Happy Hour: The Loyalist and the Patriot
July 29 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm EDT
Step into a gripping dialogue with acclaimed prize-winning historical biographer Flora Fraser and Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, as they reexamine the American Revolution through a provocative lens. This conversation challenges the familiar narrative of unity and independence. It reveals a nation divided—neighbors, friends, even families torn apart by opposing allegiances. Was this truly a revolution, or America’s first civil war? Through vivid storytelling and historical insight, Fraser and Bradburn explore the deeply personal conflicts between those who risked everything for independence and those who remained steadfastly loyal to the British Crown.
ESU continues celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary with this intriguing Happy Hour. Expect a thought-provoking journey into the complexities of loyalty, identity, and the true cost of freedom.
This Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU New York City Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.
About Flora Fraser
Flora Fraser is a historical biographer, based in London, specializing in archival research on women of the eighteenth century in Europe and in America. Her books include Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton, The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline, Princesses: The Daughters of George III, and Venus of Empire: The Life of Pauline Bonaparte.
Her recent book, The Washingtons: George and Martha, won the 2016 George Washington Book Prize. Her new life of Scottish heroine, Flora Macdonald is available in the UK as Flora Macdonald ‘Pretty Young Rebel’ (Bloomsbury) and in the US as Flora Macdonald: “Pretty Young Rebel”: Her Life and Story (Knopf).
About Douglas Bradburn, PhD
Douglas Bradburn is the President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Bradburn joined Mount Vernon in 2013 and was the Founding Director of The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. He became the 11th Director of George Washington’s Mount Vernon in 2018. He is an award-winning author and well-known scholar of early American history. Bradburn is the author of The Citizenship Revolution: Politics and the Creation of the American Union, 1774-1804, and three anthologies, including Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion. He is the co-founder and editor of the award-winning book series, Early American Histories, at the University of Virginia Press, and the winner of numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the yearlong Gilder Lehrman Research Fellowship at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.
Exclusive Patron Membership Offer
For a limited time, we invite you to enjoy a special benefit available only through this ESU Happy Hour event. Members who upgrade to a National Patron Membership, and new supporters who join at the National Patron level, will receive an autographed copy of Flora Fraser’s acclaimed book, Flora Macdonald: Pretty Young Rebel her life and story,” a unique keepsake from this exceptional presentation featuring Flora Fraser and Doug Bradburn.
Patron Members play a vital role in sustaining the English-Speaking Union’s mission to educate, inspire, and connect people through the power of the English language and its rich cultural heritage. Signed copies are limited and will be available while supplies last. We hope you will take this opportunity to become a National Patron Member and help ensure the continued strength and impact of the ESU for years to come.
Colonial Rum Punch
“One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.”
Ingredients:
1 part fresh lime juice (the “sour”)
2 parts sugar or simple syrup (the “sweet”)
3 parts dark rum (the “strong”)
4 parts water or weak tea (the “weak”)
Optional: grated nutmeg on top (very traditional!)
Instructions:
Stir the lime juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.
Add the rum and mix well.
Pour in the water or tea and stir again.
Taste and adjust—colonial recipes were flexible.
Serve over ice (or without if you want to stay historically accurate).