Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Jordan B. Smith
2026-04-15 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a talk with Professor Jordan B. Smith (Widener University) about his new book, The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity (2025) to learn the complex history of rum, from its production to its consumption, and from its origins in the Caribbean to its impact on the Atlantic world.
It was strong. It was cheap. It was ubiquitous. Fermented and distilled from the refuse of sugar production, rum emerged in the seventeenth-century Caribbean as a new commodity. To conjure something desirable from waste, the makers, movers, and drinkers of rum arrived at its essential qualities through cross-cultural experimentation and exchange. Those profiting most from the sale of rum also relied on plantation slavery, devoured natural resources, and overlooked the physiological effects of overconsumption in their pursuit of profit. Focusing on the lived experiences of British colonists, Indigenous people, and enslaved Africans, The Invention of Rum shows how people engaged in making and consuming this commodity created a new means of profit that transformed the Atlantic world.
Light refreshments will be served.

Presented in partnership with the Huguenot & New Rochelle Historical Association.
For in person registration, click HERE.
To register for the Zoom webinar, click HERE.

This program is produced with support from the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry and the “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Emily Sneff
2026-04-22 18:00 - 19:00 | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
Publishing for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.

Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in History from William & Mary. She is a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe.

Light refreshments will be served.

Presented in partnership with the Huguenot & New Rochelle Historical Association.
For in person registration, click HERE.
To register for the Zoom webinar, click HERE.
This program is produced with support from the “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Quaff & Quill: Book Talk with Jack Kelly
2026-04-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Ryan Library and via Zoom
Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a talk with historian Jack Kelly about his new book, Tom Paine’s War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time (2026) to explore two of Paine’s essays–Common Sense and The American Crisis–that turned a rebellion over taxes into a true revolution. Kelly’s tribute to 250th anniversary of American independence, the book is a riveting reflection on the power of words and belief.
Light refreshments will be served.

Presented in partnership with the Huguenot & New Rochelle Historical Association.
For in person registration, click HERE.

Juneteenth Quaff & Quill: Cookbook Talk with Nicole A. Taylor
2026-06-06 16:00 - 17:00 | Thomas Paine Cottage Museum, 20 Sicard Drive, New Rochelle, NY, 10801, United States
Join the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies for a conversation about the very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth, from food writer and cookbook author Nicole A. Taylor, who draws on her decade of experiences observing the holiday.
All-day cook-outs with artful salads, bounteous dessert spreads, and raised glasses of “red drink” are essential to Juneteenth gatherings. In Watermelon and Red Birds, Taylor puts jubilation on the main stage. As a master storyteller and cook, she bridges the traditional African-American table and 21st-century flavors in stories and recipes.
Watermelon and Red Birds contains over 75 recipes, including drinks such as Afro Egg Cream, dishes including Peach Jam and Molasses Glazed Chicken Thighs, and desserts such as Radish and Ginger Pound Cake. Taylor also provides a resource to guide readers to BIPOC-owned hot sauces, jams, spice, and waffle mixes companies and lists fun gadgets to make your Juneteenth special.
These recipes and our conversation with Taylor will inspire you to host your own parties to salute one of the most important American holidays, and moments to savor joy all year round.

Light refreshments will be served.

This is a hybrid event. Please join us in person or online via Zoom.
CLICK HERE FOR IN PERSON REGISTRATION
Thomas Paine Cottage Museum
20 Sicard Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10804
Driving Directions
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WEBINAR
Presented in partnership with the Huguenot & New Rochelle Historical Association

This program is produced with support from the “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the
American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement and the Spirit of 1776
2026-06-08 16:00 - 17:30 | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
Civic Legacies of the Declaration of Independence
As the United States quickly approaches the 250th anniversary of independence this Fourth of July, Iona University’s new initiative, “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776,” is bringing together leaders in government, education, and public history for a discussion of how the principles and practices shared in that founding document influence our New Rochelle, New York, national, and global communities today.
Iona University invites you to join us for a roundtable event!
Hosted by: Nora Slonimsky, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair, History Department and Director of Institute for Thomas Paine studies.
Speakers: Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Iona University, Nicole Mahoney, Ph.D., Public Historian/Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, and Barbara Davis, New Rochelle Historian. Reception to follow.
To register for in person attendance, click here.

