- This event has passed.
LECTURE SERIES: “General Benjamin Butler: Rapscallion Reformer” with Ann Beattie
November 13 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Free
On November 13, Ann Beattie will present “General Benjamin Butler: Rapscallion Reformer.” General Benjamin Butler was born and bred in New Hampshire. He was a colorful, dynamic and audacious politician. He served as a Union Army general during the Civil War, earning the nicknames “Beast” and “Spoons.” A successful lawyer, Butler was elected the Governor of Massachusetts and made an unsuccessful bid for the Presidency. Rumored to be a rather shady businessman, Butler was ahead of his time in championing the rights of women and African Americans. Delve into the complex character of this intriguing and controversial bureaucrat from our home state.
A Proprietor and presently a Board Director of the Portsmouth Athenaeum, Ann Beattie is an independent scholar who researches the fascinating history of the Isles of Shoals. She is a former president of the Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association. Ann currently leads tours of the Shoals and speaks about the Shoals and related matters both on the Isles and around the region.
Program is part of the 2024 Lecture Series "Political Engagement in New Hampshire: Past and Present," and it begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Shaw Research Library of the Portsmouth Athenæum at 9 Market Square in Portsmouth, NH (unless otherwise noted). Reservations for each program are required as seating is limited. Online registration is below. If unable to keep your reservation, please call (603) 431-2538 to release the seat for someone else. NOTE: Online registration ends 24 hours before the program begins; thereafter, please call (603) 431-2538, if space is available.
Attendance is FREE for Athenæum Proprietors, Subscribers, and Friends. Guests and members of the public are welcome to attend the entire series by becoming a Friend of the Athenæum for as little as $25 per year, payable at the door. Admission to an individual program is $15.
The 2024 Lecture Series "Political Engagement in New Hampshire: Past and Present" is sponsored by Whole Wealth Management.
Images: [Insert] Carte de visite of Benjamin Butler. Courtesy of speaker; [Background] Contraband of War. Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collections.