Revolutionary Portsmouth Lecture Series “The Politicization of Shoes” at Portsmouth Historical

“Revolutionary Portsmouth” Joint Lecture Series: The Politicization of Shoes: Purchasing Patriotism During the Revolutionary Era, 1760s–1770s Thursday, September 24, 2026, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth Dr. Kimberly Alexander explores how everyday consumer choices became acts of political expression during the Revolutionary era. Focusing on shoes as a case study, she reveals how American women supported boycotts of English goods by purchasing locally made footwear and repairing existing pairs, helping disrupt British industry and advance the cause of independence. Dr. Kimberly Alexander is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Museum Studies in the History Department at the University of New Hampshire. A former curator at institutions including the MIT Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, and Strawbery Banke Museum, she specializes in material culture and dress history. Her publications include Treasures Afoot: Shoe Stories from the Georgian Era and Fashioning the New England Family. Chris Dwyer M. Christine “Chris” Dwyer is co-owner and Senior Vice President of RMC Research, a national education consulting firm based in Portsmouth since 1985 where she has specialized in literacy, early childhood policy and school improvement as well as research in arts and culture. She served seven terms on the Portsmouth City Council, where she played key roles in major civic projects: co-chairing the Middle School renovation, leading the Prescott Park master plan, and fundraising for the African Burying Ground. Chris has been a prominent advocate and leader in arts and culture—founding chair of Art‑Speak, chair of the NH State Council on the Arts, Board president of the Currier Museum of Art and the Portsmouth Music Hall. She currently co-chairs Portsmouth’s Public Art Review Committee.