Politics and Politeness in Early America

Does it seem like everyone in politics has forgotten the Golden Rule? You know, treat others the way you'd like to be treated? The lack of decorum hasn't gone unnoticed, and to that end, the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts, is hosting author Steven C. Bullock on September 26 to discuss how early American leaders like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin believed in the importance of maintaining civility in public discourse, and why it seems so challenging for today's politicians to embrace a similar position. Entitled Politeness and Public Life in Early America and Today, Bullock's talk will draw on material gathered for his book on the same topic, Tea Sets and Tyranny (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016), in which he suggests that self-moderation and refinement were critical in the fight to overthrow British rule.                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                               Bullock is a history professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and author of two previous books on early American politics. Copies of Tea Sets and Tyranny will be available during Bullock's talk for purchase.
                                                                                                                                                                              Politeness and Public Life in Early America and Today takes place on Tuesday, September 26 at 7 p.m. at the American Antiquarian Society at Antiquarian Hall on 185 Salisbury Street in Worcester, MA. The talk is open to the public. For more information, contact the AAS at 508-755-5221.