Meetings of the Society

“History and Highlights of the Huntington's 250th Exhibit: 'This Land Is …'”

Dr. Josh Garrett-Davis is Co-Curator for the exhibit, and will give us an insider's look into the exhibit. The title references the iconic 1940s song, 'This Land Is Your Land,' by Woodie Guthrie. The ellipsis in the title invites reflection on the American Project. The exhibit covers the expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from pre-colonial times to the 21st century. Two of the Huntington's six rare printings of the Declaration of Independence – produced within five weeks of July 4, 1776 – will be on display as part of the exhibit: The John Holt broadside from New York, and the Ezekiel Russell broadside from Massachusetts. There is also a map of Mount Vernon drawn by George Washington, and a garden design for Monticello drawn by Thomas Jefferson.

“The Pipe and the Cross: French-Native Alliances in Two Objects”

Dr. Rushforth, a scholar of French politics and military affairs in the 18th Century, particularly the Seven Years War (known as the French and Indian War in North America), discussed how the Pipe and the Cross, two sacred objects, served as windows into the unique relationship between the French and the American Indian Societies in Colonial North America, and how that relationship compared to British and American dealings with American Indians.

“Why 1776 Matters: From British Subjects To American Citizens In One Year”

Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Professor Edward Larson discussed American Colonial political sentiments between late 1775, when almost no patriot favored independence from Britain, to late spring 1776, when almost all had shifted to favor independence. He analyzed how and why the British Colonists' political views shifted so dramatically and abruptly. His talk was timed perfectly with the approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and bridged the gap between the American Colonial Period and the Birth of Our Great Nation.

“Aspects of the British Navy in 18th Century British America”

Professor Matthew Neufeld discussed the role of the British Royal Navy during the “long” eighteenth century, roughly 1690 to 1815. He discussed what the Royal Navy was doing in the North Atlantic during the early eighteenth century, putting it in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne's War). He examined the treatment of sick and injured sailors relative to the treatment of prisoners of war. Professor Neufeld explored how British Americans treated European prisoners and Canadians differently from how Britons treated prisoners in Europe. The goal of the talk was to highlight both similarities and contrasts in how “vulnerable” soldiers and sailors – sick or injured or captured – were treated during Britain's eighteenth-century wars in North America and Europe.

“Research Fellows & Colonial Era Records at the Huntington”

Dr. Juster spoke on the Huntington Library's program for short- and long-term research fellows. As Director of Research, she oversees the selection, research topics and publication of the work of some 150 Huntington research fellows each year. Dr. Juster explained how she plans to administer the new annual Samuel Victor Constant/James C. McHargue Memorial Fellowship that the General Society and California Society of Colonial Wars established by each contributing $50,000 to the fund. The California Society joined the Virginia, Massachusetts, Delaware, Florida and the District of Columbia societies with the sixth Samuel Victor Constant program. Each year, Dr. Juster will select a candidate conducting graduate level research in the Colonial period to receive a $5,000 scholarship. Additionally, she described the Huntington's collection of prominent research materials from the Colonial era.

“The End of the First British Empire: Colonial Resistance, 1767-1775”

Continuing the narrative from his previous talk, “The Beginning of the End for the First British Empire: Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766,” Professor Davenport covered the escalating imperial crises leading to the American Revolution: the Townshend Acts and the Boston Massacre (1767-1770), followed by the Tea Act (1773) and Boston Tea Party (1773). He also discussed General Thomas Gage's raids in Boston prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 1775).

“The Career and Place in History of Saint Junípero Serra, California's Founding Father”

Dr. Steven Hackel discussed Miguel José Serra, who was born in 1713 in Mallorca, the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands. When he joined the Franciscan Order, Serra took the religious name “Junípero” in honor of Brother Juniper, a companion of Saint Francis of Assisi. After a long missionary career in Mexico, Father Serra came to Alta California and established 8 of the 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma that every California elementary school student had to memorize. He was beatified in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, and canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 in Washington, DC. In addition to building the Alta California missions, Father Serra established the relationships among the mission clerics, the local Indian communities, and the Spanish military. Professor Hackel contrasted these structures with those emerging at the same time in the British colonies, and explained how Father Serra's legacy has gone from fame in the 20th century to infamy in the 21st century.

