American Holidays – Celebrating Freedom
What are "the common objects of our love" – those things St. Augustine said bind a people into a nation? One is the things people celebrate. In the American Holidays series, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth, continues his exploration of those things Americans love in common. This episode of American Holidays explores how Americans celebrate freedom. What's the difference between an "official holiday" and an "observance"? We'll explore the origins of Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Juneteenth and the Fourth of July? We'll ask what was Armistice Day? What was Decoration Day and how did it become Memorial Day? What Longfellow poem defined the day? What happened on June 19th , 1865 and how did it evolve into Juneteenth? Finally, before The Star-Spangled Banner what was the American national anthem? We'll rediscover Hail Columbia, America (My Country Tis of Thee) and Yankee Doodle as we chart how Americans celebrate the Fourth of July. American freedom holidays on American Holidays Tuesday June 29th at 4 p.m.
REMEMBER: If you missed previous episodes that's okay because there are NO PREREQUISITES. Each episode stands alone.
This event will be live-streamed on our Facebook page and later posted to our Youtube Channel and Website (www.JESerie.org).
A Scholar-in-Residence at the Jefferson Educational Society (JES), Roth delivers presentations about “The American Tapestry Project: We Tell Ourselves Stories”. In this series, Roth seeks to weave together America’s many stories into a tapestry of stories exploring what it means to be an American. The Project includes The American Tapestry Project: a five part series on the story’s major threads; American Holidays: an eight part series on those things Americans love in common; Americans and Their Games: Sports in America History and Culture: a five part series on the role of sports in American history; and The Birth of the Women’s Movement: an ongoing series on the 19th century women who challenged their times and shaped the future. The entire project began with America in 1968: The Far Side of the Moon and the Birth of the Culture Wars.
A frequent speaker at the Chautauqua Institution and at other venues, Roth currently hosts a podcast series on WQLN-Public Radio & NPR1 The American Tapestry Project airing at 4:00PM on the second Sunday of every month. It can also be found online at WQLN/NPR and all major podcast sites, such as Spotify, Apple, and others. Currently, the series is exploring popular music as a window into the soul of America.
A prolific writer, in June, 2022 the Jefferson Society awarded Roth the first ever Ovid Award for the 100+ Book Notes he has written for the Society since March of 2020. The series now numbers 211 and counting. Roth’s Book Notes cover the subjects of the day, with particular emphases on American history and the art of poetry. All can be found on the Jefferson Educational Society website www.jeserie.org/book%20notes. In addition to his Book Notes, Roth recently authored How to Be a Highly Effective Leader: A Primer published by the Jefferson Society in 2026.
Roth’s long career in higher education included service at Erie’s Gannon and Mercyhurst Universities. A nationally recognized expert in enrollment management, Roth authored Saving for College and the Tax Code: A New Spin on the “Who Pays for Higher Education Debate (2001). From 2003 to 2014, Roth served as President of Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio, which awarded him an Honorary Doctorate for his leadership and named him President-Emeritus. In 2016-17, Roth served as President of St. Bonaventure University guiding the university through a sensitive transitional period. When not working on his various projects, he enjoys reading, and cycling on Presque Isle. He is married to retired banker Judy Owens Roth.
Roth can be reached at roth@jeserie.org
