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All Aboard the Orphan Train |
Presenter: Peg Fargo |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 W – 5/10/2023-5/10/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
Come hear the mournful whistle of the train as it carries abandoned babies and children go be given away across the country. When the trains stopped, the children were displayed on the train platform for inspection for "placing-out". If a child was not selected, they got back on the train to wait for the next stop. Brothers and sisters might be chosen at different stops, never to see each other again. In the 75-year history of the orphan trains, between 250,000 and 600,000 children were relocated without contact with their birth families. This class is dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of children, then and now, living on the streets and hoping for a better tomorrow. We will explore the reasons for starting the trains, what happened to the children, tell some of their stories and why the "placing-out" program finally stopped and make some connections to the foster care system of today.
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Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Walking Tour |
Presenter: Barbara Ward |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 5/4/2023-5/4/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: Black Heritage Trail NH, 222 Court Street Portsmouth, NH 03803 |
Institutionalized slavery in Colonial America provided immense wealth and material culture to many European immigrants and their descendants in the Americas, as Portsmouth’s house museums bear witness. This tour brings into focus an economic system dependent upon the international slave trade with its constant supply of kidnapped unpaid African workers and their descendants, who, against the odds, created one of this country’s oldest Black communities.
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Note: A $15.00 admission fee will be added to your registration for a total of $35.00.
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Boston Massacre: A Fresh Look |
Presenter: Eleanor Strang |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 5/18/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
The Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, is a window into a turbulent and fascinating period of American history, the beginnings of the American Revolution in Boston. We will explore what led up to the event and how it was used to mold public opinion. We will examine the role of Sam Adams and Paul Revere in the opinion-molding process, and the surprising role of John Adams, including why and how he defended the British soldiers in the ensuing trials. We will look at the changing portrayals of Crispus Attucks and see that history is not an unchanging account of the "facts," but instead changes depending on who tells the story and why and when.
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Can Democracy be Saved? Comparing the 1920's to the 2020's |
Presenter: Steven Freiberger |
Member tuition: $30.00 |
Sessions: 3 W – 4/19/2023-5/3/2023 |
Time: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: UNH Professional Development & Training, 230 Commerce Way Portsmouth, NH 03801 |
George Santayana has stated: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” it is as true today as it has been at any time in our history. Catastrophic warfare, plague, racism, anti-immigration, political divisions bordering on violence are all present today, but it is not an aberration in American history. The purpose of this class is to explore a unique comparison between our current situation and a similar one that existed roughly a century ago. Subjects such as World War I, the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, anti-immigration attitudes resulting in violence, lynchings, political repression involving over 1000 arrests, people accused of treason etc., sound familiar? All will be compared to our contemporary life and how America emerged from this cataclysm a hundred years ago, and hopefully how can be reengage and overcome what we face today. While lecture-based, the course will rely on a great deal of class discussion.
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Church Protest & Compliance During the Nazi Era |
Presenter: Jeannette Graf |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 5/11/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
Between 1933 and 1945, German church members faced a serious moral question, would they ignore the increasing brutality of the Nazis against the Jewish population or would they protest and/or participate in the resistence. Church members responded in different ways. Some embraced Nazism so much that their churches were unrecognizable as Christian houses of worship. The vast majority capitulated. Some protested until it became too dangerous. Some were part of a network of committed resisters. This course will examine these varying approaches to see what motivated these different groups. Why was a small group able to break through and face a terrible authoritarian regime with courage? What can we learn today from these responses?
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Forgotten Plane Wrecks of New Hampshire |
Presenter: Nicholas Wallner |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 5/8/2023 |
Time: 1:30 PM-3:30 PM |
Location: UNH Professional Development & Training, 230 Commerce Way Portsmouth, NH 03801 |
Many plane crash sites in New Hampshire have been forgotten, but if you search you will find the unique stories of each of these crashes. This course will include a discussion on early navigation challenges and will then delve into the history of several crashes and the presenter’s exploration of the crash sites. Crashes included in this talk are the B-18 bomber in 1942, Northeast Airlines flight 792 in 1954, Northeast Airlines flight 946 in 1968, the Christmas Eve 1996 crash of a Learjet business jet, “The Missing Doctors Crash,” and more.
