NH Institute of Politics Latest Events

Join us for a keynote address by Dr. Alan Curtis, President of the Eisenhower Foundation, on Creating Justice in a Multiracial Democracy, the Foundation’s update of the landmark 1968 Kerner Commission Report. Drawing on contributions from leading scholars and policymakers, the report offers an evidence-based roadmap to address economic inequality, poverty, and racial injustice.

Dr. Curtis will examine how the Commission’s call for “new will” remains urgent today, outlining practical policy solutions across education, economic opportunity, housing, criminal justice, and democratic participation. He will also explore how this Kerner-grounded vision calls for renewed commitment to truth, civil discourse, and moral fusion across communities—echoing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other champions of multiracial democracy.

The keynote will be followed by a moderated discussion with Scott Spradling of The Spradling Group, inviting audience reflection on how evidence-based policymaking, civic leadership, and a shared commitment to democratic values can help advance justice and opportunity for all.

     Reception - 6:00 p.m.
.    Program - 6:30 p.m.
     Location - New Hampshire Institute of Politics Auditorium
 

Alan Curtis, Ph.D., is President and CEO of the Eisenhower Foundation and a longtime leader in national urban policy and democratic reform. He has held senior roles in the Carter and Johnson administrations, including Executive Director of President Carter’s Interagency Urban and Regional Policy Group and co-director of President Johnson’s Crimes of Violence Task Force. Dr. Curtis is the author, co-author, or editor of 11 books and holds degrees from Harvard University, the University of London, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Spradling is the president of the strategic communications firm, The Spradling Group. He is an Emmy award winning former political reporter and anchor for WMUR-TV.

This event is free and open to the public. No advance registration required.

Presented in partnership with Saint Anselm College’s 4+1 Master of Public Policy Program and the Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion

Join us to commemorate and reflect upon the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a film screening and discussion!

Together, we’ll watch a short excerpt from THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a new film directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, followed by a community discussion. The featured segment from THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, “The Spirit of Service,” explores service as a core American value, from the nation’s founding through to the present day – examining volunteerism, civic participation, public leadership, and more.

Expert facilitators will guide thoughtful conversations about “remembering together,” considering questions such as:

• What moments from our past define who we are and point to a shared future?
• What are the key historical moments in your town’s or community’s history?
• How does focusing on these moments shape your sense of your community’s future? 

In collaboration with AARP New Hampshire, the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute and the History Department at Saint Anselm College

Seating is Limited. Advance Registration is required. REGISTER HERE →

Interested in watching the entire film series? Learn more here: The American Revolution | All Episodes Now Streaming | Ken Burns | PBS

Big Watch programs are made possible by a partnership between New Hampshire Humanities and New Hampshire PBS, with support from Cogswell Benevolent Trust.
 

Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

Who really won the Revolutionary War?

In 1775, Ben Franklin sent a Connecticut shopkeeper, Silas Deane, on a secret mission to persuade Louis XVI to arm the Americans against the British. Deane had no experience abroad, spoke no French, and knew nothing about diplomacy, but Franklin chose him because Deane was such an improbable secret agent, the British would never suspect him.

This is the bizarre true story of how Deane succeeded with the help of two other men – a French comic playwright and a gender-bending spy – to smuggle all of the arms, ammunition, and supplies out of France, through the British lines, to George Washington’s beleaguered army. It’s a wild tale of espionage, political intrigue, seduction, and murder.

The Washington Post named Paul’s book, Unlikely Allies, one of the best books of the year and compared it to a Monty Python movie. It’s available for purchase online or at your local bookseller. Book signing with the author to follow.

This event is FREE and open to the public - No advance registration required.

In partnership with the Franco-American Centre

At the start of our republic, America was an idea, not a reality. We were many peoples, not one. Americans identified as citizens of their states and had little in common with people from other states. It took decades for an American identity to emerge from two competing visions of American nationalism.

New Hampshire native son Daniel Webster challenged Andrew Jackson’s populist idea that only white Christians could be American. Webster argued that the Constitution defines all of us as Americans, regardless of race, faith, or ethnicity. Professor Paul shows how Webster’s pluralist idea of constitutional nationalism triumphed and came to define what it means to be an American.

Joel Richard Paul is the Alfred and Hanna Fromm Emeritus Professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, where he teaches constitutional and international economic law. He has also taught on the law faculties of the University of California, Berkeley; Yale University; the University of Connecticut; Leiden University in the Netherlands; and American University.

His most recent books include Indivisible: Daniel Webster and the Birth of American Nationalism; Without Precedent: Chief Justice John Marshall and His Times; and Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution (all published by Penguin/Riverhead). Unlikely Allies was named one of the best books of 2009 by The Washington Post and was recently adapted by the author into a stage play. His books and articles have been appeared in French, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish.

Professor Paul was educated at Amherst College, the London School of Economics, Harvard Law School, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He lives outside San Francisco.

Books may be purchased in advance online or at your local bookseller. Book signing with the author to follow.
 

This event is free and open to the public - No advance registration required.