Historian Heather Cox Richardson, a summer visitor, whose roots in Bristol date back to colonial days, will deliver an online lecture on “The Role of Political Parties in American Democracy,” on Tuesday, Oct. 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., through the Zoom online platform or may be listened to by phone.

While the founders hated the idea of parties, they had become an essential part of American political life by 1800. How do they serve our politics, and how have they distorted the vision of the founders?

Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College, where she has taught since 2011. Prior to that she taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and MIT.  She is a well-known political commentator who writes a daily online newsletter, entitled, "Letters from an American," with more than 600,000 subscribers.

She is also the founder of werehistory.org, which publishes online articles linking history to current events.

Richardson grew up in Yarmouth, and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, from which she received B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. She specializes in the American Civil War, its aftermath, and the history of ideological battles within the Republican Party, and she has written six books. Her latest is “How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America.”

Richardson will speak for approximately one hour followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Because this event cannot be held in person and to keep the online audio uninterrupted, audience questions should either be sent ahead of time to barbBurtCampaign@protonmail.com (preferred) or submitted through the Zoom chat interface during the talk. 

To attend by Zoom, click to join: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84976233789?pwd=SkFkV3hNdGhtOXUrUDUzeUxwaTkrQT09. You may also open your Zoom App or enter this into your web browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/. Use the Meeting ID: 849 7623 3789 and Passcode: LCDC2020. 

To listen in by phone only, dial: 929 205 6099 (long distance rates may apply) and use Meeting ID: 849 7623 3789 and Passcode: 82602371d.

The public is welcome to attend this Lincoln County Community Conversations event, an opportunity for constructive dialog sponsored by the Lincoln County Democratic Committee. This series of community forums and discussions on topics of concern to Lincoln County residents was founded in the belief that friendly discussion and sharing of facts and opinions is a bridge to a stronger community. For more information, please contact Jan John at janjohn1us@yahoo.com