The Sources of American Civics: Founding Era Documents in Our Present Moment
2026-08-26 17:00 - 18:00 | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
How should we understand the founding documents of the United States in the twenty-first century? Join historians Dr. Hannah Farber and Dr. Jonathan Gienapp for a timely conversation exploring how the texts, debates, and political ideas of the Founding Era continue to shape American civics and public life today.

This public program is possible thanks to support from “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

Common Sense and the Constitution
2026-09-17 17:00 - 18:00 | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
Celebrate Constitution Day with the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and the New Rochelle Bar Association for a conversation featuring Justice Mark Dillon and Dr. Joseph Rezek. This program explores the relationship between Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, the founding principles of the American republic, and the enduring significance of the U.S. Constitution.

This public program is possible thanks to support from “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education.

America’s ‘First Revolution’: Indigenous Nations, Bacon’s Rebellion, and Mythologies of Independence from 1676 to Today
2026-09-25 - 2026-09-26 | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
CALL FOR PAPERS
As the United States reflects on the 250th anniversary of independence, the question of what defines a revolution is an enduring one, especially its motivations, goals, and chronology. When veered toward separation from the British Empire, their prior experience with resistance and revolt shaped their answers. One example, Bacon’s Rebellion, was once called America’s ‘First’ Revolution by historians. Taking place exactly one hundred years before the Declaration of Independence, the conflict has often been understood as an early site of resistance to British authority, which elevated it to a prophetic event with mythological power. The narratives that subsequently developed around rebellion, revolution, and, eventually, independence—not only in the eighteenth century but also in popular and scholarly imaginations today—often reflected that perception. Moreover, these narratives were also part of an even earlier chronology, one where the specter of the English Revolution (1639–1659) was a pervasive narrative touchstone. Yet, as more recent scholarship demonstrates, the imaginary around Bacon’s Rebellion and the origins of revolution was far more complex, particularly in the roles that played alongside enslaved, colonial, and imperial actors.

For the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies’ (ITPS) Seventh Biannual Conference, we hope to contribute to ongoing dialogues about commemoration and American independence by considering these earlier debates around the meanings of revolution. We welcome proposals that consider these themes not just around late seventeenth century histories, but also how a variety of peoples interpreted the meanings of rebellion, revolution, and independence in the centuries before 1776. We are similarly interested in proposals that consider the influence of those interpretations in our present moment, and those that foreground tribal, community, and descendant histories, oral histories, digital tools, public history sites, archival resources, interactive platforms, classroom strategies, and more. “America’s ‘First’ Revolution” will be a fully hybrid program, with virtual and in-person components on the Iona campus in New Rochelle, which is located just outside New York City in Westchester County. Presentations can take the form of papers, posters, lightening talks, non-traditional presentations (including film or other creative works), and pre-formed panels and roundtables.

Scholars and experts of all disciplinary and professional backgrounds and levels are encouraged to apply. If needed, financial support for participation may be available. Please include a 250-word abstract and either a one-page curriculum vitae or brief bio in one document labeled with the applicant or session organizer’s last name, with participant name(s), title, and email address at the top of the first page of the proposal. Submissions may be sent to itps@iona.edu by May 31, 2026, and will be notified of decisions by early June. Proposals will be considered by the program committee, which includes Dr. Matthew Kruer of the University of Chicago, Dr. Haley Negrin of the University of Illinois: Chicago, Dr. Adam Arenson of the ITPS and Iona University Honors Program, Ms. Mindy De Palma of Iona University, and Dr. Nicole Mahoney of the ITPS and Iona University. For additional information or questions, please contact Dr. Nora Slonimsky, ITPS Director, at nslonimsky@iona.edu.

This conference is possible thanks to support from “Common Sense and the Constitution: Civic Engagement in the Spirit of 1776” initiative from the American History and Civics Education – Seminars (AHC-Seminars) Program at the Department of Education and the Lapidus Initiative for Early American Inquiry.

The Third Annual Lapidus Lecture in Paine Studies with Dr. Danielle Allen
2026-11-12 17:00 - 18:30 | LaPenta School of Business, Henry Lecture Hall, Iona University & Virtual via Zoom
Join us for the Third Annual Lapidus Lecture in Paine Studies, featuring renowned political theorist Dr. Danielle Allen. This signature annual lecture brings one of today’s leading scholars into conversation with Thomas Paine’s ideas, exploring their enduring significance for democracy, citizenship, and public life.