“The Dudleys and Bradstreets: Colonial Governors, the First New World Poet, and a Salem Witch Trial Judge”

Charles Read discussed the Dudleys and Bradstreets, two of the “first families” of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who were at the center of events in the 17th Century. Thomas Dudley was steward for the Earl of Lincoln and a leader of the Winthrop Party emigrating from Lincolnshire in 1630 – first to Salem, then Charleston, Boston and Cambridge. Dudley's daughter, Anne, married Simon Bradstreet, who also became a colonial governor. Anne was the first published poet from America, and her verses candidly reflect the tension of being an educated, articulate woman at a time when women were assumed to be vastly inferior to men. One of Anne's sons, Dudley Bradstreet, became a justice of the peace in Andover, just in time to be asked to issue arrest warrants for suspected witches. His own doubts about the proceedings led to accusations against him. Charles Read reviewed the accomplishments of three generations of this remarkable Colonial family.

“Jamestown: Principles of 17th Century Medicine”

Dr. Bowdish spoke on health-related issues affecting the early settlers of the British Colony of Jamestown, Virginia. He discussed some of the principles of 17th Century medicine, as well as the physicians and surgeons among the early settlers of Jamestown. Dr Bowdish displayed images of medical instruments and health-related artifacts recovered during archeological digs in Virginia and Maryland.

“The History of the Tea Trade: From the Age of Exploration through the First Decades of the United States”

Laszlo Montgomery presented the events during the Age of Exploration that led to the founding of the British East India Company (EIC). He explained how the company arrived in China, their rivalry with the Dutch, and the 17th century “discovery” of tea and how it was universally embraced in both England and the British Colonies. He concluded his brief introduction of the East India Company with the Regulating Act, the Boston Tea Party, and the dissolving of the EIC in 1874. He also told the story of the 1783 voyage of the Empress of China, a three-masted, square-rigged sailing merchant vessel. Montgomery also spoke about what the founding fathers knew of China. Benjamin Franklin was called “the first American Sinophile.”

“Where's God in the Constitution? Church and State from the Colonial Era to the Revolution”

Dr. Juster noted when Alexander Hamilton was asked why the constitutional convention left God out of the 1787 US Constitution, he replied “we forgot.” Of course, Hamilton and the other founding fathers did not forget. They wanted to make a deliberate statement that the new republic being created out of the ashes of the revolutionary war would be a secular polity, one in which the rule of law would replace divine law as the cornerstone of government. But God (and the church) could not be so easily effaced from the process of constitution-making, either at the state or federal level. Colonial Americans had inherited a political system that assumed an established church was a necessity and the earliest colonial charters demanded both specific religious beliefs and specific religious behaviors from those who wanted to be British subjects. This lecture looked more closely at the colonial legacy of church and state, dissected the 1787 Constitution's religion clauses, and explored how the new republic continued to enforce a “moral establishment” even after the First Amendment was adopted in 1791.

“The Second Anglo-Powhatan War & the Colonization of Virginia”

Dr. Mancall noted that the English colonization of Virginia had a difficult origin. Migrants died in high numbers, unable to adjust their lifestyles to local environmental conditions. Conflict between English and Powhatans led to a war from 1609 to 1614. The colonists struggled to create a durable economy. The development of the tobacco economy and dispersal of the migrants led to better outcomes for the English, but posed new threats to Native peoples. In 1622, Powhatans under Opechancanough attacked colonial outposts, killing 347 – an event that launched the Second Anglo-Powhatan War. That war changed the nature of relations between English and Natives in Virginia, with lasting consequences across eastern North America.

“Tour of the Fielding Collection at the Huntington Library”

Karin Fielding acted as our guide for the tour of the Dr. Jonathan & Karin Fielding Collection at the Huntington Library. They have generously donated much of the Huntington Library's colonial era holdings. Karin Fielding discussed how they came to assemble what is probably the foremost collection of early American art and artifacts. The Fielding Collection of Early American Art is an esteemed group of American works from the period 1680 to around 1870. Numbering in the hundreds of objects, the collection includes important examples of painted portraits, furniture, needlework, painted boxes, quilts, and related decorative art.