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Forgotten Plane Wrecks of New Hampshire |
Presenter: Nicholas Wallner |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 6/1/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: Conway Public Library, 15 Greenwood Avenue Conway, NH 03818 |
Many plane crash sites in New Hampshire have been forgotten, but if you search you will find the unique stories of each of these crashes. This course will include a discussion on early navigation challenges and will then delve into the history of several crashes and the presenter’s exploration of the crash sites. Crashes included in this talk are the B-18 bomber in 1942, Northeast Airlines flight 792 in 1954, Northeast Airlines flight 946 in 1968, the Christmas Eve 1996 crash of a Learjet business jet, “The Missing Doctors Crash,” and more.
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Grant vs Lee: The Virginia Campaign of 1864-1865 |
Presenter: David Hess |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 W – 5/3/2023-6/14/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
The Civil War was three years old before these two iconic generals of that conflict, Ulysses S. (“Unconditional Surrender”) Grant and Robert E. (“Marse Robert”) Lee faced each other on the battlefields of Virginia. In those early years, Grant had risen from disgrace and obscurity in the West to become Lincoln’s most trusted general. At the same time, Lee had defeated, outwitted and mastered every general of the Army of the Potomac thrown against him. In desperation, Lincoln called Grant east to take on Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. After reviewing the achievements of these two military titans in those first three years, we will study their strategies and tactics through the battles of The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, the North Anna River and Cold Harbor; Grant’s crossing the James River; the siege of Petersburg and the battle of Five Forks; culminating at Appomattox. We will examine their characters, their strengths and foibles as military leaders, the logistic and manpower resources at their disposal; and the political implications and aspects of the campaign, particularly in the North. In the process, we will look for answers to questions not asked in your history books, including: Was Northern victory inevitable? Did Lee’s leadership in this campaign live up to his reputation? How close did Grant (an acknowledged alcoholic) come to falling off the wagon? Were the casualties suffered on both sides warranted? Some of the answers may surprise you.
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Note: Class meets May 3, 17, 31 and June 14 from 10:00 AM to Noon.
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Grover Cleveland: Should We Care? |
Presenter: George Cleveland |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 F – 4/14/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM |
Location: Pope Memorial Library, 2719 Main Street North Conway Village, NH 03860 |
A talk and discussion about one of the lesser known 19th Century Presidents, Grover Cleveland. His life. His career. His family. His character. His fishing and hunting stories. And maybe a few things no one knows about.
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Introduction to Holocaust Studies, Part I |
Presenter: Barbara Wahlberg |
Member tuition: $45.00 |
Sessions: 6 Th – 3/23/2023-4/27/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
The class will bring us safely into our studies with a film and Introducation to Antisemitism. We continue with Little by Little, Step by Step, Laws and Decrees that whittled away Human Rights; and explore America and the Holocaust, including Nazism and Jim Crow, collaborators and perpetrator, non- violent and armed resistance, and rescuers. We will end our studies by coming safely out with Stories of Triumph in the Face of Unspeakable Tragedy; Celebrations of Life: “When you save one life, you save the world.”
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John Rogers: The People's Sculptor |
Presenter: Jeff Barraclough |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 4/10/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: Manchester Historic Association, Research Center, 129 Amherst Street Manchester, NH 03101 |
John Rogers (1829 – 1904) was both a talented artist and successful businessman whose statuary "groups" were very popular in the late nineteenth century. Called “The People’s Sculptor,” he was the first American sculptor to mass produce his work and worked mostly in plaster to make his sculptures more affordable. He sold as many as 80,000 sculptures during his lifetime and effectively brought the art of sculpture to the American middle class. Rogers got his start as a sculptor in Manchester while working as a mechanic in the machine shop of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company from 1850 to 1856. In his free time, he began modeling with clay that he found near the Merrimack River in Hooksett, which led to his career as a sculptor. Towards the end of his career, he gave one of his finest works, a seated statue of Abraham Lincoln, to the City of Manchester as a gift. This course will feature a slideshow presentation looking at Rogers' life and many of his sculptures. We will then have a chance to see some of his sculptures in the Manchester Historic Association's collection through a tour of the MHA Research Center building.
