Great Night With the Colonel Richard Somers SAR Chapter

This evening I enjoyed dinner at a classic New Jersey diner in Somers Point, NJ (just outside of Ocean City) with the members of the Colonel Richard Somers Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.  The chapter is small, but very lively. 

There seemed to be some concern about whether or not I would be advocating a particular view on the Christian America question, but I think I put all fears to rest by approaching the topic as any historian might approach it.

My favorite part of the evening was when I reminded all of them that Philip Vickers Fithian, writing in the 1770s, referred to people living in their part of New Jersey as “swamp men.”  They all seemed to get a kick out of this.

Thanks to Norman Goos for inviting me to speak, Raymond Beebe for funding the lecture series, and for the members of the group for their hospitality. 

RECOMMENDED READING

Preserving the Great Dismal Swamp The 4 New Jersey regions Roots Philip Vickers Fithian: “The young American torn between cosmopolitan aspiration and more rooted satisfactions”