“The Beginning of the End for the First British Empire: Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766”

Professor Davenport noted that in 1763, the colonists in America were happy members of the British Empire. By 1766 many of them became enraged at Great Britain, and some of them had already decided on independence. He discussed how the British Parliament managed to lose its credibility among colonists in three short years. He addressed the political fractures and financial burdens within the British Empire that led them to their colossal miscalculation in the Stamp Act, as well as the colonists' pointed, principled, and effective responses to it.

“Stories of German Immigration in the 18th Century”

Birte Pfleger discussed how she spent two months in Germany that summer to help her father. She carved out a few days to go to the Kraichgau region, where so many of the Pennsylvania Germans originated. It really struck her how similar the landscapes were; but she also noticed important differences. For example, Heinrich Keppele, one of the co-founders of the German Society of Pennsylvania, was from the small village of Treschklingen. The church where he was baptized was built in 1582, and the whole area has many old castles and fortresses. Germans who left this area must have missed these kinds of historical places.

“The Americanization of Europe and the Europeanization of America: Warfare after 1739”

Professor Davenport discussed how the 18th century saw a consolidation of the Atlantic world: Americans became more like Europeans in culture, consumption, ideas, and religion, but not perhaps politics (an important exception); while Europeans increasingly depended on their American colonies to fuel their economies, and were thus increasingly willing to fight for their imperial possessions. Professor Davenport discussed two colonial wars—the War of Jenkins' Ear (1739-1742) and King George's War (1744-1748)—and how those wars fit into the broader context of Atlantic imperial competition.

“Papers of James Mercer, and the Seven Years' War”

Dr. Tsapina noted that in 2018, The Huntington Library acquired a collection of Mercer's correspondence, a welcome addition to the Library's famous holdings on the Seven Years' War. The James F. Mercer collection includes more than 120 letters, manuscripts, and documents, including James Grahame's account of the fall of Fort Oswego during the Seven Years' War.

“Coats of Arms: Facts, Fiction, and Fabrication of Your Own”

Dr. Richardson discussed the origin of coats of arms, and how they developed over the ages. He discussed common misconceptions, like assuming that you can use a coat of arms since it was granted to someone with your same surname. He discussed the various organizations that grant coats of arms, and noted that anyone can create their own coat of arms and get it recognized.

“Pandemics and Warfare in the Colonial Americas”

Professor Livesay noted the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated just how much disease can transform societies. He focused on two different diseases and the ways that they shaped the development of colonial American history: smallpox and malaria. Both devastated the communities they touched, and they also accelerated during wartime.

“Mini Military-Fiscal Stats: Paper Money as War Finance in Early America”

Professor Moore examined the paper currencies issued by Britain's American colonies in the first half of the 18th Century. She explained why paper money was not just a medium of exchange, but a means of waging war, a mode of governance, and a relationship of social belonging on the fringes of the British Empire.

“Leisler's Rebellion”

Dr. Richie noted that there were a number of rebellions in the American colonies in the late 17th Century. Leisler's Rebellion, named after militia Captain Jacob Leisler, was a response of the Dutch community in New York to the increasing Anglicization in the colony. The Glorious Revolution in 1688 provided the opportunity when William III, a Dutch Prince, became King of England.

“Bacon's Rebellion”

Professor Davenport covered the causes, events, and legacy of Nathaniel Bacon's populist uprising in 1676. He started with the founding of Jamestown in 1607, and explored the origins of the tobacco economy, its impact on the peoples and environment of colonial Virginia, and the phases it went through prior to 1676.

“The First Battle for New England”

Professor Mancall explained that before relations between Pilgrims and New England's native peoples deteriorated in the 1630s, there was already a battle for New England. It pitted two groups of English against each other: The Pilgrims of American lore and a small group of English investors who believed that they had the only legitimate claim to establish a colony in the region. He focused on Thomas Morton, who made four trips to New England and wrote one of the most detailed narratives of the region in the colonial era.

“One Bowl More and Then: Punch Drinking in the 18th Century”

Dr. Friary related that punch – a mixture of spirits, water, sugar, fruit, and spice – was introduced to England in the 17th century, and became immensely popular. Punch brought exotic ingredients and conviviality to English and American parlors and taverns, along with elegant accoutrements fashioned in ceramic, glass, and silver – punch bowls, ladles, strainers, and nutmeg graters.

