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- Commemorating the American Revolution: The British Evacuate Boston, March 17, 1776
- Educational, Historical Lectures Mark the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
- This Year’s Presidents Day: A Time to Commemorate and also Re-Build
- Paul Revere’s Ride: Longfellow’s Mistakes
- Challenges and Choices: An Address to the Portsmouth Abbey Community
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Commemorating the American Revolution: The British Evacuate Boston, March 17, 1776
(This is the first in a series of essays celebrating the 250th of the American Revolution.) By early March, 250 years ago, American grievances had grown, and British determination to rule the American colonies had stiffened. The march of the … Continue reading
Educational, Historical Lectures Mark the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
Local Historian Fred Zilian, Ph.D., to Conduct Lecture Series on Revolutionary History and Why It Still Resonates Today [Portsmouth, RI, March 10, 2026] – Pegasus Enrichment Services today announced its slate of lectures paying tribute to the 250th anniversary of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, American Freedom, American Revolution, Catharine Greene, Declaration of Independence, Fred Zilian, Lectures on the American Revolution, Nathanael Greene, Rhode Island and the American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson, US History
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This Year’s Presidents Day: A Time to Commemorate and also Re-Build
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding, it is an especially suitable occasion to consider the first three men who occupied the presidential office, all part of that group we call our Founding Fathers: George Washington, John Adams, … Continue reading
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Tagged american-revolution, history, politics, Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson
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Paul Revere’s Ride: Longfellow’s Mistakes
Two hundred fifty years ago this today, Paul Revere, an American artisan turned Patriot courier, rode through the Massachusetts countryside, raising the alarm that British soldiers were on the move toward Lexington. Though significant, his ride was not “famous” until … Continue reading
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Tagged american-revolution, boston, history, paul-revere, Revolutionary War
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Challenges and Choices: An Address to the Portsmouth Abbey Community
February 14, 2025 It is an honor and privilege to address the Abbey Community this morning in this Kearney Lecture. This is a community that my wife and I were members of for over 20 years and to which in … Continue reading
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What Makes a Good American Citizen?
(Note: This essay was originally published in the Newport Daily News on September 30, 2017. I re-publish it today because of its continued relevance.) As a human body is only as healthy as its individual cells, so a civilization or … Continue reading
The Fleeting Glitter of the Gilded Age
(This essay was originally published abridged in the Providence Journal on August 5, 2023.) The storied Gilded Age of American history, with its epicenter in New York City and eventually in Newport, RI, began 150 years ago. This age is … Continue reading
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Two Women of Creation Stories: Eve and Skywoman
(Note: This is the tenth and final essay in my series on “Notable Women.”) Two women, Eve and Skywoman, play central but different roles in two creation stories, the former in the Judeo-Christian and the latter in many of the … Continue reading
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Tagged Adam and Eve, creation story, Eve, Indigenous creation story, Skywoman
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Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul
(Note: This is the ninth essay in a series on “Notable Women.” It was originally published as “The amazing career of the Queen of Soul” in the Newport Daily News on March 21, 2022.) Fifty-five years ago Aretha Franklin’s recording, … Continue reading
Race, Racism, and Me, Part III
(Note: This is the third essay in a series on “Race and Racism in America.” It was originally published by the Newport Daily News on March 2, 2022.) In my 23-year teaching career at Portsmouth Abbey School, coming after my … Continue reading
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Tagged Fred Zilian, race in America, racism in America, Zenobia Dubois Zilian
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