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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260923T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260923T170000
DTSTAMP:20260801T195902Z
CREATED:20260728T152623Z
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UID:11460-1790179200-1790182800@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hour: Becoming American: Philadelphia's Story
DESCRIPTION:Philadelphia\, PA.\, America’s first capital\, held a pivotal role as the cradle of American democracy. When George Washington took the oath of office in 1789\, Philadelphia had the largest free and literate community of Africans in the entire British Atlantic. This community raised families\, built institutions\, created opportunities for self-emancipated Africans to continue north\, fought for equal rights\, and they participated in public life. They exemplified the ideals of the new republic. Oliver St. Clair Franklin is the creator and co-executive producer of a feature length documentary of our Founding Era through the lens of the Black Philadelphia community of that time. Franklin’s documentary\, Becoming American: Philadelphia’s Story\, explores how diverse groups that included European colonists\, Native Americans\, free Black communities\, and enslaved Africans lived and worked side-by-side to shape the new United States. Join this ESU Happy Hour as Oliver Franklin describes his film as a shared national and international historical record that explains how America came to be\, how it expanded\, and how its founding ideals continue to resonate today. This Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Philadelphia Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE About Oliver St. Clair Franklin\, CBE \n\n\n\nOliver St. Clair Franklin curated one of the first Black Film Festivals in the US (1972-78) and then produced documentary films. He became the first Deputy City Representative for Arts and Culture for the City of Philadelphia (1984-90). After his municipal role\, Oliver became an executive at several financial services firms specializing in institutional investments and was Co-Managing Partner of the first US mutual fund to invest in The Republic of South Africa. He has served on many civic and cultural institutions including the National Endowment for the Arts\, the Pennsylvania Humanities Council\, The Philadelphia Foundation\, and The Independence Historic Trust. He also served as the Honorary British Consul in Philadelphia and received the OBE and CBE honors from the late monarch. A Baltimore native\, Oliver is a graduate of Lincoln University (Pa) and Oxford University. He is also a Hon. Fellow of Balliol College\, Oxford.  Cocktail: The Founders’ Toast A simple bourbon-based cocktail tying to colonial/early American roots:-2 oz bourbon-3/4 oz fresh lemon juice-1/2 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey + warm water\, stirred)-Top with a splash of ginger beer-Garnish: lemon twist or mint sprigShake bourbon\, lemon\, honey syrup with ice; strain into a glass with fresh ice; top with ginger beer. Non-alcoholic version: swap bourbon for apple cider\, same lemon/honey/ginger beer combo. 
URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/happy-hour-becoming-american-philadelphias-story/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T170000
DTSTAMP:20260728T154010Z
CREATED:20260728T153927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260728T154010Z
UID:11465-1791388800-1791392400@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hour: Daniel Boone: The First Kentuckian
DESCRIPTION:Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was an American pioneer\, trailblazer\, outdoorsman\, revolutionary\, and adventurer whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. The story of the early settlement of Kentucky is well documented\, and Daniel Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the U.S. state of Kentucky\, which was then beyond the western borders of the Thirteen Colonies. \n\n\n\nThere is a difference between the myth and the man who actually existed. Daniel Boone lived an extraordinary life—even if he didn’t wear a coonskin cap! Boone was celebrated in his own lifetime especially after stories of his adventures were published in 1784\, making him famous both in America and Europe. \n\n\n\nThis ESU Happy Hour welcomes acclaimed actor\, Kevin Hardesty\, who has created a one-man play “Daniel Boone: The First Kentuckian.” Hardesty brings the famous frontiersman to life as he portrays Boone as a man who established himself as an accomplished hunter and explorer in Kentucky. We will see Hardesty live\, in-person\, as well as watch some recorded segments from his one-man play. \n\n\n\nAs ESU continues to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary\, it is noteworthy that Daniel Boone moved to Kentucky and established a settlement just over 250 years ago in 1774. \n\n\n\nJoin us for this special ESU Happy Hour sponsored by the ESU Kentucky Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE \n\n\n\nAbout Kevin Hardesty \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHardesty received a B.F.A in acting/theatre from the University of Kentucky in 1986\, and has since performed in theatre\, film\, and television\, including prominent roles in Biloxi Blues\, Hamlet\, Macbeth\, and Romeo and Juliet and leading roles in Of Mice and Men and A Streetcar Named Desire. Film and TV credits include co-starring roles in Not to Forget\, Heathers\, Happy Together\, 100 Proof\, The Cavanaughs\, TV 101\, and Family of Spies. Kevin also appeared with Ashley Judd in the Arthur Miller teleplay Interview with Ryan for PBS. He has been an actor\, writer\, and director for more than 20 years.
URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/happy-hour-daniel-boone-the-first-kentuckian/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261104T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261104T180000
DTSTAMP:20260824T164409Z
CREATED:20260824T164409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260824T164409Z
UID:11591-1793811600-1793815200@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hour: Virginia's Role: From English Rights to American Constitutions
DESCRIPTION:Today our ESU Happy Hour takes us on a journey through the pivotal events that shaped America 250 years ago\, this time in the great state of Virginia\, where revolutionary ideas became constitutional action. On May 15\, 1776\, at the Fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg\, delegates in Philadelphia proposed to transition Virginia from a British colony into an independent commonwealth\, to establish a new state government\, and urged the Continental Congress to declare full national independence from Great Britain. \n\n\n\nTheir work produced the Virginia Declaration of Rights—one of the most important documents in American history. It was a landmark statement of liberty and limited government and laid out the basic rights and freedoms that all people should have and set limits on what the government could do. The Virginia Declaration of Rights also influenced other state bills of rights\, the U.S. Bill of Rights\, the U.S. Declaration of Independence\, and France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. \n\n\n\nJoin us for a lively step back into this revolutionary moment with Professor A.E. Dick Howard\, who will present “From English Rights to American Constitutions: Americans Transcribe Their Values and Aspirations in State Constitutions.” This special ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Charlottesville\, VA Branch. The program is online\, free\, and open to ESU members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE \n\n\n\nAbout A.E. Dick Howard \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nA.E. Dick Howard is the White Burkett Miller Professor of Law and Public Affairs Emeritus at the University of Virginia. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and served as a law clerk to Justice Hugo L. Black\, at the Supreme Court of the United States. He has written prolifically on a range of historical and constitutional subjects\, including The Road from Runnymede: Magna Carta and Constitutionalism in America. \n\n\n\nActive in public affairs\, Professor Howard was the chief architect of the Constitution of Virginia. He has compared notes with constitution-makers in various foreign countries\, including post-communist Central and Eastern Europe. Seven universities have conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. Washington magazine has called Professor Howard “one of the most respected educators in the nation.”  In 2015\, Virginia’s General Assembly named Professor Howard as that year’s “Outstanding Virginian.” \n\n\n\nCocktail \n\n\n\nAs we are marking the 250th anniversary of Independence\, it would be fitting to recall the imbibing preferences of Thomas Jefferson. When he was our minister to Paris\, Jefferson acquired a taste for French and Italian wine. He explored the vineyards of Burgundy and Bordeaux\, hoping to replicate European viniculture in America. I propose a white burgundy for the occasion.
URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/happy-hour-virginias-role-from-english-rights-to-american-constitutions/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261209T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261209T180000
DTSTAMP:20260825T145613Z
CREATED:20260825T145609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T145613Z
UID:11636-1796835600-1796839200@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hour: The Surprising History of Santa and Christmas Traditions in America
DESCRIPTION:Christmas in America has a much richer and stranger history than the cozy images we know today. This festive ESU Happy Hour explores why early New Englanders outlawed Christmas\, how rowdy wassailing gangs once filled the streets\, and how German\, Dutch\, and English traditions eventually blended into the modern Santa. We’ll trace the journey from medieval St. Nicholas and Alpine mischief-makers to Thomas Nast’s German-American illustrations\, the Civil War era’s sentimental reinvention of the holiday\, and the 20th-century rise of Rudolph\, department-store Santas\, Coca-Cola branding\, and iconic Christmas foods. With a pint in hand\, you’ll learn how a mix of immigrant customs\, reform movements\, and cultural trends brought today’s version of American Christmas into being. Join us as Erica Benson brings a story-packed journey tracing how America invented its own version of Santa and reshaped Christmas into the celebration we recognize today. The ESU Kansas City Branch sponsors this special ESU Happy Hour. The program is online\, free\, and open to ESU members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE About Erica Benson: \n\n\n\nErica Benson\, founder of Third Place Historian\, is a seasoned historian and educator with over a decade of experience teaching U.S. history at the college level. She holds multiple degrees in history\, including a master’s degree in North American history\, and brings a deep scholarly background to her work in both academic and public history. A recipient of the prestigious James Madison Congressional Fellowship\, Erica has participated in numerous elite history seminars and institutes\, continually advancing her expertise in American political and social history. Her commitment to historical education extends beyond the classrooms. She is a contributing writer for the National Women’s History Museum and an advocate for gender equality issues and the Equal Rights Amendment. Erica’s work is grounded in a passion for making history accessible\, engaging\, and relevant. Her lectures are known for combining rigorous scholarship with compelling storytelling\, offering fresh insights into the complexities of the American past. Cocktail: EggnogEggnog evolved from posset\, a warm medieval British drink made of milk\, ale\, and eggs. Aristocrats drank it with expensive sherry\, while colonists in America substituted cheap rum. By 1775\, the name “eggnog” appeared\, transforming into a popular holiday tradition and even sparking a famous 1826 military academy riot. Ingredients:4 egg yolks1/3 cup sugar\, plus 1 tablespoon1 pint whole milk1 cup heavy cream1 1/4 ounces bourbon1 1/4 ounces dark rum1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg4 egg whites Directions:-In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until the yolks lighten in color and the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the milk\, cream\, bourbon\, rum\, and nutmeg and stir to combine.-Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running\, gradually add one tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture. Yields six cups. Chill and serve.
URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/happy-hour-the-surprising-history-of-santa-and-christmas-traditions-in-america/
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