“Black Soldiers in Colonial and Revolutionary North America”

Professor Sidbury spoke on Black soldiers in Colonial and Revolutionary North America. He offered an overview of the role of black soldiers in colonial warfare, and followed the story into the War for Independence. He examined both the roles of black soldiers in warfare, and the light that it sheds on developing conceptions of race in early America.

“The Deerfield Massacre of 1704”

Bruce Merritt discussed the horrific attack on Deerfield, a remote settlement on the northwestern frontier of colonial New England, in the winter of 1704. A party of several hundred Indian warriors, led by French officers, descended on the tiny village in the middle of the night, burning houses, slaughtering dozens of men, women and children, and carrying off more than a hundred hostages on a long winter's trek into Canada.

“Warning Out Strangers: New Insights into the 18th Century New England Poverty and Welfare System”

Professor Pfleger said that while we have often seen the practice of “warning out” newcomers in colonial New England town records as a way to rid communities of undesirable poor outsiders, new research shows a different way to read these records. She examined evidence from almshouses and municipal employment ledgers to discern how early Americans approached the age-old question of how to help those in need.

“Salem: Was it Witchcraft?”

Professor Reaves noted that the Salem Trials of 1692-1693 conjure up tales of witches and specters, but the real story was one of politics, economics, and illness. She observed that more than four hundred trials can be cited for the Colonial period, all having their own story and causative factors.

“The Phenomenon of Piracy in Colonial America”

Professor Pestana observed that piracy in early America was in the eye of the beholder. Colonists (and imperial officials) disagreed over who qualified as a pirate, and over how communities should interact with them. She discussed the who, why and when of piracy in early America.

“Unknown Origins of the American Revolution”

Professor Holton focused on the unheralded influences of “outsider” groups such as Native American and African Americans, from the Seven Years War (the French and Indian War) leading up to the early days of the American Revolution. He discussed both the French and English strategies on how to use the Indian nations against each other.

“Early New England's Failed Religious Policy”

Professor Pestana observed that most New England colonies, led by Massachusetts Bay Colony, aimed at religious uniformity. New Englanders first created a new church order – later called Congregationalist – and then worked to impose it as the religious practice of the entire population. She explored some of the major causes of their failure to impose the Congregationalist church.

“Mapping Indian Power in European Cartography of the Americas”

Professor Barr examined the ways that European mapmakers represented the extent and influence of Indian power when they drew up maps of British, French, Dutch, and Spanish colonial empires in the Americas, and how those maps tell us a strikingly different story of colonial America than the one we have come to expect from European sources.

“Language Matters: How Relying on Published Translations Can Obscure Original Meanings”

Professor Pfleger discussed the role of race and slavery in the relationships between German-speakers and Anglo-Pennsylvanians, and how emerging racial identities rendered African Americans and Native Americans as permanent outsiders. She explained how a few words changed her argument about Henry Melchior Muhlenberg's views on African Americans and slavery.

“The Other Side of the Mountains: The French Province of Louisiana, 1700-1755”

Pete Moriarty observed that at the beginning of the 18th century, to the west of the English Colonies of North America, over the Appalachian Mountains, lay the French Province of Louisiana. He told the story of the French struggle to populate and develop this province, and the breakout that ultimately led to changes in the North American continent unforeseen by any of the people of the day.

“Colonial America comes to the Wild West — Los Angeles 1895: The motley crew of blue bloods, power brokers, star gazers and scoundrels that founded this Society in the City of Angels”

Bruce Merritt discussed some of the interesting characters among the founders of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California. He began by describing Los Angeles in the 1890's, and explored the biographies of a handful of the more interesting founders: Mayors Cameron Thom and Erskine Ross, the Flint Brothers, founder Holdridge Ozro Collins, and others.

“The Many Captivities of Esther Wheelwright”

Professor Little discussed her book The Many Captivities of Esther Wheelwright (2016). Esther Wheelwright (1696-1780) was born into a prominent Puritan family in Wells, Maine, and was captured by the Wabanaki Indians in 1703. Having converted to Catholicism, she became a nun at the Ursuline convent of Quebec, and rose to be the only foreign-born superior of the convent by age 64.