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Lions, Eagles, Crowns, & Kings: A Look At Heraldry in the Modern World |
Presenter: Fr. Jerome Joseph Day |
Member tuition: $25.00 |
Sessions: 2 Th – 3/23/2023-3/30/2023 |
Time: 3:00 PM-5:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
The death of Queen Elizabeth II this past September and the accession of eldest son to become King Charles III in the United Kingdom has sparked renewed interest in heraldry, the art, science and use of creating coats of arms. Today’s heraldry really began in the Middle Ages, when knights and warriors fought covered in armor. Oh, my, who’s on my side once things start getting serious and mixed up? Heraldry to the rescue! From ancient times to the present moment, symbols have helped identify leaders, nations, groups and institutions. Join Father Jerome Day, O.S.B., in a two-class exploration of heraldry on both sides of the Atlantic, why such symbols still matter in 21st Century America and maybe devise your own personal coat of arms.
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Note: Please bring colored markers and a poster board for designing your own coat of arms.
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Lucy Stone: The Forgotten Champion of Women's Suffrage |
Presenter: Eleanor Strang |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 W – 5/3/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
You have probably heard of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, the famous suffragists, but you may be among the many who are not familiar with the name of Lucy Stone. In fact, in the rotunda of the Capitol in Washington D.C. is a sculpture of the leaders of the women's suffrage movement, and Lucy Stone is not included. Yet she was an extremely important early leader in the movement. She began as an eloquent public speaker on the anti-slavery lecture circuit, and then turned her talents to speaking on behalf of women's rights. She was instrumental in organizing the first truly national Woman's Rights Convention in Worcester in 1850. She was a founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association, and publisher of the long-running Woman's Journal, the influential voice of the movement. Her private life demonstrated her courage and commitment to the cause in fascinating ways. This course is an opportunity to explore the life and work of this important but forgotten champion, and to see why she has often been left out of the history of the fight for women's suffrage.
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Made in Conway & the Mount Washington Valley |
Presenter: Bob Cottrell |
Member tuition: $25.00 |
Sessions: 2 W – 5/3/2023-5/10/2023 |
Time: 6:00 PM-7:00 PM |
Location: Conway Public Library, 15 Greenwood Avenue Conway, NH 03818 |
Did you know that Conway and the Mount Washington Valley was once a center of manufacturing? In this program we will explore the history of this once dynamic center of industry and innovation using the archives at the Conway Public Library and artifacts from the Conway Historical Society. We will study the tools and techniques used in the past and survey what is still being made here now hidden behind the more prominent appearance of tourism and outlet shopping.
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Making China Less "Inscrutable" |
Presenter: Elliott Berry |
Member tuition: $45.00 |
Sessions: 6 Th – 5/4/2023-6/8/2023 |
Time: 3:00 PM-5:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
It is often said that China is the world’s oldest continuous civilization. While the Egyptians, Syrians, and Iraqis may have something to say about that, in today’s China there is no dispute. China’s view of itself has remained remarkably consistent over at least three millennia, Perhaps it is best summed up in a letter from one of China’s greatest emperors to England’s King George III, rejecting the request of the King’s emissary to establish a diplomatic presence in Beijing: “Our dynasty’s domestic virtue has penetrated every country under Heaven, and kings of all nations have offered their costly tribute…we possess all things…and have no use for your country’s manufactures.” Since the Qing emperor’s letter was written in 1793, China has experienced a spectacular collapse, and a phoenix like rise. Let’s examine China’s tumultuous past, how it informs today’s China, and talk about what this portends for the remainder of the 21st century.
