History series with Jon Huibregtse:

Monday: May 19, June 2, 9 & 16 @ 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Sherborn Town Hall, 2nd Floor/ Cost: $40

Four interesting topics will be discussed. See how past events sometimes still hold true in modern day.

Irish Immigration to America

The United States is a nation of immigrants. In the 19th century more than 4 million Irish emigrated to the US as a result of political oppression, famine, and a desire for a better life. They faced violence and racism in the US, yet they persisted and like immigrant populations before and since, they assimilated into American life and culture. This discussion will examine the Irish immigrant experience and how they overcame discrimination as they changed American life.

Watergate: A Political Scandal

What began as a “third rate” burglary in June 1972 devolved into one of the worst political scandals in American history. This talk will examine the break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters and how it led to the resignation of Richard Nixon more than two years later. We will also discuss the effect the scandal had (and is still having) on the United States more than a half century later.

The American Civil War

The American Civil War settled the question of slavery, and more than half a million Americans died during four bloody years of warfare. While the war settled the question of slavery, it left other problems in its wake. The war was a watershed whose repercussions we are still dealing with in the 21st century. This discussion will focus not only on the war which was fought between 1861 and 1865, but also on its long term consequences.

Boston vs, New York: A Subway Race

Before the sports rivalries between Boston and New York that we are all familiar with, there was competition between the cities and two Boston-born brothers to see which would be the first in America to build a subway. This talk will examine the competition between the cities in the late 19th century to build a dependable and affordable mass transit system.

Presenter: Jon Huibregtse, P.h.D., is a recently retired professor of History at Framingham State University.  Huibregtse taught a very popular class this winter as part of our new history series.