Webcast replay: Conversations and Libations with Alexander Hamilton, in Morristown

“Apply yourself to everything judiciously, and you shall succeed”–Ian Rose as Alexander Hamilton

Welcome to the replay of MorristownGreen.com’s  April 15, 2011, webcast of Conversations and Libations with Alexander Hamilton from the Morristown Club.

You also can access the replay by clicking here.

To fast-forward or rewind, grab the slider at the bottom of the player and move it forward or backward.

Conversations and Libations with Alexander Hamilton was part of Revolutionary Times Weekend, April 15-17, in the Morristown area.

Our program runs about 45 minutes. Here is the guest list:

2:15 Pat Sanftner, regent, Morristown chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Pat also volunteers at the Schuyler-Hamilton House–a historic site acquired by the D.A.R. in 1923. It’s the place where Alexander Hamilton, as an aide-de-camp of General Washington, courted Betsy Schuyler in 1779-80. Pat gives us some background, and also describes how long it takes to corset up for an evening like this.

7:00 Nancy Johnston, president of the Morristown Club. Established in 1884, it’s New Jersey’s oldest social club. It moved to its 25-room home on Elm Street in 1929, but did not admit women members until the 1980s, with the admission of the late Rep. Millicent Fenwick (R-5th Dist.)  Nancy is the club’s first woman president. Today there are 240 members, who pay dues to enjoy guest lectures, activities and great meals prepared by executive chef Todd Fuller and his staff. Members also enjoy reciprocal privileges at social clubs in Princeton, Philadelphia, London, Paris and even in Japan.

12:30 Harry Carpenter, president of the Washington Association of New Jersey. Harry talks about the founding of the North Jersey Civil War Round Table ( George McClellan screwed up as a Union general–preparing him for the governorship of the Garden State) and the North Jersey American Revolution Round Table. Harry also reflects on what made George Washington a great leader.

19:00 Alexander Hamilton, Founding Father. (Rumor has it that he also goes by the name Ian Rose.) In this wide-ranging conversation, General Hamilton candidly discusses his hardscrabble youth in the Caribbean and the secret to success; his memories of His Excellency, George Washington; comparisons of wartime winters at Valley Forge, Pa., and Jockey Hollow in Morristown; life at Morristown’s Ford Mansion; his Morristown courtship with Betsy Schuyler; a scandalous affair with a friend’s wife; his creation of the federal banking system; his rejection by Princeton and his dropping out of what is now Columbia; bitter differences with Jefferson, Madison and Adams; and a tragic duel with Aaron Burr. What, exactly, did Gen. Hamilton say that led to gunfire on the Weehawken heights…?

Note: In our discussion of famous college dropouts, I didn’t mean to imply that Bill Gates invented Facebook! I just skipped past Mark Zuckerberg’s name… hey, this was “Conversations and Libations,” right?

37:00 Ben Cutler, aide-de-camera. Our camera operator and right-hand man gives a student’s perspective of Alexander Hamilton.

38:45 Jill Hawk, superintendent of the Morristown National Historical Park. Jill came to her Morristown assignment in January and is enjoying discovering the wealth of history here. She describes Revolutionary Times Weekend and why everyone should check it out.

Our thanks to Jill for her assistance with this production, and to Ian Rose for bringing history alive as Alexander Hamilton. Thank you to all our guests, and especially, thank you to Nancy Johnston and John Hoff of the Morristown Club for their warm hospitality.

And last but not least, special thanks to Ben Cutler for manning the camera all evening and keeping us on the virtual air.

SCHEDULE OF REVOLUTIONARY TIMES WEEKEND EVENTS

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF REVOLUTIONARY TIMES WEEKEND

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