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Mere Slang or Historical Treasure? The French Language in North America |
Presenter: Robert B. Perreault |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 5/22/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
A single 90-minute class divided into two parts. Part one involves the history of the French language from 17th-century France to New France, where the language was first influenced by Native languages. After the conquest by the English in 1763, the language underwent further changes, especially in the early 19th century due to the Industrial Revolution. Finally, the migration of French Canadians to New England (1840-1930) brought further influences upon the language. Part two offers a list of words and expressions in this language. Participants who grew up speaking French in New England will also have a chance to share their own words and expressions.
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Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Tour: From Sails to Atoms |
Presenter: Joseph Gluckert |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 5/4/2023 |
Time: 9:30 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: Kittery Lions Club Parking Lot, 117 State Road Kittery, ME 03904 |
For more than 200 years, Yankee ingenuity and craftsmanship have been the keys to success for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In this popular tour, learn about the role and achievements of the Yard in times of war and peace from a military historian's perspective. A government-issued picture ID is required. Participants will be transported by school bus from the Kittery Lions Club parking lot at 117 State Road, Kittery to stops in the Shipyard. Participants must be able to use the bus and negotiate stairs. Neither the bus nor comfort facilities are handicapped accessible. Gather at the meeting spot by 9:15 a.m. so the tour can start at 9:30 a.m.
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Note: Registrants need a government issued picture ID in order to board the bus. The bus will meet participants at Kittery Lions Club Parking Lot, 117 State Road, Kittery, ME, 03904. Participants should gather there at 9:15AM.
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Rise of the Nazis: Lessons for Democratic Citizenship |
Presenter: Thomas White |
Member tuition: $45.00 |
Sessions: 6 W – 5/10/2023-6/14/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
An exploration into the rise of the Nazis, the destruction of German democracy and the ongoing threat of fascism and Nazism. We will explore the relevance of antisemitism; the myriad of social forces and political agendas influencing decision-making in Germany and the United States. In examining how the Nazis were able to come to power and how they secured that power by destroying democratic institutions within the first five months, we will raise important questions about democracy and the role of citizens and institutions. We will compare and contrast Hitler and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s reaction to the economic crisis; the power of the Southern democratic bloc in shaping U.S. policy; issues of Jim Crow, refugees, and U.S. immigration policy; and the connection between eugenics in the U.S. and Nazi race policy. As we compare and contrast this eugenics history, we will explore the connection to and divergence between sterilization laws, and Nazi euthanasia policy and its influence in shaping and implenting the Holocaust. We will ponder what lessons apply for democratic citizenship and civic responsibility. Given the rising appeal of fascism and Nazism and the attack on the Capitol on January 6, how can this history enhance our resiliency in confronting the challenges facing democracy today? No advanced reading is required.
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Spanish Inquisition: Not Unexpected |
Presenter: Merle Luber Friedenberg |
Member tuition: $45.00 |
Sessions: 6 Th – 3/23/2023-4/27/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
The Spanish Inquisition was just one of several inquisitions that occurred between the 12th and 19th centuries. Religion was not something one just did at church. It was the peoples’ science, their philosophy, their politics, their identity, and their hope for salvation. It was not a personal preference but an abiding and universal truth. Heresy, then, struck at the heart of that truth. It doomed the heretic, endangered those near him, and tore apart the fabric of community.The goal of this class will be to reach a basic understanding of the uniqueness of the Spanish Inquisition and how it operated. By providing both the historical, political, cultural, religious and judicial aspects of the Spanish Inquisition this course will explore why intolerance became a normal acceptable way of life.
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The Angels' Lament: Orphans, Mills, & Tenements in America |
Presenter: Mj Pettengill |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 5/8/2023 |
Time: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM |
Location: Pope Memorial Library, 2719 Main Street North Conway Village, NH 03860 |
1872, during the Reconstruction era, was a time of expansion, discovery, healing in America—piecing together the fragments of lives, rebuilding families, homes, and communities. It was time to leave the safety of small towns and venture into nearby, rapidly growing cities, to prosper and find long-awaited independence as industrial wage earners. At that time Fall River, MA was the world's second-largest producer of cotton cloth. Along with the rapid increase of wealth for a few families that dominated the industry, a massive surge of immigration occurred, changing and reshaping the labor force, and altering the roles of men, women, and children. In the face of oppressive paternalism, the growth of corporate power, and textile capitalism, the millworkers became victims of social and moral collapse due to public neglect, incalculable abuse, and greed, unknowingly paving the way for the future. During this course, based on The Angels’ Lament, Book Two, Etched in Granite Historical Fiction Series, we explore the complexities—torment and adversity, decay and chaos—of the weaving together of a richly textured world. Reading the book The Angels' Lament (ISBN-13: 978-1979557023) is suggested, but not required.
