The next General Francis Nash Chapter Meeting will be held at Governors’ Club on Wednesday, January 28, at 4:30pm, in conjunction with a Presentation by NCSU Professor of American History Dr. Craig Friend.

Dr. Friend will join us for a Chapter Meeting in the Members’ Lounge, then move to the Program.  The subject will be America 250 — From Common Sense to We, the People:  The Colonial Mind in the Winter and Spring of 1776.

Just 250 years ago, on January 9, 1776, a pamphlet titled “Common Sense” was published by Thomas Paine, which became the most widely read publication in American history, based on the percentage of the population who either read it or heard it read. American attitudes toward England, the King, and the governance of the colonies were transformed — the Declaration of Independence was issued just seven months later.

The story is a familiar one: In arguing for American independence, Paine denounced the king and argued that the people are born into a state of equality. An advocate of natural rights theory, he claimed that there are no divine rulers among men, and he proposed a system of representative government. Finally, Paine claimed that the time was right for the colonies to break from England. Paine’s pamphlet transformed the colonial mind into a revolutionary one. But just how accurate is that story? How do we parse history from mythology? Professor Friend will take us on this exploration.

Professor Craig Friend earned his PhD in History from the University of Kentucky in 1995 and arrived at NC State as director of the Public History program in 2006. He specializes in social and cultural history of the early United States, teaching courses on the early American republic, the Old South, historical memory, popular culture, and the history of American death culture. He is a past president of the Society of Historians of the Early American Republic. With fellowships from the American Antiquarian Society, the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, Friend has authored six books, including the award-winning Kentucky Frontiers. His most recent book is a biography of Lunsford Lane, an enslaved man who purchased his freedom and became an abolitionist celebrity.

After the Program, there will be an optional Carolina BBQ Buffet Dinner, featuring Pulled Pork and Hushpuppies, Cole Slaw, etc., House-Smoked Beef Brisket, Country Fried Chicken, Vegetables, Rolls, Salad, and Dessert.  The cost for the Dinner will be $40.

Please RSVP to to be on the gate entry list, and indicate if you will be joining us for Dinner.  Spouses are welcome.