Welcome to ESU Happy Hour! The ESU has planned a series of programs to connect and reach out to our members through programs that are engaging, fun, and informative on a wide variety of topics. Happy Hour programs bring to you guest speakers live and free of charge.  Speakers may also suggest a unique cocktail for you to create and enjoy at home. These programs are designed so ESU members and guests can learn and interact with our outstanding speakers. Many speakers will provide exciting participation opportunities with fun give away books and products at the end of each program.

We invite members to suggest topics for future ESU Happy Hour Programs at this link. Cheers!

As ESU Happy Hours continue to salute America’s 250^th birthday, we turn to the great state of Connecticut. By the mid-to-late 1700s, western Connecticut had developed as a quiet, agricultural “backwater,” insulated from the politics and secessionist turmoil of the big colonial cities. Nevertheless, during the Revolutionary War, Connecticut earned the nickname “The Provisions State,” by supplying vast amounts of meat, grain, clothing, and weaponry to General George Washington’s Continental Army, and was second only to Massachusetts in the number of men serving in the war.

Governor Jonathan Trumbull was the only colonial governor to openly and actively support the rebellion from the beginning. George Washington heavily relied on Trumbull’s logistical support, famously referring to him as “Brother Jonathan.”  Many other soldiers, spies and resistance activities came out of “the Nutmeg State.” Join us as our guest speaker, Judge Edward Krumeich, relates the many lesser-known military men, skirmishes, and resistance activities that came out of Connecticut.

This Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Greenwich, CT Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.

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.

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.

There 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.

This 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.

As ESU continues to celebrate America’s 250^th anniversary, it is noteworthy that Daniel Boone moved to Kentucky and established a settlement just over 250 years ago in 1774.

Join 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.