Learn more about the important role of alcohol in the culture and politics of Colonial America in this free lecture with Brook Barbier, author of King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father (2023). When John Hancock needed to win people over, he didn’t talk about resisting taxes or policy improvements; instead, he served alcohol. He offered rum punch and wine at his home and paid for lavish meals in taverns to bring people together. Guests included lower-class men, French officers, and Black women and men. By throwing parties, Hancock gained social and political power among myriad groups, repeatedly paying dividends. He was consistently elected to political office and when he smuggled Madeira into Boston, one of the most memorable and violent mobs during colonial resistance defended him.

Brooke Barbier is a public historian who received her Ph.D. in American history from Boston College, researching Boston’s social and cultural life during and after the American Revolution. Barbier owns a popular tour company in Boston, Ye Olde Tavern Tours, that takes guests to revolutionary sites and inside historic taverns to drink beer. Attendees will receive 10% off on 2024 Ye Olde Tavern Tours.

Registration is not required for this in-person event. The lecture will take place in the Goodwin Forum room of the Concord Free Public Main Library at 129 Main Street, Concord, MA. Please visit the library webpage for parking and accessibility information.

The Friends of Minute Man Winter Lecture Series is co-sponsored by Friends of Minute Man, Minute Man National Historical Park, the Concord Free Public Library, and Concord 250. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Concord Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.