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The History Of Creek Farm |
Presenter: Sarah Kern |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 W – 5/10/2023 |
Time: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM |
Location: Creek Farm - Forest Society, 400 Little Harbor Road Portsmouth, NH 03801 |
Join Sarah Kern, Creek Farm Education Program Coordinator for Creek Farm at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) for a presentation and walk at one of the society’s most beloved properties, Portsmouth’s Creek Farm. This program will start with a slideshow presentation in The Forest Society Education Center, discussing the long history of what we now call Creek Farm. Once part of the 18th-century farm of royal Governor Benning Wentworth, this coastal hideaway borders the shoreline of tidal Sagamore Creek. Following the slideshow presentation, we will take a short guided walk around the property to look at the historic landmarks that still stand as well as a visit to Agnes Carey's final resting place. Comfortable walking shoes, appropriate layers of clothing, snacks, water and weather gear are recommended.
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Note: Donations (at the time of visit) to the Forest Society are encouraged.
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The Town of Canterbury Is On Fire! |
Presenter: Mark Stevens |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Tu – 4/11/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
On a very cold and windy night during the winter of 1943, a fire broke out in the center of Canterbury.Townspeople were awoken in the wee hours of the morning to discover their church, town hall, a few private residences, and the combination Union Hall, village store, gas station & post office were all hopelessly ablaze. In the morning aftermath, the historic town center looked shockingly different as at least six buildings were completely destroyed, and another half-dozen sustained varying degrees of damage. Historic photos tell the story of tragic loss and Yankee “never-say-die” tenacity in rebuilding.
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The Traveling Trunk Show |
Presenter: June O'Donal, Nancy Ray |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 4/24/2023 |
Time: 2:00 PM-3:30 PM |
Location: Conway Public Library, 15 Greenwood Avenue Conway, NH 03818 |
The Traveling Trunk show is an educational and entertaining program featuring some of our favorite antiques from The Fryeburg Historical Society's museum. We will present three trunks of much-loved items which will remind you of a visit to grandma's house. Other items are sure to baffle. Participants are invited to bring a favorite antique to show and tell.
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Walking Tour of Blossom Hill Cemetery |
Presenter: Jill McDaniel-Huckins |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 6/15/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: Blossom Hill Cemetery, 207 N. State St. Concord, NH 03301 |
Concord’s Blossom Hill Cemetery, founded in 1860, was designed by John C. Briggs, who died at the age of 41 and is buried on the property. The 61-acre cemetery is the final resting place of city and state leaders, including four governors and features two special areas - the Beth Jacob Cemetery, laid out in 1948 for Jewish interments, and an area containing a memorial to the Grand Army of the Republic, honoring the city's Civil War dead. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
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Winston Churchill: You Decide |
Presenter: Carl Lindblade |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 Th – 3/2/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-4:00 PM |
Location: Gibson Center for Senior Services, 14 Grove Street North Conway, NH 03860 |
Time magazine voted him "Man of the Half Century"(ahead of FDR and Hitler). The Manchester Guardian called him "A morbidly obese narcissistic alcoholic." He was born in a coat room at Blenheim Palace, raised by a nanny, and went to military school. And he wrote. As First Lord of the Admiralty during World War I he designed and led a disastrous campaign costing great loss of life. And he wrote. He was left in disgrace out of Politics for many many years. And he wrote. King George VI (against the King's own better judgement) appointed him Prime Minister on May 10, 1941. After the War he wrote a book History of the English Speaking Peoples. In its review Time magazine opined: "If History didn't happen this way perhaps it should have." Come listen and decide.
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