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American identity has always been shaped by its relationship with the wider world.  At the moment of its independence in 1783, the new nation was a poor and powerless state trying to survive in a hostile world that bullied and ridiculed Americans.  For their part, Yankee seafarers saw the world as populated by pirates and tyrants in the Mediterranean, corrupt mandarins in the China seas, idolatry and colonial oppression in the Indian Ocean, and bloodthirsty cannibals in the Pacific.  The natural world was no kinder, as hidden shoals and terrifying monsoons ripped apart their ships and drowned their crews.  Dane Morrison draws from his recent book, Eastward of Good Hope: Early America in a Dangerous World, to describe how the United States navigated its way across threatening seas to become a global superpower. 
 
Dr. Dane Morrison is a Professor of Early American History in the Department of History at Salem State University, Salem, MA.


Please RSVP to this event by calling 603-431-2538.

With trumpets, horn and trombones, the Portsmouth Symphony Brass Quintet will herald all that's glorious about the season of Advent, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Come one, come all, to celebrate and be filled with a joyful mix of traditional music, seasonal favorites and music from the Renaissance to pop. The Concert is the Athenaeum's gift to its membership and to the community at large, although contributions will be gratefully accepted at the door.  
 
The Athenaeum Holiday Concert with the PBQ will be held at 7:30 p.m. on December 14, 2023 at South Church, 292 State Street, Portsmouth. All are invited.