Humphrey Gilbert was granted six years by Queen Elizabeth to establish a colony in Newfoundland. The grant came with a lot of strings attached so he had to raise his own funds, find his own ships and crew them. Unfortunately much of the crew turned out to be pirates and he was there in Newfoundland for only a matter of perhaps two months. However there was a ceremony where he was given a piece of land that was dug out of the earth and given to Gilbert that did by the light of the day establish that as an English possession.
What do the words of America’s Founding Fathers mean today? In this conversation produced in partnership with Sotheby’s, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik, scholar Dr Anika Prather and Sotheby’s books specialist Selby Kiffer explore the historical significance of the writings of America’s Founding Fathers for the twenty-first century. Running alongside Sotheby's Book Week in July 2023 and the auction of key documents from Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and George Washington, this talk will examine the pivotal role these papers played in history, such as the establishment of the English Empire, negotiations for peace during the Revolution, as well as personal reflections of Thomas Jefferson. Join us and discover the intellect, passion, and conviction of the Founding Fathers as they established the ideals that became the foundation of the United States, which have inspired countless others to rise and reclaim their own liberty and human dignity.
This event was recorded on 11 July 2023 as part of Sotheby’s Book Week, a series of sales taking place in London, Paris and New York from 4-20 July featuring literature, illustrations and musical manuscripts that span continents and centuries. The New York auction will take place on Tuesday 18 July. Please visit sothebys.com to find out more and register for further updates.
This conversation was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye and edited by Producer Catharine Hughes.
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