Discussion in a webinar series titled Freethought History, Session 3: Assessing Thomas Paine's Influence in the Gilded Age and Modern Times, featuring Dermot Trainor (may occur on 27th May).
Announcing the Third Free Online Seminar on Freethought History
We are delighted to announce the third installment in our series of free online seminars dedicated to exploring the history and relevance of freethought. The webinars, hosted by our team, will feature esteemed guest speakers and provide ample opportunities for interactive Q&A sessions. Recordings of the webinars will be available on our YouTube channel for those who cannot attend.
Register for Freethought History Webinar #3: A Paine Party? Thomas Paine's Relevance in America's Gilded Age-and Today, featuring Dr Dermot Trainor of Benedictine College.
The webinar will take place on May 27th at 7 pm UK time via Zoom.
Overview of the Webinar:In this presentation, Dr Dermot Trainor will delve into the rise and fall of America's first-ever attempt at a freethought party—the National Liberal Party—which emerged during the revolutionary Reconstruction era following the Civil War. Dr Trainor will discuss the intellectual roots and inspirations drawn from Thomas Paine, who served as a guiding light for contemporary freethinkers seeking solutions to the political issues of their time. Notable figures such as Robert Ingersoll, Mark Twain, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman are intrinsic to this lesser-known yet fascinating narrative. Furthermore, the question of Paine's relevance for America and the world today—nearly 250 years since his influential articles Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence were published—will also be addressed.
About the Speaker:Dermot Trainor is an Assistant Professor of History at Benedictine College, where he specializes in the history of the United States of America. His research focuses on the Reconstruction era and 20th-century US foreign policy. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Dermot holds an undergraduate degree in history from Durham University and an MPhil and PhD in American History from the University of Cambridge. When not teaching, Dermot enjoys performing classical piano concertos by Rachmaninoff, Bach, and Beethoven.
Registration:To secure your place at the webinar, please register using the provided link.
The recording of the webinar will be accessible from the post once it becomes available. All posts about these webinars will be updated in due course when the webinar recordings are available, forming a comprehensive catalogue of the entire series.
With gratitude to Bob Forder for suggesting these seminars and helping organize them.
For the Freethinker's articles about Thomas Paine and related subjects, please click here.
- The Third Free Online Seminar on Freethought History, scheduled for May 27th at 7 pm UK time via Zoom, will delve into the history of America's first freethought party through the lens of Thomas Paine, followed by a discussion on his relevance in today's political landscape.
- By registering for the upcoming webinar, education-and-self-development enthusiasts can gain insights from Dr. Dermot Trainor, an Assistant Professor of History at Benedictine College, as he explores the impact of Thomas Paine on the National Liberal Party and its relevance in contemporary politics and general-news scenarios.
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