“The Purpose of Purpose”

Governor General Tyrell noted that most societies have a stated purpose in their organizational documents. Adherence to this statement of purpose focuses the group's efforts and activities. He concluded by stating that societies, while focusing on their purpose, should try to have a “jolly good time” in those activities.

“Plymouth Colony and the Fur Trade”

June Lazich spoke on the Pilgrims, who came on the Mayflower and established a post on the Kennebeck River to trade with the Indians for furs. The Pilgrims established the post so they could pay back the English investors who had financially backed the colony established at Plymouth in 1620. She told the story through the furs being shipped to England in repayment, and ultimately used in the fabrication of hats of that era.

“The Other Germans: German-Speaking Veterans of the Revolutionary War, 1775-1840”

Professor Pfleger analyzed over one hundred pension files of men who were born in Germany, or claimed German ancestry, to increase our understanding of the impact of military service on people's lives, the language of memory, and the role of remembering for individuals and the nation.

“Why Hereditary Societies are Important: Keeping them Relevant and Solvent”

Governor General Tyrell spoke about the importance of hereditary societies in educating the public about our past, and the sacrifices made by our ancestors in establishing our country.

“Money and Medals During the Revolutionary War”

Dr. Fagaly spoke on Money and Medals during the Revolutionary War. He displayed examples of coinage and currency that actually circulated during the Revolutionary War, along with replicas of the first medals authorized by Congress.

“The Black Watch Tradition Begins”

Philip Gallander spoke on the actions of the 1st Battalion, the 42nd Highland Regiment, the “Black Watch” in General James Abercrombie's abortive 1758 campaign against Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga). The bulk of the presentation was on the battle itself, and how the actions of the 42nd Highland Regiment began the valorous tradition of the Black Watch.

“Traveling by Family Roots”

Genealogist General Field spoke about an old house in Madison (formerly East Guilford), Connecticut, built in 1720 by one his Colonial Wars ancestors, David Field, and its inhabitants and descendants.

“Padres, Pearls, and Pumpions: Spanish Influence on the Atlantic Seaboard”

Professor Reaves explored the conflict between three (and sometimes more) empires in the New World prior to the settlement of Jamestown in 1607. Using the “footprints” of forts and primary source letters, Professor Reaves highlighted the complexity of the conflict on the ground in early colonial North America.

“A Fighter Pilot's Life During the Battle of Britain and Beyond”

Stuart Bird-Wilson related that his father, Harold Arthur Cooper “Birdie” Bird-Wilson, was one of the “FEW” – the pilots who fought in mortal combat in the skies over England during the summer of 1940. His father joined the RAF in 1937 and was a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, with the Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Force Cross.

“Women Descendants of the Mayflower: Amelia Earhart”

Judith Swan expanded on her earlier program, “Women of the Mayflower,” and the Society of Mayflower Descendants' decision to allow members to file applications on the female passengers. She spoke on notable women who have Mayflower lineage, with an emphasis on famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart.

“Alexander Hamilton: New York City and the Foundation of a Founding Father”

Heather Grandos noted that on the eve of the Revolutionary War, Alexander Hamilton relocated from the Caribbean to colonial New York City. Hamilton's story reveals a divided New York City on the outbreak of war with the greatest empire of the world, and the foundation and development of one of the most brilliant statesmen.

“Genealogical Societies”

Governor Ward asserted that Genealogical Societies are a vital link, not only for Colonial Wars membership recruitment, but for all hereditary societies that rely on accurate lineage documentation.

“Real Estate: The Granddaddy of All Investments”

Grant Winans stated that real estate is one of mankind's oldest types of investments, and has been one of the most effective ways to amass wealth and power. He focused on the history of real estate investing throughout US history, and how today's crisis shares many characteristics to past financial calamities experienced by our ancestors.

“Our Nation's Founders Had Daughters”

Patricia Kryder used her own maternal lineage to weave a story of how one's own family can be used within American History as a reason for people to talk to their children and grandchildren about their ancestors.

“Comparing James Cook and William Bligh in the Pacific”

Professor Buschmann compared and contrasted the third voyage of James Cook and William Bligh's voyage on the Bounty. He elaborated on how the death of Captain Cook in Hawaii and the mutiny on the Bounty help us understand the Pacific and its significance in the global 18th century.

