are wearing these boots, who are off doing things, to be able to keep us safe. Right. We need to remember that. So every time we fight about it, we have the boots, here to remind us of those people. And like i said its been a long time, 250 years since we fought this war with these guys, with george with a continental army. We need to honor their sacrifice. We need a new tier. You all voted for independence, and so we cant yell god save us anymore. But in 1775 will yield hustle. The 18th century way. We yelled hip hazza. Company dismissed. Hello everybody good evening, welcome to tonights presentation. Also special bus tonight, they would like to acknowledge that this is simpson circle, that is
I can very much, steve, are coming. [applause] thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks everyone and good day here delighted that you could come this afternoon. Im delighted to be in San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And particularly to talk about jessie and john fremont who it so much to do with the creation of california as we know it. And so much to do with the creation of San Francisco as we know it. I got into summer cisco about 2 30 a. M. On a delayed flight from los angeles. Got a couple of hours of sleep in an Airport Hotel and then woke up again because i was to be picked up by a car and driven up the highway into San Francisco to do a live radio thing on kqed. The thing about live radio is it begins at a very exact time. The thing about going through San Francisco traffic is that youre you are really not going to make your exact time. I was supposed to be 8 a. M. That i would be there for the National Radio and at 80 m im still the road in the back of this
Thanks, everyone. Good day. Im delighted to be here in San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Particularly to talk about jesse and John Freemont who had so much to do with the creation of california as we know it and so much to do with the creation of San Francisco as we know it. I got in to San Francisco about 2 30 a. M. On a delayed flight from los angeles, got a couple of hours of sleep at an Airport Hotel and then woke up again because i was to be picked up by a car and driven up the highway into San Francisco to do alive radio thing on to do a live radio thing on kqed. The thing about live radio is it begins at an exact time. The thing about going through San Francisco traffic is that youre really not going to make your exact time. And so i was supposed to be 8 00 a. M. Pacific time that i would be there for this National Radio hit, and at 8 00 a. M. , im still on the road, in the back of this car, creeping up the freeway at, i dont know, 7, 9 milesanhour, w
Lives presentation. I would like first to find the program sponsor, the law firm, for their generous support, not this year but for several years now. It is this kind of Corporate Support along with matt from so many of you as individuals that enables the great lives series to thrive. So i would like to ask our good friends from the law firm stand so we can acknowledge them. [applause] also, a special group tonight that i would like to knowledge, that is the simpson circle, a group composed of former Mary Washington members. They are here tonight and we would like to have them stand so we can acknowledge them. In introducing tonight speaker, dr. Joanne freeman, i would like to mention at the outset that one of her most commendable qualifications is that she received her phd from the university. Thats right, uva. [laughter] in any case, not long after receiving that degree, she was recognized already as one of the nations top young historians. She has subsequently has achieved widesprea