“Rape and Sexual Coercion in Early America: The Case of Mary Seller and John Murphy, Plymouth, 1756”

Professor Pfleger discussed a topic from her days as a student research assistant. The story is based on a true court case involving allegations of rape, proven to be true by the victim using a threshold burden of proof for that particular crime that is still the same today.

“Women of the Mayflower: Their Contribution to the Plymouth Colony”

Judith Swan spoke on the women passengers on the Mayflower, and their contribution to the Plymouth Colony.

“Investing During Colonial Times”

Kenneth Winans researched the origins of wealth, trading, and investing in the colonial era. The primary investment was land, for farming and development. Colonists also invested in commodities like tobacco, beaver pelts, and wampum.

“Raid on America: The Dutch Naval Campaign of 1672-1674”

Historian Davis spoke on the Dutch Naval Campaign of 1672 to 1674, a military exploit seldom mentioned in England or the Netherlands. The central figure of this story is Commander Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest (1642-1706).

“American Bellwether: Connecticut in Colonial and Federal Times”

Governor Storm spoke on the history, composition, and character of the State of Connecticut. In the 1630's, Puritans from Massachusetts founded Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1638-1639) are considered the first written constitution in America.

“George Washington: The Irreplaceable Man”

Professor Dewey spoke on George Washington, the Irreplaceable Man. He noted how Washington's retirement from power, and leadership laid the crucial foundation for the American presidency.

“Dying of Laziness: Early Jamestown's Problems with Work and Disease”

In commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in the New World, Professor Pfleger spoke on the familiar problem of ever-present death in early Jamestown.

“Our Colonial Heritage: Building for the Future”

Governor General Soper adapted a speech written around 1930 by then-Governor General George deBenneville Keim of New Jersey to the remarks he made to the California Society.

“Discovering Colonial Ancestry Through DNA Testing”

Douglas Miller was a founding member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, and was the Project Administrator of three DNA projects.

“Bernardo de Galvez (1746-1786): Colonial Warrior of the Southwest”

Commander Lampman spoke on the life and history of Bernardo de Galvez, noting that Galvez fought the Apache Indians in the late 1760s and had earned a reputation for exploration of the Southwest.

“King Philip's War: A Civil War in New England”

John Sweet read a groundbreaking published history of King Philip's War by James D. Drake – King Philip's War: Civil War in New England, 1675-1676 (1999). Dr. Drake asserted that it was a regional conflict more in keeping with a civil war in New England.

“Local Government at its Best”

Professor Schutz spent years of research producing his book, Legislators of the Massachusetts General Assembly 1691-1780 (1997). He painted a strong image of town life in the 18th century, and of the semiannual gathering of these men from all corners of Massachusetts as they gathered in Boston to do the work of the colony.

“First Encounters: Lethal or Deceiving?”

Dr. Pfleger cited original source material from Native Americans as they reacted to people who looked, acted and spoke differently from themselves. She also discussed some of the ecological impacts of importation of domesticated livestock from Europe to America.

“How to Find Your Family Roots”

Registrar General Beard was a Fellow of the American Genealogical Society, and the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society. He authored the book, How to Find Your Family Roots (1977).

“Between Subject and Citizen: German-speakers in Eighteenth-Century Pennsylvania”

Dr. Pfleger discussed her recently accepted doctoral dissertation. By the 18th century, 30% of the colonial population living in Pennsylvania was of German stock. She discussed how the two groups, German and English colonials, took the early steps towards blending together through marriage.

“The Last Colonial War and the Rise and Fall of Empire”

Professor Dewey was an editor on the team that published the papers of President James Madison. He spoke on the Last Colonial War (Lord Dunmore's War) and the Rise and Fall of the First British Empire.

“Recounting the Great Swamp Fight of 1675”

The Society presented the program “Recounting the Great Swamp Fight of 1675” originally presented by late Warrior John Raymond MacFaden at the 75th General Court at the Jonathan Club on December 15, 1969.

“Governor William Shirley and British Imperialist Expansion, 1740-1760”

Professor Schutz spoke on Royal Governor William Shirley (1694-1771) of the Massachusetts Colony, who was heavily involved in the struggle for supremacy by England over France in North America beginning with King George's War (1740-1748) and the first conquest of Fortress Louisburg.

“George Washington's Miracles”

“The French and Indian Wars: Braddock's Road”

“Today's Military Warrior and the Systems They Operate”

“A Unique and Special Program”

“James Madison's Notes on the Constitutional Convention Were No Fraud”

“Video Presentation”

“Silly Suits: The Right to Maintain a Legal Action”

“America's Fighting Presidents”

“Reflections”

“The American Crisis of 1776”

“The Joy of Collecting Historical Documents”

“Reflections”

“The Seventeenth Century Minute Man”

“Colonial Taverns”

“History of the Flag, Patriotic Icons and the Constitution”

“Siege at Fortress Louisbourg in 1745”

“Centennial Luncheon of the California Societies”

“A Genealogist Looks at History”

“History of Old Deerfield, Massachusetts”

“A Contemporary View of the US Constitution”

Meeting was cancelled.

“We Are All Cousins”

“Our American Heritage: Some Views on America Past and Present”

“The Operation of Law in the Former Soviet Union”

“Ways to Strengthen Our Societies”

“US Medals and Awards from the Revolution Down to the Eve of World War I”

“Early 17th Century Exploration of the Chesapeake Bay”

“Events Leading Up to the American Revolution”

“The Stanford Family of England”

“One and a Half Years of Captivity as a POW of the Japanese”

“The Last Colonial War”

“History of the Civil War in the Far West”

“A Brief History of the Sword Fund”

“IMC Activities in Afghanistan: Establishing Clinics, Training Paramedics, and Resisting Russian Genocide Against the People”

“The Sandinista Agreement: An Unmitigated Disaster”

“The Five Civilized Tribes During the Civil War”

“IMC Activities in Afghanistan: Establishing Clinics, Training Paramedics, and Resisting Russian Genocide Against the People”

“Everyday Life in a 17th Century Massachusetts Town”

“Life and Times of Your Favorite Ancestor”

“Russia: The Last of the Colonial Empires”

“The International Medical Corps and the Plight of the Afghan People”

“The Agonizing Situation of Nicaragua”

“Historical Perspectives on South Africa”

“The Mary Rose: Flagship of King Henry VIII's Fleet”

“Historical Resources for Studying the Civil War”

“Business and Cultural Exchanges Between the US and Canada”

“History of the Pequot War of 1637”

“Composition and Function of the Massachusetts Legislature in the early 18th Century”

“Overview of Colonial Architecture”

“Reflections”

“A Plain Captain of King Philip's War”

“Indian Tribes and Chiefs at the Time of Colonization”

“Colonial Portraits of George Washington”

“Colonial Portraits of George Washington”

“Role of Scots in Colonial America”

“Alexander Hamilton: Founder of the Coast Guard”

“How to Brag About Your Ancestors Without Being Boring”

“Captain Monypenny's Report on Fort Ticonderoga”

“Science: The 20th Century's Greatest Art”

“How the Coast Guard Serves Southern California”

“Colonial Money: Not Worth A Continental”

“Legislatures and Legislators: The Pennsylvania Experience”

“Colonial Massachusetts Happenings”

“Popular Ballads During Colonial Wars Times”

“Forefathers Day & the Great Swamp Fight of 1675”

“Robert Morris: Financier of the Revolution”

“Purposes and Activities of Los Amigos del Pueblo”

John D. Roche was a commercial artist and advertising executive. In 1923, he designed the iconic HOLLYWOODLAND sign to promote an upscale real estate development in the Los Angeles Hills. He discussed Los Amigos del Pueblo, a historical preservation group dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the customs and culture of early California, which was founded around 1960.

“Forefathers Day & the Great Swamp Fight of 1675”

“Issues, Challenges and Problems in Education”

“Fraud Schemes”

“The Modern Army”

“The Bill of Rights: Origin and Current Meaning”

“A New United States Judge Looks at His Job”

“Fame and the Founding Fathers”

“Religious Freedom in Colonial Times”

“Impressions of the Great Swamp Fight”

“Faith of Our Fathers”

“Impressions of Our Atomic Problems”

“Space Travel and Colonization Capabilities”

“The Middle Colonies”

“Colonial Williamsburg”

“George Washington, the Man”